CULINARY VISION
We start with tradition. The cooking of our mothers and teachers is our culinary foundation. Curiosity carries it forward in food that reflects who we are now.
An Indian culinary background is always present at Passerine, but it serves as our vocabulary, not as a rulebook. Often, our spices come directly from family in India, whose flavors are then reinterpreted in our kitchen with local and seasonal ingredients from the Greenmarket. The cooking of India blended with New York.
We’re here to foster community. Every dish is easy to share, whether it's a quick bite at the bar or as part of a full dinner. Each element in our food is an invitation; we can’t build a new identity of Indian food without you.
All our focus is on the guest experience. Our kitchen brings fine-dining discipline and precision to your table, but every Passerine guest walks into a warm and intimate ceremony in our dining room, one that is approachable on weeknights yet exciting on weekends.
Here, “something different” becomes something memorable. We promise that our creativity has no limit: we’ll always have something new for you to come back for.
BEHIND THE NAME
The name Passerine—an order of songbirds prominent in India—was inspired by the Indian folktale, “The Songbird and The King.” In the tale, a king captures a songbird to enjoy its melodies forever, but the bird stops singing in captivity. Eventually the bird is freed and its joyful song returns, teaching the king an important lesson about the beauty of freedom.
TEAM
Maneesh K. Goyal
Maneesh K. Goyal is a passionate entrepreneur, including the owner & restaurateur behind Passerine and New York’s iconic Temple Bar. He firmly believes that risk makes life remarkable.
He founded event marketing company MKG in 2003 which went on to become one of the industry’s most highly sought-after creative agencies. In the Fall of 2019, MKG was wholly acquired by holding company Acceleration.
Since 2019, Maneesh channeled his love of both people and entertainment into the opening of contemporary Indian restaurant SONA, which opened in late March 2021 to rave reviews. The following October, he expanded his footprint in hospitality by reopening one of New York’s most iconic cocktail dens, Temple Bar, and then broadened his accomplishments even further with the debut of homeware collection SONA Home in June 2022.
Through his work with Pineapple Co., Maneesh is an active angel investor, advisor and board member, working with a variety of start-ups and mid-size companies including NYC&Co, New York City’s dedicated tourism company and is currently a City Harvest Council Member.
Goyal grew up in Texas and went on to earn an undergraduate degree from Duke and a graduate degree in Public Health from Yale. He lives in New York City with his husband Andrew and two children.
Co-Founder
Alvina Patel Buxani
Alvina Patel Buxani is an unrivaled specialist in the métiers of luxury branding, communications and marketplace strategy, having established an impressive portfolio of success over 25 years. Global powerhouses such as Christian Louboutin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Hermès and Bulgari are among the venerable brands whose stories she has crafted and marketed to enduring resonance throughout her career.
Most recently, she was an executive leader at Farfetch where she oversaw Brand Marketing, Commercial and Communications through the company’s IPO; worked on strategic acquisitions with brands including Stadium Goods and Violet Grey.
In 2024 she partnered with Maneesh K. Goyal to conceive and develop Passerine, her first foray into the hospitality industry.
Alvina is also an investor and advisor to several companies in the marketplace and luxury ecosystem and a proud member of the Associate Board of Madison Square Park Conservancy. She is a proud New Yorker, having moved here after graduating from Boston University. She enjoys living in the heart of New York City with her husband and two children.
Co-Founder
Executive ChefGaurav Bathla
Chef Gaurav Bathla joins Passerine from Ambassadors Clubhouse, where he brought one of the city's most anticipated Indian restaurants to life and proudly received a positive two-star review from The New York Times. Here, he leads a complete transformation of Passerine into a vibrant Indian bistro, with an entirely new menu and dining experience.
Born in Mumbai and raised in Bengaluru, Chef Gaurav Bathla started cooking with his mother. The two launched a small biryani business from their home, and a handful of Sunday orders grew by word of mouth into a thriving weekend operation. It not only paid for his culinary education but also inspired Passerine's Crab Dum Biryani, a slow-cooked experience for two.
He went on to cook in luxury hotels and restaurants in India and Bahrain, then spent several years with Farzi Cafe in Kuwait and Dubai, refining a style that put Indian flavors in conversation with contemporary technique. Farzi Cafe brought him to Seattle and then New York as Head Chef of the opening team at Ambassadors Clubhouse.
Now at Passerine, he has created a distinctly new expression of Indian cuisine, in his words "a real taste of India, in New York City." Look for the Bombay Schmear, a tandoori khameeri with New York-style cream cheese, and our Maine Lobster Roll with smoked tomato-cardamom gravy.
