Despite devouring the multitude of cuisines that New York City has to offer over the past six years, Indian cuisine has been conspicuously absent from my restaurant repertoire. (Nothing personal; I just eat way too much cacio e pepe and xiao long bao.) So when Mary, the blogger behind Mary in Mahattan, invited a group of us to dine at Imli, an Indian restaurant in New York’s Upper East Side neighborhood, I jumped at the chance.

What happens when a group of eight bloggers descends on one of New York’s tastiest Indian restaurants? A lot of laughs, cocktails, and completely full stomachs, that’s what. Here’s why your next meal should be at Imli.

Imli: Urban Indian Food

Wikipedia tells me that the word “Imli” refers to either tamarind or the International Maritime Law Institute, a school in Malta, but I think it’s safe to say that we’re referring to the fruit here, eh?

Definitions aside, the word “Imli” now evokes for me a cozy dining spot on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, replete with regional Indian dishes and twists on Western fare.

I joined a group of bloggers for the night, including Mary from Mary in Manhattan, Mary Lane from New York Cliché, Jess from Used York City, Trudy from Rendezvous En New York, Kaitlin from Looped Blog, LeAura from Ever So Popular and Allison from (F)east. Together, we sipped, slurped, and savored our way through Imli’s food and drinks until we were fully satiated.

What whet our appetite, and what didn’t make the cut? Here’s the inside scoop.

The Cocktails

For me, it’s all about drinks first and food second — er, most of the time, anyway. So let’s begin with a look at Imli’s cocktails, which range from $13-14.

Kaitlin ordered the Dirty Chai cocktail, which was the hit cocktail of the night. The drink — which contains Ciroc vodka, vanilla, Frangelico, chai, and whipped cream — is exactly what a coffee cocktail should be: complex, tasty, and full of warmth. Despite just meeting her, I had to ask for a few extra sips because it was just that good.

I personally enjoyed The Royal cocktail, which features Knob Creek bourbon, cider, rosemary, and a cinnamon sugar rim. Our table also liked the Bloody Gin-Ger cocktail, which consisted of Hendrick’s gin, St. Germain, and blood orange ginger ale.

Though we ordered cocktails, Imli also has a varied selection of wines, beer, and spirits available if you prefer pinot grigio or Brooklyn Lager with your dinner instead.

The Food

Spearheaded by Executive Chef Manuel Butler, Imli’s dishes include familiar classics like Chicken Tikka Masala, as well as Indian interpretations of dishes like pizza or Scotch eggs. We were lucky enough to sample several dishes outlined below.

Appetizers

Standouts here included the crispy okra, which was sprinkled with fennel and reminded me almost of vegetable tempura, as well as the shrimp koliwada, which was battered with just the right amount of spice.

I’m not a fan of beets, but my fellow bloggers enjoyed the beetroot croquets (and consumed the chicken chaat dish with its tamarind, yogurt sauce, and chickpea crisps before I got down to that end of the table, but that’s my problem for noshing on all of the Kerala Beef instead).

I’m not sure if naan bread qualifies as an appetizer or a side dish for the mains, but it’s so damn delicious that I don’t think it matters. (Honestly, I could probably make a whole meal out of their naan because I love the stuff. Ugh, there goes my diet again!)

We tried three kinds of naan at Imli — including the plain, garlic, and mushroom — and were surprised when we reached the same consensus: the mushroom naan couldn’t be beat.

My personal favorite appetizer of the night was the Indian Shepherd’s pie. With a flaky crust and sizzling ground lamb meat, it was positively scrumptious for all of the omnivores at the table.

The Main Event: Entrees

At this point, servers loaded with armfuls of food kept arriving one after the other. I mean, I was in awe. Chicken Tikka Masala coming in on the right! Tandoori chicken zooming in from the left! House chicken curry lowered down from the ceiling! Aloo gobi muttar, sliding in on home plate!

I’m kidding… only slightly. The staff practically did a seamless waltz as they placed our entrees down on the table for us with grace and pizazz. (Aloo gobi muttar is homestyle potatoes with cauliflower and peas, by the way. It’s okay, I didn’t know either.)

Favorites here included the Lamb Rogan Josh and the Tandoori Chicken. Both were moist, perfectly cooked, and packed a punch of flavor.

Sweet Endings: Dessert

We tried two desserts at Imli: the crème brûlée topped with a traditional gulab jamun, and the “Exotic Bomb.”

The Exotic Bomb concoction was a delightful swirl of mango, passion fruit, and raspberry ice cream under a thin chocolate shell. We tried to be civilized and take dainty bites in the beginning, but by the end, it was TOTAL CHAOS I TELL YOU.

Though I liked both desserts, you can tell I was a big fan of the ice cream bomb dessert. The mango and passion fruit brought in some welcome light and refreshing flavors after a filling meal that threatened to make us explode. (Pro tip: make sure you have your spoons ready for this one so you can come blazing out of the gate and grab all of the ice cream first. Seriously.)

And just for fun, since you were probably thinking about it: what do blogger photo shoots look like BEHIND the scenes during a meal? Here’s a candid shot that shows you what we were doing when we weren’t busy stuffing our faces with mouthwatering desserts. Hey, bloggers gotta blog…

The Space

Imli’s space is very chic and modern. I especially liked how they projected films on the wall next to one of the tables, which reminded me of Foreign Cinema, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco.

Imli also features a gorgeous patio space, which still managed to be warm and inviting despite us visiting on a cold winter’s day. Plenty of natural light filters in, highlighting the area’s rustic decor. I’d definitely sit out here during the summer months.

The Verdict?

Is Imli worth a return visit? In my opinion, yes, it is. I’d come for the Dirty Chai cocktail and stay for the tender meat and vegetarian dishes. Despite being a spice lover, I appreciated that the dishes didn’t pack enough heat to have tears rolling down my cheeks all night, and service was friendly, efficient, and on point.

My only complaint? I kept longingly eyeing the table next to us with their tandoori pizza and couldn’t help wishing I could have taken a bite. The chicken, red onions, peppers, green chili, and coriander pizza ($15) was just calling my name too loudly! I’d love to have tried some of the dishes that were Indian interpretations of Western dishes.

Ah, well. Guess that means I’ll just have to return next month!

Connect With Imli

Imli is located at 1136 First Ave., New York, NY 10065. (If you’re a real New Yorker, that means that it’s located between 62nd and 63rd streets on First Avenue.) You can connect with Imli on the following social media platforms:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• And don’t forget their general website!

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Thank you to Imli for providing us with complimentary cocktails and dinner, and to Mary from Mary in Manhattan for organizing. As always, opinions are 100% my own. Not even some delicious, buttery naan can change that.

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