Smelling Salts — Restaurant in Delhi

Unhygienic AVOID! Unhygienic, Overpriced, and Depressing - Smelling Salts, Ashok Vihar is a DISASTER If you're considering dining at Smelling Salts in Ashok Vihar, please, for the sake of your health, your wallet, and your overall dining experience, choose another restaurant. My recent visit was nothing short of a nightmare, and I feel compelled to share this detailed review to warn others. This establishment fails spectacularly on multiple fronts: unhygiene, exorbitant prices for pathetic food, and a truly depressing atmosphere. Let's start with the most concerning aspect: the unhygienic conditions. From the moment we were seated at a sticky table that clearly hadn't been properly cleaned, red flags started to appear. Throughout our meal, I couldn't help but notice a disturbing lack of cleanliness. Dust clung to the light fixtures, and the cutlery looked like it had seen better days. I even spotted what appeared to be food debris under our table. The state of the washrooms was frankly appalling – dirty sinks, no soap, and a general sense of neglect. In a post-pandemic world, basic hygiene is non-negotiable, and Smelling Salts utterly fails in this crucial area. This isn't just about aesthetics; it raises serious concerns about food safety and the overall management's commitment to basic health standards. If you value your well-being, this alone should be enough to deter you. Adding insult to injury, the food at Smelling Salts is ridiculously overpriced for the abysmal quality you receive. The menu reads like a gourmet experience, but the reality is far from it. The dishes we ordered were bland, poorly prepared, and clearly made with low-quality ingredients. My "signature" dish was a tasteless concoction that looked unappetizing and tasted even worse. The portions were meager, leaving us feeling ripped off and still hungry. To charge such exorbitant prices for food that tastes like it came out of a poorly managed canteen is simply outrageous. You can find far better quality and larger portions at significantly lower prices at numerous other restaurants in Ashok Vihar. Smelling Salts seems to be banking on a fancy name without delivering on any culinary merit. Finally, the atmosphere of Smelling Salts is utterly depressing. The decor is drab and uninspired, creating a cold and unwelcoming environment. The lighting is harsh and unflattering, making the entire dining area feel sterile and devoid of any warmth or ambiance. The background music, if you can even call it that, was a monotonous drone that did nothing to enhance the dining experience. The staff seemed equally unenthusiastic, adding to the overall feeling of gloom. There was no sense of hospitality or any effort to make diners feel comfortable or welcome. Instead of a pleasant evening out, dining at Smelling Salts felt like being stuck in a poorly maintained waiting room. In conclusion, my experience at Smelling Salts in Ashok Vihar was overwhelmingly negative. The unhygienic environment is a major health concern, the overpriced and underwhelming food is a blatant rip-off, and the depressing atmosphere makes for a truly unpleasant dining experience. I strongly urge anyone looking for a decent meal in Ashok Vihar to avoid this restaurant at all costs. There are countless other establishments in the area that offer better food, cleaner surroundings, and a much more enjoyable ambiance without emptying your wallet. Smelling Salts needs a complete overhaul in its hygiene practices, pricing strategy, food quality, and overall atmosphere to even begin to be considered a viable dining option. Save yourself the disappointment and...

Let me be completely honest. This is by far the best place I've been to that serves Pure Vegetarian Food, has amazing ambiance, the most courteous staff and soothing music.

I was in love with the entire concept of this restaurant, starting from the valet service to the staff catering our needs as to where we would like to sit and then serving us hot and fresh food within minutes.

I had reserved a table here because we don't like to wait and it's more comfortable to do so. My parents don't like any place that easily but they are a fan of this place now.

We started out by ordering Sweet Corn soup and Garden Fresh Salad along with Tandoori Paneer Tikka & Krunchy Dahi Ke Kebab for starters. Let me highlight the quantity of food Smelling Salts provide, the salad was huge. Like literally, huge.

My parents loved the Paneer Tikka more but I loved Dahi Ke Kebab more. I just loved they had a crunchy version and it was just heavenly delicious when had it with mint chutney.

Alongside, we ordered Watermelon Daiquiri and Fresh Lime Soda. Again, I would like to highlight the quantity served. The glasses were huge, and had a ton of quantity of both the drinks. We also ordered Smelling Salts Trash which is the highlight drink of this restaurant and I just loved it. It had Red Bull. So, I became a fan already. Hahaha.

For main course, we had Dal Makhni and Yellow Tadka Dal along with Tandoori Roti. Trust me on this, you'll not find a better Dal Makhni than the one served here. It's better than Veda's, Gulati and even Bukhara. It is so creamy and so well prepared that I'm definitely going back soon just for Dal Makhni. I loved it. You must order it. Must.

Masala Papad were great too. It tasted really good with Yellow Dal.

Paan Shots were given after we had our meal and wet rolling tissues too to wipe off our hands which I think it's the best thing.

Let's talk about service, I have been to like every place in Delhi NCR and I've never got bowls without asking for our Dals. We have to ask for a bowl and then wait, but not here. The food was served promptly and it was served very well too. The staff also knew the menu well and could explain us what dish had what and helped us decide too.

My experience was just the best. I hope yours will be good too.

For offers and queries, contact management. Happy...

I always used to pass via this place and wonder why there is so much rush and people waiting outside to get in for food when there are just too many food joints offering good food without such a hassle. (Infact there is no option to book in advance or any offers on any dinning app).

I was so intrigued that I decided yesterday to go in irrespective and after a wait of 10 mins I finally got there so here is my brief review on the place with a strict 4 rating as I didn't want to rate it 5.

The location is Great and easy to find. Exteriors are presentable and gives a warm appealing impression. While I wished Interiors were slightly better. The food is sumptuous and I wouldn't hesitate in calling it is a Vegetarian's paradise. I hardly remember any recent menu with such a sizable variety of 'Only Veg' items (Yes it's a pure vegetarian and non alcoholic restaurant). I liked the service, portion size and ambience overall. Wrt prices I believe it's very slightly on higher side but not bad considering the overall positives I mentioned.

Conclusion : Readers must have got a great impression by now already considering the no negative feedbacks however the only reason I gave it a 4 is because as a category it's sitting somewhere in a middle of 'Fine Dining' and a 'Casual Dining'. It's not too casual but not too rich and classic for a fine dining. Rest I leave upto you to...