Panna II Garden Indian Restaurant Reviews

I am an Indian Food enthusiast and this was just average fare in my opinion. Others may disagree as food is entirely subjective. It is on 1st ave, area less upbeat. In researching the restaurant, I learned they have a decade-plus rivalry with the restaurant nextdoor, Milon and it was evident in the minor hostile exchange two employes had in our presence. It was quite humorous as I witnessed the Panna 2 employee open his wallet and wittingly offer the Milos employee a few dollars. Another employee, perhaps the owner of the restaurant was hanging out on the window ledge adjacent to our table, cleaning, all the while a black fly, rather large was hovering around the window on "our side" I killed it and when the gentlemen came off the ledge and back into the restaurant he thanked me. The place was clean and I had no concerns about that. As they are known for, the restaurant is loaded with lights, Christmas lights primarily, we had an ornament hanging between us that partially obscured view of eachother. The restaurant space is maybe 18ft wide by 40ft long, like a galley kitchen. Can't imagine it when it was full. All in all wouldn't return, food was just ok....many other choices in the city.

Panna II has gotten a pretty bad rap from a lot of reviewers so I would send a warning to picky or snobby eaters to stay as far away as possible. If your on the younger side however and want to enjoy a great afternoon with friends come on by and enjoy this lively hole in the wall. The best feature of Panna II is that it is BYOB! thats right, you can bring your own beer or wine from home and not be charged any fees for the ammenity. College students best friend. Well priced food, extremely friendly staff (the rest of the people who didnt get treated well must not be very nice people i suppose), and great location in NYC. HIGHLY SUGGESTED!!!

Very particular and nice place even if a little trash, very good food and fair price. Pity you can not pay by credit card. the only really negative note is given by one of the waiters (also elderly) who is really grumpy, unpleasant and rude. a 4 Star dinner turns into 3 because of his bad behavior.

If you are ever in the mood for AMAZING Indian cuisine in NYC, look no further. I would have given Panna II 5 stars however the restaurant is a bit small but the food is great. A friend who is local to NYC recommended this restaurant and upon entering I was a bit skeptical. The entire front window and roof of Panna II is covered in lights. I thought it was a gimmick to get folks in the door to server subpar food but I was dead wrong. The food is great. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure you try the Banana Fritters! The servers are very friendly and the prices are extremely reasonable  If you are looking for a run of the mill type of restaurant, this is NOT the place for you. However, if you're looking for a great atmosphere and divine Indian cuisine, look no further than Panna II.

The food is out of this world and so reasonably priced. The place is over decorated which adds to the fun ambiance. It's a tight squeeze so the claustrophobic may be a bit challenged. However the food is well worth the cozy seating. You can bring in your own bottle of wine. The waiter will uncork it and serve it with no corking fee. A must try!

We booked lunch and entered into a space that was dark and dingy and reminded me of a converted garage in someones house in Manhattan. Once you pass this shock as we expected something different, we were seated at the tiny table very close to improvised air-conditioning and almost touching elbows with other table. Get the picture? It took long time to get our food and kitchen missed a dish, but the tastes and flavours of all dishes were simply put divine. We enjoyed all food that managed to get to our table and eventually left very happy. It appears that kitchen has cooks well versed in indian dishes, but has no resources to deliver them on time and complete. Perhaps next time we do a take out?

So fun! So very very fun! The food was also fabulous! The decor and atmosphere are whimsical and fun! You won't know where to look first. Right next door, and also right below, there are other restaurants obviously copying this concept. Make sure you go to Panna II (the others look so similar it could be hard to tell). We went here for dinner before seeing Hamilton (we decided not to go to a fancy pre-theater place), and this was the bow on the top of a fabulous evening. Highly recommended. The place was very small --- but we got in right away since we went early (5:30). A favorite New York memory.

Average Indian Food but AMAZING service! BYOB made this an exceptional experience. There were 6 excitable women in my group and they took great care of us. Even when the skys opened up and the outdoor seating was flooding, we had a great time. One of my friends didn't like her order and they let her select and enjoy a different dish quickly for no charge! They kept the free roti coming and it was one of the best nights we had in NYC! We didn't need reservations on a week night. I was glad we brought our own beverages, but they did have beer, wine, water and soda available.

Absolutely loved this place. The décor is ballistic and 100% fun. Staff were all wonderful. All smiles despite the fact that they were handling a packed restaurant. There was a delay between apps and entrees but we didn't care as we had brought plenty of wine and were in great company. Food was delicious and very reasonable priced. Can't wait to go back on a future visit.

I've been there few times with friends, and always have a good time ! The decoration is very "kitsch" but funny, they have a little nice terrasse on the backyard. The boss recognized us every time we went there, which is always pleasant ! Food amazing and so cheap, you can also come with your own bottles of wine/alcohol without fees. And when you are celebrating a birthday, they offer you a traditionnal Indian cake, love it (not the cake, but the gesture for sure :)

Very cozy Restaurent, and delicious food. Be there early as it get crowded. You Can bring your own wine here. Were served small snacks and a dessert for sharing, without beeing charged for this

When you think of NY food you do not think of curry. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this curry was. A very small restaurant, which can fell pretty cramp, but a nice atmosphere. Food and drink orders were promptly taken. Food came quick and portion size was food. I ordered the butter chicken which was not at all spicy, i think most of the curries were mild unless you wanted it hotter. Also extremely good value for the portion you get.

OK...white people, if you dont know your Chicken Tikka masala from Methi Malai: back off. Please rate the ambiance and service and "its cool, kitschy atmosphere" as much as you want. These bloody Bangladeshi (Indian look-alikes) can't cook for nuts. The Butter chicken was as bad, so was the Malai Kofta as was the Biryani and the Stuffed Paratha. This is not a rant: Asians from the sub continent ,be warned, this food is probably the worst I've ever had: and I have been eating around for years. The rest of people who cant differentiate good Indian food from watered down, red-looking or yellowish dog vomit with half a kilo of varied spices-please come here and eat here, stimulate the local economy and your bowels! On a side note, they did serve mango ice cream on the house, which was actually great and kept from punching the owner in his betel-leaf stained teeth! Thank you, come again! 1/2 star Plus they dont accept your credit cards! what is this Dhaka, Bangladesh????

I would say it is better than average, but not excellent. Saying that, I have very high standards for Indian food, I lived in London for 2 years on a budget, and 2-3 nights a week found great little places. It is a festive place for sure, good service, good food. Great for 4-6 friends, can get loud, but not obnoxious. I would come here again.

Wanted to visit this restaurant after seeing it on Daredevil and wasn't disappointed. Don't be put off by the negative reviews, how anyone could rate this restaurant any less than 5/5 is beyond me. (Beware of other restaurants touting for business on the same plot, Panna II is the door on the right at the top of the stairs!) The Waiters were very attentive, our glass of water was never empty. We had poppadoms bought to the table immediately followed by our mains shortly afterwards, and we even had a small ice cream dessert that we weren't charged for. The mains were tasty - if you're going to have a naan I'd recommend the cheese naan! Loved the vibe and experience, would gladly come here again and would recommend to anyone!

I dine at Panna II almost every time I'm in NYC because it's cheap and always a fun time. The food is fine. It's not the best Indian food I've ever had but it's a good deal, and they are BYOB. This has been a frequent dinner spot for birthdays and bachelorette parties. Like most Indian places, they have a good selection for vegetarians.

The location is awsome but the service is terrible. First we were screamed at from the different restaurant owners to go to their restaurant. After we decided to go to Panna the other owners were really pissed of. Then they just gave us the bill even though we wanted to order a dessert but they said no. Another thing is that they were forcing us to give them a tip. Our bill was 43$ we gave them 5$ tip but they were getting really agressive and told us that we have to give them more. We told him that if we wanted to give more we would but the service is absolutely terrible and they don’t deserve the tip. We were trying to leave and he started to insult us. He was cussing and really agressive. DON’T GO THERE!!!! The lights are not worth it.

This place is beyond uncomfortably tight! It's byob and waiter could not open a bottle of wine successfully and would not hand it back until he ground up the cork into the bottle. I learned just how close it was when a waiter dumped a bowl of hot soup down my back. The kitchen staff came out to watch and some laughed. This have me the opportunity to see the cook wearing flip-flops. The manager never appeared. My party left after being sure I just a little Burnt and wasn't scalded. I bought a new shirt nearby and tried the Peruvian place down the block.

Our family says it won the trifecta - great atmosphere, food and service. The place is small, every table was full and it was fairly noisy. But it was a lively atmosphere - the lights were as remarkable as reported. We had chicken khorma (one of the best khormas we have ever had), butter chicken (excellent), tandori chicken (two generous pieces) among other dishes. I've had better naan bread. When we left, there was a significant line outside. We booked a table and glad we did.

It is a crazy place. I´ve been there several times since 1996! It has not changed sice, which is positive! Small, tiny place, always crowded, but they will find you a spot! Good Indian food, funny interiour with thousands or millions of christmas lights hanging from everywhere. It is BYOB, because they dont have a licencse.

The restaurant was small and really crowded, but for some reason it does this restaurant good. For a bit it even makes you feel like your in India. The food is really good as is the environment. Would definitely recommend this as a must go to restaurant when paying a visit to New York

I saw this place a couple of years ago and the lights definetely got my attention so this time had to go! :) sicne there are 4 places in the same m2 a man in each of the places rushes you in so the one in this one got us in saying we will eat in 5min.. he got us to the back of the restaurant (extra tiny and crowded) and we waited standing by the restroom door and kitchen door for 15min at least, then we got our table and had a fantastic meal, the food is great and we got our bottle of wine! People are all havinga blast,a nd at elast 3 birthday parties happening with the singing, etc.. but the waiters kept "pushing" us to finish our meal, gave us free ice cream and brought our check even if we didnt ask for it and the man outside saying "we need the table get out" so that wasnt very nice.. we understand theres a line to come herebut still not a way to treat costumers.. we wanted to stay chatting awhile longer but impossible with the guy standing next to us pressuring us to leave.. but still i would come back for good indian food, nice price and fun place!

The barkers fighting for your business as you walk up the steps (go to the LEFT!), the red lights, the cramped seating, the happy birthday tune, the food - sometimes really tasty, sometimes completely bland....this is great place to visit now and again. No booze though. Indian beer can be purchased in the shop directly below the restaurant.

Long story short: - Unclean, overcrowded restaurant - Bad food; I ordered the crab biryani which tasted like plain boiled rice with some coriander on top - Worstly, AWFUL service!! Horrendously rude and argumentative staff. When given the bill, the waiter (who had been very snappy and dismissive all night) just stared at us when we were getting our wallets out. We were trying to make the right number up, then we were gonna tip. Whilst still impatiently staring, the waiter ASSUMED we weren't tipping and absolutely kicked off!! He made an absolute scene in front of everyone, yelling that we weren't tipping!! If he had given us even a second and some damn privacy, we would've! He even snatched our half-finished drinks off us, and loudly had a go at us whilst we were leaving. Disgusting behaviour. My fiancée and I were actually looking forward to this place but left feeling like it was a real downer on our day. I strongly recommend you stay away.

We went to this restaurant on a Monday afternoon - it was completely empty and we had the whole place to ourselves! I would say it's definitely worth going just for the crazy lights but the food is really good too! The mango lassies are absolutely delicious. We ordered some plain naan, some cheese naan, some minced meat naan and two main dishes (the vegetarian options are really good too). The staff were very friendly and considerate and re-filled our water without us even having to ask. We couldn't finish all of the food so I would recommend to ask them if they can prepare your leftovers for takeaway - you may have plenty because it's so tempting to order more than you can eat.

this is such a special place... there's lights everywhere and it's really festive.... the food was great and the staff were super nice. if you are in the area, it's definitely worth the detour.

Very good atmosphere , but just not as good, Too many 20 year old's drinking BYOB cheap wine. Maybe as I get older the food I know eat is more gourmet Indian.

Our first time eating Indian food - We were visiting NYC and went with family to this restaurant. They are locals and love this place. Lunch on a Saturday not crowded but they say during the evening hours this place is packed! Small inside but very cool and the food was delicious! Everything we tried was good, go for some appetizers the different breads are delish! Service was awesome! Loved our waiter and he made our experience very special!

A very unique and cool spot. Clean bathroom (a rare thing in many NYC restaurants). Good service. Great location. However, the food isn't a great, sadly. Would I go back? Yes. Would it be my first choice? No.

We went there as it was well rated and it was really good. Portions are fine (not big american sizes) and the quality is quite good. Don't expect any luxury and it's quite narrow. You should have in mind that they only accept cash (there's an ATM next to the door) and that there are 4 restaurants together, this one is on the upper floor on the right hand side.

I spent many meals during my college year at NYU eating at Pana II. It's a great place for date nights, groups of friends or some solo time. Be prepared for a crowded dining environment, the charm of Pana II is you feel lik you're sitting inside a Christmas tree. So if you're on who needs a lot of space, there are plenty other restaurants on Indian row that can accomadate. But Pana II is an experience like no other. It's the best example of how New York City businesses make it work. Oh and the food is 1000% delicious! Authentic, affordable and the service is efficient and friendly. You kind of feel like you're in India.

Visisted Panna II in July with a friend of mine on a 24 hour stop in New York. A friend of hers lives in New York and recommended the place. We were not disappointed! We had a little trouble getting there since the Taxi driver took us to the wrong street, but in the end and after another taxi ride we got to Panna II. The kitchen was closing in just a few minutes but they were so kind to have us despite that. The food was okay, but the place is just so awesome that you don't even care what you're eating! I just have to say - GO THERE if you're in New York. You won't regret it!

Small restaurant, loved the Food and lights. BYOB! Awesome savings. Service was good not overly friendly, but they want to turn tables. Would return!

I've been coming here for years on and of but only decided to write a review now. You don't come here for the friendly service.. because there isn't any, but the atmosphere is amazing and the food is spot on! It's cash only and BYOB though so make sure you come prepared. There's a couple of places down the street that have ATM's and sell beer.

We went there for the laughs, as its been an icon in the East Village for the longest. Just arriving at the place was a weird experience: the restaurant next and below it have people outside (along with Pranna's own) who start tauting you to go to "their" restaurant. Weird competition. Should have seen our WTF face. Inside its unique, with loud Bollywood music. All that we loved, great ambiance and fun! Food however was one of the worst in NYC so far. Naan bread from Trader Joes is better by a lot! Had a stomach ache on my way home. I guess its a fun place to bring the kids and have a laugh but don't come for the food! Oh, its BOB!

So, first of all I'd like to start by saying my visit to Panna 2 was in January of 2013. I haven't been back since, as I live in California. But oh how I wish we had something this fun here!! The service was what you would expect from most places with a limited staff, average. However, they were very friendly. It's a boyb kind of place, which also makes it pretty fun. The food was seriously out of this world. The decor is crazy and totally draws you in. Definitely a place to check out if you have the chance!

I checked the menu outside and liked the price. Went in and the Menu item I always choose for comparisons,was $5.00 higher. Spoke to Manager and he gave me the meals for the lower price. This appears to be common in 6th Street Indian restaurants. The was good, service is bad.. BEWARE!!

BYO and just be dazzled, crowded and ready to meet everyone you're sitting on. It doesn't really matter what you eat, although we weren't disappointed.

Very small place a lot of lights the food was very good the service was ok this was om april and my first time in ny and eating indian food.

I get it, this place is pretty and looks good for the gram. Cool vibes and puts you in a party mood. However, the pros stop there. The cons, though, are plenty: - Food was soooooo mid. My Indian friend who dined here couldn't believe how far of this is from indian food - Cramped space and too noisy - Service was so brash and in-your-face - Cash only - Included 20% tip that you can't even negotiate, especially for the mid food and service we received In fact, the check was handwritten and practically illegible and they slapped us with a $40 tip????? and we couldn't even dispute it. Honestly left this place feeling disappointed and scammed. If you gotta go, my advice is to just go for the pics and spend on smaller food items (you can bring your own beer) and don't bother with the disgusting entrees. Take your pics, save your money and seriously go elsewhere. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL!!!!!

The interior decor of the tiny and narrow restaurant is simply over the top!! Sort of like red-peppers lights on steroid hanging all over your head!! Almost psychedelic! The service, on the other hand, was quite friendly and efficient, despite how aggressive, okay, call it proactive, the front-door person was in trying to lure customers to go up the stairs to the restaurants -- then again, competiton in the neighborhood is fierce. The food was only okay. I had much better lamb giosh elsewhere and at a cheaper price. That said, it was not the most expensive place to dine in the vicinity and it was patronized by a lot of people even on a weekday evening. If you want a different dining experience, try this place for the sheer fun of it. But don't bring a lot of bags or coats as space is tight!

My friend and I are both young students. After a horrible meal and poor service, we left a small tip which was more than they deserved. The waiter counted it in front of us and slammed it back down. He pointed at the $5 bill I was putting into my purse and said he should have that too. Shocked by his anger and rudeness, I took back the entire tip and swiftly left, only to notice that my friend was gone. I went back into the restaurant to see the same waiter CLUTCHING ONTO MY FRIEND’S CLOTHES. He shouted to another waiter saying “DON’T LET HER LEAVE”, gesturing to me. We were physically blocked from leaving the restaurant. We don’t want to imagine what would have happened if we’d refused and left, with his aggressive bouncers waiting outside. We were humiliated as we were FORCED to hand over a tip of $4, with the whole restaurant staring at us as if we were criminals. Is it now ok for old men to grab and intimidate young girls until they are forced to hand over their money? Does this restaurant think its ok to treat its customers like criminals for the sake of $4? We are visitors to New York and this menacing behaviour left us extremely shaken. You’ve responded to similar reviews saying that you will fix the matter but you clearly don’t care as you’ve let it happen again. Learn how to treat your customers with respect.

This place is like nothing I've experienced. Amazing food and even better atmosphere. If I were you I'd come a little stoned.

My partner and I came into the restaurant after seeing it on Daredevil! We came early (around 6pm) as after reading the reviews we knew it was small and gets rather hectic when busy! We arrived and there are 3 restaurants that look the same so make sure you go into the right one. The food was amazing but the service were really no frills, one waiter came to pour our water and spilled some all over my menu and said nothing, another waiter leaned over my partner as he was eating in order to reach some paper table cloths he was sat beside - it was just bizarre! However for a tasty unique dining experience, it's worth checking out! I would go early as I can imagine this place being very overwhelming at full capacity. It's also BYOB if you fancy an alcoholic beverage.

Don't listen to the tourist hate. This place is great. Service was awesome, food was excellent. Remember, BYOB baby! Always a local favorite. Milon or Panna, pick your destiny ☺️

The fact that they can squeeze so many tables into this place is amazing, but walking past the multiple Indian men trying to get you to go to their restaurant instead of Panna II you step into another world! The low ceiling, or assumably so, but who would know with the thousands of Christmas lights? Squeezing into a table you're presented with lavash-style crackers and dipping sauces, but order the naan...trust me! The vegetarian curry was amazing, as was the tikka masala, but there was nothing bad! This spot was used in the Daredevil tv show, season 2, episode 5 and thankfully that happened or we would have missed out on this and that would have been a crying shame! Definitely check it out!

This place has been around forever. It is full of Indian version of Christmas lights which are thousands of lighted pepper hanging from the ceiling giving the room a kind of funky warmth, from the 60's. It is very small and tight and crowed by a good looking young crowd from the east village area. It seems like 6th street which used to be Indian restaurant row has none left maybe 2 or 3 left. The food came very fast I had the Mixed appetizer and the Lamb Kotai both good not great but good, My buddy had Mulligatawny soup and Lamb Vindaloo very hot and spicy, again good. The only thing that I did not like was we were seated by the front door and we had to keep pushing it closed every time someone came or left, they did not have a spring on it. Dinner for 2 no alcohol $62 inc. tip . Be advised they only accept CASH!

Fancy (borderline tacky?) overload of christmas lights caught our eye as we passed by and so we wanted to check it out. The restaurant itself might only hold about 50 people and it's really just a narrow walkway to get from the front to the back. We weren't allowed to take our large bags with us (just came from airport) so they assured our items would be safe on the awning by the entrance with the doorman. They were there when we returned, but it still made me nervous our whole meal! There were about 4 or so guys that tended to the tables, but it didn't seem like there was one specific server assigned to our table. We opted for something not spicy and we enjoyed both things we got (lamb malai was our favorite). It was a little frustrating to get our check however, because we had to ask multiple times and ended up waiting over 20 min. Food was good, which usually trumps service so we'll probably go back again.

The fish curry was absolutely delicious, but this place is all about the thousands of Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling. The dining room is highly instagramable and a really great find. It would have got an excellent if the staff hadn’t been so unnecessarily rude.

Food was good not great, except the Naan which was very good. You are crammed in shoulder to shoulder- met some nice folks from Barcelona Its CASH only & BYOB which I did not pick up from Yelp- apparently there is someplace near to buy wine. Had a really fun time & will come back. Got there at 6:45- when we left there was a Huge line (sat night).

I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid and I love it so much! When you walk up to the place there’s 2 restaurants and they’re will be 2 guys telling you to come to their restaurant i find it hilarious since the places are identical! They have these amazing lights and Indian pop songs and the food is great! The place is really tight though so i wouldn’t recommend bringing more than 4 people.

I’ve been coming to this place for over 30 years now. The food is always amazing, it’s BYOB, and a fun experience. When I lived in the city, we’d go twice per week. We still come in once or twice per year for a great meal here! The prices have crept up a bit and the serving sizes have gone down a bit, but it’s still a bargain—especially when you bring your own booze. Our favorite thing to do is show up with a bunch of friends and an expensive bottle of red and slurp it up with a table full of food!

Great place for a unique and different experience with all the lights. The service is really good, only cash. The food is not the best indian I've ever tasted but still very good and cheap.

The most important thing about this restaurant is the interior design. You feel like being inside a christmas tree, overloaded with lights. The food was ok but i had better indian food. Go there for the location not for the food.

Authentic feeling curry with a good atmosphere. The level of spice was good, descent sized portion, a surprise for the states. The hanging lights were great and characterful - believe it is a BYOB. A bit of a tight squeeze - especially if all your party are over 6"- but worth it

When Indian restaurant!!! The atmosphere is very nice and it's made particular by all the small coloured lights all around the restaurant!! The service was very good and also if they accept only cash they went to another restaurant to give us the possibilities to pay by credit card!! Food was very nice as always!! Go there for a not expensive indian food!!

We visited Panna on a Wednesday night around 6 when It was fairly quite. I will get right to the point. The Staff do not speak to you, they aggressively sit you down, stare at you, heavy-handedly drop food plates on your table. Carelessly spill water on you or your belongings and simply do. not. care. And that’s just the beginning! After we ordered, we heard one of the staff sneeze loudly, we look over into the kitchen. Staring directly into our eyes, he wipes he’s nose and mouth on the cleaning cloth. That’s not it… in he’s hands, he is holding plates. He walks towards us and starts cleaning the plates with the same cloth. Not to mention still looking at us. Drops the plates on our table and walks away. We ended up swapping the plates with the starter plates on the table next to us. I can’t even put into words how poor the whole service was - from both staff! In my opinion, This man needs serious evaluation. The other staff member is just as rude and careless. The poor hygiene we witnessed with our own eyes, especially after the whole pandemic. It’s disgraceful. I do not even want to think about how our food was handled. I’m sure this review will slide by and this restaurant will continue to stay open. If I can stop one person from going here, I have done my job.

A few days ago I got one of my occasional sudden cravings for authentic Indian food. The island of Manhattan is filled with Indian restaurants, expensive or cheap, fancy or home style, authentic or fusion. For years you could go to 6th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues (and around the corners at both ends) to find restaurant after restaurant offering all prices, styles, and versions of Indian food. In using this "category" I reference the old designation of the Indian subcontinent as "Indian", not the current political divisions of that geographical unit. Almost all of the old 6th Street restaurant district is gone. Few choices remain of the once myriad offerings. But one good one has survived around the corner from 6th Street at 93 First Avenue. Panna II is an authentic survivor of the many many now departed restaurants. They make is old fashioned well made Indian food. We ordered a mixed appetizer, a chicken dansack, and a keema curry. We took home a separate order of chiclen tikka masala. Everything was excellent and exactly as I remembered it. The wait staff was attentive, the service prompt, and the experience reminiscent of years ago. I also have to let the reader know that the decor was that marvelous chaos of hanging lights and day glo colors you never see anywhere else. I have to recommend this to anyone looking for Indian food at a reasonable price in Manhattan. It's not the prices of twenty years ago but it's still worth the expense.

Haha! well i didn't like it, but if you are up for a different kind of Indian restaurant then feel free to try it out. It is for sure a New York thing. I don't think you can find a restaurant like this any other place in the world. If you like your Indian food to be hot then tell the waiters and don't be scared if the menu card describe the dishes as hot. They are not.

I love taking people to this place. They are funny about getting you inside with the other guys next door and below. It's always someone's birthday when I go ;)

Tips are optional. You are not entitled to a tip if the service is awful. We pay for the food. Never coming here again. I watched as other customers were being treated unfairly and disgusted by what I saw.

We were visiting relatives after being out of the country a month, before heading home to Texas. Someone suggested we try this place. A man stood at the second floor entrance, pointing to a big "A", a city designation of a very clean kitchen. We walk into a brilliant explosion of lights! I LOVE being surrounded by colorful Christmas lights, so am immediately cheered. We squeeze down the only aisle and are seated next to a table of six women. They gather money as one tells an employee that there's a mistake on the bill. She ordered a mushroom salad, not an entree. A man asks her if she ate mushrooms. She says she did. He very aggressively states that she is going to pay the bill and she will not leave until it's paid! I don't like his attitude and say that we should leave. I'm told it'll be fine and we've already started munching (complimentary flat chips and dips). The woman turns around and pulls a bill from the pile and say he's not getting a tip. Wish you could have seen the shocked looks on the other women's faces before they scramble to be sure there's enough money! She and another woman get up to leave. The man repeats that she is not leaving until she pays. He shouts something like, "Don't let her leave!" to the other servers. Then, he calls her a rude name. It starts with the letter that they are so proud of displaying. I was appalled!!! Who does that? The second woman reminds him that they are customers and he shouldn't call them names. He replies that it's his place and he can call them anything he wants. THAT'S IT!!! I slap my palms down on the table, get up and yell at him that the customer's right before the three of us leave. I will NOT be the next victim. I am not very familiar with Indian food and don't plan on having a shouting match with him if they bring me a different, more expensive dish. We just spent weeks visiting several western European countries. More than once, we were told that if we didn't like the food, we wouldn't have to pay. That's how confident they were in their food. The food was delicious and that never happened. This was probably just a miscommunication in ordering. If he had just taken the loss of a few dollars, he would have had 9 (6 + us) happy customers that would gladly come back. A good business person knows that it takes more money and effort to get new customers than to keep current ones. As I told the servers when I squeezed by them on the way out, I will NEVER come back and the owner behaved horribly! We went to another Indian restaurant with a higher experience rating and had bigger, more abundant flat chips with our delicious meal. When we told someone about our experience, she said Panna II is known for running after people for a better tip.

When in NYC don't miss Panna II.The decor is very unique and the menu absolutly delicious. The service is excellent , you can bring your wine and beer. The restaurants beside Panna II as decided to copy, but there is only one Panna II, don't miss it you won't regret it!

My friend and I stopped in for lunch while in the city. Everything was delicious and the service was great. Highly recommend!

I've had my fair share of bad experiences in new york city, but nothing tops this one. We made a reservation for 10 people at this place (which if they cannot accommodate, they should limit the number of people per party, it was VERY cramped and they didn't even have enough seats). A few members of our party were running late and we were being harassed by the manager about how we were making him lose business. I've worked in restaurants, I completely understand the frustration with that, but you DO NOT take it out on the customer. In an attempt to mediate, I asked if he could bring us some menus so we could at least be prepared to order. I was ignored 3 times when I asked. Finally, the rest of our party showed up, and when I asked for the menus AGAIN, he revealed that we had a set menu called "family style" for a set price of $25 because we had more than 6 people. We were taken aback by this because we were NOT told this when we made the reservation, and I made sure to let him know that this is 100% not going to work for us because we had a few vegans and vegetarians. One of my vegan friends had to explain to the waiter how the chicken was not vegan and butter was, in fact, dairy and also not vegan, this was a cause for concern that they wouldn't prepare the food properly. He then caved and practically threw the menus at us and said we can order from there but by this point, we were so disgusted by the behavior of the entire staff we had unanimously decided to leave. This caused the manager to freak out at us and even tried seating one of us down and we had to tell him to get his hands off of her. I cannot speak for the food since WE NEVER EVEN GOT TO ORDER, but I cannot recommend this place. The staff's behavior was rude, aggressive, unprofessional, and extremely unethical. This is NOT how you run a business.

I was a tourist in NYC with other friends and we wanted to choose a restaurant with Chistmas decorations. My first impression was that the four restaurants owners around were fighting for us to enter, yelling on us because we didn't go to their restaurants. Once inside, the decoration was too much flashy and the music was too loud. After having asked one of the waiters to turn down the music, he literally answered us "I don't care"! Eventually, because we refused to give any tip because of this bad reception, they forced us to pay the double of the tax as a tip or to call the police. He was really rude ! So my only advise for you is to run away from this place !

This is the kind of place you visit partly because it's an experience. It's small, the music is loud and the lighting is crazy, which creates a special atmosphere. We ate a really good curry and another dish that was more mediocre. Good to know is that you can only pay with cash and if you want to drink anything else than soft drinks, you bring it yourself.

The candles in the ceilings are certainly unique and therefore I invited my family there but the food was not 100. Tikka Masala, who is supposed to be their parade dish, was no big shot. Tasteless. With all the restaurants in NY I chose this one for its uniqueness. Just thought the staff was generally nice until I was told by the staff that we tipped too little. We didn't have any change, so it had to be life less.

Great food is just the beginning. This quirky, BYOB, tiny hole in the wall is well worth the trip to the east village. The draped christmas lights on the ceiling and tables crammed together make it a memorable experience.

You have to be craving Indian food, 'cause this place is uncomfortable, noisy, full (I mean FULL) of lights and decorations- which I found kind of cool- and a bit claustrophobic when packed. Go late to avoid the masses. Also, they don't sell booze so bring your own beer or wine, they'll let you drink it with your meal. Service is familiar and unsophisticated. So, yeah, you have to sweat it a bit to enjoy a good and fun meal here. But if you could take it this far then the good stuff begins. Try the coconut samosa... delicious!! And the chicken tikka masala. These two are no brainers. There are other delicious options such as the sweet nan with nuts and fruit. And the mango lassi is to die for. The tiny scoop of mango ice cream at the end is a great finale... and it's complimentary. So, there are a thousand better restaurants in NY but this place has a great personality, it's on the cheap side for NY standards and it's pretty authentic, everyday, good Indian food. Worth the visit.

Excellent traditional Indian cuisine in a trendy atmosphere. The servers were very nice and practically running from table to table to pick up finished plates and bring the next course. The restaurant is cramped, so make sure to keep your food away from the edge of the table or else someone could knock it over as they slip by.

This place was nice, the service was very good. The decor is charming. The food is very good. Just be careful to enter the right restaurant, since there are 4 very similar looking in the same building.

Visited this restaurant last Saturday while on business in New York. We made a reservation for 8 pm and had to wait for over an hour outside before we were seated. The restaurant below who may be the same owner (as there are four similar restaurants next to each other, two on top and two at the bottom), was constantly trying to mislead and steal those in line for the Top Right restaurant “Panna II” by telling them it’s the same restaurant ...Nevertheless, the Top right restaurant which is the original restaurant was very interesting, very colorful, nothing expensive, on the contrary very inexpensive colorful lights and flea market finds have a unique and festive flair worth seeing at least once. But not worth the hour wait. The food was okay. Indian food is very tasty and has a strong nice aroma to it. No alcohol are served but you can bring in your own. You are cramped one on top of another like sardines in a can and it’s as loud as a beehive. Talking is almost impossible and you are guaranteed to be either nudged, poked, pushed or possibly scraped by those coming in or going out. At the end it was an experience I appreciated but won’t do it again.

The lights! So crazy, but at the same time made it such a fun dinner night. The food was really good and the ambiance of the place too. The space is really unique, but just get ready because its SMALL. Either way, can't way to go again!

With music blasting , cramped seating conditions you wonder why you went but the atmosphere is great and the lighting mesmeric Great fun and positive spirits ... The food is passable and quick to your table But the fun lasts longer

This restaurant was seriously one of the best experiences from my trip to NYC. The restaurant was recommended by someone who said that if I was up for an adventure, I should try Panna II. The 5 other friends I was with decided this would be a perfect place to begin our trip to NYC. The atmosphere here is so unbelievably fun! The staff are very nice, although they are rushing around everywhere try to usher people into the restaurant. One of my friends ended up not enjoying the meal she got, and asked if she could exchange it for someone else. They graciously made her another meal, which was unexpected, but much appreciated! The place is decorated in all Christmas lights--ceiling covered in them--which makes it quite a unique experience. There was also a flash flood warning when we were there, and they kindly let us move from outside to inside. The BYOB is amazing. It significantly makes the prices of the food doable, as well as, makes the night extremely fun. We brought juice to mix with our liquor we had, but others brought wine and beer too--just make sure you bring a mixer if you bring something other than wine/beer. They gave us free appetizers to try and a free dessert too, which was unexpected as well! I have never had any ethnic food, so it was different, but I enjoyed my meal, and the friends I was with enjoyed theirs as well. I would definitely go back here on my next visit to NYC and am going to recommend this place to anyone that goes to NYC!!!! Go here!!! It is seriously an amazing experience!!!

Service was extremely bad, aggressive, impolite and rude ! Got worse when I said I won’t give them a tip, the owner got violent and shout loud that I have to give him a tip. He said loud to all listen TIP, TIP, TIP and at the end offended me with bad words. My wife and I felt very unsafe. I’m sure you will find better and more respectful option close by but get FAR from this ONE !

Terrible food, very rude and abrupt service. Would never go back. They even messed up the naans, there was a Kraft cheese single melted in our "cheese" naan. Curries I've eaten from a food court have been better. Only give one star for the lights which are interesting.

Very eccentric place. Visited with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday. Great atmosphere and lively. Food was good.

Very odd experience. The restaurant was so crowded and cramped, patrons had to walk sideways down the only walkable space to get to the back. Three times, I had someones butt hit my plate (gross). There were so many lights and decorations hanging from the ceiling I could not stand up straignt without being hit in the head. It was very claustrophobic and all I could think of is if there was a fire in this restaurant everyone would be dead. The waiters were walking by (more like squeezing by) with appetizers in dishes with lighted flames. The food was mediocre, I ordered shrimp tikka masala and was brought a different dish. Weird place. Would not return.

I was in this restaurant maybe 20 times, I love this place and I was bringing all my visitors here because it's so unique (everyone loved it). It's a crazy place, not your typical restaurant (if you even try to make a reservation here, you simply don't understand it). Full of lights, they pack you 10 ppl in the place of 6, sing with you, bring free ice cream, and then want to get you out fast so that they can give the table to someone else, lol It's great for birthdays and if you are on a budget, the ratio quality/price is very good and also the fact that you bring your own booze helps. I was impressed by the quality of the food, so you come here not just to have fun but you will also eat very well. It's definitely not everyone's type of place and not for every occasion. I personally love it and always have fun and eat well here.

Normally I would say that it makes sense for an Indian restaurant on Curry Way to do something "different" to gain an edge. And the place was packed so we thought, how bad can it be. Sadly, that was a poor analysis. The decor aside (christmas lights and lit up chili peppers as far as the eye can see) this place is TINY. So expect that any time someone has to go to the restroom, the kitchen or the front door, they will bump, push and wedge their way past you. All this could be OK -- if the food was good. But that wasn't the case. The nan was ok but floury and not light (or warm). The Shrimp Korma was just plain Blah and the Chicken Curry was greasy.

This is certainly the most colourful restaurant I have been to. Full of multicoloured lights it has a great atmosphere. But this is not were it ends. The service, in spite of being fully occupied, was friendly and good. The food offered is northern Indian. The food was excellent and we enjoyed everyone of the dishes we tried. Definitely a place we will frequent again.

I went here with my family for my 26th birthday for the first time, I found out about the restaurant on my instagram explore and even though I read a lot of bad reviews about this place I went there. Food was good, service was good. A lot of attention and love my family and I got from the service. If you’re like me, that like to explore and go to unusual places, this is a must go!

We went on a Friday night, and there are 4 restaurants with the same idea in the same area. When you walk up the Panna II it is upstairs on the right, the owner of there restaurant on the bottom right tried to usher us into his restaurant. Pay attention or you’ll end up in the wrong spot. Now we had about a 20min wait outside and when we got called upstairs WOW!!! The restaurant is small.10-15 tables and the lights and items hang so low you may to duck a bit if your tall like me. It was a fun experience, they have Indian Music playing and it was a blast!! The food wasn’t the best Indian food I’ve had but, it was pretty good.

This restaurant is so much fun! You can't over exaggerate the use of Christmas lights here. The food is great. It's BYOB which is brilliant, they refrigerate your drink and supply an ice bucket too. Really enjoyed our evening here.

My daughter had been here and KNEW i'd love it. The lights alone! Then...the food was fabulous and very reasonable! *Cash only * or we'd have ordered even more ;) It was perfect and fun.

Panna ll is as much about the experience as the food. The restaurant is small, so the tables are close together, with lots of Christmas/Decorative lights covering the entire celling , great atmosphere with friendly staff. We were a group of 11, so the waiter recommended trying a few different dishes to share, and all were very good. This a BYOB and cash only restaurant . A good fun night out.

Gorgeous dining menu. The waiters are friendly. A must try if you want a different experience... Good service... Thank u for everything...

Yes, it’s tacky, not particularly genuine and the food is not the best Indian. But at the same time you won’t have more fun at an Indian restaurant independent of the quality of the food. It reminds me of a night out in Bombay with Indian friends dancing and jumping happily to the beat of the music and putting a shot you your hand every 10 min. Love it!

A wild experience. Lines outside b/c it is really good! If you are claustrophobic get take out.It is BYOB and the music is great.Go just to experience what it might be like in India w/o going but, great food!!

Very good place,good food, loved sweet. We have been long time ago,but still i remember the it's so cool.

I had seen pictures of this restaurant and wanted to try it on our trip. There are actually four restaurants that look similar, panna is on the top right hand side. We waited about 15min for a table. We got it and had to wait by the washroom till it was ready. The place is tight, small and busy! Once we got to our table they came with 3 dips and what I think was crispy naan. We ordered butter chicken and tandoori chicken and samosas. The samosas are huge and the portions are large. Food was great and service good for how busy it was. You can bring your own booze!

I don't know much about Indian food, but when my son who lives in New York wanted to go here, I thought I'd give it a go. There are 4 Indian restaurants that look like they share the building, so if you want Panna II, be sure to go top right! My curry was delicious and my sons both loved their meals. The best part, though, is the decor. This restaurant is tiny and there are thousands and thousands of lights hanging from the ceiling. These aren't just draped daintily from wall to wall; those lights must be three feet thick! Good thing I'm only 5'2" so I could stand up! So if you want really good and fairly inexpensive Indian food, I highly recommend it. If you're claustrophobic you might want to get takeout! Also -- could be important -- it's BYOB only!

Great photos, poor food. Went here with friends during a girls weekend. We waited about 20 minutes to get in. The visuals were astounding! Makes for great photos!! But.....the food was bland. I ordered simple chicken tandoori. Chicken was very dry with little taste. Rice was typical. My friend said the Chicken Tikka Masala was not good at all. The experience was great, though, BYOB and super tiny place with lights EVERYWHERE--a fire marshal's nightmare. If I venture back to 1st ave., I'll try the other three Indian restaurants right next door.

To est at this restaurant is an experience! it is strange yet fun, loud yet exciting. The food was good and the service was on point! This is a restaurant witch is entertaining.

Food is really tasty! Quick service. The place is small and feels a bit to much, but it's nice to have experienced it!

The lights were pretty for maybe 2 minutes and then it came down to the food and customer service. I've had much better Indian food on curry row and this was not the best. The waiter did not respond to our needs, napkins, drink, more rice all went unresponded.

We ate the greatest indian food ever! Simplicity discribes the most this cute little place. Went with friends for dinner, shared all dishes and it was absolutely gorgeous, not too spicy. The only thing is that it's a bit small and you need to go early if you dont want it to be too crowded.

Awful service Small portions Pricey for what you get !!!! Cramped and tight environment - sat with our coats on laps!!!

This festive little spot was our favorite part of trip to NYC. The staff was so hospitable and attentive and the hundreds of strings of lights set the mood for a joyful evening enjoying our own wine (yes, BYOB) and some delicious Indian food.

I was there with my work, a group of maybe 15 people. We had ordered a table and the food had been pre-arranged. It was not the best indian food i´ve had, but the atmospere, the lighting and the volume of the music made it an amazing experience to visit this restaurant.

The food was so good and the atmosphere even better. We had local friends take us here. We were not disappointed. It is bring your own beer or wine. You buy it in the little store downstairs. They take care of it for you. We loved it.

Made a reservation in early November for 10 guests for 7:30pm Thursday November 23. As we were a large group and the restaurant is small I went to the restaurant to confirm all 10 for 7:30 and was told great see you then. Some of our guests arrived early at 7:05 and were told reservation was at 7:30 and noticed our table was ready on the left side of the restaurant. Once all 10 people had gathered we arrived back at the restaurant at 7:25 only to be told sorry you have to wait we had walk-ins come in before you so we gave away your tables you can just wait outside and we will seat you when they leave. Not how you get & keep Customers!!!!

Always a fun stop loue tight and at least 10 people’s birthday Good for groups and a cheap night out Byob and sharedplates are great

A bit far from the center of activities. The place is small and condensed. The food is ok. The cleanliness could be better. The service is slow. Further it is a cash only and they demanded their tip even with a bad service we got!

Absolute joke of a restaraunt. Booked a table for 8 ppl got there no table reserved they had to kick ppl down the table so we could squeeze in....literally its the smallest restaurant ever!! The service was the worst ive ever experienced rude, aggressive and pushy. Making us order before we where ready trying to change our order for us. Basically as soon as we got there they where trying to push us out the door. The food wasnt even that great had to add salt to my meal because it was so bland!! To be fair the lights where pretty cool but thats as far as id go. Dont waste your time or money.

This was by no means the best curry i've had, the food was a little bland, the space was far too cramped and the service wasn't the best (drink spilt on my wife within 2 minutes and only a serviette and a vague apology was offered) but the atmosphere and kitsch decor is like nothing else. Don't expect a fine dining experience and you'll be more than happy. Bring your own beer is a great idea as that's the thing that often ramps the price up in places like this - and there's a couple of newsagents on adjoining streets so you'll easy find a four pack.

...The restaurant claims to be the place "where Chili Pepper Lights meets Christmas-tree Lights". I thought it might be fun to celebrate a b-day party in such an original atmosphere, so we did a reservation for 15 with a fixed-priced menu. Shame on us, we didn't check the place in first place, because the place is SO tiny, we could barely fit and took us forever to arrange some tables together. Food wasn't quite enough; it was completely tasteless, and lacked spices at all. The dessert consisted in one single plate with three melting scoops, which the 15 of us were supossed to... "share"? Three people showed up at the end of the meal and probably tried a bit of something so they charged us for them too... If you decide to go there despite the reviews you read, I suggest you to go there in advance and stand in the street in front of the place, for a few minutes. Bring some popcorn. You may have some fun observing the staff from this restaurant and his competitor next to it (with an almost an identical decoration), fighting to get the other's clients in. Never ever again!!

This place is the worst curry house I have ever been to. The lights and decor are very different and draw people in but that is the only positive thing I can say about the Panna ll. The waiters were very rude and unpleasant and the food, well, what can I say. Poppadums, half a poppadum each and very greasy. I ordered a Rogan Josh (tomato based) and got something that resembled a Korma, creamy and sweet. It was dreadful. Other meals ordered at my table were equally bad. We were presented with the bill before we had finished eating and very rudely told that it was cash only (I hadn't noticed the small print in the menu - my fault I guess). Then we were practically rushed out the door. Don't go here unless you're not a curry lover.

Food ok but terrible service! Nice with all the lamps bit that was the only good thing that is worth going there for!

The place is really good , and the environment is magic but the servers are a little bit rude if you could change that the place will be perfect !!!

Went there with my sister because we saw it on instagram. Terrifying experience: the guy who let people in was rude and scary. After average food and horrible service we tipped just because "you have to", and when the guy checked out at the amount right in front of us (can someone possibly be more disgustingly rude?)he yelled at us saying was not enough. We left the place in shock and sure we would never go back.

Went here for a friends birthday. It was ok not great. It just ok. Thank goodness we found out that you could bring your own wine because they don't serve alcohol.

This place gets 4 stars for its great vibe….it’s a party! I love the lights galore, there are thousands….the music is so fun. visit at least once…the food is very average, but the service and fun atmosphere make up for it.

Famous for it’s fun interior with LOTS of multi colored lights. The food is also good at a reasonable price

I wish I could give 0 rating here. It was my worst experience in newyork. service was terrible and attitude of manager was even worse. We order 3 dinner combos and we have to asked for about each and every thing in order. for example, 1. they first delivered papad , which was almost uncooked so we sent it back. but they never came back with replacement! 2. they forgot to serve soup (which was part of order) we had to ask for it. 3. they served main course first, instead of soup, so while waiting for soup our main course was cold. they refuse to reheat. 4. even in main course they served 2 parathas instead of 3 so here we again had to ask for our paratha.( and wait. of course) 5. the order included rice and daal, but daal NEVER CAME. ( we were tired of asking each n every thing so we ate rice without daal!!) 6. they handed our check when we were not even completed our meal. and again they forgot to serve us dessert, so YES we had to ASK for it too. 7. after this horrible treatment, we paid entire bill and decided to leave quietly. we had some cash back so we were waiting. when we asked us for our cash back, manager told rudely "we took it as tip". we politely replied "we did not like service". response of manager was "stop complaining. we Dont take complaints". we left place in shock and anger about what we just heard. dear manager, if u read this, we were NOT COMPLAINING. we just gave our suggestion about service. but if u have so much ego not to listen to customer's feedback, keep ur ego with u. never mind, we or our friends anyways not visiting u again ever.

You will not be dissapointed with the service, the food or the looks of this restaurant. Very unique decour, to a very small but lively Indian restaurant. The food was great and the whole dinning experience was great. Note; plenty of lights and decorations hang from ceiling making it a bit challenging if you are tall.

Panna II became one of my favorite NYC Indian restaurants about 7 years ago when I was going to college in the area. Naturally I was drawn in by the mass amounts of chill pepper and Christmas lights engulfing the front window. While lured in by the kitsch factor and the men standing outside calling me in (it's in a building of 4 Indian restaurants, 2 on the ground level, 2 upstairs and men fighting for your patronage to each one) I was wowed by my meal and service. Visiting NYC for the first time in 3 years I made a point to bring my husband here. Nothing has changed. The food and prices are still top notch. Service still friendly, attentive, and prompt. We started with their veggie samosas. They were perfectly fried to crispness that wasn't greasy nor heavy. For my entree I had the chicken malai, which I must say is the best chicken malai I've ever had to the point I can not find a single place in my travels that can compare. The creamy coconut curry dish is made with bananas which add a hint of sweetness that makes the dish. My husband had the lamb tikka masala which was also divine. I can't remember what my friend had but I know he was satisfied as well. The three of us left there full and so very content for $40. I have to also mention it was my birthday and I had a memorable birthday treat at the end of my meal. After our dishes were cleared the place went pitch black and all of a sudden the disco ball went on as an Indian birthday song played! They brought us all complimentary mango ice cream and mine had a birthday candle in it. In summation the food, service and atmosphere was top notch. I will note however there may be some aspects about the place that may turn people off. It's small. While they do a great job of packing people in, it's just that: packed. There is little to no room to stretch out. Also it's bright with all the lights (and if you're tall some of the lights may be sitting atop your head) The music is loud but in my opinion it works with the atmosphere. Also there's no alcohol. However, you can bring in your own. Right next door is a small grocery store with a great craft beer selection. It's part of what makes the atmosphere. If you're looking for a fun, quirky, time I highly recommend Panna II. If you're looking for a quieter, laid back, intimate atmosphere this is probably not the place for you.

This is literally the best Indian food I've ever had and the service was quick and proper. It's a bit small but it's totally worth the trip. Definitely recommended!

This is a pretty unique place overall due to all the crazy lights and music, but I must say the food is really good. The rice was cooked to perfection and the meats and sauces were good but not too overpowering. Try the food!

a bit scary but way over the top not a venue for tall folks and people uncomfortable with small crowded places, can feel like a gift under a christmas tree. All the food same color, taste, with minimal presentation, a BYOB situatuion.

I love Panna II. The Indian food is good, but it's the atmosphere I really go for. The interior of the restaurant is loaded with Christmas and chilli pepper lights and all that lighting gives off a red haze. The restaurant itself is long and narrow and many times you will be seated with others, it's like a rotating dinner party! Very economical as well. Cheap eats and LOTS OF FUN!

Arrived here with a friend who had been here many times. First thought it was more style over substance but food was really good and good value. This is a lively, crazy place. Staff rushing around, cramped space but it is part of the charm. Strongly recommended for those looking for good indian food in a party atmosphere.

Visited this restaurant with my friend, who recommended it thanks to its well-known food. Although the coconut shrimp and the garlic naan were average (was expecting better), I found HAIR in my plate. Extremely rude staff, music unbearably loud and too stuffed. Would not be back.

It feels like you are eating in a train car. This restaurant is up some steps and you have to duck when you walk through it due to the hundreds of colorful lights hanging from the ceiling. If you are celebrating a birthday it is great fun when they have a mini light show and play a disco song. The food is good but the atmosphere really makes the restaurant special.

A local took us here and it was very good indian food and the owner seemed happy to have us. It's also got one of the funkiest decors of any Indian restaurant ever--a million "christmas" lights that look like jalapeno peppers mixed with a dragon and a lot of miniature national flags. Servings weren't huge, and that's a good thing. Recommended.

This is a restaurant you must try, for the decor more than the food itself. You look around and you can't believe you're in such a bizarre place, but it is verry funny, really. The food is good if you like spicy stuff.

Loved the festive atmosphere of the place and the tasty food...but, our waiter was so rude the he ruined our experience. First, he screamed at us when we tried to ask questions about the menu. Then, he removed some dishes from our table to place them in another table...weird!!! He did not show any interest in making us feel welcomed or comfortable. When it was time to order our food, he wanted to decide what we should order. He didn't want to waste a minute of his time with us. We asked for extra napkins that never came. Advice: waiters must be trained and must like the job that they do. None of the employees at this restaurant seemed happy. They must hate what they do. Funny thing is that I have read so many similar reviews and management apologises and promise to do something about the horrible issues but they do nothing...believe me, some of the waiters at this place will abuse you.

Awful service, food was not that cheap and every dish is pretty much the same.. WaitStaff are very pushy and not accommodating. It can be fun since you can bring wine etc. Food is mediocre. A one time only kinda place.

My girlfriend and I stopped here on a Sunday night for dinner. It is very small, and a bit cramped, but fortunately for us, there weren't a lot of people to contend with for space. The place has great atmosphere, and it's a lot of fun. The food was excellent. We had the piazi (veggie fritters), mulligatawny soup, and a vegetable entree with a mild cream sauce, paratha, and mango ice cream. We opted for their vegetarian special for two, which included everything for $20 for both of us. You can't beat that! The only downside is that both people have to get the same thing, but that wasn't a problem for us. The service was very quick, and attentive. It's BYOB for anyone who might like to have a glass of wine with their meal. I would say it's better suited for couples, or small groups of 4 or less. I thought it was interesting that there is another similar restaurant right next door, and yet another downstairs. I'm not sure if they're somehow affiliated or not. When we approached, an employee from the one downstairs tried to persuade us to come to that restaurant so we could sit in their outdoor garden. We opted for Panna II, since we had been wanting to try it for a while now. But just so you know, if you happen to go, and it's crowded, there are other options, literally next door. This is definitely a fun, unique place to grab an inexpensive Indian meal in the east village.

Known for the tacky lights so most go there for the instagram pics. Food was definitely geared towards tourists and non Indians who prefer tasty spicy authentic Indian food. Not authentic in my opinion so definitely won’t go back for the food or the the atmosphere. Very cramped and uncomfortable. Worst was Boshir Khan who came over after we had appetizers and said he wanted us to move downstairs since we were still waiting for another couple (1/2 past our reservation ) we said we would go ahead and order the main course and when they came they would just eat with us. I was with my parents who have a difficult time with steps so going down 2 sets of steps in the middle of eating was totally unacceptable. I don’t understand why they seated us upstairs in the first place when the downstairs was empty or seat the next reservation downstairs. The fact that he was walking around in a suit acting like the customer service specialist and treated us in the most disrespectful way is the main reason for my review. In front of the restaurant there are employees asking others to come in and eat at that place. It doesn’t make sense to ask people on the street to come in when those with reservations are treated so poorly. They just want people in and out. He said that most reservation time is for 1 hour. Never heard of such a thing. I usually have the opposite problem with waiters taking there time to serve and waiting for the check. I’m sure this is a one time spot for most people and they don’t care about repeat customers. 20% gratuity is automatically added to check which proves that they don’t care if you return. This will eventually catch up. Please read All the reviews and don’t be surprised with the worst customer service ever! There are many other Indian restaurants that have much better food and respectable owners/staff where you can enjoy a special evening.

Arrives starving directly from the airport , as a vegetarian I was thrilled to find Indian res just in front of my apartment. The atmosphere is unquestioned lovely and welcomed ,the food though was less than average. The paneer was over cooked and chewy and the dal was way to "mushy".

I called them and asked if they had the King Cobra beer. They stated they had. After making some investigation about this beer in the US, I thought it might not be available. So I called back and asked very specifically about this. On my third question on this they admitted that they did not have. So , we did not bother to visit when I caught then "misunderstanding" my question.

So glad that we trusted the advice of some newbies! The food here is authentic and perfectly prepared. It's rare that I can order a vindaloo in this city that I don't have to ask to be prepared extra spicy! Service is spectacular, and the space is unique. For New Yorkers, think Rolph's with lower ceilings at Christmas time. Wish it were in my "hood"!

Our friend took us down here for a curry. First time we've experienced the East Village, which we liked a lot! Really funny how when you arrive there are actually 3 competing restaurants with the same decor and nothing between them really! Just some friendly banter between what seems like members of the same family trying to steal each other's customers. We went into the one below on the left and the service was very quick, food was delicious and it was BYOB so we had a lovely time! Yes Christmas lights decor will really make you laugh, it creates a really fun vibe. One draw back was that on a busy Friday night they really wanted us to go as soon as possible. They asked whether they could have our table even though we weren't finished with our drinks, and then when they moved us to the garden to finish our drinks, they forgot who we were and kept asking if we wanted dinner!

We tried this restaurant after hearing about the beautiful chili lights, and were very happy to eat dinner here. The tight seating and fast paced meal both contributed to this fun atmosphere. However, the cuisine was some of the worst Indian food we've had. We tried to order aloo paratha and were told they only had plain that night. They also only had 1 type of soup (lentil) and 1 dessert (mango ice cream) even though the menu listed many more options. We ordered the chicken tikka masala and chicken saag, both which were dry, and with sauce that must have been a watered down canned version - no way that was homemade. We were happy to have tried this place, but would definitely not return.

I don’t even know how to begin this review. The experience has left me shook. The manager was extremely rude since the minute we sat down and declined my friend’s request to get an appetizer only since she wanted to share her food with me. This was at 7:30 PM. Yet, me and three of my friends ordered 80$ worth of food and were given different orders. Since I am an indian, I recognized the food given to us wasn’t what we ordered and asked several waiters to change this. When we finally received our order, we didn’t get our sides until last minute. The chapatais and naan were literally HANDED TO US in foil. I mean no plate no spoon, just foil. The waiter dumped the chicken curry in my friend’s plate and took the tray with him. I have never seen anything like this before. As said here, the place is tiny and I understand waiters get busy but this is absolutely NO WAY to treat customers or even people. When given our bill, we decided to tip less than 18% since our experience was absolutely horrible and the guy literally screamed at my friend. The manager halted me and my friend at the door and pushed us back to our seats and asked us to sit and pay him 18%. This was legit assaulting us as we were about to leave and were forced, in the middle of this tiny place, to pay the full tip even if we hated the service. There is absolutely no law about the 18% tip in NY. Yet, the manager kept mumbling that this is a state law. The whole restaurant was staring at me and my friend and looking down on us while this whole thing happen. I am shaken to the core. After living in the city for years, I have never been treated like this. I was ashamed of being an indian because of this whole experience. The manager had no respect for his customers let alone for women. The food is not at all up to par. If you like the food here, you obviously haven’t tasted or tried out authentic Indian food. I want to complain about the manager some way and I will find a way to hold him accountable for the way he has treated us. This place needs to be shut down if this is how they treat women. DO NOT GO.

Great food, but a very poor service.... Be prepared to queue, but don't worry, it won't be too long as diners are pressured into ordering fast and then brig rudely told to hurry up and finish as there are customers waiting. I opted for a set meal; soup, starter, main meal, condiment and dessert. I wasn't given my choice of starter, I didn't receive my condiment at all and dessert was given on one plate for all six of us. Staff still demanded a 20% tip.

This is quite possibly one of the most bizarre restaurants I have ever been to. It is tiny, and in a building with 3 other competing restaurants who had people outside trying to lure is in. We were seated at the back near the toilet, which with the door open could have provided an extra seat at our table! The staff were friendly and the food was good. If you are a large group and any of you are over 5'10 you may feel claustrophobic but it was a good experience.

I have been going to this restaurant for nearly 30 years. While it has become famous (Jon Stewart goes there) and the prices, which once were quite cheap, are now closer to other indian venues, the place is one of the iconic places in NYC. The food is still great, prices still moderate and the scene.......... A gazillion lights hung so low that anyone over 5 foot 8 inches has to bend down to avoid the lights. When someone has a birthday they have a light show with dancing music that just adds to the festivities. Suggestions: from 6 pm until at least 10 pm the place is packed (especially on weekends) and there is a line. the good news is that the restaurant next store has imitated Panna II exactly (even has the same birthday music and lights), so if the line is too long go to that one. The restaurants below Panna II (it is up a staircase) are also imitating Panna and one of them has a garden in the back for eating. I would suggest to go after 10 pm or early before 6 pm.

the food is great and the atmosphere is also great. the service was also awesome. i heard that this place used to have a cheaper price than now. but everything is expensive in the city. i would definitely go back there, but there is usually a line of people waiting.

If I could give 0 star i would of. How can anyone give 4 or 5 stars to this place is beyond out of their mind. They served me and my friend freaking Pita bread as Naan bread, are you freaking kidding me, the waiter is like no this is Naan break. I eat Indian food all the times I know what is Naan and what is Pita, the food is absolutely no where close to good, its terrible and no where like traditional Indian food, had no flavors on chicken Vindalo, suppose to be spicy dish, but soo blend n 1 piece of potatoe reallly, horrible. Place is soo tiney and they rushed us out in less then 20 mints, disguesting and horrible place. This place is good for pictures but definitely not for food, avoid at all cost.

Entertaining and fun for those who have no idea of Indian food. Looks and feels original but I would like to rely on my Indian friends to confirm. Don't take your date here, you won't be able to talk! It is loud and fun place to go with a group. No credit cards accepted, only cash.

Reasonable lunch.

Most UNFRIENDLY staff and below average food. My worst experience amongst all restaurants in New York. The only selling point of this place is the ambiance lights.

great, great, awesome food, it blowes your mind away...first is fresh due to coriander, than sweet, than the heat comes...every dish is new excitement...the place is packed and full all the times. Also, right next to this are three Indian restaurants and the guys from those places will try to lure you...telling you crap like: there is private party at Panna II, or something else, but to not trust them and do not go to any other than Pana II. Believe me, that is the food you want to eat.

Starting with a relaxed and different atmosphere! It makes it seem like you're somewhere else in the world !! Wonderful food and the best Samosa I've ever eaten !!

Panna II is decent enough. The food was average. Upon trying to enter the restaurant I had 2 solicitations for the other "Indian and lights" restaurants. One of the waiters was a bit rude but the rest were generally friendly. After my meal they did inform me that it was cash only so I had to make a trip down the stairs to the ATM outside. NOTE: This place is CASH only and BYOB.

My husband and I were visiting our son and daughter-in-law in Manhattan (Sept 14, 20019) Her parents from Italy were there also. They made a reservation to this rotten place to experience the christmas light atmosphere . What a terrible experience it turned out to be. Small, cramped and hot! size of a small bus.We were rushed to our table and here comes our rude older server that copped an attitude right off the start. First off, he would not give us a menu, instead just started telling us what to order since there was 6 of us. It was a better deal to order 6 $25.00 dishes saying plenty of food for 6 people...blah blah blah. Again we asked for the menus. Finally got them with a attitude. We ordered 6 main dishes to share for 14.95 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also he only would give us 1 small platter of rice. No alcohol, he said BYOB. Only had water. I wasn't a fan of the food, some of family liked it. Now for the bill....Had to pay cash and we gave a tip. Server picks it up and said you owe me 5 more dollars. Told him we gave a 20% tip. He yelled again, no, you owe me 5 more!!! and started writing on the tablecloth the numbers. At that point we were all in shock, never in my life have I experienced such rudeness and attitude from a server. Everyone was watching us and he just did not care! Yelling, I work for tips! Finally my husband threw down another 5 bucks, just to shut him up. Meantime my daughter-law was talking to another server who had approached her and told her he is so sorry, he is not the boss and he is going to report him to the owner. Plus he was recording the whole fiasco on his cell phone. It was just a totally ludicrous, ridiculous S#it show. So do yourself a favor, just wrap yourself up with Christmas lights and eat some take out and definately pass on this place. Crazy town!!!! Just not worth it!!!!!

Yes, this restaurant is great for the Instagram photo - but honestly it is not worth the hassle. We showed up with a booking for 8pm and waited over an hour in the freezing cold for our table - the only reason we had waited so long was because they continually told us your next and took our alcohol inside and would not give it back. Numerous groups continued to show up also pronouncing they had bookings to be told to wait in line. Once seated one of our party was behind the door and continued to get hit every time someone walked in and out. We were informed we had to do a set menu with no idea the price or what food we would be getting. The food was average and portion sizes were small. For us then to get the bill of $40 per person with tax and tip included!! I cannot believe this will go down as one of the more expensive meals I have had in New York!

We came to visit this place with my friend and we were shocked how rude was waiter with us. First he insisted in agressive manner that we should pay 20$ or more or we couldn't eat there. Even as we agree when it was time to pay he made up his own price he said just give me 25$ and go and would not bring a bill. When he finally after 10 minutes of doing nothing by hanging around us bring a bill the total was 14$ and he was trying to demand 25$. All evening he was extremly rude and agressive it felt like we were gonna be attacked. We complained manager about this situation but still he ruined our whole impression of that place.

Went there on a recommendation. Food was very reasonably priced. Taste was less than average. Fun decor. I wouldn't go again, but at same time don't regret going once.

You go here for the experience! Is not the best food in the world, nor is it the worst. It's quite tiny but they squeezed is in. Be aware there is 4 different restaurants that all look the same so be sure to go in the right one. The staff are in a hurry and quick to get you in and out. However we had a nice time and I would probably visit again. It's BYOB and we didn't know so just soft drinks for us! It was fun and the food was reasonable.

Be prepared to be "assaulted" prior to entering one of 4 adjacent, from what I can tell, identical restaurants. 4 hosts desperately want your patronage. After you adjust your sight to the Christmas lights that hangs down your face, you'll be confronted by slight claustrophobia. You dine intimately w/strangers. We opted 2 combos to go w/the wine we brought. They were eager to uncork ours and for free! Once the food started to come, you'll understand the hype. I don't drink so my judgement was not in any way impaired. The usual suspects were better than expected. The portions were big enough that we had plenty for our doggy bag. We enthusiastically celebrated a fellow patron's bday in flashing lights & disco ball. It was a blast!

Great authentic Indian cuisine. Colorful atmosphere and quick service. Both dishes we ordered were fantastic.

Tiny restaurant fully decorated with all the lights of BOLLYWOOD, excellent service, in East Village on Ist Ave. Takes only cash for payment. Really good food and great area to explore after eating.

Visited this restaurant about 15 years ago and loved it. Such great atmosphere. Unfortunately it is nothing what it used to be: The food was really one of the worst we had in New York. We saw the chefs using microwaves, not even sure if they cook there on a stove. The naan bread was definitely not fresh but something bought in a super market and heated up. The staff wasn‘t the friendliest either. It used to be packed, when we visited, it was half empty. No wonder.

This was a birthday celebration which in fact was horrible. We arrived at the restaurant to be told are table is not ready for another 30 mins so we had to wait outside. Our server who knew we were tourists then insisted that we wouldn’t see a menu and that we got a group deal then he proceeded to making up a price on the spot and in fact later found out it was double the actual price on the menu. The food we received wouldn’t even feed children it was so small for a group of 8 males. Our server who was very rude proceed to smoke outside the front door without washing his hands between his cigarettes(took photos as it was very unhygienic). Then as it is a CASH ONLY restaurant they decided probably because we are out of town to add on a tax on a cash payment which should only happen only on card transactions, we notified the server about this and he demanded that we pay the tax then he got his Colleague out and we explained that there shouldn’t be a tax he completely agreed so our server was completely trying to get as much money as possible. It was an awful experience as firstly overcharged us nearly double, didn’t even let us look at a menu, was smoking, very rude (shouting to us at the end even though we were celebrating a birthday). I have told people about the experience we faced and I just hope people never have to experience that. Please avoid this restaurant at all costs. Never again

It's a crazy place: tight beyond belief and over-the-top festive. Service that you have to summon, and/or intercept. Get the idea!? Place came highly recommended (from a college student, so we were wary....) Went with a family of four that does not do Indian very often at all, and we loved it! Tasty food that felt freshly prepared. Tasty tasty tasty! BTW, you are in the heart of Indian food centrale here, so dodge the dozen other touts you will see on the way here. Or not, and maybe discover something equally nice! Gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I am stingy with my stars. :-)

I live in New York City and am a huge fan of Indian food. So for my friends's birthday two years ago we decide to go to Panna (we saw all the lights in the pictures and were hooked hah). Soooo, we got there and there were four different restaurants that looked exactly the same, lights and all. The managers of the restuarants were all standing in front of their restaurants giving you reasons to come to theirs instead of the others. It's hilarious!!!! So we stuck to our opinion, even though one of the other restaurant owners offered us free wine. Panna is extremely small, but the food is delicious and I always have a great time there. Also, you can bring alcohol there. Major bonus!

So, the place is mad. The way I hear it, where there used to be one, now there are two or three Indian restaurants all of the same staircase and all owned by the same family - but all of whom seem to have fallen out. There are constant, verbal (and sometimes loud and right by your table) verbals going on between the restaurateur and his customers/ rival restaurants. The food was OK, but, if I am honest, nothing to write home about. You have to go just once though, because the atmosphere is electric. Decoration comes courtesy of literally thousands of fairly lights hanging from - well everywhere. My chicken vindaloo was bland and the chicken was not the best bit of poultry I have ever eaten - a bit too dry for my taste, I am afraid. Overcooked. Sauce was OK, but again - nothing special. Cash only. Bring your own Booze.

This place is a must if you are in for some unusual dining experience! The food is also nice! However avoid this place if you don't like loud music, small spaces and sitting (very) close to your neighboors!

First of all, the place is extremely small, expecially, if you decide to go there with more than two people. We booked a table for 9 people and when arrived, we were given a table for 7. Two of us were to arrive a bit later so we've been told "don't worry, we'll do something". First shock, then ok, let's give them a chance see how it goes. When our friends came, the waiter asked me to get up so they could add a table. We ordered the food and w had 8 main dishes for 9 people, they waiter is like "no, it's one dish per person, you have to order". We told him that we are a table of 9 and we get 8 dishes and all the siders and extra, what is the big deal? Our friend who didn't want to get the main dish was very rudely asked to leave and that they need the table they added. Can this even be possible anywhere?! After this, we asked for the bill and we got it on a paper, handwritten, tip included (I don't even know why on the earth they asked for tip for such service?!) and the best part of all, we had to pay all in cash. Even though their website says they garantee satisfaction and money refund, how can you prove what you've paid, if the they don't give any receipt? Total scam. We were so happy to get out of that place and never be back there again. Nightmarish experience.

A nice dinner spent with my family in an authentic Indian restaurant. Very tasty food. We choose 3 different dishes and all 3 of them delicious. A little bit work how the waiters are serving. A little smile makes a lot. Overall is the relation between guest and host. We'll be back.