In a milestone recognition for regional Indian cuisine, Semma, a South Indian restaurant located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, has claimed the top spot on The New York Times’ prestigious list of the 100 best restaurants in New York City for 2025.
The highly anticipated annual list marked a shift in format, with the paper ranking only the top 10 restaurants and listing the remaining 90 without order. Semma topped a competitive field that included acclaimed spots such as Atomix, Le Bernardin, and Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi. Last year, Semma had placed seventh.
Led by Executive Chef Vijay Kumar, Semma has made waves for its unapologetically authentic approach to South Indian food. The restaurant’s menu celebrates the rustic, village-style cooking of Tamil Nadu, bringing dishes rarely seen outside Indian homes into the spotlight of New York fine dining.
“This is unprecedented in so many ways,” the restaurant wrote in a statement on Instagram following the announcement. “Semma isn’t just about Indian food, it’s about what happens when a cuisine, any cuisine, speaks in its own voice, untranslated and unafraid. This win isn’t just ours. This is for every cuisine that’s been sidelined. For every chef who’s led with vulnerability instead of validation. And for every diner who’s shown up with an open mind.”
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Since its opening four years ago, Semma has stood apart from the pack. Its menu features bold offerings such as snails (nathai pirattal), rabbit, and fermented rice pancakes, refusing to dilute or translate its dishes for easier consumption. In an industry often driven by crowd-pleasers, Chef Kumar’s choices—like thinai khichdi (foxtail millet porridge) and eral thokku (prawns in a spicy tomato sauce)—reflect a deeper commitment to cultural specificity.
Kumar, who previously led California’s Rasa to a Michelin star, has crafted Semma’s menu to showcase complexity and depth without compromise. Small plates highlight seasonal produce and traditional snacks, like paniyaram served with grandmother-style chutney. Medium dishes lean into bold spice profiles – wild mushrooms stir-fried with Southern Indian aromatics, or scallops paired with pineapple in annasi pazham. Large-format plates include branzino wrapped in banana leaf, Dindigul-style biryani, and ghee-roasted lamb chops. For those planning ahead, a whole Dungeness crab, served with flaky parotta and coconut rice, is available by pre-order.
The cocktail program echoes the kitchen’s regional sensibilities. Drinks are infused with Indian flavors and ingredients – curry leaves, saffron, cardamom, and jaggery blended into creations like the mezcal-based Yajaman Sour and the Thanga Magan Colada, made with Indian single malt and cultured coconut.
The 2025 list was curated by New York Times interim restaurant critics Priya Krishna and Melissa Clark, along with editor Brian Gallagher. The team sifted through more than 20,000 restaurants citywide to select their final 100.
“Of course, New York has more than 100 incredible spots,” they noted in the publication. “But these are the ones we’d recommend to our friends – places worth the splurge, or even a one-hour subway ride.”
Semma’s win is a milestone for underrepresented cuisines in America’s culinary capital.
