Few Indian restaurant openings in New York have landed with as much immediate weight as Bungalow. Since opening in March 2024 in the East Village, it's picked up a Michelin Guide listing, a rare three-star review from The New York Times, and a spot on lists of the city's toughest reservations, all while staying rooted in a menu built around personal and regional Indian recipes rather than a generalized "Indian restaurant" playbook.
The Story Behind Bungalow
Bungalow comes from chef Vikas Khanna and restaurateur Jimmy Rizvi, founder of Bombay House Hospitality (also known as Bungalow Hospitality), the same group behind GupShup, Chote Miya, and Ammi. Khanna is far from a newcomer to New York's dining scene. He previously ran Junoon, which earned a Michelin star, received a James Beard Award nomination, and spent seven seasons as a judge on MasterChef India, building a following that now includes roughly five million Instagram followers. Khanna has described Bungalow as his "last restaurant," or one of his last, framing it as a culmination of everything he's learned about Indian hospitality and cooking rather than just another opening.
The name itself carries meaning. "Bungalow" traces back to the Hindi word "bangla," meaning a house built in the Bengali style, and the restaurant's concept draws specifically on the social clubs of Independence-era India, elegant, slightly nostalgic spaces where community and hospitality took center stage. Khanna has said the restaurant is built for the South Asian community first and foremost, while remaining genuinely welcoming to any guest who wants to join, and that intention shapes everything from the menu to the room itself.
The interior was designed by Shaila Rizvi, Jimmy Rizvi's sister and a noted interior designer in her own right. Her work at Bungalow includes a grand entrance staircase said to evoke the steps of the Golden Temple, a subterranean layout that winds past a rattan-furnished lounge before opening into a skylit, greenhouse-like dining room filled with greenery. Antique brass cookware, hand-picked cutlery, and artwork and photographs brought over directly from India fill out the space, and two large steel vessels filled with rose petals and votives greet guests at the entrance. It's a room built to feel lived-in and specific rather than like a generic upscale dining room with Indian decor added on top.
Leading service is Sameer Bhatt, who trained at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York after growing up in New Delhi, where he's said hospitality wasn't treated as a profession so much as a way of life. His resume includes stints at GupShup, Eleven Madison Park, and Daniel Boulud's Le Pavillon, experience that shows up in how the front of house runs at Bungalow: warm and personal, but with real technical polish behind it.
The Menu
Bungalow's menu reads as a genuine survey of regional Indian cooking, pulling dishes from across the country rather than sticking to the handful of items most American diners already expect. Reviewers have specifically noted the menu's range, from Kashmir to Kerala, and dishes that introduce guests to lesser-known regional preparations through flavors that still feel familiar.
| Category | Standout Dishes |
|---|---|
| Small Plates & Chaat | Smoked sweet potato chaat, dahi ke kebabs (yogurt kebabs), shrimp balchao cones |
| Poultry | Anarkali chicken (pomegranate glaze), chicken chitarnee (Indian Jewish dish with tamarind and garlic) |
| Lamb | Ammi's lamb chops, slow-cooked Rajasthani lamb in caramelized onion gravy |
| Vegetarian | Pineapple curry, paneer chandni, dal finished with housemade butter |
| Bread | Sheermal |
| Dessert | Rose kulfi, molten chocolate cake, mango three ways (rasmalai, mango mousse, raspberry coulis) |
A few dishes come up again and again across reviews and guest accounts. The Ammi's lamb chops, coated in what one reviewer described as an inch-thick layer of garlic and mango powder, are frequently called an essential order. The dahi ke kebabs, yogurt-based kebabs that Khanna himself has called a personal favorite and has featured prominently on his own social media, show up as a near-mandatory recommendation from regulars. The Rajasthani lamb, slow-cooked for around eight hours into a dark, caramelized gravy thick enough to coat a spoon, is another dish reviewers return to specifically for its depth of flavor. On the lighter end, the pineapple curry has drawn particular praise for balancing sweetness, spice, and coconut in a way that surprises guests who don't expect fruit to anchor a savory curry.
Portions run notably generous for a restaurant built around this much visual presentation, and multiple reviewers have specifically recommended coming with a group rather than a small table, both to sample more of the menu and to make a serious dent in the larger family-style dishes.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Bungalow's reception has been strong across both professional criticism and everyday guest reviews.
The New York Times, in one of Priya Krishna's first reviews as interim critic, awarded Bungalow three stars, a high mark on the paper's scale, describing the menu as a genuine lesson in regional Indian food and the creative possibilities within it. Krishna specifically highlighted the restaurant's approach of introducing unfamiliar regional dishes, like a ghee roast built around plantains, through flavors that still feel accessible to a broad audience.
The Infatuation praised the food as unpretentiously lovable, noting that despite the flashy, theatrical room, the kitchen doesn't lean on gimmicks to justify the reservation demand. Their review specifically called out the dal, the tamarind-forward chicken chitarnee, and the slow-cooked Rajasthani lamb, while noting portions are unusually generous for the presentation-forward setting. The publication also included Bungalow on its list of the toughest reservations to land in New York City.
Guest reviews have echoed much of the professional coverage. Diners have specifically praised the chicken biryani as cooked to perfection, the Anarkali chicken for its juicy texture, and the dahi ke kebabs as a must-order backed by the chef's own social media presence. Several guests have noted that, despite the restaurant's Michelin recognition and reservation demand, the final bill has felt comparable to other high-quality Indian restaurants in the city rather than a dramatic premium.
Reservations and Access
Bungalow seats about 101 guests across its lounge, bar, and dining areas. Online reservations open 20 days in advance, and the restaurant also accepts walk-ins for both the dining room and its eight-seat bar, with early weekdays generally offering the best odds for a walk-in table. Notably, Bungalow doesn't offer any third-party delivery, a deliberate choice Khanna has attributed to wanting guests to experience each dish plated and presented the way it's meant to be seen, rather than after a delivery trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Bungalow in New York City?
Bungalow comes from chef Vikas Khanna and restaurateur Jimmy Rizvi of Bombay House Hospitality, the same group behind GupShup, Chote Miya, and Ammi.
Does Bungalow have a Michelin star?
Bungalow was added to the Michelin Guide for New York City in June 2024. Chef Vikas Khanna previously earned a Michelin star at his earlier restaurant, Junoon.
What are the must-order dishes at Bungalow?
Reviewers and regulars most often point to the Ammi's lamb chops, the dahi ke kebabs, the Anarkali chicken, and the slow-cooked Rajasthani lamb as the standout dishes on the menu.
Can I order delivery from Bungalow?
No. Bungalow does not offer third-party delivery of any kind, a decision the restaurant has said is meant to preserve the presentation and quality of each dish as it's meant to be served.
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