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All Reader Reviews of...
Tabla
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY, 10010
at 25th St.
212-889-0667
| 7.4 | "Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Not what we expected
snevatia from 12804 | Posted on 10/13/09
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I went here with my (Indian) parents, and my father has unrealistic expectations for a restaurant that is labelled "fusion". Still, my mother and I were totally ready to give it a chance, but for vegetarian people I would not recommend this food. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things, but a goat cheese / palak panner pizza was just weird and didn't taste good, only one or two parts of all of our dishes lived up to the price and ambiance. I expected it to be more exciting, but all of our food sounded "unexpected" and "interesting" on the menu, but then when it came time to eat it nothing was really too good...
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Service (almost) outshone the food
jesslyn04 from 10016 | Posted on 5/2/09
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As somebody who is easy to please but difficult to blow away, I can say I was definitely blown away. Were it only for the food (I had a delicious soup of morels, fava beans and ramps, spiced with too many indian spices for me to name that paired perfectly the with Montlouis Sur Loire that I was drinking, spring lamb two ways that was perfectly cooked, and a suprising yogurt and cardamom cheesecake), I would have given this restaurant 8s and 9s. But the service really elevated things to another level. Not only was our server incredibly knowledgeable and flawless, so was our bus boy, food runner and hostess. The food runner could cite multiple names for the exotic ingredients, helping us understand what they were. The bus boy, while folding a bathroom bound diner's napkin, engaged us in conversation. They were clearly a cohesive team and the service was delightful while not overbearing. I would definitely return to Tabla again, and again, and again.
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Always a pleasure!
nikkibee from 10019 | Posted on 3/6/09
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Whether I do drinks outside in the summer, the Bread Bar at lunch or dinner upstairs, Tabla never disappoints. The staff is friendly and helpful, the drinks are delicious and the menu is always a treat. And I think their naan is some of the best in the city. The last time I went was for a late Valentine's Day dinner: they gave me a box of really yummy chocolates at the end of the meal!
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A disgrace to Indian food
ilpprc from 10009 | Posted on 12/29/08
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A fusion restaurant should understand and express the beautiful elements of the original cuisine of a culture and fuse it with other, different elements in a surprising, interesting, and pleasant manner. Tabla fails completely in its effort at making Indian food and in its efforts at fusion. Do not order the sausage dish. It tastes like a college kid's failed attempt at cooking. The food is terrible and a disgrace to the Indian culinary culture.
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Rather go to Bread Bar
JMG from 11201 | Posted on 1/31/08
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One of my favorite Tastings in the city is Gramercy Tavern, and one of my favorite cuisines is Indian, so I was very excited to try Meyer's Tabla. I'm sorry to say that the experience was very disappointing. It may seem like a strange complaint, but I really think the problem with Tabla's Tasting Menu is that it is just too much food--and not very exciting food--at that. Perhaps if I had been served a smaller portion of the Red Snapper, I wouldn't have realized how boring it was-- I left half of it on my plate. Must say though, the yuzu cone dessert was very good, and the roti is some of the best I've had. If I ever went back, it would be to Bread Bar, to get some more of the roti, and to see what Meyer can do with more traditional Indian cuisine.
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Elegant Indian
martin_chamois from West 50's | Posted on 10/9/07
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Tabla provides an elegant and serene envirnonment to enjoy an international meal with Indian spices used to perfection. While not a true Indian restaurant, Tabla presents a meal flavored with the best of Indian preparation and spices. The room is elegant and serene. The service is outstanding. The lunch prix fixed menus are a great value.
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Fell short
FatBastard from 10019 | Posted on 10/1/07
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I expected more for the price and for the reputation of Tabla's proprietor. While the food is generally innovative and well executed with several amazing courses on the tasting menu, others simply seemed like placeholders. Wine pairings were average, culminating at dessert. The restaurant tended toward the loud side and we were seated under an overly bright light, but most disappointing was service that was at times uninformed (only the primary server seemed to know the menu) and occasionally neglectful (confusion over who was waiting on us, drink orders missed, and eventually needed to flag down someone for our check). The experience was far from horrific, but there are many more options in NYC with equally interesting food and less complacent
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Lost it's luster
vacece from 10028 | Posted on 11/4/06
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I was extremely disappointed with my experience. What happened to the old Tabla? The meal was so "uneven". Some things were good and some were almost inedible. The vegetables were so salty that I spent the hours after dinner drinking glass after glass of water. At the prices for the fixed prix menu, you expect much more than a pedestrian meal. I loved Tabla in the past but won't return for the food...I'll stick to the cocktails at the Bread Bar.
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Very, Very Interesting Food
Pirospaprika | Posted on 12/22/05
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The food in Tabla is very interesting it is sort of a mix of American and Indian. Worth the price.
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Back for more!
micha | Posted on 9/18/05
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My husband and I visited Tabla on a trip to NYC earlier this year. We ate downstairs in the Bread Bar & were impressed by the decor, attentive yet discreet service and the perfect little feast we were presented with. We chose the $44pp taster menu & every dish was a delight. Their fresh passionfruit & vodka cocktails are fantastic! We will definitely be returning next year.
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