GANESHA Indian cuisine — Restaurant in Vienna

I will never return here as long as the waiter serves semi-cold food, with terrible service, and in-authentic Indian food (even when asked for food correction) -- he asked me "so, are you a cook or something?!"

First of all, I'm not one to publicly destroy restaurants, but I'm taking the time to write this as the owners should be aware of the situation.

The food was 25€, which is pretty expensive for what was served (semi-cold, not the correct dish, and with a large degree of the waiter not giving a care in the world).

I ordered off of the menu, in Austrian and English, and ordered a spicy curry that I have 1. eaten many times before, and 2. know how to make authentically == Lamb Rogan Josh.

As for the experience, it was midday on a Saturday and the restaurant was half full, and we were asked to move tables for a different group to sit down (which was strange in itself). This was directly followed by us waiting for 10 minutes to order our food and drinks, which was a table of 4 people who ordered spicy, not spicy, and myself (very spicy, as is the dish, Rogan Josh).

The waiter (speaking in Austrian) confirmed our order and walked away, not coming back for 30 minutes or so with our food, all the while we can keep hearing the kitchen bell ringing for ready orders.

The food comes, and immediately we all try it, and 3 of us say the food is cold, as well as not quite spicy enough (mixed group of skin-colors at the table). I flag the waiter, and he comes over, to which I ask if they can make it spicier as the dish I was served was 1. not warm, 2. not Rogan Josh, and 3. not spicy.

Without taking the plate out of my hand, the waiter says (in English) "ah, well it is spicy, I can see the chili in it" and points at a piece of chili in my curry. He then proceeds to say "well, I cannot make it spicier, people here cannot eat spicy".

I'm dumbfounded, and don't have time to argue at this point, so I say okay and eat my 25€ worth of semi-cold food.

We finish eating, and the same waiter returns to clear the table, and asks if "all was okay? it is okay?"

I simply answer "I mean, it was okay, not very good"

The conversation then unfolds like this, which is the reason I am writing this review:

Waiter: "All was okay?" Me: "It was okay, not very good or what I ordered at all" Waiter: "Oh, so what should I do about it now?" Me: "Well there is nothing that you can do about it now, I've already eaten the food. It's done already it's fine" Waiter: "Well surely you know that there are different recipes from different places in India, what you can get here you do not get in India and what you can get in India you cannot get here." Me: "Well yes, obviously, and so where are they from?" Waiter: "Punjabi" Me: "Oh okay, that's okay" Waiter: "So are you a cook or something?!"

WHAT THE ACTUAL QUESTION IS THAT

Me: "Actually yes, I cook in a restaurant, and know this dish, and know how to make it, and it's nothing close to what it should be. It had so much onion and no spice, which is fine for how they made it, but you asked how we all wanted our food to be made and we told you, and you bring this. I'm not even so full."

Waiter: shrugs and proceeds to say "well you see this family next you, they are 5 people and they ordered 2 dishes, and it is enough for them, and you all here are 4 and each take your own dish and say you are not full" Me: "I mean that is not the problem, we've told you the problem before and now nothing. It's fine."

I was just barely full of the food, really, but this attitude and bare incompetence didn't reflect well -- absolutely no effort to correct the situation.

I mean, owners, heads up, you might want to...

My experience at Ganesh Indian Restaurant in Vienna began with mixed feelings. I was seated quickly, but the menu struck me as quite different from what I’m used to at Indian restaurants in the UK, and the prices seemed high. Given the central location, I understood the cost, but I couldn’t help wondering if I should have tried one of the two other Indian restaurants I passed en route. Nevertheless, I decided to stay and try something unique—the mango duck curry. I did have a small disappointment when my request to swap the rice for naan was refused, but I decided to go ahead and see what the meal had to offer.

The meal started strong with the chicken seekh kebab as a starter, which was a pleasant surprise. The presentation was impressive, and the kebab itself had a perfect balance of spice—not too overwhelming, but with a nice kick that left a tingle on the tongue. After the starter, there was a brief moment of confusion when the waiter checked if I’d already received it, but this was soon forgotten when the main course arrived.

The mango duck curry turned out to be a real highlight. It was unlike anything I’d had before—a perfectly cooked whole duck in a creamy mango sauce with just the right amount of spice. The rice, which I initially wanted to swap, was actually a great match for the dish and very flavorful. Despite my earlier reservations, I was thoroughly satisfied by the end of the meal. The Kingfisher beer, though a small bottle, paired wonderfully with the curry. I left feeling full and pleased that I’d stuck with my decision to dine here. This restaurant may be a bit pricey, but the quality of the food makes it well worth it, and I would highly recommend it to anyone in Vienna craving...

The food at Ganesha is north indian alright, but average, not great. I am an Indian. My short review: Food: Average. Hospitality&vibe: Abysmal. I have eaten here twice this year, both times with family and friends. I say again, it is authentic but average indian food. BUT this not the place for warm hospitality. This is your "crave-indian food-will-just-eat-and-leave" place. It is bang in the centre of vienna and is just perfectly located esp. for hungry indian tourists, pining for Indian food after weeks of travelling away from home. The food is served in haste, zero care or concern, and you are expected to eat quickly and leave. I moved to vienna two years ago and have tried various indian restaurants in vienna. And when i come to Ganesha, both times I had this feeling as if being told, "you are lucky to be here, eat what you get and move on." The server's indifferent attitude is a major flaw. They way they hastily plonk the food on the table, or clear tables with such loud clanging noise could be avoided. They could show a little concern and care when being requested for things. Vienna has better options for good indian food and restaurant experience. There's in fact a very good one, within a 10min walking distance from here, and within the same price range, where the food is actually much better in quality and presented much better, and vibe certainly way more positive, much more fun and cheerful people who really show care. I have been to Ganesha twice, and that's enough for me. I thought the first time it was a fluke, but yesterday confirmed it. Sorry Ganesha, but in both my visits you made me feel sad during and after a meal, and that's a...