Chote Nawab — Restaurant in New York

My friend and I went to Chote Nawab restaurent along with a couple on August 22nd around 11:30 AM for lunch. We were having a wonderful experience in NY as we came from Florida but we were totally dumbstruck after we made a worse decision to visit Chote Nawab.

I think all of you will agree that the quality of food is secondary. Whats important is the behaviour and environment in a restaurent

Truly speaking the interiors were preety good but our experience were bad after we got settled in our table.

All of the waiters appeared to be bit rude ( a gentle smile was definately too far to expect from them). The so called Mr Manager, not sure why he was such an xxxx . He was too rude and behaved very very unprofessionally. He was getting irritated at every action of us.

Let me mention some of our action, which may have triggered his rude behaviour.

When we asked for water he was angry When we kept a bag-pack near our legs, just outside the table. He could have politely told us to keep inside our table - (Not sure what happened to this Mr Rude D Manager) When we asked something about the menu options and lot others which I cant recall right now.

Oh how can I forget (one of our friend was in a fast, (Savaan Saturday), we told them about her fast and she wont be eating anything... but again hearing this they became like Angry birds

When our friend who was in a fast, was eating some fasting food.. they didnt missed a chance to be rude and with full of attitude told her not to eat.

** It is fine Mr Manager if you dont allow the food from outside but you could have told in a better way. I am not sure if your are born like this by default or if you got some scoldings that morning from your spouse but whatever is the reason, you spoilt our day. :( :(

Its not only you even other waiters were behaving in your style, seems like you were the principal of a very strict army school and other waiters are learning from you..

Anyways forgot to mention about the food. I will not comment about non-veg items as we only ordered veg items that day.

The food were definately below below average.. but I dont have my guts to have a try to the non veg items because i dont want to spoil my mood because of the so called Manager and so called Chote Nawab. We are from different parts of India... Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi but none of us liked the food :( :(

It was REALLY A POOR, UNPLEASANT and a MISERABLE experience :( :( :(

We realized that we were in a state of shock just after coming out from the restaurent. But after we went to madame tussauds we started recovering and enjoying rest of our trip.

Please think twice or may be thrice before planning to make a...

A Royal Feast, with a Few Bumps Along the Way

Let’s be clear: Indian food in New York is a battlefield. A relentless, chaotic, spice-laden warzone where only the strong survive. And Chote Nawab? It fights the good fight. Nestled in the heart of Curry Hill, this unassuming spot serves up bold, unapologetic flavors that can transport you straight to the streets of Lucknow—if only for a moment.

The galouti kebab is the first thing you should order. A dish with history, once crafted for toothless Nawabs who still craved the indulgence of rich, spiced meat. Here, it melts—actually melts—on the tongue, each bite a whisper of cinnamon, clove, and smoke. Paired with a delicate ulte tawa paratha, it’s a testament to the kitchen’s skill.

The biryani arrives in a tightly sealed pot, fragrant steam escaping as it’s cracked open. The rice is well-spiced, layered with saffron and the deep warmth of cardamom, but it leans a little too wet, missing that elusive balance of fluffiness and density that makes great biryani a spiritual experience. Good? Yes. Transcendent? Not quite.

The lamb chops? A thing of beauty. Charred, fatty, perfectly cooked, the kind of dish you pick up with your hands because a knife and fork feel like an insult. Spiced yogurt clings to the meat, a crust of heat and tang that’s meant to be devoured.

Service is… let’s call it “relaxed.” This is not a place for the impatient. Dishes arrive when they arrive, and sometimes that means a gap long enough to question your life choices. But then the food lands, and all is forgiven—mostly.

Chote Nawab is not a temple of fine dining, nor does it try to be. It’s loud, it’s imperfect, but it’s also deeply satisfying. A meal here is a journey through the heat and soul of North India, with a few bumps along the road. Four stars, with a knowing nod to the power of spice, smoke, and history.

Would I return? Absolutely. Would I demand my biryani be just a little drier next time?...

Chote Nawab Review Time Let Truth be Revealed 1- Food : Let’s start the review with Food as its the most important point most people need to know how the food is? You can overlook other factors but not food. In this case chote nawab failed me big times. My first & last visit to Chote Nawab: Reason? Terrible Food Taste Over seasoned with lots of food color Undercooked raw chicken so hard to chew almost inedible When complained politely then they got defensive n argued that they are right nothing is wrong with the chicken n they know how to cook the right way. We usually don’t complain but after one bite we knew we wont eat it. If its a prestigious restaurant instead of getting into an argument they will offer to replace the dish or remove charge. But the sad part is they didn’t want to take the responsibility. My family has spent hundreds of dollars here in the past. But management has last 2 years and the quality went downhill. My family has been going for years when the old management was here. Mine was the 1st visit and I only tasted the worst. 2- Service was not horrible but not the best either. Sometimes they just disappear n forget that water is needed etc. 3- Atmosphere is ok. Its a tiny crammped place corner of lex. It’s not a spacious, relaxing place where you can have a enjoyable talk & enjoy food. It’s like hit & run. Very stressed. I didn’t use their bathroom as I heard it really stinks so to be safe I kept away. Only saving Grace was there was some religious calm music playing around 12:30. After that nothing good to report. They are not cheap either comparing with other neighborhood Indian restaurants. So i will highly recommend Skip Chote nawab n save your money at another establishment of your choice. Goodbye chote nawab I wont be back😕Customer is...