Updated July 2026
New York's Indian dining scene picked up a major addition in February 2026 with the opening of Ambassadors Clubhouse in NoMad. It's the first US location for the London-born concept, and it arrives with a pedigree that's hard to match: a Michelin star in London, a globally respected hospitality group behind it, and a menu built around the food of India's Punjab region rather than a generalized take on "Indian cuisine."
The Team Behind It
Ambassadors Clubhouse comes from JKS Restaurants, the London hospitality group founded in 2008 by siblings Jyotin, Karam, and Sunaina Sethi. JKS has built a portfolio of well-regarded Indian restaurants in the UK, including the two-Michelin-starred Gymkhana, and the original London Ambassadors Clubhouse earned its own Michelin star just before the New York location opened. This marks JKS's second US restaurant overall, following a Gymkhana location at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Leading the kitchen is chef Karan Mittal, who grew up in New Delhi and trained at a notable list of kitchens, including Indian Accent, Coi in San Francisco, and Le Gavroche in London. That background shows up in a menu that balances technical precision with the kind of dishes Mittal describes drawing from his grandmother's cooking.
The Space
Ambassadors Clubhouse occupies two floors at 1245 Broadway, with around 150 seats split between a street-level bar and parlor and a subterranean dining level. The design leans into the idea of a faded, opulent Northern Indian party mansion: deep navy walls, dark timber, hand-painted tiles, stained glass ceilings, and copper tables. A large mural anchors the ground-floor bar, while the basement dining room layers in marquetry and patterned ceilings. The restaurant also includes two private rooms, the Jungli Room and the Raja Rani Room, which can seat up to fourteen guests.
Menu Overview
The menu is structured as a feast, moving through several courses meant for sharing rather than individual plates. Broadly, it's organized into:
| Course | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Papads & Chaat | Crisp starters and tangy street-food-style bites |
| Bitings | Small shareable plates to start the meal |
| Tandoor & Kebabs | Charcoal tandoor-cooked meats and kebabs |
| Matka & Karahi | Slow-cooked curries served in traditional clay pots and karahi pans |
| Biryani & Pilau | Rice dishes, including cardamom-forward biryani |
| Sabji & Breads | Vegetable dishes and a range of Indian breads |
| Dessert | Traditional and playful Punjabi-inspired sweets |
Some standout dishes reviewers and the restaurant itself have called out include the Warqi Lamb Seekh Kebab wrapped in flaky naan, seven-layered Aloo Mattar Satpura samosas, the Original BBQ Butter Chicken Chops, and Matka Beliram Lamb Curry slow-cooked in a clay pot. On the rice side, a cardamom-heavy biryani topped with carrots, almonds, and toasted onion has drawn particular praise, available in both lamb and vegetarian versions. For dessert, options range from kheer to a tableside meringue dessert with rum-soaked components, plus a soft serve finished with jalebi.
The drink program leans into tequila and mezcal mixed with Punjabi-inspired ingredients, alongside large-format, table-side pours meant for group service.
Reservations and Access
As a newly opened restaurant from a well-known hospitality group, tables are in high demand. At one point, the waitlist for a reservation reportedly reached 32,000 people. Reservations are currently released roughly two weeks in advance, with plans to extend that window over time. Walk-ins are accepted, though availability is limited, and reviewers have noted that later seatings tend to have better odds for walk-in guests.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Early reviews of Ambassadors Clubhouse have been largely positive.
The Infatuation called it a "capital R restaurant with undeniable charisma," praising the naan-wrapped kebabs and the cardamom-forward biryani in particular, while noting the dal is simple but well executed. The review's overall take was that Ambassadors Clubhouse doesn't reinvent Punjabi food so much as amplify it, describing the approach as an operatic, over-the-top production that succeeds specifically because it doesn't hold back.
Resy's editorial team framed it as the more playful sibling of the Michelin-starred Gymkhana, highlighting the maximalist design, a DJ-curated playlist mixing Punjabi music old and new, and calling out the Original BBQ Butter Chicken Chops and the seven-layer Aloo Mattar Satpura samosa as must-order dishes.
Tripadvisor reviewers have been especially enthusiastic about the atmosphere, with several calling it one of the best-looking Indian restaurants in New York and highlighting attentive service, including staff who go out of their way to accommodate special occasions.
Across most reviews, a few themes repeat: the design and theatrics are considered a genuine strength, the butter chicken chops and biryani are the most consistently recommended dishes, and the restaurant's family-style, multi-course format rewards going in a group rather than dining solo.
A Note from Nishi Enterprise
Nishi Enterprise is proud to have served as an equipment supplier to Ambassadors Clubhouse, contributing to the kitchen infrastructure that supports the restaurant's full Punjabi menu night after night.
Menu items, hours, and reservation policies can change. Check directly with Ambassadors Clubhouse for current details before planning a visit.
