Kanyakumari, Union Square
54 people recommend, 4 warn against itvia r/FoodNYC, r/AskNYC30 comments cited below
The comments cited below are a sample of the full tally across 26 threads.
What people say, in short
Kanyakumari draws repeated recommendations for coastal South Indian cooking near Union Square. One diner singles out the goat biriyani and malvani chicken curry, and another recommends the guru prasad dosa. The enthusiastic consensus is not unanimous: other diners report bland chicken, disappointing dosa, or cold and overly spiced curries. Value also divides opinions, with both praise for the meal and complaints about the premium.
Address
Kanyakumari, 20 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003
At a glance
- Price
- Premium
- Signature dishes
- Goat biriyani, Malvani chicken curry, Guru prasad dosa
- Opinions divided
- Yes
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Kanyakumari, Union Square, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/DinerEnBlanc in r/FoodNYC · Sep 2026value
Says similar offerings available there at half the price.
- Recommendsu/CmdrMobium in r/FoodNYC · Dec 2025
Commenter calls Kanyakumari excellent.
- Recommendsu/Competitive_Slice_93 in r/AskNYC · May 2026
Says Kanyakumari is good in response to Indian restaurant request.
- Recommendsu/Temporary_Bliss in r/FoodNYC · Mar 2026
Prefers Kanyakumari when it comes to high-end South Indian food.
- Recommendsu/thearunagram in r/FoodNYC · Apr 2026taste
South Indian commenter rates it highly and calls it a top Indian restaurant.
- Recommendsu/roamingaimlessli in r/FoodNYC · Jan 2025variety
Calls it a unique authentic place in Manhattan.
- Recommendsu/Shayk47 in r/FoodNYC · Sep 2026variety
Favorite specializing in regional coastal Indian dishes.
- Recommendsu/Ok-Year9558 in r/FoodNYC · May 2025
Says Kanyakumari is very good.
Show all 30 cited comments
- Recommendsu/ikb9 in r/FoodNYC · Dec 2024
Tried Kanyakumari and now loves it.
- Recommendsu/Technical_Mind9230 in r/FoodNYC · May 2025taste
Calls the goat biriyani and malvani chicken curry the best in the city, though notes it is pricey.
- Recommendsu/sanjaykhu in r/FoodNYC · Sep 2026value
Found it much better than Musaafer and at a better price point.
- Recommendsu/md2495 in r/FoodNYC · Aug 2026
Suggests Kanyakumari as a good option.
- Recommendsu/mafra29 in r/FoodNYC · Jun 2026
Names Kanyakumari among the better upscale South Indian options in the city.
- Recommendsu/Puzzled-Public-786 in r/AskNYC · May 2026
Says they like Kanyakumari.
- Mixedu/Resident_Bill_792 in r/FoodNYC · Apr 2026taste
Indian commenter rates it a 4 out of 5.
- Recommendsu/slicer8181 in r/AskNYC · May 2026
Suggests trying Kanyakumari.
- Recommendsu/TheFlyingBoat in r/FoodNYC · Mar 2026
Loves Kanyakumari, though prefers Semma.
- Recommendsu/willowcat20 in r/FoodNYC · May 2025
Names Kanyakumari among Indian restaurants they enjoy.
- Recommendsu/ali0 in r/FoodNYC · Oct 2025taste
Says it has many good dishes, and the curry leaf ice cream stayed with them.
- Recommendsu/blogterms in r/FoodNYC · Sep 2025
Suggests it as a pick for the dinner.
- Recommendsu/FootpathDriver in r/FoodNYC · Oct 2026value
Likes Kanyakumari as a good deal for quality and quantity; broadly coastal cuisine.
- Recommendsu/redtrenchcoat in r/FoodNYC · Jun 2026
Loved Kanyakumari for a more elevated take on South Indian food, short of fine dining.
- Recommendsu/Garconavecunreve in r/FoodNYC · Feb 2026
Calls Kanyakumari a great alternative.
- Recommendsu/Icy-Baby-1945 in r/FoodNYC · Oct 2026taste
Calls the dosa the best in the city and urges ordering the guru prasad dosa.
- Recommendsu/gbpenalty in r/AskNYC · May 2026
Lists Kanyakumari as a good choice.
- Recommendsu/norcalfiend in r/FoodNYC · Nov 2025
Really likes Kanyakumari, describing it as niche coastal Indian cooking at a higher price.
- Recommendsu/advizzo in r/FoodNYC · Jul 2024
Recommends Kanyakumari near Union Square.
- Recommendsu/degasballetsculpture in r/FoodNYC · Dec 2025
Commenter calls Kanyakumari incredible and says calling usually finds availability.
- Caveatu/No-Cow-9952 in r/FoodNYC · Apr 2026taste
Disagrees: curries cold and overspiced, fish and appam not good, though beef was good.
- Caveatu/kulkdaddy47 in r/FoodNYC · Mar 2026taste
Felt flavors were watered down; malvani chicken bland and dosa average for the price.
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Freshness
Details last checked 10 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.