Vatan

Vatan offers a delightful experience. The decor is welcoming and gives a village experience. The murals hand painted. The service is excellent and attentive. The food is plentiful. We did not ask for seconds, but still had more than enough. If vegan, the server will make adjustments. The food was good, but I did not find it exceptional.

I had a wonderful dinner at Vatan this evening. I dined early, and solo, and the staff couldn't have been more welcoming and helpful. They even let me recharge my phone at a wall socket! The food was so deeply yummy - first I was brought a huge thali of appetizers and once I had had a chance of tasting them all I could order more of whatever I liked - the prix fixe deal is all you can eat. All the appetizers were amazing, as were the fresh chutneys that accompanied them, my faves being the potato dumplings and the sev puris. The entrees were delicious as well, full of subtle Gujarati spicing. My fave there was the cauliflower and pea curry. You are allowed to choose the level of heat in your entrees, I chose medium which was the heat the appetizers come at. To finish there was mango icecream, masala chai and breath freshening seeds and spices.

Considering the breadth and depth of the food on offer and the charming decor, I thought the $40 bill was very reasonable ( that included the prix fixe plus a masala lime soda). And the staff made me feel very welcome and comfortable. Another thing I liked was that in the ladies room there were stacks of clean washcloths to dry your hands instead of paper towels or air dryers. Very eco friendly! There is a hamper to drop the used towels into so they can be laundered. Though never fear, they do offer disposable toilet paper in the stalls :-).

Great appetizer spread! Whenever I go, I get the prix fixe and it never disappoints... I wish there was a Vatan in Toronto. Very generous amount of food.

Good old fashion home cooking - a full thali and no fuss with a menu - what better way to eat out!

I have been here a number of times in the last couple of years and it was always an absolute "must-do" thing in NYC when I was there. I have to say, I was somewhat disappointed this last time (June 2009).

For one thing, the price went up by like 50%. It is now $31 plus 18% mandatory gratuity. Expect to pay $40 each before drinks. The non-alcoholic drink options are virtually non-existant. They have renovated and, although the place is still charming and the new bathrooms are crazy chic, the layout is worse than before and overall I find it uglier.

On to the good parts. It is all-you-can-eat and your server continues to bring out several courses to your table each with a number of small portions of varied and delicious options. You can have it vegetarian or vegan, I would say probably 75% of the dishes are vegan so you don't miss out on too much but be sure to specify at the beginning. The mango chutney is absolutely incredible. You will definitely leave feeling stuffed.

In the past when I have gone, the waitress was very attentive, offering more of the dishes we liked most and making sure we were totally satisfied. This last time (June 2009), it seemed like we were just a cog in the factory line. To get more of something, we had to call at our server's disappearing back and make a big deal of it. At one point, we asked for more baby samosa's and she eventually returned with three of them! These things are delicious but the size of a teaspoon and there were five of us at the table.

I used to love this place but I am not sure I will be so desperate to come back again. Maybe our waitress just had a horrible day or something, but with a mandatory 18% tip on a $200 bill, I expected a lot more.

All in all though, still a wonderful place that will leave you full and happy.

Most Indian restaurants that I've been to seem to be lacking either in service, atmosphere, decor, or taste. It's always one or the either. Luckily, Vatan lacks nothing. The food is plentiful (make sure you're hungry!)and tasty, the service is friendly and fast, and the decor is something to see!

The food here is impeccably prepared. Divine north Indian food. I can't say enough about the quality. However, the portions are SO LARGE that I cannot imagine being able to finish even half of what they give you, and they do not allow you to take anything home. (Why?) So it did seem wasteful at the end, and I hate wasting food. Next time I go there I will make sure I am very very hungry (and maybe try to sneak some tupperware in my purse!)