It was dark in there (it was nighttime)! The service was lousy (there's an older gentleman who seems to be the host (and a waiter) and seems like he's mad at the world. That was the sweetest Tikka Masala I've ever tasted. And the garlic naan had no flavor. And that's the first time EVER at an Indian restaurant that I've had to pay for the rice separately. It's usually included, after all, the Tikka Masala was something like $29!!! The restaurant was close to my hotel so I took a chance. I lose. read more

We were in NYC on Christmas Eve and had early reservations. The restaurant space is very unique in that it is in a walkway over the sidewalk between 2 buildings. We had a nice seat by a window and it was nice to watch life in the city go by. I had meant to post this review several weeks ago but never got around to it so I am posting this now because we had a really nice time at Utsav and the food and service were both excellent. Since some time has passed, I don't remember exactly what we ate but I do know that everybody loved their food. I do remember that my wife, who usually gets saag paneer whenever we eat at an Indian restaurant, tried a spicy noodle dish which she thoroughly enjoyed. We would definitely go back if/when we are in the area again. It was bit pricy but what we expected for the area. I will say that while there was no wait when we arrived, the wait seemed crazy at the time we left. There were lots of people waiting for tables so I would think about having reservations when eating here, especially during busy times. read more

In summary, an overpriced Indian buffet. You are basically paying for the location close to Times Square. If you have access to somewhat decent Indian food, I would not advise coming here. The buffet did have a decent range of food, including 3 protein dishes (tandoori chicken, chicken tikka & goa fish curry). But these were not great: -they somehow managed to burn the tandoori -the chiken tikka pieces were a little tough -the first time I served the fish curry, it was 100% gravy... no fish Other dishes were okay. Overall, the taste was average. But it is more expensive than almost every other Indian buffet that I have visited. read more

Came for the first time not expecting much but just beat the dinner rush on a weekday. Really great food, a bit pricey but the portions were good. The restaurant was pretty packed too. Made a reservation and would recommend doing so if you want to eat here. When we left the waiting area was full. read more

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My family and I visited the restaurant for dinner. We were immediately impressed how nice the ambience was. We were given a nice seat by the window. Romson (our waiter) recommended the turmeric ginger mango margarita! It was amazing! I also ordered a Jaljeera drink (one of my favorite drinks when I travel back to India). They also made a special food request for my son. Highly recommend to anyone! Great ambience, great food and great service! Thank you Romson for giving us a great experience! read more

Utsav - Main dining room - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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The upside to this place is that the food is decent, if not a bit under seasoned. I suspect if you like Indian food your first thought is the dishes need more flavor. But overall everything tasted fine. However, things kind of fall apart after that. I don't think we had a waiter - we waited excessive periods to order, to get refills, and to get the check. People were hustling so I blame management for what appears to be no system or a poor one for table coverage. I would say I spent about about a 1/3 of the meal without a beverage or water (the water was lukewarm, no ice). They also charged me for refills I did not receive. We waited about 15 minutes for the check, I had to walk into the lobby to find someone to get us the check. The dishes do not come with rice which is bizarre, especially since the person taking our order didn't offer. He was ready to walk away and my GF asked if it came with rice and he said no. We ordered rice and naan to go with the butter chicken and saag. I guess he thought we'd eat the dishes we ordered like they were soup. They also charge an 18% mandatory gratuity which I suspect is management's way of making sure the service gaps don't impact the tips. read more

Utsav - Saag Paneer, Butter Chicken, Basmati Rice, Naan Bread - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Utsav in midtown is a typical Indian restaurant you would find near Times Square serving a lunch buffet. Everything on the buffet is what you would expect - tandoori chicken, veg biryani, malai kofta, one paneer gravy dish, chicken tikka masala, black daal and one goat or lamb dish + salads + 2 desserts. Generally I would stay miles away from a crowded lunch buffet experience such as this one... but a colleague suggested we swing by for a quick, easy lunch. The lunch was fast and painless... the food nothing unexpected and sticking to the regular Indo-Americanized flavors expected from a large Indian buffet of this style. However, we did get a sticker shock when we saw the price per head - $22.95 + taxes + tip brings it to about $28 a pop. The price of approximately two lunches. An average buffet in this neighborhood runs between $15-18 a head. Given that the food is average, I would seek out better options in the area. read more

Utsav - Lunch buffet - $22.95 + tax and tip - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

I don't know how to rate this restaurant as I've never had Indian food before and I don't like the smell of it. That being said, I looked up the reviews on here prior to going and after seeing all the positive reviews I was hoping that I would find something that I would like. I don't have anything to compare it to so this review will be short and sweet and I will try to be unbiased. Came here for lunch with coworkers (they picked the restaurant). As stated above I've never had Indian food and was skeptical out the gate. The restaurant was packed which I guess is an indication of good food. There is a lunch buffet with various items - most of which I have no idea what they are but there were signs that explains each dish. I ended up with the bread (Naan), white rice with vegetables and tandoori chicken. I tried the pureed spinach dish and a chicken with a cream tomato sauce dish but I didn't like either. I also had toss salad. The bread was the star of the show and the tandoori chicken was ok. For dessert I tried the rice pudding and a dish made of fried milk balls that was really really sweet. I didn't like either. Sadly the restaurant didn't win me over and I don't think I would try Indian food again. read more

M-E-H! The feel of an upscale restaurant is purely visual. Dirty glasses, dirty menus ( prices scribbled with a pen so you cant really tell the price, the plain paper used for the menus is covered in food and beverage leftovers ), radio blasting different styles of music at different volumes pared with commercials!! Drinks were mediocre AT best. We are here for my birthday with Empty water glasses, full drink glasses yet no one seems to notice that we are here - there is plenty of staff! The little plastic candle that flickers on the table is cute but not the constant flickering of the lights above the table- not intended as a joke, people do have photosensitive Epilepisy! We had just samosas (delicious) and the fried cauliflower (the sauce on top was goop and it was more mushed than fried but yummy). We opted out of dinner and asked for the bill. 20 minutes later- we are still waiting as the same two songs (a K-pop band and Enrique ) are on blast. The only reason this review has 2 stars is the wonderful gentleman (I assume was a busser, average height, black and gold glasses ) who kept helping us and actually brought me a birthday desert as we were leaving. I blew out my candle and was not able to eat it because- no silverware! Any ANY other Indian restaurant is better in my opinion. read more

Great experience at Utsav! Was impressed by the authenticity of the butter chicken, dal Makhni and seekh kebabs! Was the right spot to celebrate an intimate family Diwali evening read more

The BEST!!! Holy mackerel... this food was insane. I got the Bhindi Masala, my mom got the Bhuna shrimp (I think, it was really spicy!), and we shared the Biryani vegetable rice; and our waiter put the yogurt on the side to make it vegan for me :) The service was phenomenal and the food was, I'm drooling thinking about it, absolutely marvelous. The serving sizes were great, not too big at all, and we were so satiated. We had to get two orders of Roti because the food had so much flavor and spice. This is a HOT spot and a great option after a show or any time really. The staff were all wonderful, so kind and welcoming, and funny! **There was also a birthday and everyone in the restaurant started singing, staff and guests, so that was fun! read more

As someone who has similar food restrictions as Jain cuisine, it's really nice to eat at a restaurant which has Jain restaurants! I got the chickpea tikka masala, and thought it was really good :) I really enjoyed the fenugreek that they included it as well. Portions were very fair, it wasn't super busy when we went (Wednesday Night) so we were able to get a table for 3 right away. Prices aren't bad either! They also have indochinese options, which is always fun to combine with the other Indian dishes they offer. Would definitely come back again, and would also love if they added more Jain options to their menu :) read more

Very nice food, went here after visiting Rockafella and tried the Bengali menu, everything was delicious!

We went for Diwali. The service was impeccable and the food is amazing! Given we were 9 women, we got to try a lot of food. The broccoli appetizer was amazing as was the chicken appetizer. I had the prawn tikka from the grilled menu. Half the table was vegetarian so we had a lot of vegetarian dishes as well. The service was impeccable! I would definitely go back! read more

If you are looking for a great Indian Lunch buffet. This place is a go to! It is so beautiful inside and has a variety of food...from vegetarian to meats. ALL of the desserts are to die for! I have also dined here for dinner and it is still an amazing experience just hard to grab a waiter. But, I enjoy the food they serve here. So...if you are craving Indian food this place is a must! read more

Utsav - Dining area - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

First of all why a 3 star review: - They do not believe in a check-in process. You walk up to their desk and then the person seating you comes out and asks how many and who came first. If you mention you have a reservation, they do not check it and just seat you. We were there and they had people who came in without a reservation and got moved ahead. Crazy. - The appetizer has the Gobi Manchurian, 5 small and I mean really small pieces for the price they charge. I would seriously avoid this. - The place was very busy on a Friday evening. So, the waitress goes 'order drinks/appetizers/main course' at the same time as it would take time. When we got the food it was cold, seems like it was left out for sometime before bringing it to the table. I was ready to send it back but then did not want to wait again. Now, the good stuff. The food quality was good and portions were good size. We had leftovers for a single dinner and took them home. This place has changed their menu too, liked the one from last year. read more

Called 10/14 for 10/16 Reservation at noon. Confirmed, left my name. Arrived, private party only. No one bothered to call! We were very much looking forward to it. read more

Arrived for a lunch buffet and it was packed. You couldn't even hear the person sitting next to you, forget across the table. The spread is decent and mostly comprised of mains. Just 1 starter each for veg and non veg. For corporate lunches this is ideal as you wanna have a quick meals and not looking for the fancy buffet experience. The taste of the meals was pretty good. The dishes get over pretty quick, so we had to wait to get a round of food Personal favorites were Chicken tandoori, Chicken Korma, Veg Hariyali and Chole tikki. Also the Rasmalai was delicious. If you're looking for quick Indian style corporate lunch, this place is perfect. One thing to point out: Please check your receipt since they billed us for 2x the number of people before we pointed it out ( Yikes!) read more

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I visited last night for dinner with work colleagues. I had visited 1.5 years ago with a similar group. On both occasions, the food, the appetizers, and the drinks were outstanding. The woman who took our orders and served us was exceptional and very helpful. The ambiance was amazing. I would recommend Utsav to everyone, and I will certainly be back! read more

The food was decent but even though there wasn't a lot of people it felt crowded with a lot going on. 2 menu items I really wanted weren't available and there was a mistake with our order. The restaurant itself looked great but you can get lost when entering since no one is there to greet you and tell you it's upstairs. read more

Utsav - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

If you are looking for a place for good indian food and nice decor/ambience, Utsav is a sweet bet. Decor - 3.5/5: the decor and ambience was warm and well lit. The tables are well spaced (argh, covid!) and seating area is big enough to serve multiple parties at a time. However, we were seated on a corner table (towards the kitchen, I think!) and I am personally not a big fan of the side seating. I asked for a better table, but couldn't get one because the other tables were for bigger groups. My experience would have been much better with a better table. Food- 4/5: the food is lit. The tandoori aloo & quinoa tikki were yummmmmm. We also order malai kofta, cheese jalapeño naan and mint parantha. They were tasty too. The food was served hot and the staff was very responsive. Although, I would have loved to see more items on the menu, as the options seemed pretty standard and limited. Pricing - 4/5: Given that the restaurant is near Times Square, along with good food and a big place, the pricing seemed fair. read more

Haven't had such a great meal outside India. Was visiting New York and stumbled upon this restaurant while looking for Chandni restaurant which seemed to be closed. We were at the restaurant 9:20ish. With the gracious help of a regular gentleman to the restaurant we were in. Chris and Malcom took care of our table and we ordered Chicken Zafrani, Buttee R Chicken, Chicken Angarey, Naan and Goat Biryani. The food was fantastic and everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Chris was great and he has a good team under him. I will go back once more before we head out of NY. Thank you Chris for making our night!!! read more

So glad we stumbled upon this hidden gem on our way to the much crowded rooftop nearby. Utsav is a huge place where you can comfortably dine in, maintaining safety. The best part about this place is the friendly service. Our sever Chris made sure we got everything we needed. But, if you visit this place, do ask for Kevin, he's one of the sweetest persons we've met. His cordial nature and light banter made our evening memorable. After all, great food must be complemented with great service to make a restaurant successful! We got the Paneer Chutney Tikka that was delicious. Very flavorful! And the Fish Tikka, which was perfectly cooked. Crispy outside and soft on the inside. The portion sizes are big. So come hungry, and don't forget to order their corn & mango bhel (not pictured as I couldn't wait to dig in ). It was really one of the best I've had! Came close to the one I've had back home. Coming back for more Indian food! read more

Utsav - Fish Tikka - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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We went of for a dinner tonight at Utsav after having seen good reviews on yelp. We had very bad experience. Management, please change the carpet on stairs and entrance, they stink. We almost left just because of dirty carpet and its smell, nonetheless gave them a benefit of doubt to check it out as they have 4 star reviews on google. The manager took us in without reservation (thank you), but he could have been more welcoming. Now, why I gave only one star to Utsav. They lost first star because of bad entrance, as mentioned above. I don't think it's even washable. No music was playing, it made the whole room noisy. Second star was lost because of poor service. The staff seemed overwhelmed, running around, had no welcoming spirit at all. Table was wet when they seated us, we had to ask for napkins to dry it out. (The waiter brought cloth to dry it up, thank you). Third star was lost when they brought in Jal Jira drink. I found zero efforts being put in to make this popular drink. Looks just a spoon full of dry jaljira spice stirred into water and ice. Once it settled, you can see the water separated from that powder. We had ordered Paneer Tikka, the filling were not tasty, we just ate with the mint chutney they gave. I would give average rating to the Tikka. The Chana Masala was another failure, poorly made, tasteless. When asked for pickles and onion, the waiter said "they are chargeable" duh. We were not expecting anything for free. Onion Kulcha was good, Lachedar Paratha is one and only thing that I would give 10/10. No one asked if wanted to take our left over food to go (we were not going to take any way). No one offered dessert menu (again we were not going to order any, as we wanted to leave ASAP). They took two reminders for a check to be presented (Same was the experience about that for the table seated next to us). This is the first time I am takin efforts to write a lengthy review because I know they can do better and meet up the expectation of good Indian restaurant in NY at such a nice location. The only one star I would give to is the location and size of the restaurant. Guys, pay attention, hire more people and retrain your front staff and kitchen staff. Charge more if needed, but give a memorable experience to the guests. read more

The location is great--a cozy corner near Times Square, perfect for dodging the tourist stampede. The service was speedy, and the food was decent, though I think they seasoned it with gold flakes given the price. But beware! The fine print reveals an 18% gratuity that's sneakier than a ninja. I didn't see it and ended up double tipping, so I guess I'm a generous fool. I bet others do the same since it's like finding Waldo in the bill, and we're not used to gratuity ambushes for any party size here! read more

Utsav is always on my list when visiting NYC! Amazing food and atmosphere near theaters.

There are a lot of good reviews here, and there are always snobby people leaving unwarranted negative reviews of places, but I have to say I really would not recommend this place at all. Pros: nice decor/ambiance, and the food was definitely authentic and pretty good. However... Cons: The service was so bad. Like, really, really bad. And it wasn't like they were busy. Starting from when you first walk in, no one came over to the host stand for several minutes leaving the multiple parties waiting to be seated confused for a while. Staff really couldn't be bothered once we were seated. We didn't get our first drink for about 45 minutes and we actually think they forgot about us a few times. It wasn't very busy but there was one large family there (whose kids were tackling each other all over the restaurant) and the staff was VERY attentive to them. Staff really just left everyone else to wait around and were very unfriendly. read more

We came for dinner on a Thursday night. The place was maybe 60% full. The service was terrible and barely there. The waiter had an attitude while taking our order and had some (unwelcome) criticisms for the order. The portions were ridiculously small and yet the prices were higher than average. Rice was a separate cost, which is also highly unusual for an Indian restaurant. The food had minimal flavor so even that wasn't a saving grace. I'm genuinely confused by the amount of positive reviews this place received. Oh and they add the tip automatically to the bill without prior notice. read more

I have been craving for the indo-Chinese food for so long. Tried in California, Florida and some other states but they were so bad. But oh my goodness Utsav finally served me what I wanted for soooooooo long. The Indo-Chinese food was amazing. Before I fly back I will try to visit this place again. The aroma, presentation, taste everything was so good. We also got tandoori and chicken angara which I did not like it too as it was too masaledar (lot of spices) but oh well my husband really liked it. It is 8 AM in the morning as I write this review but all I am thinking of is the chicken lollipop lol . read more

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Nice food great service I had chicken curry and eggplant it really amazing Ashok make very good food . I really want to go back see you soon guys. Thanks for everything my family r really happy. read more

$20 for lunch buffet. I thought that was a pretty good deal. All of the food I had was delicous. None of it seemed too, too spicy. I only used one Kleenex! The usual Indian place I get delivery from I have to eat with a box of Kleenex on the table because my eyes water and my nose runs from all the spicy food. Sorry if that was too much information. Anyway, this is a lovely restaurant with friendly staff. For the most part, the food was well stocked but I'm only giving it three stars because it was impossible (IMPOSSIBLE!) to get any naan. I'd see it come out and by the time I sprinted to the steam table, it was gone. Like a ghost! Of course, if some of the greedy bastards in line hadn't been taking 17 pieces of it at a time, there would have been more around, but I can understand their hoarding tendencies. I would go back. read more

Utsav - A plate from the buffet - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Funny how I live a block away, and even though I walked by this place pretty much all the time for the past 8 years, I actually never tried it out until recently. Even though their weekend lunch buffet is more expensive than a lot of places I like going to in the city, I decided to see how good the food here was. Generally I was happy with my dining experience. It was good to see they had some tasty chicken and fish options here along with the usual vegetarian selections that you often see at Indian buffets. The place was fairly clean and service for the most part was friendly. Since I had a decent experience at the restaurant, I decided to order from this place for dinner. My overall experience in that regard was not so positive. My food took forever to get to my place and I even had to call after an hour passed and I never received my food. Turned out the food wasn't even made yet, but at least they tried to make it up by giving us a few more free items. While I'm still iffy about ordering from here again, I'd come back for another lunch buffet or two. read more

Utsav - Lunch buffet (Sunday) - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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Terrible restaurant-food quality was poor and the service was terrible. Definitely don't recommend coming here.

I came here with a group of friends & each one of us was so impressed with the food. We had some members of our group that were die-hard Indian food fans, and we had others that had never tried it before. We got a number of different items, such as Chicken Tikka Masala (of course), Lamb Vindaloo, Saag Paneer, Butter Chicken Kulcha & my personal favorite - Crispy Quinoa Aloo Tikki. The service was great - every member was so kind and also very knowledgeable about each dish. The atmosphere of the restaurant is also one I can recommend. I haven't stopped raving about this place since I left - can't wait to go back! read more

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The service at Utsav is unparalleled! Came in on a weekend without a reservation and Christopher went out of his way to put together a table for us so that we could eat in instead of getting take out. Then our meals came out and it was delicious, but not spicy enough for our taste. Our server Robin took our meals back without us even asking just to add extra spice and it came out amazing. Additionally when he packed our leftovers for us he gave us extra rice for free. Great experience! Food and service were both amazing! read more

Utsav - Chicken Tikka Masala, garlic Naan Bread, Paneer Masala - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Came here the other night with a larger group of friends for dinner. The food was INCREDIBLE. Since we had a bigger group we got to split a lot of the menu between us which great as some of our group had never tried Indian food before! The staff answered all of our questions and gave us some amazing recommendations. We ordered a bunch of apps for the table. The crispy quinoa aloo tikki and butter chicken kulcha were both must orders. Would honestly go back just for those. The Lamb Vindaloo was amazing with the perfect level of kick for a spice lover. Chicken tikka masala (always a fan favorite) was delightful as well as the saag paneer but the GOA shrimp was my favorite. Will definitely be back! read more

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The ambiance is amazing! Super relaxing and pretty! Perfect for a date or family outting. Music is low. Butter chicken 10/10 Samosa 10/10 I asked for coconut chicken with very little spice and they delivered exactly that! It was bareable for non spicey pallets. Also the service is very attentive. I recommend for beginner & advanced Indian cuisine lovers. Ras malai 10/10 Paan dessert is good but has an acquired taste so it's a bit risky for someone that doesn't know what paan is. read more

Utsav - Left : coconut chicken Middle : butter chicken Right : saffron rice - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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Utsav was recommended by a regular to our friends visiting New York for the weekend, and as an avid lover of Indian food, I eagerly tagged along. Our group of nine was quickly seated in the busy dining room on a Sunday night, and I instantly took notice that a place this large was not struggling for customers in the slightest. For my meal, I went with the $40 prefixe menu, which consisted of several appetizer, entree, and dessert options. Coconut chicken soup appetizer had a great comforting flavor, and a bite of the scallops I managed to sneak away from my boyfriend's appetizer were cooked perfectly. I chose the chicken tikka masala for my entree - flavorful, yet mild in spice creamy tomato sauce, chunks of chicken breast, creamed spinach, lentils, hot naan, small salad and a side of rice. Chicken tikka masala is one of my favorite dishes so I eat it quite often, and this order left me with no complaints and with plenty of leftovers to take home with me. The mango mousse was a refreshing, tasty dessert treat, but I would recommend skipping the dry carrot cake option. For a group this size, the servers impressed us by getting all of our orders correctly, aside from a slight beer mixup that was quickly remedied. The wine pours were quick and hefty. The service was great right until we were ready for our check, which took about twenty minutes to receive as we struggled to flag down our waiter - the only small negative that stood out in the overall experience. With all that said, Utsav is a reliable option when it comes to curbing your cravings for Indian food and is very accommodating to large crowds. read more

Utsav - Mango Mousse - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

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A friend recommended this restaurant to me - came on a Wednesday night and was easily seated. Extensive menu - something for everyone. We ordered the mango smoothie to begin (delicious - can tell they used actual mango). Dishes are served family style, which I liked. For the price, this meal so close to Times Square and the Theater District was a steal in my opinion. Would probably order takeout from here again (restaurant ambiance is nothing noteworthy) read more

Utsav - Indian Near Me - New York, New York

Loved the food and service here. Great lunch spot for those people who work in midtown. Unfortunately, I don't work here permanently, but whenever I visit my company's midtown offices I come here with my coworkers. As with most Indian restaurants, some aspects of the food will not be "authentic" compared to my coworkers' standards, but they give it their approval nonetheless. If they give their approval, then I give mine! The restaurant is very spacious and doesn't get extremely crowded during lunch, but the dining room fills up about 3/4. The lunch buffet is great, especially for those who love variety! There are many selections of chicken, salad and entree combinations to put on your rice. In addition, there are also 2 types of rice served, basmati and saffron rice. The saffron rice is very much like the basmati, except it's yellow. I loved the vegetarian entrees, specifically the one with the cubes of cheese and also the one with the peas (sorry for my lack of dish name calling). They also had one with potatoes that was very good. The entrees weren't spicy and were perfect compliments for the rice. The tandoori chicken was also very soft. For dessert, I had the Mango mousse. Although my Indian coworkers complain it's a bit too sweet, I didn't think so. It tasted very "Mango-ish", but was not cold. It was a bit warm, which I didn't like. Other than that, no complaints. Service was excellent too as they took away our dishes very quickly when we were done. read more

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