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Lungi Bar & Restaurant, New York, NY

Lungi Bar & Restaurant

4.4
4.4
148 Reviews
$30 and under
Indian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 15 times today
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Innovative
Welcome to Lungi,

Lungi blends the cooking styles of South India and Sri Lanka and reflects the cultural upbringing of restaurateur and chef Albin Vincent who grew up in Kanyakumari, India, with deep roots in Sri Lanka. His culinary journey is rich with stories from his grandmother, an extraordinary cook who instilled his passion for food from a young age, teaching him the art of traditional Sri Lankan and Southern Indian dishes. Even though authentic South Asian fare has been in vogue in New York City for quite some time, it's been hard to find the bold, flavorful fare of Sri Lanka outside of Staten Island. Vincent, with Chef Vasantha Kumar from Tamil Nadu and Sous Chef Andrew Simethy from Kerala, offer both within a vibrant menu transporting diners into the homes and side street shacks of their native lands.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Indian, Sri Lankan, South Indian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–15:00 Brunch Sun 12:00–15:30 Dinner Daily 17:00–22:45
  • Phone number
    (212) 256-0073
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Vasantha Kumar
  • Catering
    We offer catering for large parties further infermation please email us at contact@lungirestaurant.com
  • Private party facilities
    We have a private garden for Special events please email us at contact@lungirestaurant.com
  • Area
    Upper East Side
  • Cross Street
    62&63rd St
  • Parking details
    Take the 4/5/6/N/R/W to 59th St Take the Q/F to 63rd St
  • Public transit
    E,R,F,Q Trains
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 148 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Lungi Bar & Restaurant offers an authentic Sri Lankan dining experience in NYC, praised for its "excellent service" and "delicious food." Diners rave about the innovative cauliflower, hoppers, and fish cutlets. Although some mention service delays, the vibrant ambiance and attentive staff make it a "real gem" worth visiting.

148 Reviews
  1. Sumita

    New York City

    7 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Great food. Food took a long time to arrive. Our first hopper arrived cold -- it clearly had been forgotten for a while. We had ordered three hoppers and the remaining two showed up later. So not happy with service or speed, but food was very tasty

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  2. jane

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This new restaurant on the East Side has a mix of Indian and Sri Lankan dishes. On a Sunday brunch, we tried dishes from South India—dosas filled with potato curry, a dosa with lamb curry, and for the appetizers, small pieces of chicken coated in a spicy red crust and served with a delicious sauce. My ears were ringing after consuming a few pieces. We also tried a typical Sri Lankan “short eat” — Fish cutlets. These are mashed tuna fish and potato balls coated with crumbs and deep fried. We lived in Sri Lanka for 7 years and I was hoping the Sunday brunch Banana Leaf special would be Lamprais, but it turned out to be a number of curries and rice served on a banana leaf but not cooked wrapped in the leaf. Highly recommend this restaurant particularly for the Sri Lanka dishes. Saves. Trip to Staten Island.

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  3. Sue

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Expensive, but excellent food and service. Commitment to Sri Lanka and southern Indian preparations.

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  4. Bhaya

    New York City

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 20 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious South Indian flavors. Perfectly cooked. The short rib was outstanding. As was the kingfish fry appetizer. We’ll be back. Highly recommended.

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  5. Adam

    New York City

    13 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 18 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was delicious. Service was bad enough that I'll be pretty hesitant to return (and I'm someone who really cares a lot about finding interesting food in a neighborhood where interesting options are somewhat limited). 20+ minutes after seating, we still didn't have water and hadn't heard from a waiter. Our neighboring table showed us that we could push the call button on the plastic signs on our table. We did that several times on two separate signs, but it didn't seem to have any effect, despite staff walking back and forth past us many times. The signs are A) cheesy and B) poorly designed so you can't tell whether your call/button press has been registered. When we asked to see a menu, the guy pointed to the QR code on the table and walked away (though the guests at tables around us had printed menus) Overall, interactions with the servers felt commercial. For example, no small amount of disappointment signaled when two people in our group didn't want to try an alternative drink after the restaurant turned out to be out of the one they ordered. Much of the food was excellent - loved the squid appetizer, the chicken string hopper biryani, the shredded roti dish, and a couple others. Two fish dishes were good though not as good as the rest. But they service literally made me uncomfortable so not sure if I'll give them a second chance.

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  6. NitinS

    New York City

    7 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food with authentic flavors served in a friendly setting with modern decor. We had the Calamari (check your spice tolerance), mutton roll (lamb not goat meat), trotters, and jackfruit. All very well executed. The hoppers could have been softer (bit dry in the center). Service was friendly.

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  7. Laura

    New York City

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The bartender was so sweet and welcoming. I would come back to see him . Wonderful man from Hungary . The g food was delicious Would definitely come back Good cocktails

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  8. Vimmi

    New York City

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on 4 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Five stars across the board. Must try the hoppers and king fish fry!!

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  9. Anjali

    New York City

    37 reviews

    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on 4 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    What an experience trying authentic Sri Lankan dishes in NYC. There aren’t many restaurants that offer this cuisine in Manhattan, and this one is right in our neighborhood. The manager, Satish, was so helpful because we didn’t know where to start. Can’t wait to go back and try some more of his recommendations and probably repeat some from this meal. Favorites were - Guntur Chili Mushroom, Chicken Ambur Biryani, and the Veg Kothu Roti.

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  10. sandeep

    New York City

    95 reviews

    3.0

    95 reviews

    Dined on 27 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was attentive, waiter was knowledgeable about the menu. Egg and string hoppers were very good as was the mutton liver fry and tawa fish. Mutton biryani was also flavorful. Cauliflower 65 was a miss as was the avial dish. Duck chettinad was full of bones and fish curry was average. Good beer/cocktail selection. Glad we tried it.

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FAQs

Lungi Bar & Restaurant does offer delivery in partnership with Chow Now, Postmates and Uber Eats. Lungi Bar & Restaurant also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 256-0073.

Lungi Bar & Restaurant is rated 4.4 stars by 148 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 15 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Lungi Bar & Restaurant

1136 1st Ave, New York, NY 10065

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    62&63rd St
  • Area
    Upper East Side
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–15:00 Brunch Sun 12:00–15:30 Dinner Daily 17:00–22:45
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Indian, Sri Lankan, South Indian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Take the 4/5/6/N/R/W to 59th St Take the Q/F to 63rd St
  • Public transit
    E,R,F,Q Trains
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Vasantha Kumar
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (212) 256-0073
  • Catering
    We offer catering for large parties further infermation please email us at contact@lungirestaurant.com
  • Private party facilities
    We have a private garden for Special events please email us at contact@lungirestaurant.com
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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