Chef-owner Abishek Sharma has spent years introducing New Yorkers to regional Indian cooking through restaurants including Swagat and Madam Ji. His latest venture, Badshah Social, takes a broader view, drawing on the flavours, stories and energy of India’s street food culture to create a lively neighbourhood restaurant built around sharing, conversation and bold cooking. Named after the Hindi word for ‘The King,’ the Brooklyn restaurant combines an open kitchen, inventive cocktails and a menu shaped by Sharma’s travels across India.
Designed by Sharma himself, the interiors blend Brooklyn character with references to India‘s royal heritage. A colour palette of Knicks blue and burnt orange runs throughout the space, with floor-to-ceiling windows connecting the dining room to the street outside. Plush banquette seating sits beneath crystal crown chandeliers, while artwork celebrates the Royal Kings of India alongside Brooklyn’s own icon, The Notorious B.I.G. A cosy bar with high-top seating allows guests to drop in for drinks, while a private dining room offers a more intimate setting for celebrations and group dinners.
The open kitchen forms the heart of the restaurant, where guests can watch chefs work the tandoors using premium ingredients and hand-ground spices imported from India. Sharma developed the menu after travelling through Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gujarat, Punjab and Southern India, collecting family recipes and regional techniques before reimagining them for contemporary diners without losing sight of their origins.
Street food classics sit alongside slow-cooked specialities and charcoal-grilled favourites. Dishes such as Chowpatty Ka Bhutta, inspired by Mumbai’s famous beach snack, Old Delhi Chicken Tikka and Lahori Seekh Kebab celebrate regional traditions, while the signature Hyderabadi Dum Biryani is prepared to order using the traditional sealed-pot cooking method. Familiar comfort dishes including Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer and freshly baked breads round out a menu designed for sharing.
The drinks list takes its cues from India’s spice markets, with cocktails including the gin-based Aam & Onion, coffee-led Late Night Chai and the floral Rose Bazaar. Alongside Indian beers such as Kingfisher and a considered wine selection, Badshah Social offers an engaging new take on Indian dining in Brooklyn, where regional traditions meet contemporary design and genuine hospitality.
Badshah Social Brooklyn Photography, Vladimir Pinis.