Awadh

Great food. snug, cozy interior. Friendly and prompt staff. We ordered chicken korma and curry chicken. Whichever one was korma was awesome! Curry was more liquidy. Samosas were great. Chicken biryani is served in a pot w a naan used as a kid. very creative presentation. Delicious food, fast service, reasonable prices.

After reading all the comments made, I decided to go and try myself. Food is really good. Service is good too but when the check came I found out that it is pricy.
I believe you can find good restaurants like this with great food as well for a lower price in UWS NYC. I will keep looking for a better delivery option in the neighborhood.

Excellent food and service. The only complaint is my lamb was cold and tasted over cooked but otherwise no complaints! A bit fancy but worth it.

If you want to know what AUTHENTIC Indian food is like, then this is your spot ! I have visited several Indian restaurants over the years and this place serves the most genuine kebab’s. I was a bit nervous first because not everyone can make goat dishes well, but I was surprised with my first bite of giloti kebab. It is the BEST! Exactly how it tastes in India. We ordered kebab’s, biryani, goat curry, naan and shrimp curry and there was not one dish that I could say that they could have made better ! The cocktails were delicious and creative. Staff is very polite, ambiance is classy, décor is very stylish and music is also pretty decent. I highly recommend this place especially for kebab’s and any goat dish really, because they got it on lock !

Wow, what a pleasant surprise this was, came here on a friday night for a double-​date we decided to have a few drinks at the bar (cocktails here are great) and after we got the drinks we were promptly seated upstairs when our table was ready.
Staff is very nice and attentive and extremely knowledgeable about the food and the style of (indian) cooking this place is famous for ‘Dum Pukht’ (Slow oven cooking in closed containers).
Menu has a decent amount of option but is relatively concise and short compared to other indian places (which made our decision making a lot easier) also if you ask for a favourite dish which might not be listed on the menu they can probably make that too (I had the spinach and cottage cheese /​palak paneer which is not on the menu)
For appetizers we went with Galouti Kebab (Lamb), Awadh Murgh Tikka (Chicken) and Ajwaini Jheenga (Prawns) everything was delicious especially the minced lamb kebabs were so tender you get 3 in an order but our server was kind to offer to make it 4 so each of us could taste one .
For entrees we each ordered a separate dish and decided to do it family style, we got Nali ki Nihari (lamb shank) it is one of the house specialities and was a recommendation from the server. Also we got Palak paneer, Malai lobster masala and the chicken biryani (cooked in the traditional dum pukht way) with a side of white rice, garlic naan and a layered whole wheat bread i forgot what it was called. Everything was finger licking delicious with the right amount of spice level. We were presented with hot towels after dinner.
We decided to skip the dessert and asked for the check.
It was a very pleasant and welcoming experience, i would definitely return.

Good food and good service. Our server Harsh was very polite and recommended exactly what we were in the mood for. Nice ambience.

Found this place last minute and super impressed by the décor. The food was amazing and the servers were really helpful. I would definitely recommend this place if you’re on a date!

The paneer tikka masala and kulfi were great. Very flavorful. The naan was super soft. Service was good and the ambience is nice. I’d recommend this restaurant

It was our first time here and the location is great — very convenient. We were seated on the lower level on the left side when you enter the place — it definitely needs more lighting on the left side. People were using the flashlight on their phones to read the menu after 7 pm.
The food was good — we got the veggie kakori kabab, karari bhindi and the veggie & chicken biryanis. Overall — we were happy compared to some really lousy restaurants we have been to on the UWS. Will definitely return — will prolly try lunch next time.

There is better Indian for less $, but an ok neighborhood spot.
I think this place is trying to be a little too cool
For its uws location.
Service was poor, I had to flag down a waiter whenever I wanted something, only refilled my water once, despite that it was all I was drinking. A waiter different from mine took pity on me and helped get me garlic naan, what I ordered, to replace the regular naan that came.
Both the garlic naan and the plain naan were dry, which is nice if you don’t like it so buttery, but the garlic naan was a little burnt.
Had the chicken in coconut curry sauce. The flavor was good, the chicken was all white meat. I don’t think the crispy curry leaves added anything to the dish, and quickly got soggy.
This place is expensive for what it is.
The bread pudding was not good, or at least it was not bread pudding, and should be described differently on the menu.

Great food and warm hospitality.
Eventually got acquainted with the owner and his wife and was pleased to see complimentary okra appetizers come our way.

Good Indian food is ample in New York, but GREAT service is Rare. and if you care for a great combination of both, Awadh is the place. well informed and accommodating servers, good food and the ‘cherry on top’, the host/​manager Amit. the last time we were treated this good was back in 2012 at the Taaj place hotel in New Delhi. unforgettable experience thank you to the whole team. will be back soon with whole family and friends.

I was here on Saturday night to celebrate my birthday with friends. I called twice that day to bump the reservation back and they were VERY polite and accommodating both times, which they didn’t need to be.
Upon arrival (15 minutes late, which we called to apologetically warn them about), our table was ready and we were immediately served water and given a drink menu. When we mentioned our table being wobbly, they fixed within 5 minutes. The wine was exquisite (a Malbec, though I’m not sure which one).
When we stumbled through naan and rice-​ordering for the table, our server, Tito (?) took over with this recommendations (which were perfect in size and in flavor). Our entrees were excellent, and they surprised me with «Happy Birthday» desserts on the house — honey dumplings and Indian ice cream.
Could not recommend Awadh highly enough. Fantastic service, delicious food, and a cozy atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

Awadh is a good looking restaurant. Gives u a feeling of being a high end restaurant. We were impressed by the décor. The food turned out average though.
Being at an Awadhi place, u want to focus on kebabs and Biryani.
Galouti kebab were too rare for me. In India, I haven’t heard kebabs cooked pink. But I am not an expert on it’s original recipe, so would give it a benefit of doubt. It was served with chutney and an onion on top. By the time, I had it, the chutney had soaked in and kebabs by themselves were very mildly spiced (not just the heat, spices overall). They tasted watery and disappointing.
Dalcha palak kebab had good texture, but the spice level was too underwhelming for the Indian palate. Vegetable seekh kebab I feel need to add more flavoring to the recipe.
Overall we were disappointed with the appetizers.
The main course was good though. Subz (veggie) Biryani was good; well flavored and we’ll cooked. The paneer tikka didn’t have the standard pathetic color infused red gravy typically all average Indian American restaurants offer.
I requested Goat Biryani instead of lamb biryani. It turned out to be good to a relief. It was a little too moist and some of the rice had broken, but still I would consider eating the Biryani again.
Overall Awadh is a good looking place with above average food. I would expect more value for money though, in order to recommend this place.

Bang average. We heard about it through published reputation and unfortunately it didn’t deliver. The service was mild, and completely lacking any personal touch. The food was ok. Apparently the galouti kebab is recommended — well, if you like rare-​cooked sliders then sure, you’ll like this. The sea bass was absolutely excellent. Definitely the highlight. But overall the food was just below your average neighborhood Indian restaurant (underwhelming flavors and spice) — only this one comes with a hefty price tag.

The best Indian food uptown in Manhattan. Try it, you won’t regret it! It’s a bit upscale compared to most Indian restaurants in the city so be prepared for higher prices.

I’ve been here thrice and had amazing food each and every time. I’ve been going to Queens/​Jackson Heights all my life and have many Indian relatives who cook phenomenally, so I feel I’m qualified to declare this one of the best Indian places in the city. You’re not going to find your typical vats of food coma curries; each dish has an abundance of unique flavors and there are several delicious dishes I’ve never seen anywhere else. Waits can be long during evenings, so make a res.

This food here is so unhealthy, oily and tasteless. Order from CLOVE for a much healthier, affordable and tasty alternative.

I am not big on Indian food in general, but I love this place. I’ve tried quite a few things and everything is quite tasty and done well. The staffs are very sweet and courteous. The place can get quite crowded so I’d recommend visiting at off hours (like 2PM on Saturday). My favorite dish here is Coconut Curry with Prawns — so good and you won’t miss lobsters because the prawns are huge and crunchy. Their garlic naan is flavorful as well.

Heard a lot of good things about this place. Placed an order on Seamless after a long day of working on a Saturday. Ordered around 7 pm, was told that that the order would be there before 8:25 pm. By 8:45 my order had not shown up, and after calling the restaurant, they claimed the delivery man had «forgotten the delivery slip» with my address and had decided to turn around and go home.
No offer to cut the bill by 20%, no discount on future orders.
Now they claim my new order will be here in less than 20 minutes. We shall see.

Came here with a party of 10+ people recently. They were really polite when I had called to make the reservation and everything seemed great. When we got there, it was initially fine. We were seated before our whole party was present which I appreciated greatly, but that changed after our whole party was present and accounted for. As a large party, some people took longer to decide on their order. The staff, however, caused some discomfort by constantly hovering and walking around our table. This gave some people in our party an immense amount of pressure to make a quick decision.
When I dine, I like to enjoy my food and company. I do not need anyone making my friends feel uncomfortable because they need time to choose food that they want to truly enjoy. We are not eating just to survive nor are we eating competitively. I feel that they should have given us some space until we were indeed 100% ready. Which they did not.
The food came and once again service was pleasant for the most part until they basically told us that we had to leave. There is, apparently, an UNSPOKEN 2-​hour seating rule that my party was unaware of. Some people had not even eaten half their meal and we were told that we would have to leave soon. If such rule existed, why not tell us earlier? Why isn’t it posted anywhere in the restaurant? Why isn’t it spelled out on Unilocal?Why isn’t it in PRINT anywhere? We ended up deciding we didn’t want to inconvenience the staff that was apparently following «restaurant policy» and were going to ask for the check. The check, however, was delivered to us before we had even asked for it. I have never, and I mean NEVER, been given the check before I asked for it. We were literally low key being kicked out. My friends and I were not happy at that point and we decided to just pay and leave before something else happened. At which point, the staff again paced and surrounded our table until we were ready.
I have honestly never experienced staff that was so polite yet so passive aggressive. Not service I would ever expect from the worst of restaurants. Not to mention a restaurant of this caliber.

The food is fine and comes quickly, but unsatisfactory service is where this restaurant lost stars. There was poor communication and in many ways, it felt condescending and unprofessional and it’s absolutely embarrassing and unacceptable that a restaurant of its class should have anything but impeccable service for its customers.
We were a party of 14 with a reservation for 6pm. As a large group, we did have some indecisiveness but the servers were constantly rushing to take our orders. Also, although we didn’t mind, it felt strange when the server asked to take 3 of our menus because there weren’t enough for another table. I don’t understand why a restaurant of its scale wouldn’t have enough menus to service its full capacity.
After we placed our orders, a server came by to say something to us because 3 people ordered an appetizer as their entrée. However, 5 of us were trying to decipher what he meant but we were all very perplexed. He was extremely unclear — we thought that maybe we were all required to order entrees or maybe he thought our orders were incomplete? It’s not a problem if a server has a question/​comment, but he should be able to convey it clearly. I’m unsure why there was any problem or confusion at all, especially when the server who took my order of samosas (an appetizer) asked if I wanted it as an entrée. If he asked me that question, he most probably asked the 2 others who ordered an appetizer the same.
As 8pm approached, a server came to essentially kick us out because there was a 2 hour seating limit. This limit is not noted anywhere — on the website, on the menus — and nor was anyone informed of this prior to this moment. A seating limit at restaurants is normal, but as a large party, there is bound to be lots of socializing during the meal so it is unreasonable that we were told this while some were still eating, rather than beforehand. 2 hours is ample time for a small group, but larger parties definitely need more time.
We also brought a birthday cake and while it was being sliced, the server dropped frosting on the birthday person’s lap. The slices were also served a mess and the three layers were falling apart. Afterwards, the bag with the leftover cake was placed on the placemat, right on top of the fallen frosting and cake bits from slicing. For a $ 25 fee for the cake, we expected much more professionalism.
The servers hovered over us throughout the meal, from taking our orders to waiting for us to pay. It was uncomfortable that several servers were constantly there, particularly when putting together the bill.
Yes, the prices are quite steep for their portions, but expensiveness is subjective, especially since it’s located in the Upper West Side. However, there are certain expectations that customers hold for service and unfortunately, none of us will be back because Awadh’s service fell much below these standards.

Sorry to be in the minority, but my friend and I were so disappointed in Awadh. We have been regulars @Indus Valley for many years, and decided to try Awadh (just 2 blocks south), after reading such glowing reviews. We got there at 4:55, and they refused to let us in until 5:00. When it did open, there was a huge ladder at the door, and the gentleman ignored us and didn’t move the ladder until we asked. The restaurant was empty, and nobody came over until we motioned for a waiter.
Every dish we ordered had the same hot spice in it, and we could barely differentiate one dish from another; that spiced ruined the tastes of the food.
The okra appetizer was dry and seemed burned.
The lamb in the lamb saag was hard and that prevalent spice made it inedible.
Dishes were very overpriced and everything was a la carte. We have never been to an Indian restaurant when basmati rice was not included with the main dish.
Certainly won’t be returning.
Back to Indus Valley we will go!

Had lunch at Awadh with friends last week… here are my thoughts:
Ambiance is great. The restaurant is clean and well decorated (this is often a challenge for Indian restaurants. And I can say this with confidence because I am Indian!) They can also accommodate large parties, which is great (there were 6 of us).
Service is just okay. Our server was difficult to understand and he seemed a bit impatient. Food came out relatively quickly though.
Food is also just okay. I can highly recommend the DALCHA PALAK KEBAB, the KAIRI KI DAL, and the NAAN. Everything else though? Totally lacking. This includes the AWADH MURGH TIKKA, which was tough and of suspect quality, the BHINDI DO PYAZA, which was overly greasy, and the plain rice which was a bit on the chewy side.
Overall I wouldn’t trek to Awadh again, especially with so many better Indian restaurants in Curry Hill.

My second favorite Indian restaurant in the city, food-​wise. I would have given this 5 stars if not for the fact that two chairs at our table were literally covered in rice. I made a reservation so it’s not as if they turned over the table super quickly. It was waiting when we arrived and was just covered with rice which we had to brush off. Kind of gross.
That being said, prices are fair, food is delicious, and service is on point. Highly recommend the cauliflower dish (gobi lehsuni). Décor is modern and trendy and good selection on the drink menu.

What a great Indian restaurant! Super gourmet and well thought dishes.
The two times I came were incredible. The dinner menu has a lot of options although it was very spicy for me even the «non-​spicy» plates. The okra was delicious and also the lentils. We ordered the stuffed mushrooms for appetizer but it was really spicy. One of the best things was the potato and garlic naan. What a bread! I could just eat that. Warm and melting in your mouth.
The dinner is a little expensive but is worth since you get what you are paying for.
On the other hand the lunch is inexpensive since it’s a prix fixed menu and the food is amazing. Not spicy at all, super tasty and plenty of food for a lunch special.
Definitely a worth trying restaurant for Indian food. You can be sure when you see locals in the restaurant

Great for kebabs, biryani and yes the tawa paratha they do.
Ordered methi matar malai which was not spicy as expected and went well with the paratha. The lamb biryani was pretty good too. Eat here only if you can handle heavy greasy stuff as I just couldn’t digest until the next day so a bit of warning:)
I would come here not regularly but when I have stomach to masticate such heavy food. For usual kebab eaters — you will be fine!
Kurkuri bhindi good tasty but too oily for my taste!

We’ve been here a couple times, and while some dishes are very good (above all, the naan is world-​class) there are also some glaringly bad items that are unacceptable, especially at this high price point.
Example #1: Drinks. We once spent $ 14 apiece on supposedly spicy gin cocktails that were really poorly made — basically just gin & tonic in a tall glass with like three ice cubes and a sliver of serrano. Amateur hour at the bar.
Example #2: They served us a scallop starter that had been obliterated into a stringy, dry nightmare.
Example #3: Lamb shanks that weren’t very tender despite low-​and-​slow cooking supposedly being the restaurant’s specialty.
Finally, entrees are generally fine, but it’s hard to get past the fact that you’re paying like $ 20 for two or three chicken thighs in sauce. Just not worth it.

I came in at around 2pm on a Saturday. When I first got to the place it was empty. After I finished ordering my food, I went to go wash my hands and after I came back the place became half full!!! The waiter told me it’s usually full house on every shift, so make a reservation if you come during normal dinner hours.
The food is very good, I ordered karari bhindi (crispy okra) and galouti kebab, with a side of ulta tawa paratha (whole wheat layered bread). Let me just say that this was the best Indian bread I’ve ever had. It was thin but the dough was firm and had a great chew. I would choose this bread over French crepes any day. The waiter also brought me a trio of chutneys which was nice of him, but honestly I could have just eaten that bread by itself. The crispy okra was probably better for sharing as I couldn’t finish it. For me it was a refreshing substitute for all the chips and fries I’ve been craving. The galouti kebab is their signature dish. It’s made with marinated minced lamb, papaya and a mixture of spices. The complexity of flavor in this dish has made many food critics swoon (mainly New Yorker because the waiter keeps on mentioning it)
This place is certainly not cheap. They advertise a lunch special and brunch special online but the waiter doesn’t particularly recommend it as the dishes are generic and certainly not their signature. So I suggest you order a la carte.

Had a wonderfully gluttonous lunch at Awadh. The menu is unique and not your every day indian food.
We couldn’t resist over ordering (since really we wanted one of everything) so we tried three dishes: spiced okra, lamb biryani and coconut shrimp curry. All three were full of flavor and fantastic. The biryani comes in a baked clay pot covered with naan. It was steaming hot and gorgeous to look at. Lemon rice on the side did not have much lemon flavor unfortunately and tasted simply like basmati.
The service was good and we took home lots of leftovers. Definitely not cheap but worth it for special occasions!

We came here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon, since I had to be in UWS for an engagement later that afternoon. Even though there were only a few people in the restaurant, due to the lack of servers — it took 10 – 15 minutes before we were seated and another 10 – 15 minutes before our orders were taken.
This place is known for Awadhi cuisine, which is an ancient Indian cooking style and is influenced by Mughlai cooking style. This place is known for its dum pukht style — which means that the food is cooked in a round flat bottom pan (handi) and is cooked on low heat for 24 – 48 hours to bring out the flavors.
I ordered the dalcha palak kebab (which is a spinach lentil kebab and the server assured me were dairy free) and my boyfriend ordered the galouti kebab (which are minced lamb patties which are served on top of tiny parathas). After I got my spinach kebabs, I tasted them and pretty quickly realized that they did contain some sort of dairy. After I asked the server, if he was sure — he sent out the owner who told me they use a pre made mix and didn’t know the exact ingredients. I was pretty frustrated by this — how could they not know what is in it, and why are they using a pre-​made mix? My boyfriend loved his kebab and couldn’t have enough of it — apparently one of the best he has ever had.
For the entrée, I ordered the subz sangam (mixed vegetable) while by boyfriend ordered the lagan ki raan (tender leg of lamb cooked dum pukht style). My dish was mediocre at best and really greasy. My boyfriend loved his dish and said it was one of the better lamb dishes he had especially in a curry. After our meal ended, they gave my boyfriend a complimentary dessert of phirni — which is rice pudding and is made in milk and I couldn’t have it.
I was personally irritated by the slow service and the lack of knowledge by the server. Not to mention, they didn’t even tell us that there was a lunch special — we were told it about it after we ended our meal by the owner.