Vatan — Restaurant in New York

My love for Indian Thali (unlimited food) is unwavering, there’s an assortment of food for you to try on, everything from savory to sweet to deserts, along with unlimited quantity to fuel your hunger. Vatan, naturally, caught my attention when it presented itself as a Thali place. I made reservation (highly recommended) for a Monday dinner. The place is very well laid out and has an antic vibe with graphics from ancient India. The colors and the paintings represent the past very well. The entire restaurant has dim lighting which I felt went well with the decor.

Talking about the food now, I’ll first point out that the price was exorbitant for a vegetarian Thali ($45 per person with 20% gratuity + taxes). This was one of the most expensive Thali restaurant that i’ve ever eaten at. They have appetizers, entree and deserts all very well described in the menu. They have a drinks menu as well which is worth keeping an eye out for. At first, you are introduced to the appetizer Thali which has fried, baked and chaat options. The star of this Thali was Sev Puri along with Ragda Patis (to some extent). You can have unlimited servings of any dishes you like. The next Thali is the Entree Thali and here Chole Puri and Kheer were the clear favorites. The Dal was a typical sweet dal which I didn’t enjoy and the Spinach Bhaji and Ful-Cobi were just ok. Aam Rus was the biggest miss for me, this is available upon request so do request one if you wanna try this (I obviously did), the flavor was just not there and it tasted like a supermarket frozen aam rus. For Deserts (at this point, we were pretty full) we ordered one Gulab Jamun and Masala Chai and you have to try the Chai. It had a tantalizing aroma and was spiced aptly.

The service was good and restaurant has a unique seating arrangement which is well thought off. The reservation system is handled by Yelp which was a hassle free experience. There is no dedicated parking which should be expected for a NYC restaurant.

Vatan serves all you can eat Thali food with a great ambiance. For $45 + tax and gratuity, would I say it was worth the money? NO. I understand this is New York and the prices are inflated and such, but for that price point, the food wasn’t comparable. Only a few items on this entire Thali journey were worth recommending (which I outlined) and everything else could be skipped entirely. I would however, rate this place a B-, despite the shortcomings, the restaurant does brilliantly with it’s service and decor along with the fresh and hot puri and home style phulka roti which pairs brilliantly with some entrees. The puri and aamrus combo was a major blow and the Dal had the typical Gujarati sweet flavor which I couldn’t enjoy. The restaurant is worth a try if you have an inclination towards...

I recently dined at Vatan Thalia restaurant in NYC and I must say, it was a disappointing experience from start to finish. Let's start with the main course, which was absolutely mediocre. The flavors were bland and lacked any creativity. It felt like I was eating something I could have cooked at home without much effort. What a letdown!

Moving on to the dessert, or should I say lack thereof? The dessert options were extremely limited and below average. It was clear that minimal effort was put into creating them. I expected a wide variety of delicious sweets to choose from, but instead, I was left with only disappointment. What a shame!

The only saving grace of the meal was the starters plate. They were decent enough to enjoy, but nothing extraordinary. It felt like they were the only items in the whole menu that had some thought put into them. Sadly, it was all downhill from there.

But the real sting came when the check arrived. The prices at Vatan Thalia are outrageous! I understand that it's a fancy restaurant, but the exorbitant prices simply cannot be justified. The amount of money I paid for such a lackluster dining experience is simply unacceptable. I expected so much more for the price I paid.

To make matters worse, the service was poor. The staff seemed disinterested and inattentive throughout the entire meal. It was nearly impossible to get their attention, and when they finally did acknowledge us, their attitude was far from pleasant. The 20% default service charge added to the bill was an absolute insult. It felt like they were forcing us to pay a hefty tip for disappointing service.

All in all, I would not recommend Vatan Thalia restaurant in NYC. The main course and dessert were unimpressive, the limited dessert options were below average, while the starters plate was decent at best. But what truly ruined the experience was the exorbitant prices, poor service, and the audacity to include a default 20% service charge. Save your money and find a better dining...

From the moment we stepped into Vatan, an enchanting Indian restaurant in the heart of New York, we knew we were in for a unique dining experience. The ambiance, reminiscent of a tranquil Indian village, was only the beginning of our delightful journey.

The highlight of our visit, however, was the exceptional service we received from our server, Bindhu. Her professionalism shone through from the very start. Bindhu greeted us with a warm and welcoming smile, setting the tone for a wonderful evening. Her knowledge of the menu and the stories behind various dishes added a personal touch to our experience.

What truly set Bindhu apart was her attention to detail. She anticipated our needs without being intrusive, ensuring our glasses were never empty and our plates were always full of delicious, perfectly spiced Indian cuisine. Her recommendations were spot-on, allowing us to explore a variety of flavors and textures, each dish more delightful than the last.

Bindhu's passion for her work was evident. She moved with grace and efficiency, yet always had time to answer our questions and share insights about the ingredients and preparation methods. This level of engagement made our dinner not just a meal, but a learning experience.

The food at Vatan was undoubtedly spectacular, but it was Bindhu's utmost professionalism and exceptional service that elevated our evening from a simple dinner to a memorable culinary adventure. We left Vatan not only with satisfied palates but also with the feeling of having been genuinely taken care of.

To anyone looking for an authentic Indian dining experience in New York, Vatan is a must-visit. And if you're lucky enough to be served by Bindhu, you're in for a treat. Her dedication and expertise are what hospitality...