The gunpowder dosa is $21, and it is the right place to begin at Semma. The crisp, ghee-coated rice-and-lentil crepe arrives as a triangle around potato masala, with sambar and sauces alongside. It has enough structure to share, though ordering one each makes sense if this is the reason for the visit. Semma is in Greenwich Village, at 60 Greenwich Avenue, and dinner runs Monday to Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The restaurant is Michelin one-star, but the useful detail is simpler: this is a South Indian menu with a defining dosa, a lively bar and a small number of walk-in seats.
Karpo can check Semma's live hours, the current wait and the quickest route from where you are, then suggest a nearby Greenwich Village backup if needed.
Start with Semma's triangular gunpowder dosa
The gunpowder dosa is Semma's defining order, and its presentation is part of the appeal. Rather than arriving as a long rolled tube, it is deliberately folded into a crisp triangle. The rice-and-lentil crepe is coated with ghee and opened around potato masala, with sauces and sambar for dipping or spooning. At $21, it is one of the clearest ways into the menu without committing to the more substantial seafood and meat dishes. The dosa also gives the table something crisp and aromatic before the richer plates arrive.
Paniyaram is another strong first course: rice-and-lentil dumplings with asafoetida and paatti's chutney, singled out by Eater as one of Semma's standout dishes. For a larger table, the Ghee Roast Lamb Chops bring tender lamb with vegetable pulao and spicy salna, while the Goanese Oxtail is an Angus oxtail curry scented with green cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and cilantro. These are not variations on a generic Indian restaurant menu. The cooking draws from Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Choose the room before choosing the table
Semma's front room and bar are the buzzy part of the restaurant. A white marble bar catches the warm light, and the room has woven basket lamps, orange-striped banquettes and deep tropical-green accents. It suits a first drink, a more animated dinner or anyone who likes the sound of a busy room around them. The bar has 12 full-service seats, which matter because they are specifically held for walk-ins rather than being an afterthought.
The raised back room is quieter and better for a conversation. That distinction is worth taking seriously when booking, because the front room is not the best choice if calm is the priority. Cocktails are $22, and sides including kal dosa and parotta are $6 each. The bar can therefore work for a drink and a small plate, but Semma is more rewarding when the meal has room for the dosa, a main dish and something to carry the sauces.
Book 15 days ahead, or arrive for the opening
Reservations are released through SevenRooms exactly 15 days ahead at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. That is the useful date to mark rather than checking at random, particularly for a Saturday dinner or a quieter table in the back room. Semma is closed on Sunday, so the weeknight rhythm runs from Monday through Saturday, with dinner service ending at 10:00 p.m.
Walk-ins are possible at the 12 full-service bar seats, and the best practical drop-in window is close to the 5:00 p.m. opening. That does not guarantee a seat, but it is the sensible approach when a last-minute dinner matters more than a particular table. Avoid planning around Sunday, and do not confuse the lively bar-side setting with the quieter rear section when deciding whether to book or wait.
Build the meal around one crisp dish and one curry
The menu has enough range to make the order feel like a proper meal rather than a dosa stop. Eral Thokku is $25 for tiger prawns with green chilli, fenugreek and curry leaves. Meen Pollichathu costs $49 and is a banana-leaf-wrapped branzino with ginger and shallots. Valiya Chemmeen Moilee is $55 for lobster tail in a mustard-, turmeric- and coconut-milk gravy, served in the shell and made for spooning over rice.
The Kanyakumari Nandu Masala is $145 for two, with Dungeness crab, parotta and coconut rice. It is a special-occasion order rather than an impulse choice: availability is limited, and preorder is requested. That price also changes the shape of the meal, so it makes more sense for a planned dinner than for a casual walk-in. For a more flexible table, the dosa, a $25 prawn dish or a $49 branzino gives the menu room to breathe without making the crab the centre of the evening.
Use the West Fourth Street station as the practical route
The West Fourth Street–Washington Square station is the most useful arrival point. It serves the A, B, C, D, E, F, M and <F> trains and sits about half a block south of the southeast end of Greenwich Avenue. That makes the subway the straightforward choice for dinner, especially when the destination is being fitted around a wider Greenwich Village evening.
The 1, 2 and 3 trains stop at 14th Street on Seventh Avenue, which is another option if that line is already on the route. No dedicated parking or valet arrangement was identified in the reviewed information, so driving is not the practical default here. Check the route shortly before leaving, particularly if the plan is to arrive near 5:00 p.m. for a walk-in bar seat.
Semma or a Greenwich Village backup?
Semma is the more specific choice when the meal needs to be Michelin-starred South Indian cooking and the gunpowder dosa is the point. It opened in Greenwich Village in October 2021 as a project from Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya, the team behind Dhamaka and Adda. Chef Vijay Kumar, born in Tamil Nadu, shapes a regional menu rather than a broad pan-Indian one. The name means “fantastic” in Tamil, and the restaurant's current site also notes the James Beard Foundation's 2025 Best Chef: New York State honour.
For a different kind of nearby dinner, Song'E Napule at 132 West Houston Street is a dependable Greenwich Village backup for Neapolitan pizza, with open-table availability and a strong charred crust. Shmoné, at 61 West 8th Street, suits a more intense Israeli date-night meal with bar seating. Bartolo, at 310 West 4th Street, is the calmer alternative for a cosy Basque-style tavern, rich Spanish dishes and a sherry-focused drink list. None replaces Semma's dosa, but each answers a different version of the same nearby dinner need.
- Address: 60 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10011, in Greenwich Village.
- Hours: Dinner Monday through Saturday, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; closed Sunday.
- Reservations: SevenRooms releases bookings 15 days ahead at 9:00 a.m. Eastern; 12 full-service bar seats are held for walk-ins.
- Getting there: West Fourth Street–Washington Square serves the A, B, C, D, E, F, M and <F> trains; 1, 2 and 3 trains stop at 14th Street on Seventh Avenue.
- Price band: Gunpowder dosa $21, Eral Thokku $25, Meen Pollichathu $49, Valiya Chemmeen Moilee $55, cocktails $22 and sides $6.
Tags: #NewYorkCity #GreenwichVillage #SemmaNYC #SouthIndianFood #GunpowderDosa #MichelinDining #NYCRestaurants #RestaurantNearMe #DosaInNYC #IndianFoodNYC #WestVillageDining #GreenwichVillageEats #NYCDinner
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Before heading to Semma, ask Karpo for the current hours, live bar wait, best subway route or the nearest backup with a table.
