Thumkaa Bar and Kitchen — Restaurant in Jamesburg

Had an awesome dinner at this Indian restaurant and everything—from the food to the ambiance—was top-tier. Definitely one of those spots where the vibe matches the food.

Starter Drinks: We started with the Spice Tamarind and the Azure Lagoon (Bar Manager’s Special). The Spice Tamarind was bold and zesty with that perfect sweet-spicy balance, while the Azure Lagoon was refreshing, smooth, and felt like a vacation in a glass. Big thumbs up to the bar manager for this one.

Appetizers: We dove into a bunch of chaat-style apps and loved every bite. The Rajma Chawal Bites were such a fun twist—crispy on the outside, warm and nostalgic inside. The Pani Puri came with three flavor waters—Mango, Guava, and Khatta Meetha—each one super unique and seriously tasty. The puris themselves were perfectly crispy and crunchy, just how they should be. Papri Chaat and Sev Puri were both flavor bombs—layered, tangy, spicy, sweet, crunchy... basically everything you want in good chaat. Street food vibes, but elevated.

Main Course: For mains, we had the Veg Biryani, Paneer Makhani, Kadai Paneer, and Garlic Naan. The Veg Biryani was aromatic and flavorful, with just the right amount of heat. The Paneer Makhani was creamy and rich, like a warm hug in curry form, while the Kadai Paneer brought the heat with bold spices and that signature smoky flavor. The Garlic Naan was soft, fluffy, and had just the right hit of garlic—perfect for scooping up all that saucy goodness.

Dessert: Wrapped it all up with Mango Two Ways—a refreshing and creative twist on mango that felt light but satisfying. A really nice finish to a flavorful meal.

Ambience & Service: The atmosphere here is spot on. Warm lighting, stylish decor, and some seriously cool Indian artwork that adds color and character without being over the top. Even the plates and utensils had a sleek, modern feel, which added a nice touch to the whole experience. Service was fantastic—friendly, attentive, and always ready with a good recommendation or quick check-in.

All in all, this place nails it—great food, cool vibe, and just a really enjoyable dining experience. Already thinking about what I’ll...

Party Size: 7 adults + 2 kids Dining Duration: 2 hours

If you have a diverse or well-traveled palate, keep your expectations in check before dining at Thumkaa. I’ve eaten at over 500 restaurants from upscale fine dining to hole-in-the-wall gems and while Thumkaa tries to offer a high-end experience, it sadly fell short in several key areas.

The Good: The ambiance and interior decor are thoughtfully done and visually appealing. The live music was honestly the highlight of the night, it brought some much-needed energy and charm to an otherwise underwhelming experience.

The celebratory touches like the “Happy Birthday" signs, flashing lights, and music are a fun idea in theory and do make guests feel acknowledged.

The Not-So-Good: Unfortunately, those same birthday celebrations happen every 5–10 minutes, so what should feel special ends up feeling more like a routine cue, you’re just waiting your turn. The food? Disappointing. We ordered dishes at a 4 out of 5 spice level, and yet there was zero heat, no depth, no bold flavor. It was simply bland.

Service was poor. Our server didn’t seem to have a grasp of our order.. we had to follow up multiple times on our appetizers. Out of four, only two were initially brought out, and getting the remaining two felt like pulling teeth.

Entrees took an additional 30 minutes to arrive after ordering. To make matters worse, used dishes were left piled up on the table. Despite at least 10 staff members moving around, no one took the initiative to clear the clutter. We ended up stacking our own plates to make space for incoming dishes.

They're marketing the place as a “bar,” but only serve champagne and wine. It felt like clickbait rather than an actual bar experience. For the NYC level pricing, you’d expect far more in terms of both service and flavor especially in a town like Jamesburg.

Most of the praise this place gets seems to be for its vibe and decor; which are solid, but if you’re going for the food or the full dining experience, you may leave disappointed. Sadly, I wouldn’t return. There are far better places that deliver on both flavor...

We visited Thumkka for a birthday celebration and, unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming.

I had called ahead to ask about the bar, and was told they served drinks—but upon arrival, we were disappointed to learn they only offer wine, no cocktails. This was not communicated clearly beforehand, and it set the tone for the evening.

The person at the front desk was surprisingly rude. When I asked about bringing something more suitable from the liquor store next door, he casually told us to go get whatever we wanted. That wasn’t the issue—but his tone and attitude were off-putting. He also initially seated us at a poorly located table, and when I asked to move (in a nearly empty restaurant), he claimed it was a full house. Minutes later, he offered another table—but with the condition we finish our entire meal in 90 minutes. For a celebration dinner, being rushed like that was disappointing and unprofessional.

We ordered a variety of appetizers and main courses. Standouts included the soya kababs and bao buns, which were flavorful and well-executed. However, most other dishes were average at best. The vegetarian main courses were heavily paneer-based with minimal variety and lacked bold flavors. The restaurant is clearly aiming for a fusion concept, but it didn’t quite land—especially on the North Indian side. The Indo-Chinese dish we tried was good, so that might be their strong suit.

What truly left a bad impression was the manager’s dismissive and unwelcoming attitude—especially after we had mentioned we were celebrating a birthday. The restaurant never got full during our time there, yet he kept reinforcing the 90-minute limit, which felt unnecessary and inhospitable.

The one highlight was our server—he was kind, attentive, and patient, and we appreciated his service throughout.

Overall, the experience did not live up to our expectations. Between the lack of hospitality, average food, and disappointing start, I wouldn’t recommend Thumkka or...