GupShup — Restaurant in New York

-- updated on Jan 4/24 -- This was my third visit to GupShup and the quality of service continues to impress me. Went here as a group of six and had made reservations to try out their Bombay Brunch (only available on weekends). Not much has changed in terms of their decor, and it continues to be as welcoming as always.

Food quality continues to be absolutely amazing and our order consisted of multiple small plates which included Dahi Sev Puri ($12), Amritsari Chole Tikki ($18), Butter Chicken Wings ($10), Keema Pav ($24), Juhu Beach Vada Pav ($16), Onion Chili Cheese Kulcha ($12), and Dal Makhani ($20) for the kids. Surprisingly, with the exception of the Chole Tikki, everything was absolutely delicious! The staff was also kind enough to provide our toddlers with a good amount of Parle G supply!

I also tried the Hot Like Kohli ($18) cocktail, which was a little disappointing. It did not have any spice and neither was it spirit forward. No complaints though, especially when the food and service was just top notch!

I recently visited Jazba too, and am writing this update review after that visit - if I have to pick between Jazba, Kebab and Sharab, and GupShup - GupShup will be my go to restaurant, followed by K&S.

-- 2019 Review for Dinner --

On a cold Thursday evening, me and the Mrs. decided to bravely pull a walk-in at GupShup and were successful in getting seated right away at 6:10 pm. The place was at 25% occupancy, and our first host said that he'll seat us right away, but my wife had still to join me. 4 mins later, when she was there, it was a different host who said they are overbooked! We were finally seated upstairs in a quiet corner table and could have been given better seating as there were plenty of tables still waiting to be occupied at 7:20 pm, when we left.

There is a strong fragrance from incense sticks that are throughout this restaurant, my first experience at an Indian restaurant in NYC. People who are not too fond of it might find it a bit annoying though.

Our server was quick in explaining us that everything at GupShup is family style, and we ordered his recommended cocktails Ayurvedic Jackass and Dirty Pineapple which were priced at $16 each. Both were okay and I felt they lacked that cocktail punch.

We ordered 4 dishes in total, which included Lamb Keema ($17), Cottage Cheese ($15), Chicken Tikka ($18), Delhi Butter Chicken ($18) and Multi-grain Garlic Naan ($8). Food is absolutely delicious and everything we ordered was very flavorful. The chicken was cooked to perfection, wasn't dry at all and the butter chicken curry sauce was tasty albeit on a sweeter side.

Service was excellent and our server was very attentive and food arrived within 15 mins of ordering. Will definitely be recommending this place to...

This is one of the upscale Indian restaurants in Manhattan. We had a late dinner reservation around 10 p.m., but arrived about 40 minutes early, hoping they could seat us sooner. Luckily, the restaurant wasn’t too crowded, and they were kind enough to accommodate us right away. We were seated on the first floor, which also has a bar area—it was a bit lively and slightly loud, but still comfortable enough for conversation. The tables are placed fairly close together, so you can easily overhear nearby chatter, but it wasn’t a major issue.

We started with the yogurt-filled dahi puri, a creative take on the classic North Indian street chaat. The crisp semolina shells were filled entirely with thick Greek-style yogurt, then topped with tangy tamarind-date chutney, pomegranate seeds, and cilantro. It looked beautiful but felt a little too yogurt-heavy. Traditionally, dahi puri includes some spicy mashed potatoes and onions inside, with yogurt added on top. This version leaned more toward a fusion mousse—interesting, but not quite authentic.

Next came the char-grilled prawns, which turned out to be the highlight of the entire meal. These large river prawns were perfectly grilled, smoky, and bursting with flavor. The seasoning was spot-on, and the spicy chipotle-style dip on the side complemented them beautifully. We each had one, but honestly, we could’ve easily gone for more—they were that good. Definitely a must-try if you visit.

For the main course, we originally wanted the biryani, but it was sold out. So we opted for chicken achari paired with a cheese-filled kulcha. The kulcha was rich and heavy, stuffed with mozzarella-like cheese that made it resemble a small pizza. The chicken achari was flavorful, with its signature pickle-style spice blend, and the boneless chicken thigh pieces were tender, though the dish overall didn’t stand out as much as the prawns.

We ended with the carrot halwa ice cream, a unique fusion dessert that sounded intriguing but didn’t quite work for us. The ice cream itself wasn’t very sweet and had a slightly savory undertone, while the carrot halwa element gave off a somewhat oily aroma. It might have been an off day, but this particular dish just didn’t come together well.

Overall, the restaurant offers an elevated Indian dining experience with some creative twists. While not every dish hit the mark, the char-grilled prawns were truly exceptional and worth returning for. A good spot to explore modern Indian flavors beyond the...

Sep 2022 - A friend had referred GupShup to me long back and I had heard a lot of good things about the food. And the food indeed turned out delicious! I visited the place last week for my husband’s birthday. We’d usually pick a place with better ambience for a celebration but my mom joined us for his birthday dinner and hence Indian food was the obvious choice. I had booked a table of 3 much in advance. We got seated at the passage way on the second floor. Disappointing to start with, I repeatedly requested the 2 ladies at the front desk describing that I’d like a better table & that it was my husband’s birthday. They asked me to wait 15 mins initially (which I did) and another 30 & they would switch us to a cozier table at the base floor. I checked again and they couldn’t care less. I requested a third time, by this time our drinks & starters were done. And even then, I was striving to make my husband feel special at this restaurant. It was frustrating at this point to keep checking & yet I told the server one final time that we had been there for over 45 mins and the tables were empty throughout. The server informed the front desk and the lady came upstairs to tell me that they would not move us because the other table was a 4 seater. Why did they keep telling me that they would until then? I felt insulted & these were non-Indians treating Indians this way at an Indian restaurant. Honestly, I just don’t understand why receptionists at such a popular place in NYC wouldn’t care about customers already at the restaurant and worry more about people who hadn’t even showed up. Anyway, jist is we were never moved. I cut our dinner short, my mood was so bad when I left the restaurant that I promise to never go back again despite the nice food at this place. You may have the best restaurant in the world but if you cannot provide good customer service & be thoughtful enough to make someone’s special night worth it, then I’m sorry you’re no good. I frequent NYC restaurants & I know that customer service hasn’t been the best after COVID, but this was over the board for me.

Update as of Feb 2023 - My friend took me to this place because she only wanted soya chaap from here. I did have a good experience this time, given that it wasn’t rush hour, food was really good. And their soya chaap is truly the best I’ve had anywhere in NY/ NJ. Not super forgiving of how my husband’s birthday turned out here but...