About Panna

Tucked upstairs at 93 First Avenue in the East Village, Panna II Garden is the last glowing survivor of a once-vibrant "Curry Row" that has been a beloved part of the neighborhood's fabric for decades . As of late 2024, it stands as the final holdout among the cluster of South Asian restaurants that once competed fiercely on this block, making owner Boshir Khan—who began working shifts here in the sixth grade with his father—something of a local legend . Step inside and you are immediately transported into a tiny, kitschy fairyland: thousands of twinkling Christmas lights, colorful tinsel, and festive decorations cover every inch of the ceiling, creating a perpetual holiday party atmosphere that is pure New York eccentricity . The space is famously cramped—waiters literally pull tables away from the wall for you to slide in—and the experience is unapologetically no-frills: it is cash-only, strictly BYOB (they provide glasses and corkscrews with a smile), and the service can range from warmly attentive to brusque, depending on the night . The menu offers affordable, crowd-pleasing Indian classics like Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, and lamb biryani; while some loyalists swear by the generous portions and bold flavors, others admit the food is merely average and that the real draw is the wild, unforgettable vibe . Love it or hate it, Panna II is an authentic piece of old New York—loud, chaotic, festive, and stubbornly holding on as the last man standing on its corner of Curry Row .