The newly revitalized Indian restaurant Passerine explores a beforehand undiscovered nook 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 in the past, proficient Gaurav Bhatla — beforehand a chef at “it” restaurant Ambassadors Clubhouse — took over and launched an a la carte format with a “New York bistro” emphasis. The consequence is a devilish counterpoint to the metropolis’s present wave of high-profile, sometimes intimidating Indian eateries.
Chef Gaurav Bhatla leads the kitchen at the lately revamped Passerine. Emmy Park for NY Post
First off, its 77 seats are cozy and comfy, unlike cramped and hard-edged Adda and Semma. The partitions are colorfully decked out in jungle prints. Tables and chairs are a daring shade of ochre-shade, but Passerine refreshingly lacks the over-the-top opulence of Mustaafer or Ambassadors Clubhouse.
The menu is also splendidly 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.”
The restaurant is cozy and inviting. Emmy Park for NY Post
“Bombay schmear” ($18) seems and tastes like an everything bagel crossed with a tandoor-baked naan. It’s stuffed with masala cream cheese. Bhatla says he was impressed by Leon’s Bagel on higher Broadway, half of a well-liked chain. Have it to share or you won’t have room for much else.
Burrata chaat ($20) rivaled the most interesting Italian starter, thanks to smoked tomato slices from the Union Square Greenmarket. A touch of cilantro made a half-hearted stab at Indian affinity. Lobster rolls ($26) are a trio of rectangular brioche slices topped by skinny slices of Maine lobster and smoked tomato gravy with a trace of cardamom.
The lobster rolls make for a enjoyable starter. Emmy Park for NY Post
They’re all enjoyable, but the more totally Indian dishes are the menu’s excessive floor. The curries are principally 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.
Paneer Makhmali is served at Passerine. Emmy Park for NY Post
Braised quick 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) locations a giant 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 facet of chili-sparked cucumber. Soft shell, going out of season, will be changed in a week with king crab.
The quick rib pot pie is a signature of the restaurant. Emmy Park for NY Post
The Crab Experience is even more over-the-top. Emmy Park for NY Post
For dessert, there isn’t kulfi but a pleasant banana break up — made with vanilla and mango gelato — made up for it.
The entrance of the home has a bar and small tables, but the rear eating room’s the place to be — particularly in cubicles that are simple to enter and go away. “We wanted everyone to have a soft seat,” Buxani said.
Passerine affords a delicate touchdown for New Yorkers who love Indian delicacies but are weary of the pretensions.
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