A new London transplant has opened up in NYC’s Nomad, and at one point had a 32,000 person waitlist for a reservation. To say that Ambassadors Clubhouse is one of the buzziest openings this year is a master of the obvious move. But beyond the maitre’d is it worth the hype? This is the review of the new Ambassadors Clubhouse in NYC.

Atmosphere

There’s an air of intrigue as you walk into Ambassadors Clubhouse, as it sticks to a clubhouse theme of exclusivity. There’s no velvet rope but unless you get past the maitre’d stand, you don’t even get a glimpse of the bar, much less the dining room. What you do see though sets you up for the ornate theme of the design, like you’re in an old London member’s club complete with portraiture of esteemed members. The space is a throwback to another era like when you traveled with steamer trunks. Design is dark, brooding, rich with patterns, fabrics and heavy carpeting.

The first floor is the bar area which has dining tables around the perimeter. You would almost think this was the entire restaurant, but that designation goes to the subterranean level down the staircase. Both areas are a scene, with a dialed-in NYC crowd. Everyone from influencers, foodies and those of Indian descent gather for elevated Punjabi cuisine. Before they serve one order of Tandoori chicken, Ambassadors Clubhouse serves a scene.

Food + Beverage

To start out on a positive note, the food is beautifully presented. It’s like you’re at someone’s home and they break out the good silver serve ware and China for your visit. It feels like a posh dinner party, and I loved the creative presentation of the food. I’m going to preface my actual review of the food by saying that maybe I’m not a Punjabi cuisine expert. I will say that after my meal at Ambassadors Clubhouse, I’m still not a fan of Punjabi cuisine. Everyone has raved about the food at Ambassadors Clubhouse but I found it heavy and overly and unnecessarily sauced. Afterwards, I walked home in the rain for 50 minutes as I was in dire need of something to move the food that was like bricks in my belly.

With that established, it’s not to say that the food isn’t conceived or executed as intended. The menu is generous, with plenty of selection for those who are vegetarian and pescatarian. I would say that the menu sounds traditional, but the presentation is what’s modern and innovative. We started with the equivalent of their bread basket, which was the selection of papadums with three small dips of traditional mint, yogurt and tomato chutneys. I was hopeful at that point, but then the beetroot raj kachoori chaat arrived. It looked beautiful, atheatrically colored puffed semolina. The dish was on every table around us, so I thought it had to be good. Our server instructed us to break the puff and mix the underlying yogurt, lentil and beets. While it was great for an Instagram video, the result was a heavy hot saucy mess.

We moved onto the tandoor section, where we ordered the prawns, which were massive and came out in a set of three. They were coated heavily in yogurt, and while good, didn’t make me feel good after just one prawn. The crab Bhurji, which was like an Indian taco, was equally heavy, when it could have turned out so differently. We paired the courses with the Punjab salad, which was effectively onion and some cucumber in search of something light. The meal was so heavy that it was hard to even enjoy the breads, which I normally love at Indian restaurants. We took most of our food home, but where most leftovers don’t last past 9am at my house, these were left uneaten.

The highlight of the meal was the frozen yogurt they brought out for my friend’s birthday. The baked Alaska at a neighboring table also looked delicious, which I would order if I ever returned. Overall though I would prefer to just come for the service and scene, and pass on the food.

Service

While the decor is old school private club, the service is modern, fresh and polished, without any pretense. The maitre’d team could easily play into exclusivity, but instead, they are welcoming, even if you arrive sans reservation. That doesn’t mean you’re getting a table, but they will make a sincere effort to try to squeeze you in. They set the tone of hospitality which continues with the service team on the floor. The team isn’t formal but they are professional and knowledgeable about the robust menu. The flow of dinner is effortless as dishes come out family style and coursed to enjoy each dish.

Overall: 7/10

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FAQs

Q: Where is Ambassadors Clubhouse NYC located?

A: Ambassadors Clubhouse NYC is located in the Nomad neighborhood at 1245 Broadway, New York, NY 10001.
Phone: (607) 247-8870

Q: What are the hours of operation of Ambassadors Clubhouse NYC?

A: The hours of operation of Ambassadors Clubhouse NYC are as follows:

Q: How do you make reservations at Ambassadors Clubhouse NYC?

A: You make reservations at Ambassadors Clubhouse NYC at Resy. If you want to do a very early bird special, around 5pm, you can take a chance to walk in. However you are at the mercy of the maitre’d if they’ll fit you in.