Background/Context: We went there to dine as a group of six, on 27/12/2022 around 8:30.

Pre-dining experience: The 'Bharatiya Baithak' section (which is a traditional Indian sit-down experience) was packed, so we decided to dine in the AC restaurant on the first floor next to the lodging rooms. The overall ambience was pleasant, with lots of lighting, and breathable spaces. We got lucky because two large groups arrived a few minutes after we did, and so we would have squandered our chances of getting a table had we not arrived early. That apart, the staff was extremely courteous and guided us through all three courses, giving great recommendations.

Appetizers: We got two chicken appetizers to kick off our meal, the mild and rich Chicken Banno kebab and the well-received Chicken lollipop. In about 8 minutes, our chicken lollipops arrived. I would call them an excellent dish, but there was nothing special about them. The meat was cooked nicely and the Lollipops were served piping hot, extra marks for that. The Chicken Banno kebab was extremely rich, and I honestly prefer it over the lollipops, but at around 15 minutes after our order, the service could have been better on this one.

Main course: After much deliberation, our orders were the Chicken Aurangabadi (a Great Sagar speciality) and Mutton Bhuna. And to be honest, the Mutton Bhuna won our heart. It was mild, the gravy was perfect and with the Tandoori rotis we ordered, it delivered a mix of flavours in the mouth which can only be called delectable. The Chicken Aurangabadi was well done and tasted great, but I felt the dish didn't live up to its name. I think it could've been much different had they tweaked the recipe. The 'Aurangabadi' vibes were missing in this dish for me. Overall, the main course was great. Also, the portion sizes were actually quite decent. And the service remained stellar, although the service times had a marginal increase.

To finish it off: the world-famous, Great Sagar Chicken Biryani! Now, the Biryani was great, but in all honesty, I've tasted better Biryanis. I felt like it's good but they have better dishes. The media attention the Biryani recieves is not misdirected, but the other dishes deserve it much more.

Final thoughts: I liked the experience. I feel like this was a great experience if you consider the taste as well as the affordability. I think this is the most affordable experience you can get while retaining most of the quality of a much more expensive restaurant. Indeed, it was noisy, but that's not really a negative for me provided it was a comfortable environment to eat in. If it is comfortable, the sounds and the aromas from all around make the place more lively, and this was the case. I would still recommend an expansion to the restaurant, since I find the space overly cramped for the volume it gets. I'm sorry since I'm not complete aware, but I think they have much more volume in their dining sections than their lodging sections. If this is indeed true, then they should shift all lodging to the second floor and rebuild the rest of the first floor as an extension to the restaurant.

I would highly recommend this restaurant and give it a 8.5/10. An experience worth remembering, both for your taste buds and your soul!