Shalom Bombay

Very nice. Wish I lived closer so I could go back more often. A bit cramped.

We are so disappointed and will never come back.
First, I made a reservation for late dinner one day in advance and came in on time. But there was almost not a single table that was clean. I asked a waitress where we could sit and informed her I had a reservation. She told me «wherever you want». But the whole place was very dirty and messy. It seemed a large group of people just left. All the used tissues and napkins were all over the floor and on some tables. I definitely didnt want to sit in the mess so I asked her to clean at least the table I wanted to sit and the two tables next to it.
Second, the service was friendly but barely attentive. They seem to be more interested in preparing tomorrow’s lunch buffet rather than taking care of us. What bothered me the most was they started cleaning the whole place after we just sat down. The tissues were swept everywhere. Disgusting. Can you just pick them up first and do the big cleaning after people finish eating? I understand everybody wanted to finish shift and go home early. But why did you sit us in if you are in a rush to go home? I wish you did not even take my reservation or even taking out and eating at home would be nicer.
It took me a while to convince my bf to try this place out as he has two friends had said it was not very good but pricey. Then what happened there proved I was naively positive about this place. We were further disappointed.
Third, the bread/​nann was ok. I honestly have had much better and cheaper ones in some more expensive neighborhood. The salmon was very tasty but so little, literally just 5 bites in total. I get it. The whole kosher thing makes them so bold to charge whatever. Boooo. The dessert made my boyfriend outrageous. It was supposed to be a baked good with fresh cream. But what they did seemed to be just drawing a circle around a hard no-​so-​fresh cookie with cheap whipped cream that you can buy for a couple bucks at any store. And they charged a lot for that thing.
In sum, I would be amazed if they have regular loyal customers who would pay that much to get this bad eating environment, low quality service, tiny portion food and desserts which make you want refund right away. Just a very bad first time experience except the salmon. I have tried to find excuses for them and be empathetic, but sorry I am not giving it a second chance.

The place is in need of a re-​do, badly. The walk to the bathroom at the back, passing storage in the hall (fire hazard?) and the smell of old kitchen made me want to leave but I was waiting for my friend. The bathroom was old and falling apart but clean. No heat at the back of the restaurant either so the bathroom was sub zero! This was before the meal even started. The rolling coat rack is right when you walk in and again, storage and boxes in the dining room that just don’t belong. Just looks old and tired.
The tables are so small there’s barely enough room for food for 2. The waiter was in such a hurry to take away and bring out new dishes, it was annoying considering he tried taking away plates with food on it before asking.
The food was quite pricy $ 7+ for naan? That’s double the price of any other place and it was 4 small triangles. Ok because it’s kosher? The food was actually VERY GOOD considering the place is kinda gross looking and not comfortable. The entrees were big and plenty of food. Leftover some. The spinach and tofu was delicious and the fried cauliflower indian-​chinese style was so good! Everything seemed a bit expensive but it was a lot of food. I went because I had a $ 30 groupon and it still cost me out of pocket over $ 50 for 2 people for one app, 2 entrees, bread and 2 glasses of wine.
I would go back for take out but I wouldn’t want to eat in there again. Funny but the few other places in that neighborhood had pretty good food too but just as old and kinda dirty looking too.

Came here on a lunch date with my mom on a Saturday afternoon… my mom knew I liked India and haven’t had it for awhile… so she thought to come here and try some Indian food… The place was really small and the seating sucked… you were pretty much squashed together… small little tables. really hard to put more then three plates of food on the table … The food was defiantly mediocre… Got an appetizer and two entires… the appetizer I got was a curry puff… It was really dry and kinda tasteless… the chicken inside the curry puff was the worst dry and tasteless… got three types of Indian bread… garlic, plan and wheat… The bread tasted like pre heated bread… Out of the whole bread bucket I really dislike the wheat bread… It was just bunt and dry… And for some weird reason extremely oily… I got a veggie curry in clay pot… it was not curry at all it was like the whole thing was made in ketchup… I couldn’t taste any sort of curry but I did taste a lot of ketchup… I thought it was the worst Indian food I ever had in my life. The place was not crowed at all… huh I wonder why… this place is kosher… owner is Jewish… The service is great… but the food is defiantly not… there is an actually Indian restaurant right next to this one… and the other one cost less and had more customers… Might just check the other place out next time…

Non-​dairy raita: blasphemy much? That’s what I thought until I tried it here. It goes very well with the tawa chicken. The idea of kosher Indian, a convergence of sorts of two very different culinary philisophies, is very interesting in a very good way. But let me not digress from the discussion of the actual dishes I have eaten here. The papri chaat is a great start to the meal, the chicken pakoras are OK, and my favorite dessert here is the moong daal fudge, but the ingredients are often out of stock, so I have to call in advance to inquire.

One of the only kosher meat Indian restaurants around. Nice selection of items on the menu. The meat kebab platter was decent, but a bit overcooked and dry. Garlic naan definitely could’ve used more garlic, as another reviewer suggested.
For ambiance, I must say the place was nice and well-​decorated. However, the music was TERRIBLE!!! A soundtrack of corny, instrumental-​only renditions of pop songs. Why not great instrumental North Indian music?! There is plenty — Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and the like. I almost gave them my iPhone to plug in. Come on people!
Otherwise, Chana squash was excellent. Service was excellent. Wine selection good. Samosas good.

I had previously given Shalom Bombay a 5 star rating for a lunch I had eaten there. However, last week I met a friend for dinner there and we were not happy. The dinner menu was quite expensive and the food was very mediocre. We ordered a basket of assorted breads and they tasted like they were previously frozen and microwaved. On top of this the service was atrocious.
The lunch buffet is a good deal but I was not happy with my dinner here.

Kosher Indian food, who’s servers were Asian. Quite a mix going on here, but the food was really tasty. The buffet appears small, but it does offer a lot of options: tandoori chicken, tikka masala, beef, rice, tofu, veggie options, variety of sauces, and dessert. As someone who is not Jewish and therefore does not keep kosher, I was missing the yogurt sauce typically found at Indian restaurants. With tax and tip, it’ll end up costing you around $ 18-​$ 20 for the buffet. Not terrible. I will say that after eating here at 1pm yesterday, I felt insanely full for the rest of the day and did not eat again until 9am this morning. Also had something of an upset stomach, but I think that’s just because I eat Indian food only once every month or so… Torn between a 3 and 4 rating, but I’ll drop down to a 3 for this one.

This place was A. Hot. Mess.
And by hot I am being completely literal. Felt like Houston in August when I came here for dinner last night. Humid… stuffy…you get the picture.
Got six dishes between the six of us with samosas to start. They were dry, old-​tasting, and generally unappetizing. Decided on the tofu masala and a lamb dish for my entrees. The tofu came in 3 big chunks and was pretty plain jane. The lamb tasted mushy and un-​lamb-​like. Disappoint.
Overall, this place was meh until we saw a COCKROACH on the ceiling. After scurrying across the ceiling it dropped onto the floor and disappeared. For the rest of the meal I sat with my feet lifted from the ground in fear of my physical and mental wellbeing. Dear god, this has never happened to me in a restaurant. One of the waiters bent over backwards trying to find the disgusting critter – bless his heart. Bruhthas, yall need to emergency engage 1800-​PEST-​CONTROL. Like, right now.
Service was relatively good in spite of all this, but then again I thought I came here for food, not lip service or cockroaches.

So I took my mom here because I was searching for places on «Groupon Now!» and I looked at other Unilocalers reviews and it’s seemed like a good spot.
This was the worse experience I’ve ever had at a Restaurant. We waited almost an hour and a half before being served. When we came in we told the waiter we had a groupon and we were seated. However no one came to take our order for quite some time and when we placed our order no one came to update us or anything.
It was a little busy but we watched other groups of two come in after us, get seated and served in a timely manner (and before us). This lovely woman next to us who was by herself saw this and upon requesting her check yelled at our waiter for not serving us (she said she was a Jewish mom and can’t stand to be eating when others are not) and she was aware how long we were sitting there.
At one point my mom suggested we go somewhere else. I will say we were the only black customers in the restaurant but I hope that wasn’t the reason for the rude and terrible service. As for the food, I’ve had way better. Needless to say I wouldn’t go back mostly due to the service and treatment.

$ 13.95 for an all you can eat buffet is pretty dang good. They have a good selection of eats but I’ve definitely been to other Indian buffets that have more variety. The selections included basmati rice, chicken tandoori, lamb shakuti, dal and some other veggie items.
The food was good but not great and the service was spotty. They were really accommodating when we got there since we were a party of 6 and it does get busy during the lunch rush. Everything was going well until our waitress told us that the tip had to be in cash. They close the restaurant between lunch and dinner and our waitress kindly kicked us out. I get it but there has to be a better way to do this.
Overall a good Kosher option though.

Bindi masala (okra) and dal rajma (beans) was less than mediocre. I’m glad that I had a groupon to this place because the price was on the more expensive side for the quality of the food. The service was very slow: 15 minutes for the server to take our order, 25 minutes for our food to come, ate, then 20 minutes to get our bill and pay and get out of them. The bindi masala was alright, I’ve tasted better. The dal rajma on the other hand was bland, the beans were too firm and didn’t blend well.
Not the best dishes. Not the best service.

The best Indian food I’ve ever had– and I’m a big fan of «Curry Hill».
Every chicken, lamb, and vegetarian dish I’ve had there has made me say «this is my favorite food». Their lunch buffet– $ 14 for all you can eat– literally pile on as much as you’d like and back for 2nds, 3^rd, etc is heaven.
The staff is also really nice– their wine and beer selection is a great addition too!

Let me preface this review by stating that in my opinion it is very difficult to compare kosher v. non kosher restaurants. I always alter my expectations when I’m dining kosh, hence the 4 star review.
Although I am not kosher I have been to a lot of kosher restaurants. This is by far one of my favorites. They had a nice menu selection, staff was not rude or snobby and the prices were reasonable (for NYC kosher standards.) I got the tandoori chicken and split the bread basket with a friend. Friend had one of the veggie options. We both enjoyed our meals and had enough for lunch the next day. :)
Will I be running back next time I want Indian? Probably not. But next time I have a kosher dining companion I will 100% suggest this place.

On a recent trip to New York, went to Shalom Bombay for lunch. We were very pleasantly surprised! They had an all you can eat buffet and it was delicious and well worth the price!
I’d definitely go back next time we’re in town!

Had a groupon and came here with my usual foodie friend as she too had never tried Kosher Indian food ever (despite being in NYC for more than 13yrs now).
Anyways not a single tasted good and as with any Kosher place the prices are tagged atleast 5 buck extra than usual standard. The place is busy, I always feel bad when people eat and think this is some authentic cusiine (same happens to me too I guess when I am trying Italina or Brazilian etc).
Verdict — Unless you are orthodox and can’t eat at non kosher indian places, AVOID

Cool concept. Nice to have ghee-​less, cream-​less tasty, bright Indian.
Chicken was cooked well.
Loved the addition of fresh ginger on the saag tofu.
The authentic style is of course better.
And this was crazy expensive — $ 40+ for 2 small dishes and water.

I checked this place out since I have been eager for quite some time to have their Chicken Tikka Marsala. I showed up on a Monday night around 6 and within 20 minutes the place got full.
My Tikka was just like I ordered– spicy and the sauce had an authentic taste. I can tell it wasn’t from any jar. My friend had the chicken curry which was served with a dark yet semi spicy sauce. We both enjoyed the entrées, not to mention the white rice. You can tell the rice wasn’t just your standard out of the box rice since it was fluffy and consistent. The only reason I give this place 1 less star is because the chicken was a bit over cooked and not tender. We ordered both naan and roti bread with mango and cilantro chutney on the side which paired well with the main course.
The server was friendly and was by attended us whenever we needed anything. The place is well maintained.
This place from what I see is the only Glatt kosher Indian eatery within Curry Hill. I will look forward to trying more dishes but can’t give up on the veggie Indian dishes at the vegetarian spots down Lexington Ave.

I came here to take out their vegetarian lunch special. It was A LOT of food for under $ 10, and they did not skimp on the flavor/​spice. 2 veggie entrees, rice, and naan. Made for a delicious lunch and dinner.
From looking at their menu, this is probably the best deal they offer.

There was a storm a few weeks ago that shut down all the LIRR lines — so what better way to spend the night stuck in NYC than to check out New York City’s newest Glatt Kosher Indian restaurant, Shalom Bombay under the hechsher of the Orthodox Union. With much success in Teaneck they decided to try their chances in the more prestigious Manhattan market — and we think they are going to make it.
Located in midtown, the first impression you will have when you walk in is that you are in India. From the hand painted walls and ceiling to the relaxing Indian music you will feel right at home as soon as you take your seat. Fortunately this falls right in line with a new trend of Kosher restaurants that are seeing where they are actually spending money on the décor — unlike the kosher offerings of the past where it was more of a «you want to eat kosher? deal with our crappy offering» mentality of the past (Kosher Delight I am looking in your direction).
The menu is full of authentic Indian dishes (and what a pleasant surprise — no sushi!) which includes a decent wine and beer selection.
The second impression you will notice about SB is their service which ranks amongst the best in New York City. While I was there a patron asked for a bencher and rather than pointing to the stack of benchers the host actually brought it to them. A lot of restaurants fail to realize that people go out to eat to be served — Shalom Bombay seems to realize this and makes sure you feel like a king.
Whether you are on a date or with a group I would highly recommend ordering a few dishes and sharing rather than each person ordering their for themselves. With so many dishes to choose from I think it’s too hard to pick just one so you might as well enjoy a few!
Every table gets started off with complimentary Papri Chaat which is crisp crackers served with chopped potatoes, onions, parve sour cream & tamarind sauce. I had the mixed kabob appetizer also (it seems like it is their most popular appetizer) which is a must with a group. They were spiced just right and will definitely open up your palette for your main course. Also consider ordering some Naan or Roti (Indian bread) on the side to eat with your meal — they have multiple flavors so they are sure to have one you like.
For my main courses I went spice crazy and had the Curry Chicken (chicken cooked in freshly ground spices and light gravy), Lamb Vindaloo (spicy lamb with a splash of vinegar, a Goan specialty), Dal Rajma (black lentils and kidney beans simmered with onions and spices), and on the more mild side I went with the Beef Korma (cubes of beef cooked in cashew paste and mild spices). Being a huge fan of Indian food everything tasted authentic and delicious as expected.
The only downer I had here was the price — approximately $ 20 per dish, but that is on par with any kosher entrée you have in New York City.
I will definitely return to Shalom Bombay (perhaps for their all-​you-​can-​eat lunch buffet?) and recommend you check them out too if you are in the mood for something other than a burger or schawarma.
They are open for lunch and dinner and do catering for whatever occasion you may have.