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23rd St-Park Ave S (6)
23rd St-Broadway (R, W)
23rd St-6th Ave (F, V)
"I'm probably not the best judge of Indian food but I really liked this place. I came here for a birthday dinner with a large group, and it…" read more »
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I'm not going to lie; this was an impulse dining choice. Thank you Iron Chef America.
It might've been the novelty of haute Indian cuisine, but my meal here was out of this world. The technique applied to each dish was impeccable, I thought French technique married with Indian flavors just sounded too gimmicky. I love being wrong.
I chose the Early Fall tasting menu, my carnivorous fiance took one for the team and got the Vegetarian tasting. We completely over-ordered and ate entirely too much of the complimentary naan and chutneys. Every dish was perfect cooked, every spice perfectly balanced.
At $250, this was the most expensive meal I've had since moving to New York, but also the best.
"Great Company, Good Food"
It was really a toss up between three and four stars. I had a pleasant experience and wasn't exactly disappointed, but wasn't blown away either. I'm going with three. The reason for the hesitation is the pricing, dish size, and quality of food.
It's expensive but not outrageous, the dishes are small but not tiny, and the food is good but not great. Conundrum! The service was impeccable, however, even if I did have to take the waiters nose out of my ass on more than one occasion.
We tried the sourdough, garlic, bacon, and cheese naan. All of them were good; the bacon and cheese taking the cake. I'd highly suggest you get those to whet the appetite next time you go to Tabla.
I came with a friend from London of Indian descent and he remarked, "I can see the Indian ingredients, but nothing is what I would call an Indian dish."
I was quite disappointed by the Tartare. It came in a bowl in a cold soup-like broth and had more vegetable than fish.
The chicken tikka was good; tender, well marinated and seasoned, with a lovely side of... something green that tasted good. It was, however, a bit too fatty for me to love it. I never want fat on my chicken.
I was surprised that they did not have a more expansive wine list, but the bottles they did have were tasty (the two that we tried).
All in all, it was a good time. But if I were going to spend (or have my friends spend) this kind of money again, I'd probably try out a few more places before returning. Unless, of course, I was in the mood for some cheesy, bacony naan and a side of their market green spinach. Which I am 24 hours a day because that shiz rocked.
People thought this was:
Pretty crazy; I've only had Bread Bar, but it was darn good. Appetizer-wise, the onion rings were very solid (with chick pea & cracked corn batter) & the squash pakoras were NO JOKE. Entrees were also delicious; the "Naanini" sandwich was the most appealing to me. Deserts? Pay attention to the ice cream & ice-cream like selection.
DO NOT IGNORE THE COCKTAILS. There are some crazy excellent options.
People thought this was:
I've been here for both RW and for a regular dinner ( the price for the dinner was mildly offset by the coupon that was given during my RW adventure!)
Their food is very good - their naan and dip were so good that I think it was better than some of the entrees I had! The ambiance and overall setting is very relaxing, very upscale-ish without feeling pretentious.
I've had better Indian food for half the price. The exotic surroundings and nice open floor plan was great for a rowdy young crowd (of which we were a part of), but it didn't help out in terms of privacy or ease of holding a conversation. The portions were small and left us wanting more...out of hunger (if that was part of Tabla's scheme, I applaud their success). Honestly speaking, I think I might need to give it another chance. But for the same reasons why I have avoided Tamarind, I think I know of a few places that serve up tastier, more affordable food from the subcontinent than Tabla.
Melt in your mouth dishes with staff that are always polite & helpful.
The food is infused with amazing spice combination (flavorful not HOT).
I hear they are combining the Breadbar and Upstairs menus to give us the best of both worlds, I can't wait!
People thought this was:
I've eaten here twice. The first time, I thought it was overrated and the food wasn't that good. There had been a fruit fly in our wine and the waitress just said "it happens" after we had just spent $250 on dinner between my friend and I. We had decided to go to Tabla since Continental was offering the cookbook for free but after we saw the menu we decided to get other things off the menu that were just okay.
The second time, I ate at the bread bar and the food was delicious.. the portions were small but the food was much better than upstairs. I would definitely recommend the bread bar, it is better priced and the food is more worth the money.
*** Restaurant Week Review ***
Tabla's got a lot of different menus flying around at the Dining Room and Bread bar right now, but I went for the Restaurant Week Lunch at the Dining Room.
I. FOOD
[[ Extras ]]
The fresh and flavorful table naan teased at good things to come. One was a fluffy herbed naan, and the other was a denser Roti (we think).
We also ordered a la carte entree: Rice Flaked Halibut with Watermelon Curry. This is probably my favorite dish. The textures blended wonderfully, with the spiced watermelon coating the soft fish and the crispy exterior and toppings.
[[ Appetizer ]]
--- Confit of Beef Cheeks
I .... can't really remember much about the dish. That speaks volumes. I'm sure it was "just okay", since negative impressions would stick. A shame, because beef cheeks can be transcendental if made right.
[[ Main Course ]]
--- Braised Short Ribs of Beef
A brown lump with shoestring potatoes arrives in front of me. I stab it blindly with my fork, foraging around to discern what each element is. The short rib is one big chunk that is definitely tender and juicy in some parts, but another bite could contain chewy tendon and dry areas. The mashed potatoes were covered with the beef too. An altogether hearty dish, though I wouldn't say they were my favorite ribs ever.
--- Roasted Heritage Pork T-Bone
A friend's dish that I sampled. The portion was huge, but she had to remove a large section of fat. I thought the meat was too tough and flavorless, but the sauce helped...a little.
[[ Dessert ]]
--- Vanilla Bean Kulfi
I was excited to try this dessert. It even comes with a special serrated spoon because the Kulfi is so hard you have to carve at it. I thought the gold leaf and overall presentation was beautiful, but I felt like I was working to eat my dessert more than taking the time to savor it.
II. SERVICE
After reading the reviews on Yelp, I was a little apprehensive about the service. Luckily, the lunch went without a hitch. They were very accommodating when our group of 6 turned into 4 at the last minute. The service was attentive and quick without being pushy. A dining companion flipped his fork and our waitress thought to bring club soda and a napkin immediately.
III. VERDICT
I have a precarious relationship with Danny Meyer restaurants. On the whole, they can serve up a great "experience package", so to speak. But for me, the food reaches the "good" level, but falls short of the "WOW" status. The $24.07 return gift card (note: only valid for 2 months) might be the trump card that tempts me to come back and give it another shot off the regular menu.
P.S. A nod to their nice plates.
People thought this was:
Review by Butcher (E.Lee) and Porkchop (H.Ngo)
Very randomly we came here on a Friday after a late night at work. (We don't work together...so don't think we were "working late"...together.) Anyway, what is there on 25th and Madison? There's Shake Shack with a humungo line and it's pretty worth it for their price and deliciousness...but this isn't a post about Shake Shack.
Tabla. It has good food. Come craving extra flavorful and unique dishes... and a full wallet.
I (Butcher) have never researched Tabla and knew nothing about it except that their celebrity chef was on Top Chef or was mentioned. Probably showed face. I like that you have your own door to your restroom. I mean...big tall door. People were very nice and they knew we weren't people they can't be real with. therefore, we had the suckiest table and the closest one to the servers...since we're buds. Porkchop, "At least they made up for it with their smiley faces and excellent service." Our server was very detailed in describing the different wines and I wouldn't let him go until he described mine that was ordered by Porkchop.
Oh yeah, I meant to say...since I didn't research Tabla beforehand, I didn't know it was Prix Fixe only (a couple different prix fixe's you can choose from).
Do you want to hear about the food?
It was all cooked perfectly and bursting with flavor. We have to admit that the samosa looked and tasted suspiciously like an empanada. The skate was good but a little undercooked for Porkchop, and we assumed that's how it is supposed to be.
I don't eat red meat but I only had red meat/pink meat. I ordered white wine thinking I wasn't going to eat red meat. The pork short rib (without the rib) was tender (a word i hate to use to describe human meat) and full of tender fat. I know a lot of people would LOVE it, and it was good but I'm not a fat eater. The spiced hanger steak (that was on the same plate as the short rib) was medium rare and soo flavorful. My portion of meats are on the "delicate" side but that was all good because ...well I don't eat much red meat and also because they fed us fresh naan, cold soup shot, and appetizer before the entree. After the entree, we had dessert...one of them had gold in it and after that...they gave us chocolate! When would this dinner ever end I thought...same as this post.
Take a look at all our pictures taken from an iphone without flash since iphones don't make flash :(
Thank you.
-Butcher + Porkchop
People thought this was:
I came here in a double date for Tabla's Ten (a tapas menu with all items under $10, on Wednesdays only) and we were all impressed! The options were plentiful, the service was seamless and wonderful, and your first two bottles of wine have no corkage fee! Wooo!
In all honesty, none of the items really blew me away except for the "street food." I forgot what it's called, but it was GOOOOD. Three dishes a person was about right; we ordered both desserts (one was a strawberry muffin and the other a chocolate thing) and they were yum. Altogether, it came out to about $35/person, all in. A GREAT deal for a fun atmosphere and yum food.
Reservations are recommended, but the Tabla's Ten space never filled up while we were there.
People thought this was:
I was brought here on a whim for the lunch, prix-fix menu during Restaurant Week.
The decor is... interesting, but am I the only one who felt like I was on a cruise liner? I kept wondering where the buffet table was. I get the impression it's better at night, when they light it well.
FOOD: I'm a very big fan of anything Indian fusion and I think Tabla does it right. I got the braised beef that was really tender and hands down, the best thing on the menu.
For dessert I had the Tahitian Vanilla Bean Kulfi, which was a little over rated. It was our waiters favorite, but it kind of seemed like thicker Bryers ice cream in the shape of a cone.
Go for lunch, it was three course for 24/29 dollars.
This place is ballin. Everyone is raving (or should be) about the food so I will try to be mildly distinctive. The specialty cocktails are actually not too sweet, which is a first. The naan is extremely satisfying. I've done the tasting menu with wine pairings and it's truly worth it -- plus they let one person do the regular and the other do the vegetarian, which equals more dishes/wines to taste.
Caution: you are too intoxicated after five glasses of wine to taste the last two dishes, so those are a bit of a wash. Or was it last three dishes?
This was my first taste of Indian cuisine and while it is an Indian-American fusion it is divine. The waitor was really professonal, the place had a nice atmosphere and we knew we were in for something epic. I am trying to recall everything we had when we went there, it was several months ago. The naan bread and the dips for it were really good, the mushroom soup was really nice and spicy and the rice flaked halibut with the watermelon chutney was by far the best part of the meal. They sent us home with little gift boxes with macadamia nut cookies in them that were delicious and muffins which were spicy but otherwise bland. I would eat here again, but only at the price fixe.
I came here on a date and I have to say, was pretty disappointed. We went for the pri fixe which is a splurge for any diner, but course after course hammered into both of us the impression that the food was priced more for its inventiveness (not to mention the decor/atmosphere), than the actual food itself. If you are looking for a place to splurge for a nice, tasty dinner, I would look elsewhere. My one caveat to this review is that we went on a Sunday evening -- the first-line crew might have been taking the night off.
People thought this was:
We went to Tabla to celebrate my husband's birthday. I booked on http://Opentable.com and made a note in the reservation that it was my husband's birthday.
We arrived to be seated at perhaps the most fabulous table; upstairs smack dab in the middle of the window that overlooks Madison Park. Our waiter was fabulous and was knowledgeable about wine and his suggestions were perfect with our food.
I ordered the polenta with wild mushroom ragu - my husband the dosas. I commented to the bread guy about the Naan and I asked him how they made it. Next thing we knew, we were getting a private tour through the kitchen and meeting the Chefs! It was SO special and we felt like superstars!
Dinner was just amazing, the flavors were complex and complimenting. I liked that it was a menu of not-so-ordinary foods, which really made it somewhat of a culinary adventure.
I would definitely recommend this place to friends and colleagues. It is a nice enough atmosphere that I feel that you could take a client or a group of girls for the bread menu downstairs.
Went last night and sat downstairs. The place is quite stylish and the service was very attentive and friendly.
The food was presented elegantly. I ordered a number of seafood dishes. The fish was quite fresh and seasoned perfectly. Traditional Indian its not, but it is a welcome break from all the other standard American fare in the neighborhood.
We arrived for lunch just as Tabla was opening so we were among the first to enjoy that day's samplings - I chose to order from the spring Prix Fixe
lunch menu and managed to mix 'n match items to create the ultimate three course meal for myself.
The server brought us two types of complimentary naan - a standard naan that was perfectly salted and puffed and a herbed rosemary naan that was a nice spicy twist.
I started with a salad of organic field greens. "Crisped rice, lime chutney- sherry dressing" - I'm normally not a fan of young or baby greens but this salad was the NUTS. There was some sort of addictive ingredient in the dressing because I couldn't stop eating it. The salad came "wrapped" in a sliver of shaved cucumber and topped with grated rainbow beets (see photos).
Next came the "South Indian Semolina Pilaf - Baby Root Vegetables in a Coconut Curry". While I love root vegetables - carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes all made an appearance - the portion was too big for what it was and I was unable to finish it. I was expecting rice when I saw the word pilaf but realized it was something different when I tasted it. The texture was like a cornmeal/polenta. I guess that's what semolina is?
I finished with "Grapefruit Parfait - Grapefruit Tarragon Sorbet & Almond Crisp". I'm not a huge fan of grapefruit but this dessert was perfect. The presentation was incredible - I'm not sure if it was worth a 20 minute wait, but it looked nice and tasted even better. Which brings me to my next point.
Considering the fact that the restaurant had nary been open ten minutes once we arrived, the service left a bit to be desired. It started off well and our server was indeed knowledgeable and polite, but oscillated between being overbearing (hovering above me as I finished my salad - he was eager for me to finish it so he could clear my plate, even though there was ample room on our table for multiple plates) and absent. After the salad fiasco our plates were cleared for the entree, and then it took about 20 minutes for our dessert to arrive. Then it took even longer for the bill to arrive or for anyone to even check our status after dessert. I actually had to get back to the office and left before our party's bill was even taken care of.
Considering we were among only a handful of patrons in the restaurant I thought it was a bit unacceptable to have to wait so long.
People thought this was:
Tabla offers very inventive Indian fusion cuisine that provides a very unique dining experience. The food is excellent and the ambiance is very serene. It has been a hit every time for me!
How it pains me to write this review... If only the Tabla staff knew I was a yelper. Maybe things would have been different.
1:30 reservations for Restaurant Week lunch. Upon arrival, the hostess convinces us to sit at the Bread Bar instead of upstairs. She says they also serve the RW menu, slightly different, but she thinks we will like it better.
Immediately, our waiter informs us that they do not offer the Restaurant Week menu in the Bread Bar. However, they do have a $24 prix fix lunch menu that is "similar." So now I am twice removed from the food experience I had planned for, and feeling a little annoyed.
I ordered the mushroom soup, Sliced flank steak, and vanilla bean dessert (it said something about a rootbeer float, but I imagined it would be much more creative). The mushroom soup took a looooong time to come out and tasted mostly like cilantro and salt. 20 minutes after the soup, my waiter informs me that they have "run out" of the broth that the steak is cooked in, and do I want something else. How a restaurant possibly runs out of broth by 1:30pm on a Thursday, I have no idea. He suggests I still have the steak but cooked in a horseradish sauce. I told him I don't really want it to be spicy, and he assured me it wouldn't. Ten minutes later he came back and apologized; the chef says it is very spicy, so he will bring the sauce on the side. By this time I just want my damn food!
My 2 friends are brought their entrees, and I am still waiting in the cold for my steak with sauce on the side. 15 minutes later its slapped down in front of me, no apology. The steak was very good, but again, extremely salty. I downed 3 glasses of water and couldn't finish the dish. Also, I basically just had sliced steak with some potatoes and escarole. How is that Indian? I do not know.
Dessert was interesting. A frozen solid piece of ice cream floating in flat rootbeer. By the time the ice cream thawed enough to be eaten, it was soup.
Tabla, you have let me down. Did I miss something?
People thought this was:
ok so. Friday Evening, no reservation, underdressed, and my friend and I are a couple of young female raggamuffins (I kinda just wanted to use that word). So going to a place like Tabla I would expect go be shoved in a corner near the bathroom, IF that. But instead, there was not an ounce of pretension in any of the staff members. To sum it all up the service was great.
Now to the food. liked the app. loved the naan. My friends shrimp entree "hit the spot" and my chicken was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and it filed me up. The wine was nice too.
Ambiance was good, very chill, and there was not a bad table in the place.
If I wasnt bordeline poor, I would definitely come back
People thought this was:
I went here with a bunch of old work buddies. We tried 1 of everything off of the Tabla 10 menu (think tapas style).
I don't really have too much to say about this one. None of the dishes were memorable...for being particularly good or particularly bad. So I guess the consistency of the dishes was good, but that consistency fell on the 'meh' level of my meter.
A lot of the dishes tasted too similar as the spices used and the level of spice was omnipresent. It reminded me more of Turkish food than Indian, which isn't necessarily a good thing as I tend to think of Turkish as a blander version of Indian...
Water Refill Meter: 4/5
Very little 'down time' due to an empty glass
Called for a reservation for Sunday PM, but told there were none. Showed up anyhow -- got a table no problem. Go figure.
Amuse was mushroom soup. Papadum was served with green and tomato chutneys, both were excellent. Started with morel and ramp fricasse with a polenta-like base. Fabulous. Had some samosa, which was very tasty (but the crust was a bit sweet). Main course was cod. Dad had egg and chicken livers to start and the hallibut. Aunt had lamb. Each flavor was distinct, crisp and perfect. Really enjoyed everything.
Unlike 11 Madison (I had a Danny Meyer weekend) , the martinis were not short-poured. Excellent experience all around. And, once again, Dad insisted upon paying. Yay!
People thought this was:
This restaurant was just so BEAUTIFUL. The food was superb too. I just give it 3 stars because we had to wait two hours just to be seated.
People thought this was:
Delicious and BEAUTIFULLY plated!
Like most of the reviews that will happen this week, I came here for Restaurant week and was NOT disappointed. I had the Wild Mushroom fricassee, seared bay scallops and the semifreddo, all of which were innovative (as in I'd never had anything like it before) and tasty (as in... well, you know) and comparing the RW dinner prices to their normal prices, I feel like I got a deal.
Everyone was super friendly and accomodating plus our waiter looked a bit like Keanu Reeves (sp?... who cares?).
A plus: Fresh baked naan speckled with black sesame seeds and served with this DELISH spicy tomato chutney. As much as you want. Go get 'em!
People thought this was:
Ready? Go. Fresh Western food, fused with Indian style cooking, plated with French culinary precision and created by Floyd Cardoz, a chef from India who trained as a biochemist and battled Bobby Flay on Iron Chef, Tabla had a chance to be in a world by itself. It's almost there.
Tabla, derived from a popular Indian drum instrument, lives up to its namesake. Loud colors and bold flavors lead a symphony of high flying creations that vie for all your senses. Don't come here if you're looking for the fresh, natural flavors in Californian cuisine. Cardoz is the lord of spice.
Fluke Crudo
Beautifully plated, you can see already see the chef's influence in the spiced cider consume. The flavors were too overbearing however for me to taste the raw fish.
Shellfish Fricassee
Rock shrimp, bouchot mussel & calamari, tapioca, coconut and mango in one dish? I see those ingredients and I think two things. Fried seafood and boba, probably not the best of combinations. But wow, Cardoz hits this one out of the park. Amazing.
Blackened Mahi Mahi
Forget the mahi mahi, the smoky curry infused navy beans, spicy linguica sausage and pea shoots were a dish in itself. Thinking about this just makes my mouth water. The fish was fresh and juicy but again, the spice rub was a bit too much and overpowered any natural flavors the fish might have had.
Milk Chocolate with Brown Ale Semifreddo Tamarind in caramel? Beer foam with milk chocolate? I first tasted all the flavors separately and declared this a waste of a dessert. Then I tried combining all the ingredients and it blew me away. The semi-frozen milk chocolate was contrasted by the bitter beer foam, while the cashew brittle crumble added texture and the caramel a bit of sticky sweet.
uploaded a few pictures which can be found on my blog as well
People thought this was:
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Great food, friendly staff, welcoming ambience.
They have a bread bar downstairs where they serve all these different kinds of dips with naan and then they also serve some of the plates they serve upstairs in the actual restaurant.
My boyfriend and I went for a lunch date. He had the chef's menu ($29) and I had the winter menu ($24). Each of them come with an appetizer, entree and dessert. After we ordered, the server placed a fresh out of the oven piece of naan in the middle of our table. Definitely didn't expect that but it was an awesome surprise! Best part, they keep refiling the naan when you finish each piece.
I'm normally not a big fan of Indian food because I'm not into the mush and drippy mess that it entails. But Tabla definitely changed my mind. They used curry like spices so you still get that Indian flavor but without the sloppiness. One of my favorites was their taro encrusted halibut with this mushroom sauce that was too die for! I also had their slow cooked salmon that was perfectly seasoned and so soft it melted in my mouth.
Dessert is not necessarily their strong point but at least the presentation was pretty. Who goes to these kind of places for dessert anyways?
People thought this was:
Came here for restaurant week dinner with 3 girlfriends.
We were seated promptly, exactly at the time of our reservation (10pm, Fri).
I had the chilled calamari & rock shrimp appetizer - very good. Small portion, nicely flavored. While my friends all go the wild mushroom fricasse which I tasted and thought was very good, maybe a little creamy and heavy for an app though.
For an entree I got the scallops, which were amazing. Perfectly cooked. My friends were definitely jealous of my choice. Two got the lamb, and one got the monkfish. The lamb was dangerously medium-rare, but tender and juicy (bloody?). The monkfish I can't comment on as I am not a fish-fish eater.
For dessert I got something call a root beer float, and the rest got some chocolate thing. Both were disappointments. I realize that foodies probably would appreciate the technique, however, I found the texture to be unedible....almost like freezer burned ice cream.
The service was impeccable. The waiter saw that my friend was shivering (it was 20 degrees out, and she was wearing a short sleeve dress) and gave her complimentary tea, which was very sweet.
Oh for a drink I had the margarita which was awesome. Definitely would go back to the bread bar for drinks.
People thought this was:
By observing the space, Tabla is the kind of restaurant that has put thought into every detail to create the perfect atmosphere and eclectic fusion. My boyfriend had been there before and highly recommended it. So on a lovely early summer day, we ventured together as an excuse to get out of work on time.
The watermelon mojito was remarkable. For dinner, we opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing. We were starving. Everything was delicious and presented well but the timing of the food came too far apart. By the third or fourth dish we were ready to be done. I think it's important to keep the right momentum. By the way, there was also a tiny bug in my soup. The blueberry souffle was the best dish. I might try Tabla again but go with the other menu option.
We had also requested a listing of our wine pairings but did not receive it. A few months later I noticed that elsewhere at Del Posto, they had the insight to start printing the tasting menus with wine pairings. Overall an enjoyable experience.
Great place for a Restaurant Week meal. The décor is elegant , modern and very lovely. Wonderful naan bread. The lunch portion of the short ribs was delicious and a nice size. Desserts were beautifully presented, but the portion was a bit small. A real treat was getting two $24.07 gift certificates for dinner with the check.
I was dubious initially, as many fusion chefs cook "confusion food" morphing cuisines in a fashion that removes all redeeming qualities from the original styles. This is not the case at Tabla.
I chose the 7 course wine paired dinner, the ingredients went well with each other, food was beautifully cooked and wines were simpatico with the courses.
People thought this was:
Tabla, a Flatiron District restaurant offering refined New American cooking infused with Indian spices. The Naan was good, but the underlying corn-like bread was hard and bland. I enjoyed the flavors and sensuous texture of the Shellfish Fricassée with rock shrimp, bouchot mussel and calamari, tapioca, coconut and mango. Noteworthy was Executive Chef Floyd Cardoz's favorite, Sweet Spice Braised Beef Oxtails with rice flake pilaf, peanuts, and pea shoots. Service was slow yet this flawed feeling dissipated quickly with the arrival of Chef Cardoz making his table rounds and meeting his clients.
$$$
People thought this was:
I like tabla a lot. I do not LOVE it. I like it a lot! the thing that is EXCEPTIONAL about tabla is about the genius behind the mixing of spices: fench, american, indian! GENIUS!
i loved the food. the nan with the chutney was FABULOUS! that chutney was the BEST in my life!
what else was good? the cocktails. I had a cocktail w buddha hand in it. I never seen that ingredient used in a drink before! (buddha hand is a plant where the flowers actually look like a green hand reaching out ilke the buddha's.)
the skate was not good, says my dinner mate. it wasnt fabulous. but still good.
i had the crab cake followed by the bass. the crab cake wasnt as good as the one i had at jo jo's. but still v good. the bass was delicious! but not as fabulous as id expect.
hey, if youre spending that kind of money, then it had better be FANTASTIC
but you really ought to go. just once at least. the mixing of the tastes was genuinely genius and pretty gooood.
we didnt have dessert.
the service was FANTASTIC. the waiter was there for us for ANYTHING we wanted. any taste of whichever wine we wanted, we had. this waiter was amazing
btw- dress up. i went in jeans. big mistake. i was the ONLY person in the ENTIRE restaurant in jeans.
yeah.... mucho embarrassing! but to my defense there were pretty jeans! they were sevens!!!
GO! it tastes great! take a date or go with the company. its a niiiice place
People thought this was:
Ever get downgraded from gold plates to....
....banana leaf? Yes, it's true.
I felt obligated to beat on my chest before eating. After all, they did treat us like cavemen.
Can a brotha get some KULCHA up in here?
DANNY BOY, DANNY BOY. What a letdown this was. Me labeling Tabla as 'super healthy' was merely a veil to mask an apposite adjective here. I thought of it as a Indy/French/Paki version of Tsampa. Yes, I just compared this place to Tibetan food. Or Turkish food, take your pick. Why not, it's just as BLAND. There's your adjective. Probably the weakest of your resty chains. I understand that every Restauranteur has to have a 'cheapo' version of his resty, I guess this one is yours. (See Batali's Otto Enoteca, it's also a joke, besides the gelato). The only redeeming food here was the beef short rib, ramp kulcha, roti and kerala black pepper chicken. The rest, I'll pass on. Most of the food tasted the same after awhile, with the same core spices overpowering the food. Even the naan was a joke. BTW, they charged my friend $7 for a beer and $11.50 for a screwdriver. I would've left hungry but got full off water. I am ambivalent about coming back, skeptical of ordering off the 'regular' dinner menu even. Nothing to discuss so I'll simply itemize what we had. Since I'm indifferent, ordinarily this would be a 3 star rating but I need to bring down the 4 star average because that's just plain deceiving.
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Table1: Dining Room: We had dinner for 6, table was set for 5. They moved us.
Table2: Dining Room: We get situated and water is poured. Gold plated dinnerware. Impressive. We were handed regular dinner menus. I ask about the $10 'Tapas' menu. (Note: This special is only on Wednesdays, as far as I know). We are escorted to the 'Salon' area. They moved us again.
Table3: 'Salon' Area: We just got downgraded from gold plates and fine tablecloth to what looked like Corelle and a real banana leaf tablecloth. WTF? The leaves weren't even wiped off so I dared not rest my silverware on it. At this point I was embarrased to have chosen this resty of choice for an ex-coworkers' Monthly reunion dinner.
WAITER'S RULE OF THUMB:
Everything under $5 serves 1, everything over $5 serves 2.
ME: We'll order 2 of each under $5 and 1 of each over $5. Give us one of EVERYTHING, including Makai ki Roti, Garlic Naan, and Sourdough Naan.
Ordered from Tabla's 10 menu:
-Salad of local radishes ($4 x 2) [sea salt, chaat masala, lime and pepper]
-Indian water pickles ($4 x 2) [green mango, carrot and daikon]
-"Bhel puri" ($6) [Bombay's street cart specialty of green mango and puffed rice tamarind and mint chutney]
-"Asparagus pakoras" ($6) [chickpea batter fried]
-Ramp kulcha ($9) [sourdough naan stuffed w/ spring ramps]
-Gingered greenmarket broccoli raab ($6) [slow cooked w/ cumin & chillies]
-Malabar roasted cauliflower & scallion ($6) [split black beans, mustard seeds & curry leaves]
-"Channa pindi" ($6) [chickpeas cooked w/ mango powder & garam masala]
-Grilled rechad octopus ($6) [goan beach specialty of grilled octopus w/ chillies]
-"Patrani machi" ($9) [parsi style tile fish steamed w/ coconut & cilantro]
-Rock shrimp chili fry ($10) [stir-fried w/ chilies, red onions & kokum]
-Kerala black pepper chicken ($8) [seared chicken stewed w/ currly leaves, onions & black pepper]
-"Choris pau" ($7) [goan pork sausage stuffed in a brioche bun]
-Baby lamb koftas ($6) [cooked Bhopali street style in a chili & ginger curry]
-"Chicken malai kebab" ($3/pc) [grilled round chicken patties w/ saffron & dry ginger]
-Beef short rib "jeera-meere" ($9) [ermine's special of braised short ribs w/ carrots, potatoes and black pepper]
-Steamed rice ($4)
---------------------
-Makai ki roti ($4) [mustard seed-garlic corn bread]
-Garlic naan ($4)
-Sourdough naan ($4)
Total came out to $30/pp after everything.
People thought this was:
We had lunch here and opted for the prix fixe lunch menu for $29. We were seated upstairs and the restaurant is quite beautiful. The food was uniquely presented and delicious.
With Kat in town we decided to do a fun work lunch near our office yesterday. Since Peter D was bailing to go to lunch with his future in laws we were actually able to go to a fancy lunch (we can't take him anywhere nice, just have a meal with him and you'll understand). What better than Tabla, only steps from the office and mysteriously enshrouded in a big building facing the east side of Madison Square Park.
Reservations were sheduled for noon and they seated us not a minute off the mark. Lunch at Tabla features two prix fixe menus, the Chef ($29) and the Spring ($24). Both sounded scrumptious but the hamachi app and skirt steak entree had me at hello. With a vegetarian in attendance we took care to find out the replacement entrees--basically we could replace it with anything we wanted.
Starting with the hamachi cru, it wasn't what I expected but it was still tasty. Rather than strips of fresh sashimi laced with the gelee, it was more like a hamachi salad that tasted identical to cole slaw. The gelee was a big circle layer on top that didn't really add much to the strong taste of the slaw. If they had chosen a more simple presentation of the hamachi I could see how the gelee would be the perfect accent. The little cubes of candied ginger were a tasty post-hoovering treat.
The main course of flank steak arrived on a bed of boiled greens and spinach dressed with pea sprouts. The steak was a bit too chewy for my taste and as I only had a butter knife, it was a bit more of a struggle than I would've liked. The sauce was divine though and reminded me a bit of mole for it's sweet savory flavor. I dunked all the herbed naan I could get my mits on into that sauce. The finished touch of coconut creme brulee paired with a french toast mini loaf and coconut sorbet crowned by a sugar glass piece was all simply DIVINE.
Now the reason for wavering between the 3 and 4 star mark despite the great meal? The service was abysmal. After the first course the waiter rushed us a bit to finish as our entrees were done and he didn't want them to get cold and as he said "I'm sure you want to get back to the office." Okay, right. That's fine you can bring our second course while we're finishing up the first. But then don't make us wait an HOUR before clearing the plates for the second course. Seriously, we had to flag him down twice before he understood that we were finished. By the time they brought dessert we were well over the hour and a half mark and getting antsy. Again we sat with empty plates tapping our fingers a bit when finally I had to excuse myself to make a meeting. It was embarrassing really how strange the service was when the price points are so high at Tabla. When the table is empty and 60% of the party is getting up to leave you should rush over with the check. Instead poor Miriam had to continue to wait for them to mosey over on their own clock.
Totally unprofessional when most professionals can't take two and a half hour lunches on a Wednesday.
People thought this was:
Perhaps I misunderstood Tabla's point, and I'm getting more and more convinced I don't like open airy restaurants that feel more dining hall than intimate. Either way, something about it was off.
Cornbread naan? not really good.
Overhead shadow-causing lighting? really bad (sit downstairs if your'e on a date, no one looks good under this lighting).
Wild mushroom fricasse ? Good, but on a heavy side for an appetizer.
Lamb? Ehhhh ... I've had better lamb. Go to Amma instead, much better lamb.
Dessert? I can barely recall what it was, it was fancy looking, it was small, it was not good.
A bottle of wine for $35? even if it's bad, it's good.
Maybe if I lived in the City this wouldn't be getting five stars, maybe there are similar places that are just as good, but if this were in Denver I would be visiting often! I love the ambiance, I love the menu, and the service is also very good. The flavors are amazing.
Very, very good.
People thought this was:
Tabla is such a fun time. Food is very creative and the overall value is top notch.
I went to celebrate my birthday and as I like to do, we did the tasting menu along with the wine parings. Each course brought delight as we tried exciting dishes and PERFECTLY matched wines.
At first round, our awesome waitress asked, "Are you folks driving tonight?" to which we told her no... "Oh good..."... *continued pour* Booyaaa.. that's a big glass.
The wines and the meals were all spectacular and we enjoyed the nice atmosphere. After 6 full glasses of wine, I semi-remember finishing off a nice espresso and taking off into the night. Happy and full.
Very enjoyable meal. Don't go expecting Indian, because it isn't. It's just a creative meal and a fun restaurant.
People thought this was:
Overall, it was an excellent experience. We ordered the "full on" tasting menu with wine pairing. There were lots of terrific, surprising flavors and combinations with each course without overbearing the taste buds or feeling too rich in the belly. I liked that our table was overlooking the bar downstairs, which gave the restaurant a nice buzz without the full effect of a noisy bar scene.
If there was one thing to complain about... it was the quality of the wine pairing. On the wine list, there are endless gorgeous French wines. However, not one of those was paired with our meal. It left the impression that the restaurant "cheaped out" with the wine pairing. However, when I politely pointed this fact out to the waitress, she agreed and began pouring much bigger glasses. I would recommend giving the "wine pairing" a miss and ordering a great bottle from the list .
People thought this was:
Beautiful eclectic restaurant decor! OK 3.5 *s...It was the staircase and the beautiful mosaic in the center of the bar that surrounds the bottom of the balcony.
This place turned around a dreary long rainy day into a happy and flavorful one.
Came here with 5 other ppl I've never met before and we became fast friends, always a wonderful thing! The restaurant was doing a promotion for their 10 year anniversary where they had an area set aside every Wednesday to offer 10-15 different tapas that were under 10$. When I read this I was down!
We shared mostly everything, the Pork belly, the kulcha, the chickpeas, the short ribs were my favorites. I think we ordered a total of 13-15 dishes...hehe they were small though.
The desserts here were pretty good too, we each ordered something and shared...which included the kulfi, coconut panna cotta, doughnut holes and banana cream pie.
The restaurant staff were very accommodating because they sat us at the wrong area first with the regular menu and did their best to change the tables around. Everyone was so friendly even down to the bus boy.
They used banana leaves as tablecloths here which made it even better than the other area where we were in and it made it more cozy for us to share.
I have to come back for the regular menu to have a better judgement on the food.
People thought this was:
Live Music and Wine Specials!
Brooklyn, NY
$9.99 Daily Lunch Buffet!
Neighborhood: Fashion District
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Indian
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