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The dining room at Darbar Grill—an offshoot of Darbar on 46th St.—has the kind of muted, old boys’ club appearance typical of a midtown steakhouse: Brown hard-backed leather seats with white stitching, wood floors and wall panels, and unobtrusive yellow sconces. A shiny peacock figurine and a traditional bowl of supari by the door are the only flourishes. Nor does the menu look like your average curry-in-a-hurry spot. Chef Simon Gomes (formerly of Amma and Bagicha) has bigger, fancier ambitions and, thankfully, his creations are more enticing than the décor. A starter of grilled scallops, smallish and chewy, is enlivened by coconut mint sauce and appealingly placed on a nest of fried potato slivers. Even better, an inspired, fiery mix of pesto and cilantro coats jumbo shrimp prepared in a tandoori oven. Gomes’s attention to detail and presentation extends to basics like bhel, a huge mound of puffed rice, chick peas, tomatoes, and tamarind sauce sprinkled with chopped parsley. — Kate Appleton

Scallops, $12, kheema matter, $15, cilantro-pesto tandoori shrimp, $22,