Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari provides a unique and refreshing take on Indian cuisine, with a focus on the vibrant culinary traditions of South India's coastal regions. From the moment I stepped inside, I was captivated by the inviting atmosphere, a perfect blend of modern elegance and traditional charm. The menu is a well-curated exploration of bold flavors, and every dish felt like a love letter to the rich heritage of regional Indian cooking.One of the standout dishes for me was the fried chicken--it arrived at the table with a striking crimson coating that hinted at the depth of spices within. The exterior was flawlessly crispy, giving way to juicy, tender meat that carried just the right amount of heat and complexity. It was a perfect balance of crunch and succulence, making each bite absolutely irresistible. Another delightful surprise was the bonda--beautifully golden and crisp on the outside, with a smooth and creamy curd rice filling on the inside. The contrast of textures and flavors made it a dish I would gladly return for.Beyond the incredible food, the overall experience at Kanyakumari was elevated by the attentive and knowledgeable staff. They were eager to share insights into the dishes and offer recommendations, which made the meal feel even more special. Whether you're looking for a laid-back evening with friends or a spot to celebrate a special occasion, this restaurant provides a warm and welcoming space that enhances the dining experience. If you're a fan of Indian cuisine and want to step outside the usual offerings, Kanyakumari is an absolute must-visit. I can't wait to return and explore even more of their inventive menu!

Amazing Atmosphere with rich authentic cuisine. It's a must try if you're in the union square area!Their service is amazing as well. We tried the dosa and lamb Biryani. Great cocktails as well with unique cultural spices added to all drinks.

Highly recommend! Ambiance: I love the vibe of the restaurant. It's fun and they play great music but it's not too loud. They also have done a great set up with the way the restaurant is situated. The bar area is also nice and would be a nice place to hangout. Price: the food is on the pricey side. This is a place where the more people you go with the better so you can try many different things and split the cost. Drinks: A lot of the drinks on the menu look really good. We tried a few of them and most of them were delicious and didn't disappoint. The only one we didn't enjoy was the mango drink - the combination of flavors just didn't seem to mix well. The wine list was fairly extensive and they had a nice mix of types and styles. Food: They started us off with complimentary rasam. It was such a great start to the meal. I loved the way it was served in a little tea cup. The rasam was really well seasoned and had the right amount of spices in it. We ordered all three vegetarian appetizers. My favorite was the Andra Pradesh appetizer. It was fried idli cooked in this delicious sauce. I really loved the flavor mix. The vada pav dish was good. It wasn't super spicy. The vada was well seasoned and the right amount of crispy. The last appetizer we got was from Tamil Nadu. It was good but felt like an okay dish. The flavors also felt a little plain. We got the pappadum platter - I loved all the different chutneys that it came with. They also had 2 different types of papads. My friends got non-veg entrees. I was so full off the appetizers that I got the Guruprasad dosa. The dosa was really big - a great portion size. It came with sambhar and 2 chutnies. The dosa was perfectly crispy and thin. It came with a nice potato filling and had a nice seasoning on it. The sambhar was on the sweet side and thicker than I am used to. The chutnies felt under seasoned. Service: Service was fast. Our server was really helpful when it came to selecting drinks and food. He always came and checked in and water was refilled quickly. The food came out at the right pace so we didn't feel rushed but also weren't sitting around waiting.

It's very cool to see South Indian food presented like this in an upscale way. We tried the bondas, dosa, and pumpkin curry. All of the dishes were presented beautifully. The bondas were probably my favorite dish - the yogurt rice on the inside was creamy and tangy, with a perfectly crispy exterior. The dosa was just ok, a bit too dry and crispy for my taste. The pumpkin curry was also very tasty, with a flavorful base. It paired well with the parotta.The meal worked out to about $45 per person, which is pretty reasonable. I'll have to come back to try some of the other vegetarian dishes.

Really enjoyed our dinner here. We sat at the bar and shared the fried chicken, fish curry and ghee rice as well as several cocktails and everything was delicious. The space is warm and inviting and service was great. A solid spot for sure.

This place made me feel right at home. As soon as we sat down, they greeted us with a cup of rasam, which was perfect for the snowy weather outside. Our waitress was incredibly friendly, answered all our questions, and was very attentive. She truly provided outstanding service! We ordered the fried chicken, which was delicious with just the right amount of heat. The beef was tender, and the fish curry was fantastic. They even gave me some extra spicy curry. The payasam was unique, with a western twist on the Indian version, featuring pineapple and guava. Overall, I loved the experience and will definitely return.

NYC has a lot of great Indian options and South Indian food in particular is having a moment (see Semma). In the midst of all this intense competition, Kanyakumari tends to fly under the radar and people miss out but they really shouldn't be sleeping on this. Their South Indian fare is top notch. The dosa was perfection as was the seafood curry that we dipped into with our appam. The shrimp idli served in a seashell was really cool and went together really well (I've never thought of combining the humble idli with seafood before! Very innovative).Can't wait to be back to try more!

My friend brought me to Kanyakumari recently to celebrate my birthday and it was an amazing time. Service here was top notch and the space is quite intimate and nicely set for a cozy dining experience. I was excited to experience South Indian food and this restaurant did not fall short. I especially loved the fried chicken, this dish was a textural dream and so crunchy and flavorful!! The beef rib was also absolutely outstanding and fall off the bone. I loved the dry pepper rub on it and the fattiness that the meat was at was perfect. The chicken curry was also very very good but I did not care for the oil drizzle on it. Spicy oil usually makes me sick and that's exactly what did happen after this meal. The curry was delicious though but not as spicy as I was hoping. This paired really well with the lacha paratha and was a well sized serving for two. The biryani left a little to be desired, it tasted more on the pulao side which is to be expected from South Indian biryani but the flavors were a bit muted. I very much prefer the biryani at Semma over this one. We did also order a coconut drink that was strong but something in that drink (possibly fermented coconut) did not suit me too well. Apart from these few things I think this is a wonderful South Indian restaurant with a versatile menu and delicious food options. I will be back to try more stuff of their menu.

This place has become my new favorite South Indian restaurant in NYC. Came for a weeknight dinner for two and was able to make a reservation a few days beforehand but the restaurant continues to get more popular so would recommend making a reservation as early as possible, especially for the weekends. Staff are primarily Indian and there is Indian music playing in the background as well. They have a large selection of vegetarian and non vegetarian appetizers and large dishes representing different South Indian cuisines that can be easily be mixed and matched to suit your palate and group size. The chef's special idli was unique but we absolutely loved the toddy duck (spicy curry duck meat balanced with fresh cucumber salad), buttery side of paratha, and succulent tender baby goat biryani with the perfect amount of spice. The payasam dessert was definitely on the sweet size and it was hard to cut the pineapple (we were only given spoons, no knife), but overall the fruit complemented the dairy nicely. They offer a great selection of Indian inspired cocktails as well as more classic American cocktails. Overall, I had a lovely meal here and would come back to try food from the other regions of South India.

Went to this place after booking in advance in weekday. Firstly table was not available for the booking time and we had to wait even after the booking . Glad the front desk women allowed to sit inside as it was cold. We waited for more the. 30 mins to get table after we had booked the table. Ambience is nice but too noisy and it's very small place just like 10-14 tables. Food is just average nothing special , I had much better food in Seattle at lesser price .Won't recommended the place as it's just hyped and very expensive.I would have given 2 star it's just the front desk lady was too nice and she understood that my kid is tired and hungry so she gave free small dosa for my kid to eat while we waited for 30 minutes so choosing for 3 star.