Vatan

Service was very polite with the exception of the lady who first greeted us. Decor is quite pleasant, the entire area including the restroom was kept very clean. However, food is average to slightly above average at best, a lot of it is not really Gujarati in origin but rather Punjabi. I wasn't very impressed by the vast majority of the dishes. The samosas were of the tiny variety that you can buy frozen. The only items that stood out in my mind are the khichdi, khadi and the chai. The menu largely consists of simple indian dishes cooked in a home-style manner. This isn't inherently problematic but I'm afraid the execution in this instance does not live up to billing. Lastly, don't be fooled by the price-fix quote, they charge an arm and a leg for drinks.

Vatan is not your typical Indian restaurant, thank god. Vatan's combination of an all you can eat menu, unique choice of serving all the dishes, great food, and remarkable prices, make it a restaurant to go to on an empty stomach and with a light wallet. As a person who eats at the more acclaimed midtown Indian restaurants such as Dawat or Chola often, as well as the Tamarind and Devi downtown, I can safely say that Vatan is the best of them all. The real clincher, for me, is the decor and enviorment; when you walk in, you're zapped into an Indian village; beautiful Indian women are painted on the walls, and you sit cross-legged. Reservations are necessary, so make sure to call in advance.

The concept of serving you EVERYTHING on the menu is uncommon. At vatan you are served an appetizer platter of several tiny dishes of food. At first sight i was confued - why were the portions so small? I learned that i could order unlimited extra food if i wanted. the appetizer platter was followed by an entree platter - similar style as the appetizer one. By the end, you are surprisingly full off of these tiny little dishes so don't over-eat in the beginning! The food really isn't bad, and you get to try a lot of new things so i definitely recommend vatan!

Food is really good, particularly for the vegetarians who otherwise do not have many choices in NYC. Service was poor though. The waitress was rude and almost refused to serve water to our friend who was not having dinner (there were 12 of us and rest of us ate ). They added 20% surcharge and did not even have courtesy to pack the Birthday cake (confiscated rest of the candles and put one on the cake)! Finally, if you are not REALLY hungry, it is not value for money. There is no choice of having some good thing in lesser quantity. Overall, a good place, but do not expect too much.I would not recommend it to the non-vegetarians.

I have eaten indian on 3 continents and make it myself. This food blew my mind- it was awesome! Recommended by an Indian vegetarian friend- I have told 8 other friends to check it out! Requires reservations...

I am not in the habit of writing reviews, and I don't intend to start now. I do find the need to correct the use of 'tacky' as a modifier for the thalis. Indian food and drink is served on and in staineless steel dinnerware--I can't imagine getting down home desi food (either at a restaurant or at home) any other way (well, the best is often served on cheap, bad-for-the-environment, styrofoam plates, but that's a whole different story). Next time criticize the food only, not the culture of food or its aesthetic.

The prix fixe menu at Vatan never disappoints, the starters are my favorite part - will have you asking for more. The food is as good as you will get in comparable places in India. And unlike may places in NYC, there's plenty of space - you won't spend an evening listening to other people's conversations! My only complaint - reservations mandatory ..