Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Openings: Drāvida on 1st Avenue

Photo by Juan Carlos Dominguez

Drāvida debuted last Thursday at 211 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

The restaurant by chef Aarthi Sampath draws from South Asian cuisines and diaspora cooking, with influences from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Trinidad, Guyana and elsewhere. 

Menu items include Trinidadian doubles, oxtail bunny chow, idlis with shrimp, and nasi kandar. Find the menu here

The two-floor establishment includes a 20-seat downstairs bar called Jam and Jaggery. 

Sampath moved to New York from Mumbai in 2013 and previously worked at restaurants including Junoon, The Breslin and the Rainbow Room. (You may also recognize her from some reality TV shows, like when she won on "Chopped" and "Beat Bobby Flay.") 

No. 211 has been vacant since Luzzo's left here in 2022.

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