The newly revitalized Indian restaurant Passerine explores a previously undiscovered corner of the Subcontinent — a fantasy zone where Khameeri naan meets Big Apple cream cheese.
The restaurant first opened in November 2024 and made less than a splash with a $140, seven-course tasting menu. But, three months ago, talented Gaurav Bhatla — previously a chef at “it” restaurant Ambassadors Clubhouse — took over and launched an a la carte format with a “New York bistro” emphasis. The result is a devilish counterpoint to the city’s current wave of high-profile, sometimes intimidating Indian eateries.
First off, its 77 seats are cozy and comfortable, unlike cramped and hard-edged Adda and Semma. The walls are colorfully decked out in jungle prints. Tables and chairs are a bold shade of ochre-shade, but Passerine refreshingly lacks the over-the-top opulence of Mustaafer or Ambassadors Clubhouse.
The menu is also wonderfully approachable and unconfined by notions of micro-regions and authenticity. As co-owner Alvina Buxani put it, “We wanted a New York restaurant with Indian food, not one transporting you to India.”
“Bombay schmear” ($18) looks and tastes like an everything bagel crossed with a tandoor-baked naan. It’s filled with masala cream cheese. Bhatla says he was inspired by Leon’s Bagel on upper Broadway, part of a popular chain. Have it to share or you won’t have room for much else.
Burrata chaat ($20) rivaled the finest Italian starter, thanks to smoked tomato slices from the Union Square Greenmarket. A dash of cilantro made a half-hearted stab at Indian affinity. Lobster rolls ($26) are a trio of rectangular brioche slices topped by thin slices of Maine lobster and smoked tomato gravy with a hint of cardamom.
They’re all fun, but the more fully Indian dishes are the menu’s high ground. The curries are mostly lighter and less creamy than your typical Indian fare.
A standout was Paneer Makhmali ($32) — silky-smooth buffalo milk paneer cheese in tangy achari masala twice-sparked with chili chutney.
Braised short rib pot pie ($46), which Bhatla calls “obviously New York style,” is a simmering, saffron-infused, comfort-food indulgence steeped in saffron, cloves, nutmeg and cumin under a golden and flaky puff pastry crust.
The even more extravagant “crab experience” ($95 for two) places a large soft-shell specimen in an amusing, crab-shaped bowl loaded with shrimp and crab sauce and slow-cooked dum biryani, the rice richly seasoned with coriande and cardamom and served with a side of chili-sparked cucumber. Soft shell, going out of season, will be replaced in a week with king crab.
For dessert, there isn’t kulfi but a delightful banana split — made with vanilla and mango gelato — made up for it.
The front of the house has a bar and small tables, but the rear dining room’s the place to be — especially in booths that are easy to enter and leave. “We wanted everyone to have a soft seat,” Buxani said.
Passerine offers a soft landing for New Yorkers who love Indian cuisine but are weary of the pretensions.
