Reviews of Panna II Garden (Restaurant)

Nick Russell

Cute but cramped atmosphere featuring strange house remixes, average Indian cuisine and hyper-aggressive wait staff. They took the plate out of my hands as I told them that I wasn’t finished. I’d recommend trying this out at like 2pm on a Wednesday; any other time and you might be rushed out to fill the next table. Hilariously, also, the “tax” on the bottom of the bill evened is up from $72.90 to an even $80, with some suspect mathematics involved. Got into an argument with the girlfriend about whether to include this fake number in our tip. Still not sure who was in the right, but I’m fairly certain it wasn’t our friends at Panna II. Pretty good samosas though!

Luis Rivera

Wife and I went there for our anniversary dinner. When you pull up there are three other knock off restaurants in the same building. Ignore the men outside begging you to come in. Go up the stairs and to the right. We went inside and it was packed so we had to wait. Now be warned its a TIGHT SQUEEZE in this place. I almost bailed on it because of the wait, but boy am I glad we committed to it. This was by far the best Indian food I'd ever had and so cheap! The staff was very helpful (don't confuse their rush with rudeness, its a busy place) and even the other patrons were great. The table next to us overheard it was our anniversary and bought us a bottle of wine. Be patient and take a chance. You won't be disappointed.

Luna B.

The best place for curry and Indian dishes. If you're looking for authentic Indian under a colorful backdrop, this is your place! The service may be a bit slow, due to the high volume of customers, but the wait is worth it! This location is CASH ONLY, but you won't spend more than $40, unless you can eat for two. Did I mention that you can bring your own wine?

Adrian Czina

The food was good, but pretty negative that one can only pay by cash. The atm machines in the area aren't working with a foreign credit card. I had to get to a major bank, to be able to withdraw cash.

Jake Owen

A New Yorker spot. One of a kind on a street of Indian cuisine. Good food. Great environment. Fair prices. Pretty great service. Cash only. But it'll make memories you won't forget. Good guys working there.

Brian

First time here great food service was excellent. Very reasonable priced. Next time I'm in NYC I'll be back two thumbs up!

Mayara Caroline da Silva

The place is cute and the food is really good. But the the service was awful. The waiter was rude all the time. And after dinner we just wanted to take a picture and he kicked us out.

Giovanni Battaglia

Super funny restsursnt with good food and incredible atomosphere

Jeff Mandell

Will come back for the hilariously bad service and ridiculous decor. Not excited for the food though, but that part is irrelevant.

Abel Terrero

Food wasn’t that good for an indian restaurant, and the staff is absolutely rude: they kick you out of the restaurant immediately after you pay, and the waiter that attended us demanded for us to tip what he thought was appropriate, and didn’t stop talking until we gave him what he expected, go somewhere else. The bottom line is it’s not worth it, better go to places like Bengal Tiger or Taco Mahal if you’re interested in indian food

Mariel A. Santos

Delicious food. Warm and friendly welcoming staff. Fun decor.

Joseph Ricca

The food is very good. The service is exceptional. The decor is beyond tacky but suits the place and I wouldn't change a thing. The samosas are excellent and chicken Tika masala is yummy. I will be going back.

Nadia Haque

The service and management practices at this restaurant is appalling and discriminatory. We were denied service and entry at the restaurant because we weren’t interested in dinner, but wanted to try dessert and drinks. They lied to us that they didn’t have a dessert or drinks menu, and then when showing them their menu (which clearly had dessert and drinks), they told us to leave. I have already reported this business.

Freddy F

This is the original restaurant to feature such decor! Do not be fooled by the other 3 look alike restaurants just next door. Panna Garden is serving good food as well for a reasonable price as this is in Manhattan. This place is great fun for a group of friends and family! Highly recommended.

Sambhavi Bellary

Disappointed with service and food quality - it’s okay to take only photos in that restaurant but otherwise do not recommend! We were repeatedly told it was going to be “ 2 more minutes” for a table which in reality ended up about thirty minute wait, then with the food combo options we weren’t given an choice and the service seemed aggressive and pushy

Tegan Straughen

A kitschy spot that's fun to hang out with a group of friends. Just make sure to duck your head when you step in because all the lights and decorations hang quite low. Food is okay, nothing stood out in a good or bad way. It was pretty empty when I went so service was good and quick.

Paulina Jendroska

Wish I could give zero stars, the food is absolutely disgusting, the waiter was nasty and rude. I found a hair on the table and menu, our waiter spilt water on us. The waiter made us order more food because the portions were too small, he gave us attitude when we asked for extra rice, we waited 15 minutes for the check and our waiter threw it on the table. Horrible horrible service, we did not tip the waiter and he would not let my friend leave, he stood in front of her. We told him he did not deserve a tip for his service and he continued to argue and yell causing a scene in front of the entire restaurant. Tipping is not mandatory and he has no right to hold us back, I was very close to calling the police. I am appalled at his behavior and at the situation, this restaurant is horrendous and the waiters are horrendous. I will never come back here, avoid this restaurant.

flytopete

Good place, don’t go if you are claustrophobic or with a stroller/wheelchair. You might get seated with others in the same table. Great ambiance snd service

Gayle Mclaughlin

I have ordered their food over a dozen times and have always been more than satisfied, fresh delicious and full of flavor this is my go-to for Indian delivery.

Pink Pink

The worst Indian food ever complemented by their terrible service. After seeing Daredevil me and my friend decided to go here for a nice dinner. We were seated by this unsmiling server and the glasses on which the water was being served had grease stains on them and when I asked for a new glass, they gave me a new one with the same issue and I saw one server picking up a wiping cloth from the floor to wipe the glasses that the customer were being served with!!! Disgusting. Then the food had arrived which was pretty much tasteless and the middle aged manager was in such a rush that he decided to transfer the unfinished food on my plate to another one without my permission and was in such a haste to take the plate. Also we were waiting for our friend ad we had already informed them about it so that the would arrange a seat for and the guy told us that he would arrange it after our friend would arrive. In between that we were served ice- cream which we hadn't ordered and the one my friend got had a hair in it. And suddenly we were presented with our bill even when we hadn't asked for it, and we had told them that our friend would be joining us. I have no words to describe their horrible service . As being an Asian myself I would love our culture and food to flourish but this is a same to Indian culture and food! I strongly suggest you not to visit here. We were just there to enjoy our food and evening but they completely ruined it. It's a complete waste of time and money and plus so very unhygienic!!!!!!!

Leslie Garcia

We had a great time! Our waiter was super sweet, the food was delicious and the lights were a fun touch!

Priya Gopaldas

Got told there was a table free for us, got herded into the restaurant and sat down, looked at the menu, then they told us to get up and wait in the kitchen of the restaurant. We then got told 5 minutes later to go out of the restaurant to the back of the queue (even though we had already waited in it and sat down). Not worth the awful service for the tacky Christmas lights. The seating was very cramped. Having waited in the kitchen and seen how the food was delivered, we wouldn’t be surprised if your food fell on the floor and they then served it to you. If you respect yourself think twice about going here, not even for the instagram post.

Michelle Kerkeslager

The food and service were amazing! It is such a fun little spot! The decorations will make you smile the whole time. And the food was veryyyy good.

Caryn Weinberger

This place always delivers. The food is great and a bit less expensive than other similar places in the area, and service is friendly and attentive. Keep in mind it's a tiny room and the decor prohibits taller diners from standing completely upright. Don't worry; it's worth ducking your head to get in and enjoy the ambiance.

Abhijeet Shrivastava

This is a very cozy Indian restaurant. It has very gaudy decorations and attract a lot of your generation. The food is alright. And remember this is a cash only place. The nearest ATM is across the street at Mc Donald's.

Marissa Blose

Nothing about this place was worth it. The staff is down-right mean to their customers. They didnt seat us until almost an hour after our reservation. Once they sat us, they threw a surprise "fixed menu" on us, which was clearly a scam. I had hair in my appetizer. They were completely rude to us and didn't bring us water until after our food came out and we had to ask 10 times. They came out with tiny platters that we all had to share and gave us hell when we asked for more. They tried to short us on the dessert, which was supposed to be part of the pre-fixed menu, by bringing out 3 scoops of ice cream for our friend's birthday, but not giving dessert to the rest of us. The food was awful. It was the worst $33 I ever spent.

Kerri Collins

Cool spot! Good food and nice staff. Worth a visit

John Ballew

I don't know whether to begin with the hair in the food, the terrible service, the yelling, or the physical harassment. Me and two of my friends arrived at the restaurant for dinner late on a Tuesday night, so naturally they weren't busy. We had a fourth person joining us. They quickly seat us and get us water and menus and a free appetizer served to all guests (which had several hairs in it, so we ended up not eating it), and we made sure to tell them that we had another person joining. Keep in mind that the restaurant was far from being full. Within two or three minutes of being seated, we realized the restaurant was cash only, and decided to leave. We weren't very hungry, as we had just come from an event, so none of us were going to spend a lot of money anyway, and with us all being college age, we didn't want to withdraw a large amount of money from the ATM and be charged for it. As we stood up to leave, a server immediately ran up to us and physically shoved one of my friends, in front of the entire restaurant, and yelled at us that if we would eat there they would take our cards no problem. Her being shoved should have been our first sign to leave, but we decided that maybe it was just a strange, accidental thing and that he just got too excited. We made sure to tell our server we were just getting appetizers, and he made no fuss over it. He insisted that we ordered immediately but everyone didn't know what they wanted. However, he kept insisting and kept insisting so finally I ordered my food and my friends said they would order something once mine came. The food came out very fast, and tasted fine. However, within five minutes of the food arriving, before my friends could order (this was within probably 20 minutes of us arriving at the restaurant), we were being harassed by multiple workers to leave. They said we weren't spending enough money and that people were waiting for a table (no one was waiting). I finally just asked for the check. Only problem is, they overcharged me by nearly $10. Keep in mind I am a poor college kid on a budget and I only ordered two appetizers. I tried to explain to my server that it wasn't correct, and had my entire table backing me up because what I ordered was not on the check. The waiter started a screaming argument in front of the entire restaurant with me, and started grabbing my hand, touching my shoulder, knocking my hands out of the way, etc. Much of the argument was just as much me telling him to stop touching me as it was him insisting that I pay for food I didn't order. He finally fixes the check and when I hand him my card, he refuses to take it, telling me that I didn't spend enough to be able to use a card and that they don't take cards anyway. At this point two servers were at our table harassing us, still touching me and yelling. I have no cash on me and neither do my friends, so we are stuck, and one of my friends had to go to an ATM outside (overdrawing her account) to get cash for me to use while I was still trying to talk to the workers. At this point I had told my other friends to just leave and wait outside. She is taking a long time and I am still being harassed, so I stand up and walk towards the door to see if she was waiting for me there (keep in mind this is a tiny place, with ceilings around five and a half feet, so it's not easy to walk in and our table was far in the back). I am harshly grabbed by the manager of the restaurant, who shakes me so hard I almost lose my balance and fall. I try to explain to him what I was doing, and he started grabbing my clothes yelling at me threatening to call the cops on me and my friends, refusing to listen to what I was saying or to let me go. Finally, my friend brings the cash back inside and I hand it to him and he releases me, only now he tries to keep the change. I have to stand there for five more minutes to convince him to give me my change back so we can leave. We were harassed, touched, and yelled at in front of all the patrons there, and we will not be returning. Would give 0 stars if I could.

Life Andrews

I love the food, and bring your own bottle is the best thing they could have thought of.

Maddie DePree

Great prices, good food, unbeatable atmosphere. Great place for a date. Loved the service here as well! The manager was super nice, made sure we were enjoying ourselves and enjoying the food. The BYOB aspect was fun as well. Would recommend.

Jorge

Come for the lights, stay for ..... nothing really. Very small location with servers bumping on you left and right as you are eating, food is the most bland “Indian” food I ever tasted, CHECK TOTAL because it does not add up they added $2 to the total for our bill, service is okay.

Sierrah S

Came here yesterday with some friends and we all really enjoyed our food! We got vegetable samosas and chicken tikka masala which were delicious! The lights are hung really low which made it kind of hard to walk through but they’re beautiful nonetheless!

Richard Bustamante-Quon

Crammed seating. The waiters try to persuade you to get more bread and then when you ask questions about it they don't want to explain. Their bill is questionable especially when they include their tip. Seems like they are afraid they won't get a tip so they put it in there themselves. A tip is NEVER required. And they surely don't deserve it.

Nina Kumar

Absolute worst restaurant I've ever been to! If I could rate it 0 stars I would. The service is absolutely horrendous. The place is tiny with hardly any room to walk in between tables, which is not the problem. The problem is the staff physically moving you around the restaurant. I have never had restaurant staff put their hands on me and physically move me, yet for some reason this staff thinks it's okay. In addition, one guest I was dining with slightly moved the table over so another guest could get to their seat at the table beside us. In response to this our waiter aggressively moved the table back in place and actually yelled at us to not touch the table. As if it couldn't get any worse, I saw a waiter make guests move to another table mid appetizer so they could make room for a larger party. I have never been to a restaurant where they move people MID MEAL to another table. The entire staff speaks with an aggressive tone and isn't friendly at all. The food is mediocre. There are definitely better Indian restaurants to dine at in the city with similar pricing and much better service. I will never come back to this restaurant and hope I saved someone from experiencing the worst dining experience of their life by writing this review.

Linzy Andre

If you love Indian food, don't go here. The food is tasteless. On the coldest day this winter, I was invited to the restaurant for a work lunch with approx. 20 people. The space was tight and there were thousands of Christmas lights and ornaments hanging from the ceiling, which meant you had to bend over in order to walk around. There was no heat, so it was super freezing (sniffling as I write this). Our large group was informed that our lunch included an app and an entree of our choice ahead of time. However once we were there, we were informed that the options were samosas or pakora for the app, and chicken or vegetable curry for the entree. The staff was a bit aggressive and rushed. And when asked about the menu or food they were not accommodating. The water tasted funny,almost like bleach.

Bule Story

^_^ BuleStory review for Panna II in New York City - Panna II is unique because of the lights they have inside. It’s like Christmas every day! Here’s a photo of the inside of the restaurant and a closeup of the lights. It was really cool!! and it's a BYOB restaurant yeaaaayy

PasDeSeul

Food was good but I don't think they have enough waiters.

Tom Herrmann

The food is ok and the service is terrible, but that’s not why people go here. It’s all about eh lights and the cramped space. Bonus points if a table nearby takes BYOB too far and creates some entertainment.