Darbar

Darbar is an outstanding restaurant and amazing catering service as well! They catered my wedding reception event and all of the food was top notch. The service was excellent and many guests complimented all the cuisine from appetizers to main dishes and dessert. I would highly recommend them for any event.

We had Darbar cater dinner at our son's wedding last month, at a hotel in NYC. The food was excellent and very much appreciated by all guests including non-Indians, some of who were probably tasting Indian cuisines for the first time. Samosas, hara kebab, live stations for pani puri/bhelpuri/chaat papdi, malai kofta, were especially great hits. Manek was a pleasure to work with all along. He was on top of everything from day one and happily accomodating of our requests for menu changes that we made more often than once. He was always easy to get a hold of and prompt in responding to our texts/emails. The hotel messed up the dinner venue a day before the wedding, forcing us to scramble on several fronts. When I spoke to Manek about this, he assured me that he would make necessary adjustments at his end to ensure that everything went off well. He personally went to the hotel right after our phone conversation, discussed changes with the hotel manager and thanks to his leadership, the evening ended up being a highly enjoyable experience for all our guests. Manek made him self personally available during the dinner hours, just to make sure that everything was to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend Darbar for all catering needs. The food gets a 10 out of 10 and Manek scores a 11 out of 10!

I can’t say enough good things about Mike and the whole Darbar catering team— from the night we had our first tasting to the night of our wedding reception in Brooklyn, they were attentive and made us feel like we could call on them for anything. And that’s not to mention the food, which not only hit the spot for me and my Indian family but also introduced a number of our guests and my wife’s family to Indian cuisine for the first time. The Beetroot Malai Kofta and Salmon Tikka were particular standouts for me. I first found Darbar because we wanted an Indian caterer that could also do great western style food. What we found in the process of working with Mike was that their menu was so good and so accessible to all tastes that we decided to go fully Indian. We didn’t have a fusion wedding, so we figured that the food should also reflect that. Great decision— we haven’t stopped getting compliments about dinner from our guests, and it was a very diverse bunch. When you can please a group of 150 people that include white Mississippians, South African Indians, kosher Jews, 20/30-something Brooklynites, and everyone in between with one meal, you know you’ve hit a sweet spot. Mike was on site that night and made sure that our guests and we were happy and full. Darbar added so much to our night, and we’d recommend them for any function in the New York area.

I recently had Darbar cater our Sangeet and I could not have been happier with the service. Mike was amazing to work with and the food was even better! In addition to catering, Mike also coordinated the tables, chairs, etc. Throughout the entire process he was extremely helpful and easy to work with. Leading up to the event, I also ate in the restaurant multiple times and I always enjoyed the food. I strongly recommend Darbar for catering or dinning out!

We used Darbar for our wedding caterer. Having Indian Punjabi friends and family, I knew the quality of food was of utmost importance, and also having our wedding in Dumbo at a "raw space" (no inside staff, etc) meant coordination was key. Not only did Mike and Preeti at Darbar provide personal service, involved and multiple tastings, including adjusting spice levels and managing veg vs non veg options, they also worked with our staffing agency, wedding planner, and silverware order to make sure everything went off. They provided back kitchen staff, and even had a tandoor pumping out fresh roti and dishes. The day of, we got compliments from the Indian side on how the food tasted like it was straight from India, and the reviews from others, including my very New York friend who loves food (he said we had the most bomb-a** samosas he had ever had), were great too. The spice levels between dishes varied, giving everyone an option, and the layout and coordination with our planner and other caterer (Junior's Delicatessen) was great as well. Recommended wholeheartedly.

We have used Darbar Grill to cater our non-profit org's annual fundraiser for two years now. Their food is excellent and the guests always rave about how amazing their dishes are. My personal favorite is the beetroot kofta - it's unique and just full of amazing flavor. All their dishes are wonderful - their food is perfectly spicy and very flavorful. Working with Mike (Manek-ji), Priti-ji, and his whole team was great. Mike is a professional that has clearly mastered catering and ensuring his client thinks about all the needs for an event. His staff is courteous and all wanted to ensure that the event is successful. The whole team is very easy to work with and are true partners for their clients. They want to ensure their client gets exactly what they envisioned. I cannot recommend the Darbar Grill team more! Thank you for making our so successful! We couldn't have done it without your support and your delicious food!

From the very beginning of our search for an Indian food vendor for our sangeet to the actual event itself, working with Manek was an absolute pleasure. He guided us in curating the exact menu we envisioned—everything from passed appetizers to a live tandoori station and a beautifully balanced dinner buffet. Manek was always responsive, reliable, and easy to communicate with. Our tasting session was thorough, and he incorporated our feedback into the final menu. He even went the extra mile by assisting us with rentals. Thank you, Manek, for making the entire catering experience seamless and stress-free from start to finish

Mike and his team just catered our sangeet at the Foundry and cannot emphasize enough how amazing the food, service, punctuality and ease of working with the team was! From day 1 when we had our tasting Mike was extremely accommodating and willing to work with us on everything (he made us truly feel special). All of our guests came up to us to say this is some of the best food they have had at a wedding, which is no easy task! My family and I cannot recommend him enough. He handled all the logistics, deliveries, rentals, staffing. We just showed up and enjoyed the fresh amazing food. 10/10 recc the Darbar team!

Darbar catered our wedding and did a superlative job! We had been searching for the ideal caterer and when we met the owner Mike and tried the food we made one of the easiest decisions of our wedding. They delivered. The food was stellar, but it was the service that truly left a mark. Mike and his team were so professional and managed all of the food and drink of our wedding without any need for further direction from our team, even taking care of things as needed to ensure we were able to focus on the event itself. Could not more highly recommend Darbar for your event, they are the best!

Darbar is absolutely fire - best Indian food in the city hands down. Manek & the team are truly experts in food and in service and every time I eat here I feel happy - what else can you possibly ask for?! The entire staff is so attentive, gracious, and warm and so, so on top of their game. There is an extensive, not to mention delicious, menu — something for every taste and spice tolerance. I have food allergies and often find eating out challenging but I always know I’m safe to eat at Darbar because of the advice and guidance the team provides around what I can and cannot eat. Additionally, I was just at a wedding catered by Darbar and the food was an absolute show stealer — my parents called me and asked for the name of the restaurant because they enjoyed it so much and we all had 2+ helpings. One of my favorite restaurants in the city - a staple 🫶

Deepali K

From the very beginning of our search for an Indian food vendor for our sangeet to the actual event itself, working with Manek was an absolute pleasure. He guided us in curating the exact menu we envisioned—everything from passed appetizers to a live tandoori station and a beautifully balanced dinner buffet. Manek was always responsive, reliable, and easy to communicate with. Our tasting session was thorough, and he incorporated our feedback into the final menu. He even went the extra mile by assisting us with rentals. Thank you, Manek, for making the entire catering experience seamless and stress-free from start to finish

Beth Johnson

We had a family celebration for our late grandmother at Darbar Grill on Saturday afternoon, and it was fantastic. The delicious food, terrific service, and helpful, experienced staff created a wonderful memory for our family. We are very grateful. Thank you to Darbar Grill!

Sejal Shah

Mike catered our daughter’s sangeet recently and it was a wonderful experience. I am Jain as we’re 20% of the guests and everyone felt so taken care of by Mike and his team. All the dishes he prepared specially for the Jains without any compromise on the taste. He and his team let us enjoy our daughter’s sangeet without any stress. We will be using him for all future events for sure.

MeJu

Mike and his team just catered our sangeet at the Foundry and cannot emphasize enough how amazing the food, service, punctuality and ease of working with the team was! From day 1 when we had our tasting Mike was extremely accommodating and willing to work with us on everything (he made us truly feel special). All of our guests came up to us to say this is some of the best food they have had at a wedding, which is no easy task! My family and I cannot recommend him enough. He handled all the logistics, deliveries, rentals, staffing. We just showed up and enjoyed the fresh amazing food. 10/10 recc the Darbar team!

Emily Danca

Darbar is absolutely fire - best Indian food in the city hands down. Manek & the team are truly experts in food and in service and every time I eat here I feel happy - what else can you possibly ask for?! The entire staff is so attentive, gracious, and warm and so, so on top of their game. There is an extensive, not to mention delicious, menu — something for every taste and spice tolerance. I have food allergies and often find eating out challenging but I always know I’m safe to eat at Darbar because of the advice and guidance the team provides around what I can and cannot eat. Additionally, I was just at a wedding catered by Darbar and the food was an absolute show stealer — my parents called me and asked for the name of the restaurant because they enjoyed it so much and we all had 2+ helpings. One of my favorite restaurants in the city - a staple 🫶

Maureen Alphonso

I recently attended a wedding in NY where Darbar Catered the food. I was delighted with the dishes at the buffet. Everything had absolutely amazing flavor. The buffet was always overflowing as the staff refilled and kept it full at all times. You know the food tastes good when people keep coming back for more helpings. I highly recommend Darbar Catering for your event or visit their restaurant in the heart of New York City. Excellent!

Jared D'Sa

Darbar is top notch. We catered my brother’s wedding a few weeks back and people are STILL talking about the food. “Best food I’ve ever had at a wedding” was the common sentiment. Manek & team are absolute professionals and made things seamless (and delicious!) Be sure to visit the restaurant in Midtown. Thank you Darbar for being the best!

Adam D'Sa

Darbar is an outstanding restaurant and amazing catering service as well! They catered my wedding reception event and all of the food was top notch. The service was excellent and many guests complimented all the cuisine from appetizers to main dishes and dessert. I would highly recommend them for any event.

Shreefal Mehta

Excellent choice and of caterer by hosts Iona and Joe at their event catered by Darbar. Super tasty food ( not spicy but tasty so even those unfamiliar with Indian food could enjoy) excellent presentation of appetizers. Look forward to next NY event where darbar is caterer. Been to their restaurant of course but their catering also lives up to their rep

Iona D'Sa

EXCELLENCE is the word that comes to mind when talking about Darbar Catering Services 2 weeks ago we celebrated our son's wedding and had the food catered by Darbar. The owner Mike is a pleasure to work with ... he was attentive to all our wants/needs and went above and beyond to execute our vision. The food is delicious and the staff are courteous and helpful. My husband and I cannot recommend them enough ... it was an amazing experience!

Victor Lepri

Darbar is not only an amazing restaurant but also a top-tier caterer. The team is extremely responsive and caring. They catered the entire food experience for my wedding, and we could not have had a better experience. The entire process of planning and execution was spotless, and most importantly, they made sure to reduce any stress caused by the planning by being super accommodating. Highly recommend!

C.V. Chakravarthy

We had Darbar Grill (Manhattan NY City) cater for our daughter’s wedding in May of this year at Brooklyn. Right from the tasting session for picking the dishes to serving the dinner at the wedding, we had the best experience. As a part of the catering, we wanted a snack box to be served to all guests containing items supplied by Darbar Grill and also items we provided. Manek Irani and his team had no problems agreeing to it. He was extremely helpful and very accommodating. Even living in Kansas, we did not have any problems in communicating or contacting with him. He would answer all of our questions very promptly. The whole experience was such a pleasant one with no stress at all! We were given the estimate for the food, utensils, delivery charges etc. and we did not have any surprises. Great service!! The quality of the food was excellent & very tasty especially the Beetroot Kofta. All the guests enjoyed the food very much. The appetizers and entrée were spectacular. Manek was always very prompt in replying to messages or making changes to the menu over the course of a year or more. Very easy to work with. His staff was most efficient and courteous to the guests. For some guests we wanted Gluten free items & Manek suggested dishes for that making the overall experience very memorable. We would definitely recommend Darbar Grill to be the caterer for any occasion or even for casual dining. The food is very tasty and excellent!! Manek is very reliable, honest, and great to work with!! The prices are reasonable and we were so pleased with the service. Thank you!!

Patrick Mickelson

Darbar catered our wedding and did a superlative job! We had been searching for the ideal caterer and when we met the owner Mike and tried the food we made one of the easiest decisions of our wedding. They delivered. The food was stellar, but it was the service that truly left a mark. Mike and his team were so professional and managed all of the food and drink of our wedding without any need for further direction from our team, even taking care of things as needed to ensure we were able to focus on the event itself. Could not more highly recommend Darbar for your event, they are the best!

Pramod Bhargava

We had Darbar cater dinner at our son's wedding last month, at a hotel in NYC. The food was excellent and very much appreciated by all guests including non-Indians, some of who were probably tasting Indian cuisines for the first time. Samosas, hara kebab, live stations for pani puri/bhelpuri/chaat papdi, malai kofta, were especially great hits. Manek was a pleasure to work with all along. He was on top of everything from day one and happily accomodating of our requests for menu changes that we made more often than once. He was always easy to get a hold of and prompt in responding to our texts/emails. The hotel messed up the dinner venue a day before the wedding, forcing us to scramble on several fronts. When I spoke to Manek about this, he assured me that he would make necessary adjustments at his end to ensure that everything went off well. He personally went to the hotel right after our phone conversation, discussed changes with the hotel manager and thanks to his leadership, the evening ended up being a highly enjoyable experience for all our guests. Manek made him self personally available during the dinner hours, just to make sure that everything was to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend Darbar for all catering needs. The food gets a 10 out of 10 and Manek scores a 11 out of 10!

David Moss

HIGHLY recommend!!! We worked with Manek at Darbar to cater our Mehendi celebration and we had the best experience. They handled everything - they ordered and managed the rentals, they stayed in constant communication with the venue, and they set up the whole space beautifully. Our venue had some issues that posed some difficulties for Darbar, but they tackled every obstacle with such professionalism. And they were extremely accommodating with me about arranging a payment schedule, etc. Manek always answered my calls and was very easy to work with. And as for the food… it was a huge hit!!! We had three entrees - the Chef’s Special Chicken, Saag Paneer and Vegetable Biryani (along with sides of rice and naan of course). Everybody loved the food, and I will say that the Chef’s Special Chicken was the favorite dish of the night among our guests. The appetizers were also excellent (reshmi kebab, samosas and gobi manchurian) and so was dessert (kheer and gulab jamun). All our guests left very happy and well fed. Between the quality of the food and the quality of the service, my wife and I give Darbar a 10 out of 10!

Anish Jain

We used Darbar for our wedding caterer. Having Indian Punjabi friends and family, I knew the quality of food was of utmost importance, and also having our wedding in Dumbo at a "raw space" (no inside staff, etc) meant coordination was key. Not only did Mike and Preeti at Darbar provide personal service, involved and multiple tastings, including adjusting spice levels and managing veg vs non veg options, they also worked with our staffing agency, wedding planner, and silverware order to make sure everything went off. They provided back kitchen staff, and even had a tandoor pumping out fresh roti and dishes. The day of, we got compliments from the Indian side on how the food tasted like it was straight from India, and the reviews from others, including my very New York friend who loves food (he said we had the most bomb-a** samosas he had ever had), were great too. The spice levels between dishes varied, giving everyone an option, and the layout and coordination with our planner and other caterer (Junior's Delicatessen) was great as well. Recommended wholeheartedly.

Anoop Desai

I can’t say enough good things about Mike and the whole Darbar catering team— from the night we had our first tasting to the night of our wedding reception in Brooklyn, they were attentive and made us feel like we could call on them for anything. And that’s not to mention the food, which not only hit the spot for me and my Indian family but also introduced a number of our guests and my wife’s family to Indian cuisine for the first time. The Beetroot Malai Kofta and Salmon Tikka were particular standouts for me. I first found Darbar because we wanted an Indian caterer that could also do great western style food. What we found in the process of working with Mike was that their menu was so good and so accessible to all tastes that we decided to go fully Indian. We didn’t have a fusion wedding, so we figured that the food should also reflect that. Great decision— we haven’t stopped getting compliments about dinner from our guests, and it was a very diverse bunch. When you can please a group of 150 people that include white Mississippians, South African Indians, kosher Jews, 20/30-something Brooklynites, and everyone in between with one meal, you know you’ve hit a sweet spot. Mike was on site that night and made sure that our guests and we were happy and full. Darbar added so much to our night, and we’d recommend them for any function in the New York area.

Laura Singh

My husband and I used Darbar catering for a welcome party for 130 of our out-of-town guests on the night before our wedding. Darbar was wonderful to work with. Leading up to the event we worked with Mike and Priti to plan the menu and logistics of the evening and they were always very professional and responsive. On the night of the event, the food was absolutely delicious, it looked amazing (presentation was impeccable), and service was excellent. We received lots of good feedback about the food from many of our guests, including guests who are Indian and guests who are not. Mike did a great job helping us to select a menu with items that appealed to everyone and had the right amount of spiciness to satisfy everyone. I would definitely recommend Darbar to anyone looking for delicious, highly professional Indian catering.

Don Spear

I recently had Darbar cater our Sangeet and I could not have been happier with the service. Mike was amazing to work with and the food was even better! In addition to catering, Mike also coordinated the tables, chairs, etc. Throughout the entire process he was extremely helpful and easy to work with. Leading up to the event, I also ate in the restaurant multiple times and I always enjoyed the food. I strongly recommend Darbar for catering or dinning out!

Nikhil Menon

My wife and I had our wedding catered by Darbar, and we could not be happier with our choice! Mike (the owner) was absolutely amazing to work with, and treated us to a tasting at his restaurant beforehand to help customize the menu for our guests. He was always responsive to emails, and was flexible and willing to help us achieve our vision for a successful night. At our wedding, our guests loved the food, and could not stop talking about the reshmi kebabs! Mike's catering staff were all very friendly and professional, and Mike himself was there throughout the night and took special care to make sure my wife and I got some food to eat in between all the action. Overall, our wedding was a huge success, and thanks in no small part to Mike and his team. I highly recommend Darbar to anyone looking for outstanding Indian food and high-quality, professional service.