Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Indian
Organic
Juice bar
Ayurvedic

Ayurvedic indian cafe run by a Shivani, an ayurvedic practioner and woman who lives in California and India. The atmosphere is home-like and cozy. Nice bathroom with a western toilet. Open Tue-Sun 7:00am-4:30pm.


Venue map for Aum Cafe
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28 Reviews

First Review by AmericanPhil

SimoneK.Stone

Points +324

Vegan
09 Apr 2024

Very good veg family cafe 🕉️

Very tasty food with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options (juices, shakes, cafe, tea, pizza, pasta, burritos etc)

Updated from previous review on 2024-04-09

Pros: Very tasty, Plenty of vegan options, Nice balcony/atmosphere

rogmos

Points +94

Vegan
31 Mar 2024

Great mix of ayurveda and vegan options

We only stopped in for cake and matcha but still enjoyed the lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and a good look at the extensive menu. Will be an essential stop next time we’re in Varanasi!

Updated from previous review on 2024-03-31

AnandaRivelli

Points +101

Vegan
03 Feb 2024

Safe and good food

We had breakfast here every morning while in Varanasi.
The vegan cakes are delicious!

Quinnem

Points +15

Vegetarian
03 Nov 2023

Lovely spot

Food is all made with purified water, lovely selection of vegan food and dairy free, run by a local family. I had the granola and fruit which was fresh and delicious

lies123

Points +84

Vegetarian
11 Apr 2023

Cozy place with great food

We had tasty Idly and great muesli, all vegan, and the place is on a small rooftop terrace with 5 tables. I highly recommend to go here😄be aware that it is closed on mondays.

VeggieMon

Points +274

Vegetarian
04 Sep 2022

Great vibes. Super good masala chai :-o

Visited Aum Cafe on the recommendation of a couple of friends. Had the kicheri for lunch which was honestly a bit bland but not inedible (should be quite savory). Would suggest ordering something else. Also had a pot of their masala chai - even on a 36-degree day - and it was oh so good. Maybe the best chai I‘ve had in India so far. I asked the chef-owner where I could buy the powder so I can take some home to Europe. You know what she said? She gets it from California. :-)

Anyway, great vibe and lovely people who own/run the place. Simple setting which is semi-al fresco on the upper floor. Ended up chit chatting with other guests and the owners for a good while.

Not much to say about the food but 4 stars for the vibe, locale, and the CHAI!!!

JohnPrior

Points +950

Vegan
01 Feb 2022

Absolutely the best

This is my fourth trip to India. I’ve eaten in countless places, all different types. Aum is without a doubt my favorite. A beautiful selection of food, all of which is delicious. The vegan masala chai was perfect! The women working here are so kind. I would come every day if I could.

DrSameerdevKesarwan

Points +250

Vegan
04 Jun 2021

Hugging Lady

I ate 🍕 Pizza Here.

Pros: Foreigners Come, Clean Place, Indian Servers

Cons: Slight expensive, Small area, Compact stairs

valepaz

Points +283

Vegan
29 Jan 2020

Nice small cafe

They have many vegan options clearly labeled, the food was very nice and the space was also simple but really cute

chiaracr

Points +330

Vegan
26 Jan 2020

best place to eat in varanasi

I absolutely loveed this cafe! The owner and the women working there are all absolutely lovely!! The shop downstairs is great as well. I had the chocolate and carrot cake, which were both amazing~ that vegan whipped cream is heavenly! The homemade soup is great and all the pasta dishes we had were absolutely delicious!! I love that you can create your own juice for 150rupies. The atmosphere is so relaxing and beautiful as well, probably because of the cozy decoration as well. Also loved the steamed vegies - so simple, yet so great! So many great vegan options! Just the best place you could possibly go to! all the best to you!

Pros: everything

zjh91

Points +36

Vegan
24 Dec 2019

Best cakes in town

Aum is the best cafe in town. Not just for the morning sun-lit upstairs seating area, but because it has a variety of vegan options. Not least, the cake selection. Big slices of vegan cakes, with vegan whip on top. Choc, Carrot, Cardamom, Apple Spice. They’ll do a good coffee too. Madu and the other staff are so sweet and the owner Sengita has such a beautiful aura too. Couldn’t recommend enough.

Pros: Staff, Sunshine, Cakes

Cons: Not all vegan

Becca_07

Points +250

Vegan
24 Nov 2019

Cosy cafe, vegan cake and quick service!

The menu is varied and vegan options clearly labelled - very few Indian dishes on the menu though. The mixed juice was lovely and healthy, with various fruit and veg and mixed seeds on top. The pasta with garlic bread was ok but nothing special. However all their cakes are vegan and come with vegan cream! I had the cardamom cake, which was delicious! Service was also very quick!

Pros: Clearly marked vegan options, Cake!, Quick service

neer

Points +286

Vegan
09 Nov 2019

Great place to eat in Benaras!

Quite close to the Assi ghat, and one of the rare clean places to eat healthy vegan/vegetarian food. Good selection of herbal teas and vegan desserts as well, in addition to delicious food.

Pros: Great selection of food, desserts, and teas., Hygienic and healthy, Helpful staff

AndyCB

Points +2213

Vegan
25 Oct 2019

Lovely people, excellent food!

We came here several times during our visit to Varanasi, including an extended stay on our last day as we ate a slow lunch before heading to the train station.

The cafe, which is on the second floor on a lane leading to Assi Ghat, is an oasis of calm in this very busy city. The people working here are warm and friendly, and vegan-friendly options are clearly marked on the menu.

Their food is delicious and excellent value, too. The kichari breakfast costs only 80 rupees, with a free second serving of your still hungry - I’d not had this dish before, and I really enjoyed it. We also tried the burrito which, which was very tasty.

For us, the cakes, served with vegan cream were a huge favourite. We tried the spiced apple cake and the chocolate cake; amazing! On our last day, we also tried the tomato spaghetti, which was delicious. We took a herbed spaghetti away with us for the train journey.

If you’re in Varanasi, I recommend a visit to Aum!!!

Pros: Clearly marked vegan-friendly options., Lovely people., Great location.

Cons: Not 100% vegan.

Chris W

Points +429

Vegan
22 Oct 2019

Wonderful Place

We love this place - it is our favourite place to eat in Varanasi. It is an attractive small space which is very clean and chilled. The food is excellent and really good value. Vegan options are plentiful and are clearly marked on the menu. I can definitely recommend the Burrito, and we were amazed to see that the vegan cakes come with vegan whipped cream. The spice cake, served warm, was delicious.

Pros: Lots of Vegan Options, Vegan Cakes and Cream, Nice Space and Great Service

Cons: Not all vegan, Only open until 3.30pm

kenvegan

Points +12927

Vegan
14 Jul 2019

Good Pasta

In a city that can feel quite unsanitary, Aum has a very comfortable and cozy feel. It is summer, and quite hot, and they turned on a couple fans so that I would be more comfortable. The staff is very friendly and speak good English. I ordered the pasta with vegetables. Standard tasting but good. I also had a small piece of cake with whipped vegan cream. Delicious. Off to try more veg restaurants here

Pros: Great service, Clean, good food

HollyAnne

Points +312

Vegan
29 Mar 2019

So so good

Delicious food. We had the veggie burger and kicharee, followed by a slice of the cardamon cake and the chocolate cake. Staff were friendly. Nice and chilled out place. The location is totally wrong on Happy Cow, it’s close to Assi ghat. Definitely worth a visit.

Pros: Vegan options labelled, Delicious cakes , Cheap

Cons: No alternative milks for hot drinks

KelíciaSaraiva

Points +110

Vegan
15 Mar 2019

Wrong location on the map here . It's close to Assi Ghat

Very nice and clean place.

Kenzieb

Points +29

Vegetarian
07 Mar 2019

Absolitely delicious!!!

This cafe is run by super lovely people and has a lovely atmosphere to it, in addition to serving some of the best vegan food I’ve had! So many amazing options to choose from and very reasonably priced!

Pros: Delicious food, Amazing variety of foods , Great atmosphere

MeganMcCrindle

Points +167

Vegan
21 Feb 2019

Delicious and affordable

We went to Aum Cafe for lunch. I was a little skeptical as it's in what we consider the Western hippie area and we try to avoid places like that. We were surprised by the good food and nice vibes. Very animal-friendly and food was very fresh. We will go back again before we leave. Please note they are only open for breakfast and lunch. Also, they have lots of vegan options but no non-dairy milks for coffee drinks.

Pros: Delicious kichadee, ginger beer, cardamon cake

Cons: No soya or almond milk

Shannon_Del

Points +50

Vegan
03 Feb 2019

Great cafe!

We were so happy to find this place! I was just recovering from Delhi Belly when we arrived in Varanasi. I hadn’t eaten for 2 days and was very nervous about my next meal. We walked a long way trying to find Aum and when we finally arrived they were closed. The owner came down and took one look at me and said what’s wrong? Cut to 20 min later and she was serving us warm soup, rice and ginger tea. I could have cried I was so grateful and relieved. Ate most of our meals here for the next week and loved the food. Her staff was awesome as was her gift shop. Thank you Shivani!

shekshaman

Points +345

Vegan
19 Dec 2018

Cheap vegan cakes

This place has a lot and attracts a decent crowd. Good mix of vegan and non vegan meals. The best part of this place are the Ayurvedic and healing teas and the vegan cakes which are both affordable and amazing. Worth a visit.

Pros: Amazing cakes, Amazing teas

beccy37

Points +160

Vegetarian
30 Oct 2018

I wish I found this place earlier!

Came here on our last day in Varanasi and loved it! It really is a haven out of the craziness. Extensive menu with a range of pastas, burritos, pizzas. The vegan chocolate cake is a must - it honestly tasted so good I had to double check it was vegan. Great vibe and the staff are really nice. The menu is also really interesting and worth a read, they have lots of information on the Ayurvedic diet, chakras, herbs and the moon! Loved this place and wish we’d found out about it sooner.

jasonfloats

Points +178

Vegan
20 Aug 2018

Good food!

Has a good amount of vegan options all wonderfully tasty. Spice cake is a must!

Tbms1992

Points +106

Vegan
13 Jan 2018

Yummy food with kind owners!

We really loved this cafe, the owner really cares about animals and looks after several big bulls and dogs in the area which made us really happy. The vegan cakes are out of this world, we have rarely tasted something this good! They even have an amazing vegan cream. The prices are reasonable, all the food is clean and we will definitely be back!

Pros: Delicious cakes , Owner loves animals , Calm atmosphere

AlyssaVegan

Points +50

Vegan
08 Dec 2015

Safe haven amongst chaos!

Aum Cafe in a city of questionable hygiene was a breath of fresh air! Definitely a hub and safe haven for travellers/westerners who are so keen for good, reliable, clean food. We really enjoyed all the vegan cake we ate here and the pasta (yay western food haha!)
It is fairly small so you may end up sharing a table with some fellow travellers, but that was absolutely fine! The opening hours are also not consistent, although we were lucky each time that Aum was open, yay.
Very delicious, good service.

Pros: Clean hygienic food, Nice staff, Good location

Cons: bit crowded, cash only

louisxiv

Points +20

Vegan
11 Sep 2011

Clean!

An oasis of hygiene in a filthy city. Prices are tourist oriented and the food is just ok...could just be that the menu's not to my taste, lots of pancakes, desserts, sandwiches, etc. My recommendation is the kitcharee, all you can eat. Herbal teas are also tasty. And one of the better internet connections in Assi.

Pros: Clean, Fast Wifi, Kitcharee

Cons: Menu, Coffee Drinks, Wasp Invasions




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