I am in Ahmedabad and just like any other state in India every state has its own significant thali, and I would like to know where I can find the best Gujarati thali in Ahmedabad. I would actually like to taste both the modern type and the authentic thali, so two or three suggestions would be great.
Hello, @Pankaj, welcome to the forum! Overview Gujarati cuisine is another well-known and delicious fare in the western part of India. It consists of the Gujarati Thali, which is mainly a platter of different dishes, providing one with a complete dining experience that is of the state. The Gujarati Thali usually includes a roti, pulses, vegetables and rice, along with other necessary meals to complete a dining experience, like drinks and sweets. Thus, the Gujarati Thali gives you a complete experience of what the cuisine of the state is all about. The thali is very affordable too and usually the servings are unlimited, so you can ask for more if the first plate didn't satisfy you. In Ahmedabad, several Gujarati Thali restaurants stand out and are worth trying out. Do make sure that you have enough space in your tummy, as the servings here are not for the light eaters. Best Gujarati Thali Restaurants in Ahmedabad 1. Agashiye - Earning the top spot is Agashiye, a luxurious fine-dining restaurant in the city of Ahmedabad. It is located inside of the House of MG, a heritage home turned into a hotel, also one of the most premier accommodation options in the city. Agashiye is unique in itself, it has a royal era vibe when it comes to its interiors, but there's still that simplicity and minimalism to it. There are two seating areas, an indoor one and a rooftop one, of course, the latter is more impressive especially during night time. Agashiye actually means veranda, or balcony, and the restaurant wants to exude this calm and serenity you feel when you're right at your own veranda at home. When it comes to their Gujarati Thali, it is priced at Rs. 850 per person. Depending on the day of the week, the Gujarati Thali has different compositions. What's constant though is that it has a sarbat, salad, pickle, chutney, shaak, farshan, sweet, roti, rice, dessert, papad and chaat. The attention to detail here is very much praise-worthy, from the presentation to the little things like the dishes not touching one another. The Gujarati Thali is served fresh, unlike other restaurants that just constantly reheat food. A cult favourite here though is their desert of Jalebi with Vanilla Ice Cream. It's sinfully indulgent yet every bite makes that calorie-laden dish worth it. Agashiye might be a higher end restaurant, but if you want a royal experience while enjoying your Gujarati Thali, then nothing beats dining here in this restaurant. Price - Rs. 850/Person. Address - The House Of MG, Sidi Saiyed Jali, Lal Darwaja, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 25506946. 2. Gordhan Thaal - Keeping in line with the traditional royal vibe, we have the Gordhan Thaal. The interiors are very elegant, with chairs and tables reminiscent of the royal era. Certain design elements like the paintings and swords on the walls add to that pre-colonial era essence. Unlike the former though, the Gujarati Thali here is more affordable at about Rs. 300 per person. Meals are served very quickly here too so if you are quite hungry and want a fast meal, this would be one of your best options. Just like the previous restaurant, they serve a variety of vegetables, chutneys, pickles, salads and sweets. As soon as your plate gets empty, they would quickly fill it up with food again. So if you're quite full already, you can just say that to the servers so that the food won't go into waste. Their Mixed Vegetable & Potato Sabzi is worth mentioning here, as it stands out as the star of their Gujarati Thali. This curry-based vegetable dish is perfect with rice or even bread. If you have a large appetite and wants some place affordable, there's the Gordhan Thaal, don't worry though as the taste isn't compromised in this restaurant. Price - Rs. 350/Person. Address - Ground Floor, Sapath Complex, Opposite Rajpath Club, SG Highway, Satellite, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 26871222. Gordhan Thaal 3. Vishalla - Vishalla is Ahmedabad's version of the famed Chokhi Dhani in Jaipur. Much like the latter, it has a village-themed setup taking you back into the rural parts of the state. Such elements of earthenwares, potteries and other traditional items give that authentic Gujarati-village vibe. There are folk performances as well such as puppet shows, dances and live music that enhance the overall experience. You would also dine in a traditional hut which is very much different as compared to the settings from the former restaurants. Thus, if you want an authentic and traditional Gujarati thali dining experience, Vishalla is at the top spot for that. For the Gujarati Thali, they have a separate lunch and dinner menu, along with snacks. You can also order extras if ever the thali didn't satisfy you enough. The Gujarati Thali has an extensive variety, from rotis, papads, salads, pickles, dals, rice and of course, desserts. They also serve the thali in this big leaf plate along with traditional bowls, thereby giving you an experience that is as authentic as the rural villages of Gujarat. You certainly won't have just one serving of their Dal Pakora, piping hot, crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside. Even their Urad Dal is scrumptious, it goes well with bread or even rice. Price - Rs. 521/Person. Address - Near Vasna Tol, Opposite APMC Market, Vasna, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 30641669. 4. Rajwadu - Rajwadu also has a village theme although its restaurant is set on an open space. It is also a bit more modern as compared to Vishalla but also present are the live performances such as music shows and puppet shows. The surrounding greenery is very much a welcoming environment from the chaotic scenes in the city. Their Gujarati Thali costs Rs. 600 per person and it has the same components as above. Unlike with the other restaurants though, there's an influence of the Rajasthani cuisine in their thali. One downside with them though is that they don't serve Gujarati Thali during lunch. For the price though, it's truly justified and you can have your money's worth. Further, the same meals as given above are served and in unlimited quantities too. But the real star of their thali is the Jalebi, it isn't overly sweet so you can enjoy it too many times. If you want a simpler Gujarati experience, Rajwadu is a great place for that. Price - Rs. 600/Person. Address - Near Jivraj Tolnaka, Ambaji Temple, Malav Talav, Vejalpur, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 26643845. Gujarati Thali of Rajwadu 5. The Grand Thakar - No frills, no fancies, that's the legacy of The Grand Thakar. The restaurant has this simple but elegant ambience, perfect for a special night out with your loved one or family. They have Gujarati Thali available for lunch and dinner as well for an affordable price of Rs. 250. It consists of sabjis, rotis, papads, salads, rice, farsans, chutneys and sweets. Also, their thali has a few Chinese dishes incorporated into it although it is still mostly Gujarati. A must try dish in their thali is the Puran Poli, a mildly sweet flat bread that goes great with the chutneys and other main dishes. Their menu is not limited to just Gujarati too, it has a wide array of other Gujarati, North Indian and Chinese dishes. It is a great option for big families or groups of friends that have varying tastes when it comes to food. Price - Rs. 250/Person. Address - Above Croma Retail Store, Iskon Crossroads, Satellite, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 30920315. 6. Gopi Dining Hall - If you want a quick meal, no fuss, just some place that serves a Gujarati Thali fast, you can opt for a dining hall. One such place is the Gopi Dining Hall. The ambience is very simple, almost like a bigger canteen. With the meals, they are also very simple, much like home-cooked meals. They have different variants of a Gujarati Thali too, you can opt for a version without sweets or with one or two sweets. Their Gujarati Thali for the evening is more extensive too, adding in some khichdi, roti shak and puri shak. Because you have these options, it's easy to choose which Gujarati Thali best fits you. If you're someone who doesn't like sweets, you can opt for their Gujarati Full Thali Without Sweets. Or if you love sweets, you can opt for their Gujarati Full Thali With Sweets. Don't worry though as despite the economical price, the quality and taste of their thalis are not compromised at all. Price - Rs. 210 for Gujarati Fix Thali, Rs. 250 for Gujarati Full Thali Without Sweet and Rs. 275 for Gujarati Full Thali With Sweet. Address - Opposite Town Hall, Ellis Bridge, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 26576388. 7. Maruti Dining Hall - This is yet another basic dining hall in Ahmedabad for Gujarati Thali. It is located in the Himalaya Arcade building, at its fifth floor. Ambience here is very simple, there are no exquisite wall paintings or high end cutlery. Yet you would find that the crowds here are quite huge, which is because of their affordable price and also their delicious Gujarati Thali. For merely Rs. 110, you can enjoy an unlimited serving of the Gujarati Thali and even more satisfying is that the meals are healthy too, not just purely delicious. For students or even employees in a budget, the Maruti Dining Hall is the place to be, where you can get your bellies filled without paying too much money. The thali consists of chapati, salads, curries, kadhis, dals, khichdi, papads and butter milk. All of these you can have unlimited servings expect for the papad and butter milk. Regardless, Maruti Dining Hall is the perfect excuse for trying out the famed Gujarati Thali, without putting a dent in your pocket! Price - Rs. 110/Person. Address - 5th Floor, Himalaya Arcade, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - +91 9727664525. Maruti Dining Hall 8. Toran Dining Hall - This is another dining hall but the ambience here is a bit more elegant. It has huge glass-panelled walls that overlook the serene garden. The seats are all cushioned and the tables are made of fine wood. The restaurant is also spacious and has minimalistic interiors. Also evident here is the utmost care given to cleanliness and hygiene, which is difficult to find in most affordable restaurants. The best feature of their Gujarati Thali is that it has about 25 items in it. You can also ask for unlimited servings until you are satisfied. They have the same compositions as above, salads, curries, chutneys, papads, kadhis and butter milk. This place is good too for the health-conscious individuals as the restaurant utilises less oil and spices on their meals. Price - Rs. 280/Person. Address - Opposite Sales India, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 27542197. 9. Atithi Dining Hall - We now go to the Atithi Dining Hall, a bit of a step up from the former dining halls as it has a more classy ambience. The dining hall has glass-panelled walls and tiled flooring. The entire dining hall has white-washed walls and overall, the hygiene level is top notch. Their Gujarati Thali costs Rs. 260 per adult. This is an authentic Gujarati dining experience so you can expect the meals to be more of the side of Gujarat, instead of the Rajasthan-style thalis that some restaurants offer. Moreover, the restaurant caters to mostly vegetarians only since the dishes here are mainly vegetables. Still, taste-wise, the Gujarati Thali here can rival that of any other restaurant in the city. The star of their thali though is the Basundi, a sweetened dish made out of milk, it washes the heaviness of the meals and serves as the perfect meal ender. Price - Rs. 260/Person. Address - Mohini, Near Shraddha Petrol Pump, Judges Bungalow Road, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 26858807. 10. Sasuji - This is a casual dining restaurant which also offers Gujarati thali to guests. It is a fairly small restaurant though, so it's very cozy and suitable for family gatherings or small get togethers with friends. The interiors are very simple, with just a few wall-mounted pictures. Their Gujarati Thali is the epitome of Gujarati cuisine, it's authentic, none has been taken out of the original tastes of the dishes. Out of all the dishes though, the Chapatis steal the show, just because they are wonderfully soft and has enough ghee for the butter fanatics. Even their desserts are delicious but a special mention needs to go to their Lauki Ka Halwa, the combination of dry fruits, milk and sugar are sure to lift your spirits, it's the perfect way to end a delicious thali. Sasuji might have come at the end of this list but that isn't a testament to the restaurant's Gujarati Thali. In fact, Sasuji might prove to be one of the best Gujarati Thali restaurants in Ahmedabad, even with its affordable price tag. Price - Rs. 270/Person. Address - Near Lal Bunglow, CG Road, Ahmedabad. Contact Number - 079 26405065. Gujarati Thali of Sasuji Conclusion The very best of Gujarati cuisine in one plate? The name for that is none other than Gujarati thali and you certainly won't have enough of it. Ahmedabad might not have as many international cuisines but if you want to taste the real cuisine of India, it surely won't disappoint in that aspect. Make sure you have your tummies empty though before visiting any of these places as even one plate can be very satisfying. But of course, you can also ask for another, and another, and another... Yum! The gastronomic experience is yet to end when in India.
