Red Onion is hands down my favorite Indian restaurant in NYC. Everything we tried was very, very good--but the butter chicken completely stole the show. Truly AMAZING. Rich, creamy, perfectly balanced, and easily the best dish of the night. We also tried the chicken vindaloo, which was delicious but definitely really spicy--great if you love heat. The chicken xacuti was also excellent, full of flavor and depth. The bread and rice deserve their own shoutout: fresh, comforting, and the perfect match for every dish. On top of the food, the service was outstanding. Anthony took incredible care of us--super attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. He helped us choose the dishes, guided us through the menu, checked in to make sure we were enjoying everything, and genuinely made the experience better. Amazing food, amazing service, and a warm, welcoming vibe. If you're looking for top-tier Indian food in NYC, Red Onion is it. read more

Red Onion - Pandara Road Wala Butter Chicken (House Specialty) - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Most abysmal service I have experienced in NYC. There's long waits, wrong dishes, or slow service, and then there's the racist owner who straight up lies to you. After an hour of waiting for our food, the three tables around us who arrived after us already got their food and were nearly done with their meal. We ask about this twice, and each time the owner says all three tables "pre-ordered" their food. I was confused and asked every table if this was true and obviously it was not. Before leaving, we confront the owner about the inconsistencies in his story, but he just double downs on his lie, alleging that we don't understand how a restaurant is run. For some reason, he even started to yell at the busgirl who was trying to get him to apologize? In addition to holding us hostage for an hour and continued lying, he tries to make the racist point that Indian food is more sophisticated and takes longer to prepare than other types of Asian food. I feel there are certain standards in the NYC service industry given the competition, and this was a confusing and unacceptable experience. The food was admittedly good, but not good enough for them to have the attitude they had. read more

Notes/TL;DR version- Above average take on standard Indian grub primarily featuring Northern Indian food from Rajasthan, with a couple of southern Indian dishes, also like Xacuti. Prices are a bit high, and it's a bit loud, too. Open since early 2023, this is a popular Indian restaurant in a neighborhood with a bunch of other popular Indian places. The prices are a tad high, especially since rice isn't included, but the quality was good. While not as unique as Adda or some of the other higher-end Indian places, the food was solid and easily better than the vast majority of the run-of-the-mill Indian spots in the city. The atmosphere here was unique, with the light show on the ceiling helping brighten the overly dim restaurant. I also found the spot a bit too loud. Anyway, I was here with a group that ordered rather confusingly for the waitstaff, and one person in the group was being quite obnoxious, so I apologize for that and can forgive any issues, in terms of wait or otherwise, based on our ordering alone (our waiter was honestly a saint.) I had some of what I believe was the Samosa Chaat for $12.95, listed as crispy turnovers topped with chickpeas, yogurt, tamarind, and mint chutney finished with potato crisps and spices. I believe it was that, and that is the only chaat outside of spinach, but my photo shows primarily channa/chickpeas so I'm not sure. Regardless, it was tasty with a good mix of textures and flavors. I enjoyed it and so did the others. My main dish was the $27.95 Rara Bhuna Lamb, listed as lamb meat stir cooked in a semi-dry brown sauce with caramelized onion, which is listed as one of their House specialties. I have had this dish at many other Indian places, either with goat or lamb, and this was a good version. The lamb was well-spiced, quite tender, and had a good amount of heat. The bits of cooked-down onions added a touch of sweetness. The only complaint I can make is that it seemed a tad oily compared to some other spots, but I didn't mind in this case, as it was very flavorful. I eventually got my side of Onion Kulcha for $8.95, a spiced onion stuffed naan, which was fine. The same person who got the chaat ordered the Tandoori Mixed Grill for $32.95 as their main, which included an assortment of tandoori chicken, sharabi chicken tikka, lamb seekh kabab, and shrimp. They gave me a bit of the lamb seekh and chicken tikka, and the former had a good amount of space, and the latter was nice and tender, as it should be for chicken marinated in yogurt. It was a good mix, and the portion was plentiful and honestly could be split with someone, along with the previous appetizer. I also tried the Kadai Paneer for $20.95, described as a semi-dry, colorful preparation of homemade cottage cheese cooked in a wok with bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. The paneer inside had a good texture, and the vegetables were cooked down nicely. This, however, tasted the most standard in comparison to other restaurants, and I would likely prefer to try the Methi Paneer Malai Toast next time instead. This was overall a good place. I slightly prefer the more unique offerings at a handful of other spots nearby (for instance, Veeray Da Dhaba and the more well-known Adda,) but for standard Northern Indian grub, I would recommend it if you don't mind paying a bit more for a bit higher quality food. The prices and atmosphere are still a tad too high, though, for me to bump it fully. read more

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Absolutely incredible experience. The food was some of the best I've ever had, the atmosphere was very chill, and the staff was friendly and accommodating. I've eaten at a lot of Indian restaurants, but this one is probably my favorite. I will come back to this place again and again. read more

Red Onion - Butter Lamb (House Specialty) Shahi Chicken Korma (House Speciality) Goan Fish Curry - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

The food, the portions and the staff here are amazing!! We got a few dishes to share and we had a good amount of leftovers. We got the giant samosa, the rara bhuna lamb, the aloo saag, roti and a side of rice. The lamb dish was not my favorite but everything else was delicious. What I would say tho is that they charge $9 for the side of rice which I feel is a rip off. read more

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My wife and I came here as we were craving Indian food for a date night. We came on time and were immediately seated on the street which had a cool vibe. The place was not too packed so we were able to place our order quickly with our friendly server. We ordered 2 giant vegetarian samosas, rara bhuna lamb, aloo saag, roti and a side of rice. The lamb dish was covered with delicious spices and sauce which was unique and tasty. Our favorite dish was the aloo saag which is potatoes and spinach. We thought everything was great but the prices for spinach/potatoes ($21) and rice ($9) were so pricey! read more

Red Onion - Jumbo Veg. Samosa (2 Pcs.) - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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We've been looking for a new casual, small spot to get authentic Indian food. I stumbled across this place on Yelp and my fellow reviewers did not lead me astray!! Staff were warm and friendly and full of recommendations based on our preferences. We ordered mostly house specialties: the Methi Paneer Malai Toast, Dal Frontier, Rajasthani Goat Curry, Garlic Shrimp Bhuna, along with some garlic naan. Everything was delicious, complex and so flavorful! Thick, rich sauces and quality proteins. Honestly, I hardly ever order shrimp out without it coming recommended by someone I trust...but after listening to the owner talk about the restaurants commitment to quality ingredients, I decided to take a chance. No regrets about anything we ordered. I just wish we had come with a larger group to try more! We did find the ambiance a little strange. They had projectors with solar systems on the ceilings. I also agree with another reviewer about the napkin and silverware situation. Both are in desperate need of an upgrade. But the food and service outshine any negatives. Highly recommend giving them a try!! Oh, they do charge a credit card fee. It wasn't advertised anywhere that I saw and I would've preferred to know beforehand. I wasn't too surprised given it appears that's what everyone is doing. read more

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Some of the best Indian food I've had in NYC! Everyone is super friendly and lovely community feel!! read more

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Some of the best Indian food I've ever had! Thursday 1:30pm reservation had the restaurant to ourselves and experienced great service and food! Shall return! read more

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This has quickly become one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the city. The food is delicious and the restaurant has a cool ambiance with the projected visuals on the ceiling. Bhel puri - full of flavor from the different chutneys and crunchy texture from sev, nuts, and the other mix-ins. Paneer tikka - standard, but still good. Methi Malai toast - kind of blew my mind. The paneer is in large, grilled slabs (the "toast"), and the sauce is creamy and fragrant from the fenugreek leaves. This dish was super unique, and I really enjoyed it. Bhindi masala - another hit. There was a subtle tartness (maybe from dried mango?) that stacked on top of the tomato to give the dish a complex flavor. The okra was cooked to perfection - not overly soft even though it wasn't fried. Dal frontier - hearty and a nice compromise between black dal and yellow dal. Butter chicken - I didn't try this dish, but my family loved it. Mint paratha - crispy, flaky, and subtle mint flavor. This was great with any of the dishes. Butter naan - fluffy and not dry in the least bit. Mango lassi - really delicious. There was a distinct taste of fresh yogurt, even though the drink came from a can. The can itself is nice, transparent to show the orange color of the drink through. Masala chai - also quite good. The meal came to about $200 with tax and tip. This would ordinarily be expensive for four adults and one small child, but we definitely ordered way too much - we ended up with three dishes and some naan in leftovers. Definitely give this place a try. read more

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This place is tiny but so cozy!! Service is attentive but not meddlesome. Prices are reasonable. Portions are large. Most importantly the food is delicious!! We got the cauliflower appetizer, the lamb chops, garden salad and the first lamb entree. Also got a basket of pappadum.The salad was very fresh and big enough for two. The dressing was a tad sweet for my taste. Both lamb dishes were to die for and the portions were large. The cauliflower was so yummy- reminded me of a sweet and sour dish. we will definitely be back!!!! read more

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So very tasty! I really loved the apps, the chili paneer had just the right amount of spice. The spinach chaat was crunchy and topped perfectly with yogurt and tamarind chutney. Good portion sizes. read more

Red Onion - Spinach Chaat, Paneer Chili Dry - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

My friend has a new found interest in Indian food which was perfect for me since I have been craving Indian food. We wanted something authentic so of course we turned to Yelp and which eventually led us to Red Onion. The restaurant was small and quaint. Most of the tables were for 1-4 people but we did see one large table towards the back for larger parties. The menu was a lot bigger than we were expecting and we saw a lot of items that we've never heard of before. So we decided to order one familiar dish- chicken tikki masala and one new dish- chicken xacuti. Both of them were delicious. I loved the xacuti but my friends loved the tikki masala. My favorite dish of the night was the samosa chat. It was like a deconstructed samosa with chickpeas and potatoes. The two entrees were quite spicy so remember to take that into consideration. We also in ordered the onion nan and garlic nan. The onion nan was more soft and pillowy whilst the garlic nana was more crispy and fragrant. Can't go wrong with either. I'm already making arrangements to come again! read more

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A solid spot for Indian eats that cured my cravings -- it's a relatively small restaurant, so we had to wait ~10 min for a walk-in seat... but it was worth the wait. The tikkas were great, Salmon portion was very large and Paneer was well-spiced. The Malai Methi Paneer was fire, super unique and my favorite dish. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Everything about this place was amazing, from the service, to the ambiance, to the food! Delicious complex flavors. They even gave us complimentary mango lassi, SO good! read more

Red Onion - Garlic Naan, Onion Naan, Mango Lassi, Butter Lamb (House Specialty), Rara Bhuna Goat (House Speciality) - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

fiancé heard about this place and wanted to try it out. the ambiance was intimate and nice. the service and food was good. the hot sauce with the butter chicken was great bc i like spicy and they delivered. i would eat here again. read more

Red Onion - Jalapeno & Cheese Samosa Bites (6 Pcs.) - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Tldr: amazing food--a little pricy but large portions, solid flavors, and good service make up for it. Chicken 65 4/5: Super juicy and tender, zesty coating/seasoning. Goat Biryani 5/5: Probably the best biryani I've had in my entire life--the rice was so flavorful (beware the whole cardamom and cloves); generous portion; goat meat was falling off the bone. Chennai Chicken Curry 4.5/5: Super rich and flavorful curry with an undertone of curry leaf making the flavor distinct and delicious; chicken was tender. Garlic Naan 5/5: Really tasty naan piping hot and fresh; great texture, blistered from the oven. Mango Lassi 4.5/5: Came in a...can? They make it in house and put it in clear soda cans. A little thin compared to most others I've had but the flavor was fresh and pleasantly tangy. Decor/vibe: The (slightly) loud music and very modern, renovated interior with a cosmic light show projected on the ceiling will make you think you're at a $25 cocktail bar, but it is a nice space and the staff and owner are friendly. read more

Incrediblyyyyyy good food. Had a 4.9/5 rating on google so l was skeptical but I was pleasantly surprised. The chilli chicken was my favorite- perfect balance of spice and taste and the portion sizes are huge. The vibes were cool too- upscale hole in the wall vibes and really good music read more

Red Onion - Chili Chicken - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Outdated photos. Food is always solid, but don't expect to be able to hear your dining companions / have a conversation. They blast stomach-churning music and put on disco lights. The ceiling light show is constant. Prices can also be high (e.g., ~$25 for entree-size dishes, $12 for lemon rice) relative to other restaurants of similar ambiance / location. Overall, worth a trip if you're in the area, but don't bother traveling for it. RECOMMENDED. read more

Can't even explain how amazing the food is. We had a giant party of 9 tonight and we were all blown away. My husband had spicy vindaloo, kids shared butter paneer and I had the methi paneer toast. I'm usually a Shahi paneer person but they recommended the methi and I absolutely loved it. Great flavors, very rich, but not overpowering. Great vibes, amazing service. Also had naan, chicken 65, papad. Best Indian ever. read more

Red Onion - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Three out of four of our party are hearty carnivores, but we all enjoyed our vegetarian meal at Red Onion. All 4 entrees of palak paneer, aloo gobi, methi paneer malai toast, and baingan bharta (eggplant) had good flavor. Veggie samosa starter was fine; nothing to write home about. But at the risk of sounding incredibly basic: the garlic naan and the cocktails were fire! Service is nice. Space is an interesting mix of dark/intimate and corny. I definitely recommend, but you'll see. read more

Reasonably priced for the area! Red Onion says they make everything inhouse and the family has been in the hospitality industry for a long time back in India. I'm not authenticity connoisseur, but Red Onion's quality is certainly up there. The owner stopped by to check in on us when we dined in. It's rather akin to a startup fancy restaurant. The decor is almost there and the galaxy lights are pretty cool. I don't quite get the thematic connection though, but what's that matter in the face of yummy food? read more

"The Middle of the Average" Saw some good reviews of this newish Indian restaurant in my hood. So fired up the app and got me some delivery. Well people, nothing to see here. What's to cheer - Reasonably priced - good selection - Unique mushroom achari. Recommend! What's to jeer - Food is a little bland - Very uninspired in terms of vegetables and other things included in the curries - Nothing special and could get at any Indian restaurant - Boring ! read more

After a quick debate on what we all wanted for dinner, we decided to try this place. Our kids were both craving butter chicken and stumbled upon this place when scrolling on Yelp. We looked through the photos, read some reviews, and decided to give it a try. I will start by stating that although the wait to eat was long, when we finally received our food, all was delicious. We had a bit of a wait for a table to open, and so to make up for it, the restaurant owner brought over 4 complimentary samosas (one each). Let me tell you, they were hands down, the best samosas we've ever had anywhere! The dough was soft, light perfectly fried, and the filling was moist, flavorful, and savory. The owner told us that their samosas are made fresh daily and explained that the concept to their restaurant, is providing customers with optimal freshness, all made to order dishes to assure quality and so nothing goes to waste. 100% sourced ingredients from India; including their meats, organic chicken, seafood, fish, and spices. The butter chicken sauce was much darker than we've had anywhere. Although good, it tasted different than other butter chicken dishes we've had in other restaurants. I don't think their butter chicken recipe uses any cream, which will then explain the dark rich hue to their sauce that made us wonder if it had to do with the region of their dishes or, if it's their own spin on the dish. I had their house specialty curry in a coconut base and loved it. The chicken was very tender, moist, and flavorful. Bryce had the tandoori chicken. One of the chicken pieces was cooked perfectly, but the other thinner piece was overcooked and dry, especially because the dish does not include a sauce. He used the sauces that came with the samosas, which helped. To drink, we had mango lassies. They were really good. My only critique is that they needed to be colder. Overall, we enjoyed our meal and look forward to going back to try other dishes on their menu. read more

Red Onion - Vegetable Samosas (TL), Garlic Naan (BL), Butter Chicken (TR), Tandoori Chicken (CR), House Specialty Curry Chicken (BR) - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Food tasted very fresh. Lots of vegetarian options available. Cozy ambiance, a smaller restaurant. Prices were reasonable. read more

Red Onion - Saag paneer - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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I have been DYING to try this place and I was finally back in the East Village last night. Let's just say, it did not disappoint! Verified by the queen mother herself, this place slapped so hard! We were able to get a table in less than 15 minutes and our cute waiter gave us a quick history lesson about the family behind the restaurant. The Mango lassi comes in a soda can (which I thought was super unique), the butter chicken is out of this world, and the chicken biryani was perfectly spiced. SO GOOD and the interior is beautiful. read more

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The best Indian food in New York City. Do not even considered elsewhere. The staff is so friendly and were sweet. This will be my new spot. read more

Red Onion - Chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, butter peas pulav rice, - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Very solid indian spot in the EV. The butter chicken sauce was great however the chicken comes on the bone, which I don't typically find at other Indian spots and I wish it wasn't on the bone. The tikka was great! The ambiance is interesting, it's super dark with space projections on the ceiling. Will be retuning! and am curious on how the food is for take out read more

This is an unassuming Indian spot located on a smaller side street in the EV but we were pleasantly surprised! The dishes tasted so fresh yet flavorful. The portions were also huge. We got the stew (recommended by the server), which turned out to be a great decision because it was delicious! We ordered only 2 dishes and still had enough as leftovers. Excited to come back and try the tikka masala! read more

Red Onion - Vegetable Biryani & Garlic Naan - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Food is fine but the guy didn't know there was dairy in the chutney - wrong!!! They try to scam you into double tipping & charge a card fee read more

MY FAVORITE INDIAN RESTAURANT IN NYC SO FAR!!! I loved this place the ambiance is very relaxing and chill. Perfect for a date or family dinner. The service was great and I was very happy with it. The food was the best!!! The chicken is the most tender and juiciest I have had in NYC IN SO LONG! It was one of those places where every single bite was heaven and I would not change or add anything! The salt level was perfect (not too much and not too little) and nothing was dripping in oil. All so fresh and yummy! Thank you so much for this lovely experience. I can not wait to come back and try different things!! read more

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Owner was so friendly and walked us through his family's background and passion for hospitality. That butter chicken was delicious! Mango lassi was also great, I had to order two of them. The ambiance was dark and intimate for dinner, but they played upbeat music which was a nice balance. I'll be back. read more

Red Onion - Pandara Road Wala Butter Chicken (House Specialty) - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Another wonderful, rather unique brunch find thanks to pulsd! The food was excellent, as was the service. Very cozy restaurant. I had the Trio Kebab which was very flavorful. Plus, all the entrees come with eggs and naan. Great cocktails too. We will definitely be coming back for dinner! read more

I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. The food was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. The service was prompt. The atmosphere was intimate and clean. I ate lunch with my sister, our first time at Red Onion. We had the pleasure of speaking to the owner, after witnessing him in prayer. It was heartwarming to see a fellow Hindu pray/ worship openly and wholeheartedly. After my sister asked jokingly, if he said a prayer for us also, he excitedly sat with us and spoke with such love and conviction for Radha-Krishna. He happily shared mantras with us. This all happened in September, it's now November. That experience hasn't left me, it brings joy to my soul. Thank you. Radha-Radha read more

Great food, cool ambience and great service!! Highly recommend!! Perfectly spiced!! Quality meats read more

Red Onion - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Genuinely one of the best Indian restaurants i've had in NYC and i'm south asian myself, so it takes a lot to impress me. You could tell everything was fresh, spiced so well, and tasted so good. Service was on point as well as the decor. i wish the best for this business read more

My girlfriend and I had planned to go to another Indian restaurant in the area, but they were closing early for 4th of July. We decided to ask the staff if there were any other Indian restaurants they would suggest, and without hesitation, they suggested Red Onion! When we walked in we were greeted by one of the owners, and he took the time tell us the history of the restaurant, and how his ingredients were sourced. We got right to business and ordered our main courses with me ordering the house specialty, the butter chicken and my girlfriend ordering the baignan bharta with garlic naan and a bowl of white rice, along with a mango lassi. The chicken was tender and savory with some light sweetness, and the gravy made a great dipping sauce for my garlic naan. The baignan bharta had a pleasant spiciness while still being exceptionally flavorful. Finally the mango lassi was so good, I couldn't help but get a second. If you are going to go to Red Onion, make sure you come with an appetite because by the end of the meal I was satisfied and stuffed! read more

Red Onion - Pandara Road Wala Butter Chicken (House Specialty) Garlic Naan - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

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Red Onion is my new East village neighborhood favorite! We came in on a Sunday & the vibe was so chill, music was very cool. Vrun was such an excellent host he making sure all food is hot, fresh & delicious read more

Red Onion - Jumbo Veg. Samosa (2 Pcs.) , butter chicken, Shahi Chicken Korma (House Speciality) chicken xacuti, garlic naan - Vegetarian Near Me - New York, New York

Everything was just perfect from hospitality, ambiance to food and overall experience. The food is specifically inspired from Rajasthan and ingredients originating there. The flavor profile reminisced me of growing up in India with home cooked food! Def worth experiencing this new gem in the neighborhood! read more

Incredibly good delivery spot - it hit all the right notes. Ordered in the methi malai paneer sandwich curry and garlic naan for a solo dinner. Incredibly tasty and generous portions. Made for 2+ meals for 1 person. Cant wait to try other things from here! read more