At Amma, a little second-floor Indian restaurant in Turtle Bay, the cooking of Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur drew widespread praise last year for a mere six months, before the skilled pair left to open Devi, near Union Square, which covers the same culinary ground with somewhat more ambition and pomp.

Mr. Saran and Mr. Mathur cook refined, scintillating renditions of unpretentious pan-Indian dishes that are both familiar and unfamiliar. The chefs’ gentle creativity, exacting preparation, and handsome presentations elevate the food while never violating its basic nature with Tabla-style fusions or glib simplifications.

A bright red ceiling hung with multicolored lanterns looms high above Devi’s ornate, curtain-swaddled dining room, giving an air of festive semi-formality. At the back, candles light a swooping staircase to a balcony that provides a cozier alternative to the open-plan dining downstairs, as well as an up-close look at the opulent painted lanterns. Omnipresent servers glide to and fro, endlessly helpful and informative; the fact that their loose orange outfits resemble prison jumpsuits hardly detracts at all. The orchestrated meal begins with a drink; servers won’t present the dinner menu until a cocktail has been chosen from the list or explicitly declined. Julia Martin has devised a delicious but daunting selection of beverages whose complexity mirrors that of the food. The cocktail list’s verbose descriptions do little to convey what the concoctions may actually taste like. The bemusing description of Autumn’s Torch ($13) lists Hennessy cognac, La Lieutenance cognac-based orange liqueur, almond syrup (Lebanese almond syrup, the menu specifies unhelpfully), and fresh lemon juice, “splashed with” Syrah, and garnished with brandied cherries. The ruby-red result is tartly fruity, its individual components hard to discern. In a Palindrome ($11), aquavit’s herbal dryness meets pear cider and pear eau-de-vie in a surprise encounter that remains somewhat irresolute, sip after sip. Others, like the creamy, flowery Gin Petal ($11), are likewise elaborate and enigmatic. Though the drinks are tasty, interesting, and absolutely worth trying, a familiar aperitif, like a nice sparkling wine, can prove to be a more comfortable prelude.

Bombay bhel puri ($6) starts the meal with a piquant melange of flavors and textures. A loose pyramid of puffed rice larded with cool tomato and onion shreds, it is alternately crisp and chewy, and incorporates tamarind and mint chutneys – recurring themes in Devi’s food, along with the molded pyramid shape – that give it a sweet, nuanced tang. Mung chaat ($9) explores similar territory, layering spicy, crunchy little papadum wafers with refreshing, chewy sprouted mung beans. Idly upma ($8), moist, pyramidal steamed cakes made of lentils and rice, have the grain flavor of breakfast cereal; smooth mint chutney comes alongside.

Devi’s samosas ($9) are small and perfectly made. Served as a trio on a long platter, they come with tamarind and mint chutneys for dipping: one is filled with potatoes and peas, one with cauliflower, and one with juicy minced turkey. Manchurian cauliflower ($9), a hybrid specialty of Chinese cooks in northern India, provides a positively delicious rendering of the humble vegetable: Firm florets are coated in a tomato-based sweet-and-sour sauce that resounds with chili, garlic, and vinegar. Another small plate, available only as part of the prixfixe menu, is a pair of bruschettas, one topped with unctuous calf brain scrambled with ginger and green chiles and overlaid with a delicate sunny-side-up quail egg, the other topped with warmly cinnamon-spiced pieces of liver. A vegetarian himself, Mr. Saran nonetheless displays in this dish an impressively deft hand with offal, as well as a willingness to stray, just occasionally, from recipes one might find elsewhere.

Main courses include several vegetarian choices, notably phool makhana kee sabzee ($14), in which lotus seeds are puffed like popcorn into crunchy, savory balls and served in a lush, creamy cashew-based sauce; it is one of the best dishes the restaurant offers. Yam kofte ($14), light, savory dumplings with tomato sauce, is tasty but not nearly as impressive. A large dinner salad, kararee bhindi ($14), layers crisp-fried okra with onion and tomato. It might make a better starter than a main course; spicy and sour, the delicious okra can start to overwhelm the palate before it’s half finished.

Simple preparations like Parsi-style halibut ($25) excel, too: the chefs just steam the fine, mild fish and dress it with the house mint chutney, which is quite enough; lemony rice rounds out the dish. Mr. Mathur commands the tandoor oven; his skill and the oven’s high heat create excellently simple productions, like enormous tandoori shrimp ($27) with a thin, savory crust; juicy, yielding flesh; and deep, sweet flavor. Organic tandoori lamb chops ($29) from Jamison Farm show the same mastery, with remarkably delicate meat that needs no adornment.

Even diners who are more at home on East 6th Street’s Indian Row will find something here: the menu offers saag paneer as a side dish ($9), in a version that’s light and clean-tasting, as well as a highly competent, if unwontedly natural-colored, chicken tikka masala ($12). A pair of tasting menus – one standard and one vegetarian – cost $55 a person, and offer seven to 10 small courses, an excellent way to experience the restaurant’s bounty.

Wine pairing can be challenging with such varied and complexly seasoned food, but Devi gives room to experiment, with close to 100 wines by the bottle, the majority under $50.The list is sorted into light-, medium- and full-bodied whites and reds. Sticking largely to the first two categories seems to suit the food best; several rieslings on the list, including Koonowla’s ($40), complement a variety of dishes well, and a host of pinot noirs do the same. Additionally, course-by-course pairings have been chosen for the tasting menus and can be had for an additional $40 per person: a good choice.

Surbhi Sahni (who happens to be married to Mr. Mathur) prepares fruity desserts that refresh and amuse the palate while not easing up on the flavor complexity. Falooda ($8), a satisfying, intriguing parfait, layers strawberry and mango sorbets with soft noodles, coconut tuile, and sweet, slippery basil seeds in a lush lemongrass cream. Saffron kulfi ($7), a pyramid of stiff, off-sweet ice cream surrounded by a cool spiced citrus soup, achieves an excellent balance of flavors as well. Mango cheesecake ($8) seems perhaps the most Western of the desserts: it’s a narrow individual cylinder of tart, rich cake with a sweet rose sauce.

Devi upgrades casual Indian food with stylish presentation and keen attention to detail, creating an often dazzling showcase for what this food can be in the right hands. Prices reflect the exacting nature of the restaurant; some may balk at paying $27 for a pair of shrimp, however delicious. But, at least until the chefs unveil their next marvel, Devi is worth it.

Devi, 8 E. 18th St., 212-691-1300.