The best chai in NYC? You’ll find it in our Noor Chai Martini

At Passerine, we pride ourselves on innovative Indian Cuisine. We serve unique takes on classic flavors, never not embracing a bold twist on something you maybe did-or didn’t-expect from an Indian restaurant. (As you know, you won’t find butter chicken here. We love it, but we just know that our culinary heritage has more to share.)

So that’s why we don’t just serve Chai-we shake up a Noor Chai Martini. Where can I find authentic Indian chai in NYC, you ask? In a martini, is our answer!

Noor? Noor means light in a word of Arabic origin (نور). Also: “illumination,” or “radiance.” The Noor Chai Martini is here to brighten your evenings with light spice of Kolkata Chai Co. masala chai, the essence of chai’s history, and a little kick of sweetness from Jatt Life Vanilla Vodka. It’s the new signature cocktail in town.

Lightness. Newness. But with a nod to the old:

Chai is a major part of Indian history and culture. In India, “chai” simply means tea.  What many people know as chai is more accurately masala chai: a fragrant blend of black tea, milk, sugar, and spices. Its tea plants grew wild in Assam long before British colonization, and it was Indian chaiwallahs who transformed it into the beloved drink we know today, adding milk, sweetness, and warming spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Since the early 20th century, chai stalls have been a fixture of daily life in India, serving affordable comfort and connection in train stations, markets, and street corners across the country.

More than just a beverage, then, chai has become a ritual, a reason to pause, gather, share stories, and enjoy a moment together. “Having chai” is as much about community as it is about what’s in the cup.

You’ll find a lot of Indian Chai in NYC. We’ve partnered with Kolkata Chai Co., where that long history of the iconic beverage is infused into their updated, fresh version of Indian chai tea. (Stop over there for the best chai latte in NYC, then visit us for the Noor Martini-we call it Chai-Day Friday!) Kolkata Chai is meant for community, is Indian-owned (AKA not Starbucks), and promotes Indian heritage, bringing people together for a delicious break in the way that chai is meant to. That sense of community is why they are perfect for our signature Noor Chai Martini, enjoyed in our bar and Drawing Room, where community is everything. We’re excited to join the ranks of hidden gems for chai in New York.

Through all this trending and updating, chai remains what it has always been: comfort in a cup. (Or in our case, a coup.) Its evolution proves how adaptable and enduring its tradition truly is. That’s what innovation means to us at Passerine.

In India, “chai” simply means tea – but what much of the world calls chai is more accurately masala chai, a fragrant blend of black tea, milk, sugar, and warming spices. Its story is layered, shaped by trade, colonization, and everyday ritual. Tea plants grew wild in Assam long before the British arrived, but it was under the British East India Company in the 19th century that tea cultivation expanded commercially across India. The British initially promoted black tea in a style similar to what was consumed in England. Over time, Indian vendors – chaiwallahs – adapted the beverage to local tastes, adding milk, generous sugar, and a mélange of spices like cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, and cinnamon. These additions weren’t arbitrary; many had roots in Ayurvedic traditions, valued for their warming and digestive qualities. By the early 20th century, roadside tea stalls had become fixtures of daily life. Chai was affordable, energizing, and communal – served in small glasses or unglazed clay cups called kulhads. It transcended class lines: sipped by laborers, office workers, and families alike. The act of “having chai” became shorthand for connection – a pause in the day to gather, converse, and reset.