Bombay's — Restaurant in New York

This was a pleasant, unexpected surprise. I popped in for a quick late lunch yesterday around 2:45pm. I work about a block from here, and Bombay's is a bit under the radar compared to other nearby establishments, including most of the ones on its own block - Fraunces Tavern and Dead Rabbit on the other side on Water Street are nearby neighbors. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting when I walked in, but it was definitely much more casual than I assumed from the exterior. It's one step up from self-service buffet style, and they were expecting mine to be a to-go order - there is no wait service here, nor is it needed. It's very no-frills, and gives off almost an ethnic fast food vibe. If you're looking for a formal white tablecloth experience, this isn't it.

The guy manning the food counter was very helpful/informative without being condescending. Indian food is not my wheelhouse, and I'm not ashamed to claim ignorance in that regard. Without my having to ask a lot of questions, he picked up on my lack of knowledge and immediately offered a few free samples so I could figure out which meats went best with my palate. I opted for their two meat/side of naan lunch special, which came to about $16 or $17. I have to think chicken tikka masala is the best known of the mainstream Indian dishes or close to it; it's one I've actually had before and enjoyed - that was an easy call. My initial second selection was a lamb dish that the guy immediately cautioned was spicy, and he offered me a quick nip to confirm. I could have handled it theoretically, but it was a LITTLE too much for my palate. Instead I opted for the curry chicken. I was again given the caveat that most of that dish had bone in it, but when I demurred and asked if I could double up on the tikka masala, he immediately told me he'd just give me the boneless chunks of the breast meat instead. Very pleasant fellow, and a significant part of the positive experience overall.

I loved the chicken tikka masala. It was honestly one of the better versions I've had, with a sauce that was just the right balance of milkiness and tomato. In both chicken dishes, the meat was juicy, tender and flavorful. I wasn't as crazy about the curry sauce - it was a little too bland, which is rare for me to say when it comes to Indian food. So in the future, I'd probably just steer clear and zero in again on the tikka masala. For my naan side, they let me have the garlic one, which was very scrumptious. Not the best I've had, but solid overall - not as airy and crispy as I usually like it, but it was devoured promptly nonetheless.

The service was excellent for what it was. Again, you didn't have a waiter involved in the meal, so my experience was limited to the fellow behind the food display and the guys over on the other side prepping the naan. Beyond the informative guidance provided by the gentleman with the meats, I thought it was kind of sweet that the two cooks over at the naan station profusely apologized for the wait on the garlic naan, which amounted to...maybe 30 seconds. Clearly high standards on the turnaround.

This is a little pricey for a super casual, fast food-type experience, even for the area. As a result this probably won't be a regular spot but I can certainly envision myself being a repeat customer in the...

Beware of automatic gratuity for small groups & double tipping:

We were a party of 3 (Indian family) & we had to wait a while to get a table. Even after we got the table, service was slow & we had to request to get even water. Biriyani was decent and we were good with the portion sizes.

In the end, they asked me to pay at the counter. Now for the non-Indian family (group of 3) next to us, they provided the bill at the table and accepted the cash tips. Now when I saw the bill, they had added an automatic gratuity of 15% for a party size of 3. And then when you try to pay, the payment system would provide you options to tip again on top of the automatic gratuity. They did not mention the automatic gratuity at any point and I did not see any information on the menu either. This is the norm for bigger party sizes (4) and I have not experienced this for smaller groups.

I'm okay with a 15% tip, to be honest for a decent service. But seeing that they target specific groups, possibly unsuspecting Indians only, please check your bill every time you dine here. For an unsuspecting customer, you might end up double tipping for a sub-par service and since a lot of the customers are tourists, please be aware that these guys do this.

If you received a wonderful service, please feel free to do that. Personally, this is not cool, when you provide a bad service and then keep quiet to get a double tip, while you won't even bother to bring the bill...

DELICIOUS FOOD, EXCELLENT SERVICE!

We went here on a whim after disembarking the Staten Island Ferry, due to the closeness and a review about good garlic naan. I can now say confidently that we would travel regularly from much farther distances to enjoy a meal like the one we had yesterday. From the moment we walked in to the moment we left we were treated to service that was above and beyond what anyone could've asked for. They accommodated our wish for outdoor seating quickly and easily, including setting up a space heater to keep us warm while we ate. Multiple staff checked in on us at the appropriate times, informing us what food would be coming out next, and offering us interesting tidbits about the dishes we were enjoying at the moment. They were humble, gracious, and kind.

Now, the food. We started with samosas, which came beautifully presented and were both huge and delicious. Every dish we ate was absolutely divine, but the garlic naan and the chicken korma knocked our socks off. All the dishes came with lots of rice, and getting 3 dishes split between 4 people was the perfect amount of food. We can't wait to return here for another fantastic meal, and we STRONGLY recommend that everyone considering Bombay's for their next lunch or...