When I met my New Delhi-born husband Rahul a little more than 10 years ago, Diwali wasn’t yet a big part of my life. But now I can’t imagine fall without it. The “Festival of Lights,” which generally falls in October or November according to the lunar calendar, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness—and has become one of my favorite times of the year in New York. It’s sparkly, festive, glowy, fun… just a supremely joyous holiday. And there is no better place to experience that Diwali joy than at one of NYC’s best Indian restaurants—especially now.
Over the past few years, the city has been undergoing a bit of an Indian food renaissance, with a new crop of restaurants serving incredible Indian dishes the way they’re actually prepared in India. Authentic spots were quite hard to find in the past, so this is a welcome and long-overdue shift, one that will make this year’s Diwali gatherings (it falls on October 20) feel extra celebratory. Book your dinner at one of these standout spots—many of which have holiday specials and festivities lined up—and you’ll be in for a good time. Bonus points for the glittery outfits.
Musaafer
Last month, Indian fine dining founders Mithu and Shammi Malik opened Musaafer in Tribeca as the New York outpost of their original Houston restaurant. Much like its Texas location, which debuted in 2020 and earned a Michelin star in 2024, the new NYC Musaafer—which means “traveler” in Hindi and Urdu—is designed to transport diners to the Taj Mahal and other opulent palaces throughout India. Think marble walls, lotus flower chandeliers, mother-of-pearl inlays, and patterned glass inspired by the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur. There’s even a semi-private dining area made up of thousands of hand-cut pieces of mirror that reflect the light.
The food is transportive, too. Executive Chef Mayank Istwal spent 100 days traveling all across India to gather inspiration and ancient techniques, and the result is a diverse menu that spotlights dishes from all over the country. Don’t miss the lamb chaanp (chops) with coriander, chili, creme fresh, and beetroot dust, or Mithu’s coriander shrimp with coconut, cilantro, curry leaf, turmeric, and more.
Diwali special: For its first Diwali, Musaafer will offer a six-course “Mandala of Lights” dinner. Inspired by rangoli, the traditional Indian floor art made with colorful powders and symmetrical circular designs during Diwali and other festive occasions, the dishes on the menu will all be vibrant and symmetrical—just like the art form itself.
Bungalow
If you’re tapped into the world of celebrity chefs, Bungalow needs no introduction. The East Village restaurant, which opened in March 2024, is led by Michelin-starred celebrity chef, filmmaker and cookbook author Vikas Khanna, who’s best known for hosting MasterChef India. But unlike some celebrity-backed ventures that tend to lean more on star power than substance, this one actually lives up to the hype.
Modeled after India’s bungalow-style homes from the early 1900s, the space features brass chandeliers, Persian-style carpets, and vintage touches like typewriters and corded telephones, plus a garden-inspired back room filled with decorative jasmine. The menu takes a similarly evocative approach, spanning all 28 of India’s states, not just one region. Standout dishes include yogurt kebabs wrapped in kataifi, Kerala-inspired lamb tellicherry, spice-roasted pineapple that takes its cue from a traditional pineapple dish from Karnataka, and the beloved daal Bungalow—a recipe that’s been in Chef Vikas’ family for five generations. Don’t be surprised if he even brings the dish over to you himself; he’s famous for hand delivering his creations to guests (and often snapping selfies with them along the way).
Diwali special: Bungalow has big plans for Diwali. They’ll begin the night at 4 pm with classical street dance performances inspired by the Indian epic Ramayana, and mehendi (the Hindi word for henna) for guests from 4 to 6 pm. For the rest of the evening, there will be a chudi bazaar—a pop-up version of India’s traditional bangle markets—where guests can pick out complimentary colorful bangles to wear and take home. And to top it all off, because gifting sweets is such a big part of Diwali, the team is also putting together a mithai shop (an Indian sweet shop) for guests to honor the tradition. There will be four different sweets from Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Bengal (representing the north, south, east, and west, respectively).
Adda
It would be difficult to discuss the new guard of Indian restaurants in NYC without bringing up Adda. Originally opened in Queens in 2018 by restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya, it was the spot that set the tone for what would become Unapologetic Foods—an acclaimed restaurant group founded on the belief that Indian food should be served the way it is in India without catering to a Western palate (hence the name).
Adda’s bold cooking quickly drew a cult following, and in May 2025, they relocated to a bigger, buzzier space in the East Village, complete with a revamped menu, retro design, and an interactive new feel. Servers now roll out a chaat trolley with samosa and aloo chaat, for example, along with a chutney cart for added flavor. But the real showstopper is the Butter Chicken Experience: a pre-reserved, tableside presentation where you get to choose how your chicken is cooked and which butter you want for your sauce. Other menu highlights include the lamb parcha (lamb with saffron-cashew cream and paratha), the zaffrani paneer (homemade saffron-infused paneer, an Unapologetic Foods signature), and the goat biryani. Plus the fun vibe itself! With warm rattan lights, vaulted booths, vintage wallpaper, and upbeat music (they were playing “Laal Pari” when I walked in a few weeks ago), the whole place feels equal parts party and restaurant—perfect for a festive Diwali celebration.
Semma
Also from Unapologetic Foods, Semma—slang for “fantastic” in Tamil—opened in the West Village in October 2021 to celebrate heritage South Indian food. Led by South Indian Chef Vijay Kumar, who grew up on a farm in Tamil Nadu, Semma went on to earn a Michelin star in 2022, and is still the only Indian restaurant in NYC with that honor. In June 2025, Chef Vijay also won the coveted James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef: New York State.
Semma’s menu is a reflection of Chef Vijay’s childhood. Dishes like nathai pirattal (Long Island snails mixed with ginger and tamarind and served with paratha) are a nod to his time tending to rice paddies and snails, and chettinad maan kari (venison, star anise, and black stone flower) honors his time hunting for venison with his family. Other South Indian favorites, like fish wrapped in banana leaves, roasted plantain, and a whole Dungeness crab for two (pre-order requested for that one) are also a highlight. But the acclaimed food isn’t the only reason this is a great spot to celebrate Diwali. The atmosphere is very much in tune with the holiday’s message of light over darkness, too, with warm pendant lights, rattan furniture, and vibrant tropical wallpaper.
Kebab aur Sharab
As a Delhi man through and through, my husband has a special place in his heart for this beloved restaurant, which opened in December 2022 on the Upper West Side and specializes in North Indian classics. Led by chef-restaurateur Salil Mehta, Kebab aur Sharab’s pièce de resistance is its custom-crafted clay tandoor oven, which enables the team to make speciality roti and naan including rumali, a thin bread that’s served folded like a handkerchief. Other must-orders: Aslam’s butter chicken appetizer (inspired by Old Delhi’s legendary street food vendor and served in a pool of butter and cream), all of the kebabs (you truly can’t go wrong), and the saffron pancake dessert that comes with dry ice.
Kebab aur Sharab’s design is a nod to North Indian heritage, too. Inspired by traditional havelis, i.e. opulent mansions that once housed wealthy families across the region, the decor features carved wooden screens scattered throughout the space, a deep jewel tone color palette, and a courtyard skylight area with an intricate peacock mural—a common motif in haveli art.
Diwali special: In an exciting piece of news for Indian street food lovers, paan—an after-meal treat made by wrapping ingredients like spiced nuts, candied fennel seeds, herbs, and preserves in betel leaves—will now have a dedicated spot on Kebab aur Sharab’s menu. Yes, the restaurant is launching an actual paan shop…and they’re doing it on Diwali. For the opening night, restaurant guests will receive a complimentary selection of paans, including a meetha paan (served traditional style), a cotton candy paan (traditional style with a layer of cotton candy), and paan gujiya (a pastry pocket filled with rose jam and other paan-inspired flavors).
Kanyakumari
Following the success of Kebab aur Sherab, founder Salil Mehta felt inspired to shine a spotlight on the southern half of the country, too. In January 2024, he opened Kanyakumari in Union Square as an ode to the coastal south, specifically Tamil Nadu and its neighboring states. (Kanyakumari is the name of a city at the tip of Tamil Nadu.) Menu highlights include Amma’s fish curry, slow-cooked black gold beef (my husband and I still dream about this one), and Pillai fish, a Kerala-style curry inspired by renowned Tamil chef Suresh Pillai. The regionally inspired drinks are also delicious; don’t miss the Idli cocktail with bourbon and fermented rice.
Diwali special: Kanyakumari will offer a special Diwali dessert called Ram Setu, dreamed up by founder Salil Mehta and Chef Tejesh Kumar Malli. It will recreate the journey at the heart of the legendary Indian epic Ramayana, in which the Hindu deity Lord Rama builds a bridge across the sea to rescue his kidnapped wife, Sita. Diners will get to taste everything from a crunchy, cashew-jaggery “shoreline” to “stones” of coconut and coffee to a “sea” made from kokum, a deep-purple fruit found on India’s western coast. The end result? A meaningful (and delicious) tribute to Diwali’s light-over-darkness story.
Indian Table
Even though NYC is filled with Indian restaurants, few spotlight Goa’s distinctive cuisine, which blends centuries of Portuguese influence with the coastal flavors of southwestern India. That’s what makes Indian Table so special. Led by Goan-born chef Eric McCarthy, who took it over in 2021 and has earned seven Michelin stars throughout his career, the Brooklyn restaurant transports diners straight to Goa and beyond.
The space itself leans more toward the cozy than the coastal, with dark wooden tables and warm lighting, but McCarthy’s cooking highlights Goan specialties rarely seen elsewhere in the city. Don’t miss the chicken vindalho de galinha (chicken simmered in freshly-ground spices and cashew feni, Goa’s signature cashew-based spirit), or the kalchi kodi (traditional Goan fish curry). For those craving North Indian classics, the saag paneer, dal makhani, and pindi chole (Punjabi chickpeas) are also delicious. And for those who can’t get enough Indian coastal flavors, Chef Eric is also opening another restaurant that specializes in Malvani cuisine (from the South Konkan region along India’s west coast) later this fall.
Diwali special: From October 17th to the 25th, Indian Table will offer a special Diwali dinner menu inspired by festive-season dishes traditionally prepared in India’s Konkan region, which includes Goa. There will be five exclusive entrée dishes, two desserts, and one signature cocktail. Chef Eric is particularly excited about the valpoi mutton suké with puran poli, as puran poli is one of his favorite sweet breads from childhood (the rest of the dish is mutton slow cooked in an onion, coconut and coriander paste). Also a must-try: the coconut karanji dessert, a cherished holiday recipe from his mother that folds poppy seeds, cardamom, coconut, raisins, and cashews into flaky pastry puffs.
Tera Mera
Most Indian restaurants in New York City are focused on full, sit-down meals. But India has a vibrant snacking culture, too—which is partly why Shalini Vaswani and her sister, Kathleen Jeremie, opened Tera Mera in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn in June 2025. Shalini was born in the US and grew up in Queens, but spent summers in India with her grandparents—and wanted to bring the spirit of Indian snacking to New York.
The space is designed to feel less like a restaurant and more like a cozy Indian home, with vintage furniture, warm lamps, framed family photos and recipes on the walls, and an outdoor patio surrounded by plants and twinkly lights. Just like a real Indian home kitchen, chai is on offer all day long; the idea truly is to come in, have some tea and snacks, and stay a while. The shareable, tapas-style menu includes samosa chaat, pani puri, chicken lollipops, and handmade momos, plus a few heartier dishes like Sindhi seyal machi (wild cod poached in spices). Beyond the food, Tera Mera also doubles as a community hub and market. Shalini and her team stock the shelves with small-batch South Asian food brands, and host pop-up events with local artists.
Diwali special: For Diwali, Shalini and Kathleen are planning to carry on a tradition started by their late mother, who helped pioneer the holiday’s community celebrations in New York decades ago. This translates to a full week of festive celebrations on deck at Tera Mera, beginning on October 16th, when three South Asian performers will take over the backyard patio for an evening of music. Then, throughout the week, Tera Mera will be serving a special Diwali menu, including the Sindhi dish sai bhaji (a green vegetable curry) that’s typically eaten on Diwali. On the holiday itself, Tera Mera will keep its doors open and offer free snacks and sweets to anyone in the neighborhood who drops by. They’ll also welcome guests to join in a puja (prayer).
Special mention: Ambassadors Clubhouse
Though Ambassadors Clubhouse technically doesn’t open until November, I would be remiss not to include it on this list, as it’s one of the most anticipated Indian restaurant debuts of the year. It will be the first U.S. venture from London’s acclaimed restaurant group JKS Restaurants, known for their hits inspired by Punjabi party mansions, including Gymkhana and the original Ambassadors Clubhouse in London.
Much like the London location, which quickly became known for its opulent interiors, rich flavors, and lively atmosphere with great cocktails and DJ sets, the New York outpost promises to be a similar celebration of Punjabi heritage. Who’s ready for Diwali 2026?
