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Indian Tanpura
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
564 Amsterdam Ave(between 87th St & 88th St)
New York, NY 10024
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
(212) 721-8700
- Nearest Transit:
-
86 St (1, 2)
86 St (A, B, C)
96 St (1, 2, 3)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
18 reviews for Indian Tanpura
18 reviews in English
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Review from Shal c.
Manhattan, NY
11/14/2011
My boyfriend and I like to order Indian take-out from here. We typically get the Mulagathawny Soup, Chicken Tikka Masala and Dal Makhani with naan and are always happy. We stayed for waiter service once and were attended by the super nice waiter (and owner?). One thing that could be improved is making sure the spiciness level is consistent across multiple visits. Often times, we will order the same exact dish at the same spiciness level and the dish will have significantly less spice than what we've received in the past.
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Review from K K.
New York, NY
11/30/2011 1 photo
I really want to like this place due to the small and quaint nature of the restaurant (only 9 tables), the friendly waiter, and reasonable prices, but the jury is still out for me.
I came here at midday, and they serve lunch specials. So I ordered the tandoori chicken, which came with about 1.5 cups of white rice, a vegetable pakora, and two cucumber slices on about 15 pieces of shredded lettuce (why bother?) for $7.95.
I also ordered some plain naan for a few bucks more, which came with three sauces (a sweet tamarind, a spicy cucumber, and a chopped tomato), and I downloaded a picture of my entire meal for photographic evidence.
I found the tandoori chicken to be somewhat dry, and rather flavorless. It wasn't even remotely hot or spicy, even though I requested "spicy" when I ordered. The pakora was okay, not great, and the rice was cooked properly. The naan was tasty and the tamarind sauce was delicious. All in all, however, I was not very impressed with the meal overall as the main entree was disappointing. So I'm giving Indian Tanpura a "gentleman's three stars", and will return sometime in the next month or so to try this little place again. Depending on how my next meal goes I'll update the review and either bump it up to 4 stars or lower it to 2 stars. -
Review from Roger F.
Phoenix, AZ
12/22/2011
I've eaten here 4 times in the past couple of years and have always been very satisfied. Everything is cooked to order, so don't expect fast service. All the breads are excellent as are the byriani and curry dishes. The spicyness is slightly less than one would expect. So, if you want your food very spicy, you may need to explain that you need the hotness that one finds in India (Indian hot).
Prices are reasonable for the area and neighborhood is great. -
Review from Daniel S.
Brooklyn, NY
6/23/2011
Tanpura was a pretty decent choice for a quick bite. My wife and I were strolling down amsterdam last memorial day and chose the restaurant because we were feeling cheap (yeah, what's new) and Tanpura's prices were right.
Portions were reasonable (especially the aloo paratha which was quite hearty...should be though for 3.50), and the spice was true to form and not watered down. The veg vindaloo set our respective asses on fire and the kebab was a good pairing with the paratha. Service was very friendly and the atmosphere was nice and cozy apart from some wretch of person going on about how stupid her friend was to her dinner partner. Fortunately, that gaping hole on the front of her face worked quickly in two ways and she was out of the restaurant in a hurry leaving us to enjoy the last few moments of our dining experience. -
Review from A.E. G.
New York, NY
11/10/2010
Though I understand that the UWS isn't exactly Jackson Heights when it comes to Indian food, there are some good options stretching the whole way (Safire, Ayurveda and Indus Valley), so I was excited to try a new option.
The food from Tanpura is inexcusably horrible and certainly not Indian: curries are tasteless mushes dumbed down for the unwitting American populace, the tamarind sauce looks like, and tastes like, dirty water, the samosa was simply a fried ball of bland mush (but at least it was tastier than the curries because it was fried). Basically, if you like and know Indian food, this is not the place for you unless you have a hardy stomach and can afford to waste a few dollars for a good laugh. -
Review from David R.
Los Angeles, CA
2/11/2011
I ate at Tanpura for the first time today. I had the dal saag lunch special, which for $7.50 was a great meal. The lunch includes a big vegetable pakora. Everything was fresh and tasty and the food came quickly. It wasn't the best Indian I've ever had (for that I go to Chola or the Jackson Diner) but for a cheap local spot it really hit the spot.
Complaints would be the uninspiring decor and the odd waiter. He did nothing wrong but his manner was just a little odd (he kept standing by my table near the window and staring outside. He overall seemed distracted. ) -
Review from Mdivani M.
Mission Viejo, CA
11/18/2010
After a long but pleasant day bounding about the city (NY), I ended up on the Upper West Side with two close friends. It was late Sunday afternoon and everyone was ready for an earlyish dinner. But deciding on what type of restaurant to go to was a challenge. Each of us tossed out our options: Lebanese, Japanese, Chinese......but no one could make up their mind. I finally settled the matter by suggesting that in honor of Diwali, now in its third day, that we go for Indian cuisine. After debating which restaurant to go, we finally decided on one within a short walk from my friends apartment.
A walk in the crisp Fall weather stoked our appetites further and we were more than ready to eat when we fell into Indian Tanpura. A very friendly server greeted us and sat us in the small nicely decorated dining room with crisp white linens. We perused the menu and decided upon dishes that we would all mostly share.
We began with samosas, which were delicately seasoned and added broccoli to the usual combination of potatoes and peas. The nicest thing about these samosas was that they were not in the very least greasy, but still nice and crisp.
Then the main courses arrived: Dahl Makhni (Black Lentils sautéed in Ghee with ginger & garlic) , Alu Mottor Gobi (Potatoes, Peas & Cauliflower cooked in Masala sauce), Vegatable Jalfrezi (Mixed Vegetables sautéed with Green Pepper, Onion & Tomato), and an order of Chicken Tikka (Marinated Boneless Chicken Breast cooked in the Tandoori Oven) for my two friends. The entrées came with white basmati rice and we also ordered the Nan. All of the dishes were very flavorful and were seasoned perfectly with all of the spices that make Indian cuisine so special. We enjoyed everything and felt completely satisfied by the end of the meal, with every plate cleaned.
And as an extra bonus, our extremely attentive server treated us to servings of their rice pudding which was as delicious as everything else had been, sweet with just a hint of curry.
One note to those embarking on a meal at Indian Tanpura. I love all of the spices that go into Indian Cuisine: cumin, cardamon, garlic, ginger, etc. However, I seem to have an intolerance to red pepper. Pile on the black pepper or any other spice and I'm in love. Red pepper on the other hand.... So, I was incredibly surprised that all of the dishes had an abundance of all of the spices I love, but only enough red pepper to give it a tolerable kick. I asked about this and was informed that they made their dishes mild as far as red pepper was concerned, unless it was requested to make the dishes really spicy. So if you are one of those who like their Indian cuisine at fire department levels, just let them know and they will gladly accommodate you!
We had an excellent meal and I would not only recommend dining at Indian Tanpura, but will put it on my list of places to return to.
http://www.ladieswholu... -
Review from Dan A.
Manhattan, NY
8/6/2011
Having lived in the neighbourhood for close to 4 years, I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience here. They make a spicy and flavourful vindaloo, and the service is excellent! Just recently went for lunch with my very pregnant fiancé and Goshe (the very nice waiter who is there most of the time) gave her complimentary "bottomless" glasses of milk because "it's good for the baby!". The lunch specials are very reasonable, and they have always been willing to do little things like switch a saag aloo for a saag paneer. Have tried some other places in the neighbourhood, and have always come back. Plus they have an "A" rating from the city.
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Review from Kiesha R.
8/24/2008
I ordered delivery from here for the first time, and it lived up to the promise on the menu - fast. That's certainly a plus. However, it wasn't as flavorful and/or spicy as I like my Indian food (I ordered vegetable samosas, chana saag, vegetable korma, and nan).
I'm definitely still on the lookout for better Indian food in the neighborhood - however, this will do for takeout until I find something better. -
Review from Nancy M.
Los Angeles, CA
12/7/2009
Man. I came here with a couple of friends last week. One of the best Indian food experiences i've had. the food was simply delicious. And the waiter/owner(?) was HILARIOUS! He was really funny...and it turns out he's actually a comedian and even invited us to see him perform next week.
I'll definitely come back when im visiting the City again.
I highly recommend it! -
Review from Morgan B.
New York, NY
3/6/2009
Ordered delivery from here... it was my first Indian food experience.
Being from the south I am a sucker for 1. anything fried and 2. okra. So I ordered the fried cottage cheese and peas with the okra and tomatoes on the side. These dishes were wonderful-the cheese and peas were perfectly creamy and a tiny bit sweet, and the okra and tomatoes were a little spicy and oily (but good nonetheless). I didn't eat all that came with my meal because it was enough to feed a small village. I suggest splitting an entree.
I will definitely order from here again. -
Review from Jillian C.
Minneapolis, MN
2/15/2011
Totally had an excellent dining experience here last weekend! We were in a rush but needed a solid meal, and they weren't too busy yet at 6:30pm. We got in and out within 45 minutes but still had a really relaxed and fabulous dinner. Our server was a great guy, super friendly and extremely attentive. At $23 for my half of the bill, it was really inexpensive for full service dinner in the city. The food was great and the portions were perfect - not too overwhelming, but enough to share between two of us. I'm definitely bookmarking this for future visits!
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Review from Elsa S.
Manhattan, NY
1/24/2011
I love love love Indian, and am happy to have found this place! From the picture on google maps, it looks like it would be okay for take out but not good for eating in... Not the case! Inside was very cute, with candles on the tables, etc.
I went for dinner on a Friday night with the boyfriend. We were using a http://Restaurant.com certificate. We each got an entree, plus two orders of samosas, and an order of plain naan, and the server still ended up rounding up to $40 in order to allow usage of the certificate. (minimum purchase for certificate was $40.)
Free lentil cracker things with the three sauces - good. I hate when they don't do that. The green cilantro/onion/cucumber/whatever it is one, was maybe the best I'd ever had.
We took one order of samosas home, and it was good the next day as well. They even gave us those trio of sauces.
I'm not giving FIVE stars though, because I thought all the food needed a little bit more salt. Such a simple flavor thing, I don't know why they haven't done it?! And also because I thought the waiter was a tiny bit TOO attentive. Bordered on hovering. Nonetheless, he was always really nice, and at least if he's nearby he could get anything we asked for.
In all, we will be back again. Much cuter than I was expecting! -
Review from Natasha D.
West Babylon, NY
1/30/2009
This is the best Indian restaurant I have been too thus far in my dining escapades. Good service, comfortable seating, and absolutely delicious food. I have been to many Indian restaurants, particularly those down in Alphabet city. Needless to say, this tops them all
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Review from Pooja M.
Manhattan, NY
5/30/2011
One of the best Indian food places around. Great good and service. A hidden gem!
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Review from Steve M.
Manhattan, NY
6/7/2010
Great food and wonderful service. The decor is lacking but so what when the food is delicious. Just the right amount of spice. One order of Naan is enough to dip for that extra juice.
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Review from Carmen C.
New York, NY
11/6/2009
My husband, 3 year old son, and I really liked this restaurant! The food was really good and the waiters were great with my son. You got to start with the Crab Bombay...amazing. Then I had the Tanpura Biryani with tandoori chicken & eggs over jasmine rice. My son ate half of it...there was so much food! And my hubby had the mixed grill. What man doesn't like 4 different types of meat in one dish? The place is a little small, but that's nothing new in NYC.
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Review from Le Joost D.
New York, NY
4/24/2009
There is one main reason to try out this place: the awesome hairpiece on their main waiter. Its . . . incredible, breathtaking really. It sits on his head so awkwardly, like a dead falcon permanently perched and ready to strike. Its one of the biggest, most clumsily placed rugs I have ever seen.
The food is fine, not my favorite place but it's not terrible. The chicken tikka masala and the motir paneer (sp?) were both a bit overloaded with garlic. Garlic should be used to accent a sauce, not to supplement the absence of every other flavor. The prices were reasonable enough but knowing the quality of the food I have chosen a new favorite son: Alachi Masala.
Ive only done take out from this place but I have to say the dining room has got the atmosphere and charm of a podiatrist's waiting room. It's trying enough to just wait for the check in there; I don't think I'd spend any time actually dining in house.
