New York City’s Indian restaurant scene is hot and getting hotter. Favorites like Semma, Dhamaka, and Tamarind will soon be joined by London-based Ambassador’s Clubhouse, Dishoom, and Kricket. But first up is Musaafer, a Houston original that opened August 25 in the NYC neighborhood of Tribeca.
The Michelin-starred spot comes from founders Mithu and Shammi Malik. The name is
taken from the Hindi and Urdu word for “traveler” and is inspired by the 100-day odyssey undertaken by corporate executive chef Mayank Istwal, who traversed the subcontinent to gather recipes, techniques, and stories before opening in Houston.
The space features vintage Indian architecture and patterns and nods to iconic landmarks.
“Now is the perfect time to open an Indian restaurant in New York, because the world is ready to explore India’s true culinary depth,” said Shammi Malik, concept director at the Spice Route Company, which owns and operates Musaafer. “What most diners know as Indian food is just the beginning — beneath the familiar lies a vast gastronomic landscape shaped by centuries of culture, migration, and imagination, a full mosaic of flavors, influences, and stories that make India’s food culture uniquely profound.”
As New Yorkers welcome a new slate of lauded Indian concepts to their city, Musaafer wants to showcase the variety, sophistication, and evolution of Indian food, all plated in a modern style to reframe how people think of and experience the cuisine.
The menu includes small bites like pani puri and lychee ceviche, and larger plates like butter chicken two ways and chaanp.
The New York location is situated within Tribeca’s Hope Building, where it measures 10,000 square feet and spans three distinct concepts across two levels. The first floor features the dining room and multiple private and semi-private dining rooms. There’s also a subterranean bar called Saaqi and a separate “chef’s studio” experience.
Delhi-based Chromed Studio designed the space to evoke vintage Indian architecture, patterns, and iconic landmarks. There are towering marble walls, intricately carved glass, hand-painted wall panels, and lotus flower chandeliers. Similar to the Houston location, one semi-private room is covered in thousands of tiny, reflective hand-cut mirrors.
The New York menu features many of the same dishes as the Houston location, including lychee ceviche, coriander shrimp, beef vindaloo, and the “butter chicken experience,” where the iconic dish is served two ways: as the traditional creamy tomato-based curry, and as a green curry made with tomatillos.
Chef Mayank Istwal oversees the menu at both locations.
The New York restaurant also serves several dishes exclusive to its location, like the nihari birria taco made with slow-cooked pulled lamb shank, Indian cheddar cheese, red onion, and bone marrow consommé, and chaanp — a South Asian variation on chops — made with lamb chops, coriander, chile, crème fraîche, and beet dust.
Musaafer’s beverage program is expansive, featuring a dedicated Gin and Tonic menu, plus wines and cocktails. One creative drink is the Truffle Master, made with truffle oil-washed tequila, lapsang souchong tea cordial, and amontillado sherry.
“Musaafer is founded on the idea of a thoughtful journey, and there’s great excitement about sharing that experience in new destinations and formats in the future,” Malik said.
There’s nothing concrete yet, but he noted the momentum behind modern Indian cuisine right now, which is inspiring forward-looking discussions.
“Expansions to other cities or fresh concepts true to Musaafer’s vision are very much on the horizon, whenever the journey feels right,” he said.
