Adda
Indian restaurant · East Village ·
Bold Indian canteen with theatrical Butter Chicken Experience
Bold Indian canteen with theatrical Butter Chicken Experience
"Queens’s loss became the East Village’s gain when this Indian canteen reemerged, still rooted in regional fare but with a glow‑up. The original butter chicken now plays out as a preorder, tableside‑cart experience, yet the heart remains: walls papered with press clippings, the original handwritten Adda sign, and homey dishes spruced up, like creamy bheja masala (goat brains) with pao and biryani stuffed with baby goat leg meat. Even as its parent group expands, the guiding principle here stays put—ever‑flavorful Indian cuisine that’s simply fun." - Melissa McCart
"I found the new Adda to be the old Adda—bigger and fancier—retaining beloved hits like bheja masala while adding playful, participative theatrics: an amuse‑bouche tray of chaats, a rolling pickle cart (get the date pickle), and the book‑ahead tableside butter chicken, which Chintan Pandya himself prepared for us with a choice of smoking chips and flavored butter. There’s also a fun mezcal‑based butter‑chicken cocktail and a substantive vegetarian menu (notably a gucchi morel pulao and a soy‑mince roll with smoked chili chutney) that held its own against meaty favorites." - Charlie Hobbs
"The bone marrow ($27) here is a special treat: it arrives piping hot under a lifted lid, silky marrow bubbling inside, before a server pours on a decadent sauce of green and black peppercorns and coconut milk and sets down coconut-buttered pao alongside. It comes with little wooden spoons, but I much prefer scooping the marrow with the bread — and there’s a satisfying slight crunch when you catch a whole peppercorn." - Nick Mancall-Bitel
"Adda is where it all began for the group behind Indian restaurant hits Semma and Dhamaka. After around seven years, the casual Long Island City spot has now relocated to the East Village. The new space is bigger and the menu is longer—though favorites like their baby goat biryani are still available. If you come with a big group you can get something called a “butter chicken experience.” Your butter chicken is cooked tableside over wood of your choice, and there’s a butter chicken-inspired cocktail." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, bryan kim
"From the group behind Semma, Dhamaka, and Masalawala & Sons, this East Village restaurant reboot is pricier and more glamorous than the original Adda in Long Island City, but still totally delicious. The menu skews rich, buttery, and indulgent—like the thinly sliced, sizzling lamb parcha swimming in pure, gorgeous fat. It’s a great option for an unstuffy celebratory meal with a group, particularly if the whole gang is up for the slightly goofy yet delicious “Butter Chicken Experience,” prepared tableside and personalized to your specifications." - will hartman, bryan kim, willa moore, kenny yang, neha talreja