Mythily, a South Indian restaurant from chef Rasika Venkatesa, is now serving dinner at 129 Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday and focuses on the cooking of Tamil Nadu, the southern Indian state where Venkatesa's family roots are.

Mythily began as a pop-up and spent about two years cooking at dinners and collaborations around New York before landing in this permanent room on Havemeyer Street. The restaurant describes its food as progressive South Indian: traditional dishes reworked with seasonal New York ingredients and modern technique.

Named for a grandmother in Chennai

The restaurant takes its name from Venkatesa's grandmother, Mythily Ramachandran. Venkatesa grew up in Chennai and learned to cook alongside her, and the restaurant's own site says every dish on the menu traces back to her in some way. Her grandmother, now in her eighties, still cooks in Chennai.

Who is behind it

Venkatesa trained at Thomas Keller's The French Laundry in California, then moved to Mourad, chef Mourad Lahlou's Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco, where she became chef de cuisine at 23. She was named a Rising Star Chef in San Francisco in 2022 and competed in 2024 on Season 21 of Bravo's Top Chef.

After the show, she spent months traveling through more than 25 towns across Tamil Nadu, cooking with home cooks, farmers and fishermen and documenting more than a thousand recipes. That research is the backbone of the Mythily menu.

She runs the restaurant with two co-founders, Varun Kandadi and Nicolas Chavotier. The team chose not to take on outside investors. Instead, they ran a Kickstarter campaign that launched on June 2 to cover the last stretch of costs before opening, including signage, plateware, opening inventory, staff training and soft-opening dinners.

The menu

Mythily's fall 2026 food menu is still being finalized as the kitchen ramps up over the next few weeks, according to the restaurant, so expect the lineup to shift. The approach stays the same: familiar South Indian building blocks such as mustard seeds, curry leaves and ghee, paired with local, seasonal produce and a contemporary style of plating. The restaurant also posts a separate beverage and wine list on its site.

Hours and reservations

  • Address: 129 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn
  • Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m.
  • Reservations: Booked through SevenRooms. Tables open up 15 days in advance at 9 a.m. Eastern.
  • Larger parties: Groups of more than six should email info@mythily.nyc.

Private events

The restaurant has a separate space called the Terracotta Room for seated group dinners of 10 or more guests, served as a prix-fixe menu. Groups of up to nine can book in the main dining room and order from the standard menu. Mythily also hosts standing cocktail receptions with passed bites and offers full buyouts, with the team open to comedy nights, art pop-ups, live music and themed parties. Inquiries go through the private events page on the restaurant's website.

Gift cards are available through the website as well.

Getting there

Havemeyer Street runs north from Broadway through the south side of Williamsburg. The closest subway is the Marcy Avenue station on the J, M and Z lines. The Lorimer Street L and Metropolitan Avenue G station is also within walking distance, and the Q59 bus runs along Grand Street nearby.

Plan a visit

Mythily serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday at 129 Havemeyer Street. Reservations open on SevenRooms 15 days ahead at 9 a.m., and the restaurant posts updates and its finished fall menu on its website, mythily.nyc, and on Instagram at @mythily.nyc.

Sources