Semma

60 Greenwich Ave New York, NY 10011

We are rarely keen on echoing the overlords at Michelin, but this one is fairly undeniable. Indian food is complex, even in it’s simplest, most traditional iteration. Semma modernizes it and makes it feel accessible and thoroughly enjoyable for any patron, even the culinarily illiterate.

You’re here for the dosa. It lands like a piece of architecture. Vast, golden, shatteringly crisp at the edges, warm and pliant at the center. Tear into it and you get that perfect contrast: brittle crunch giving way to fermented tang and gentle heat. It’s served not as a novelty but as a statement, accompanied by chutneys that range from cooling to quietly ferocious. The rest of the menu keeps pace. Meats (and even seafood!) come hot, spiced with intent, tasting of smoke, curry leaves, and restraint earned through confidence. There’s heat, sure, but it’s layered, intelligent, never lazy. Every dish feels like it has ancestry.

Aside from the fun and stylish setting, another boon is their cocktail program, which refuses to play the expected supporting role forcing you to order a Kingfisher and move along. Drinks arrive bright and punchy with tamarind, curry leaf, coconut, all woven into fun drinks that actually stand up to the food instead of wilting beside it. A truly peak Indian cuisine experience.