Semma
South Indian restaurant · West Village ·
Gunpowder dosa, regional South Indian specialties, Michelin star
Gunpowder dosa, regional South Indian specialties, Michelin star
"A Michelin-starred destination whose excellence lives alongside NYC’s everyday eats, underscoring the city’s range." - Sharan Kuganesan, Oset Babür-Winter
"Raised as a lacto-vegetarian, I didn’t know much about non-vegetarian South Indian food until Chef Vijay Kumar taught me about regional dishes from my heritage; my go-to order is the lobster moilee, which Vijay dresses up so it’s richer and more delicious than the usual fish version. I learned to make it in Kerala and make it constantly at home. There’s also the nathai pirattal, a dish with snails, which surprised me and showed me there’s still a lot for me to learn about Indian cuisine." - Padma Lakshmi
"I celebrate Semma on Greenwich as one of the city’s very best Indian restaurants — since opening in 2021 it has become a modern Manhattan classic for warm, playful South Indian cuisine." - Matt Ortile
"I’ve followed chef Vijaya Kumar’s journey from a paddy farm in Tamil Nadu to New York, and at Semma in the West Village he remains unwaveringly true to his South Indian roots—playing Tamil hits while serving home-kitchen dishes that read like elevated comfort food: annasi padam scallops in pineapple sauce, a luscious lobster tail moilee, pillowy paniyaram, and a gunpowder dosa I’d vote the best in the city, capped off by a seasonal mango dessert that transports you straight to summer in India; Semma’s accolades include a Michelin star, being named the city’s best restaurant by the New York Times, and Kumar’s James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York." - Sarah Khan
"Regarded as one of the Village’s in-demand restaurants, it occupies a category of sought-after spots where securing a reservation can be exceptionally challenging." - David Farley