Saravanaas
- Nearest Transit:
28th St-Park Ave S (6)
23rd St-Broadway (R, W)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
37 Reviews for Saravanaas
My husband skips his breakfast just so he can binge on a hearty lunch here.I think the food is great too however, as a South Indian myself and having tasted authentic Saravanaas food ( They have a chain in S. India ) ,it could be better.And that was my thought when I first arrived here.
Since then (little more than a yr) ,my initial thoughts have melted away and have to say it's one of the best South Indian restaurants available.
Start off with mini idlis/ medhu vada with lentil soup and for main course you could try any of the many varieties of dosas though masala dosa is my personal fave and they can never go wrong with it or you could try pooris/chana baturas.
My husband has tried the Thali and loves it but it is too heavy for me.Hope this helps.
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Excellent, plain and simple.
Dosas as wide as your table end, puris the size of basketballs. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but honestly amazing food.
Incredibly good south indian cuisine, served on the standard aluminum tali trays, including aluminum glasses. If it weren't so clean inside it'd feel like I was back in Maharashtra.
Service was friendly, entrees came out with perfect timing, one after another. We shared everything, which was nice. Spicy and Delcious curries and potato masala fillings.
This restaurant is for veterans of indian food, don't expect chicken tika masala with linen napkins, do expect some of the best sambar you've ever had in your life, and indian cuisine that's authentic as it gets.
And cheap to boot!
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Why I love Saravanaas:
1) Cheap meal under $10
2) Authentic Indian food that's not too heavy on the stomach.
3) Bathroom is clean! Tables are clean!
4) Even people who do not like terribly spicy Indian food will enjoy
5) Friendly waitstaff: they let me sit at my table for 20 minutes reading a book as I waited for my very late friend to join
6) All vegetarian menu
7) Cosy, laid back atmos. with a mix of Indian families and non-Indians.
Note: I would not stray from the South Indian dosas and idlee : the kichidi is really oily and made with cream of wheat (no legumes for protein!) If you want a super healthy but delicious meal, order idlee instead of a dosa.
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i have found a new dosa restaurant that i absolutely love. pongal was my previous destination - but the dosas here are fantastic. try the mysore masala dosa.
This place is a hit!
I went in and had the lunch special. Some great South Indian bread (sorry, don't know the name) with like 10 little, tiny bowls of different curries. All of them were spectacular. Included a tiny bowl of a lentil soup and something like rice pudding.
I'm sure all the Indians are remarking at how unfamiliar I am with Indian food. Sorry about that.
But it is delicious!
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While I prefer the curry-and-rice type indian (is that northern? I dunno) this was still pretty damn good, and was way cheap.
I loved this place! My first exposure to South Indian food and I can't wait to go back! I am a steadfast carnivore but had no issues stuffing my face full of lentils, potatoes and a dizzying array of curries & chutneys. I went with an Indian friend of mine who was ordering for our table. We had the Rasa Vada (spicy), Plain Idli, Paratha and Masala Dosa. It was all very good and filling. We wanted to order Gulab Jamun but they were out (only bad mark against them) so we got the Rava Kesari instead. The dessert was not my favorite but the meal before made up for it. The service was a bit slow but they were very busy and they close at 9 pm (kinda strange for a New York restaurant if you ask me). Overall, this place was very good and I would love to go back again.
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best south indian food in nyc and the great service man ,its really great ,you all have to try there south indian thali which is outstanding,fabulous and mind blowing .and these guys are really cheap .you all have to try this place .
IF YOU'RE READING MY REVIEW DON'T BOTHER. JUST READ SIRINI'S REVIEW.
Srini - My friend and I came here earlier today. We were both sitting in the restaurant drooling over the menu and arguing over who was going to marry you. The only disadvantage that my friend had was that gay marriage is not yet legal and he is straight.
Either way we both love you!!! I'm soooo thankful that you answered when I called today thanks for the great suggestion! You're the best!!
Yelp After Dark Srini style. "By the time dessert came I think I did too." - M.
Hahaha HOME RUN!!
Date Rating: 4 (10 if you're with a veggie guy/girl)
Pick up Scale: 1
Strong Suggestions: Come during a non-peak hour. They actually have a sign on the door that instructs you to put your name on a list when they are at capacity. Great food not a surprise. Excellent service.
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5/08 edit:
This is pretty much my favorite vegetarian place right now.. we came back for more tonight, and we tried the Mini Ghee Idli [mini steamed rice and lentil patties immersed in sambar garnished with ghee] and the deliciously spicy Kara dosa (with onions and potatoes). Yum. It really is difficult for me to feel satisfied if I don't have meat in a meal, but this one hit the spot. Twas awesome. Adding one more star to make it 5.
+
Let me preface this review by saying that I don't really like Indian food as much as most other cuisines...primarily because a lot of the really good places don't serve any meat. But, this place set me straight.
I ordered the weekday special, which was 10 different curries and dips, one crispy cracker, rice and prata-like thing. It was sort of like a tasting menu, and for $9.99 - a totally huge filler-upper that tasted pretty darn good. Some of the curries actually tasted like meat.. pretty awesome way to eat vegetarian!
Mochi ordered a raba masala dosa with mashed lentil and 3 different types of sauces. The dosa was light and cripsy, very nice and thin + toasty tasting.. and the width of it covered the whole table. I'm not kidding. It was about a foot and a half long.
Oh yeah, they also make a mean mango lassi.
Although I'm no indian food connoisseur, the number of actual Indian people (ie. everyone else but us and another couple) should be a good enough indicator.
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I'm not much of an Indian food fan, but I wanted to try new things in New York so I went with an open mouth, I mean mind. The service could have have been better, we were ignored after we weren't ready to order the first time. Our food did take awhile, but we had a lot of people at our table. But when it came, it was delicious. My mouth is watering thinking about it. The portions are huge, and luckily, we had some people at our table who were familiar with the food so they explained what we were getting. I don't remember the name of what I got, but it had potatoes and onions, and luckily, I love onions, because there was a lot of onions in there. The plates are huge and come with a ton of sauces, ranging from spicy to sweet. The appetizers are delicious too, sadly, I can't remember any of the names as that would be most helpful, but I think anything you try from there will be just as good.
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It's OK. We got idlis, medhu vadas, rava masala dosa, curd rice, ghee idlis and chai. I really like south indian food, so I'd eat there again. But, I think I was expecting more.
@ Mr. Puhhleeez, below:
Who orders red wine in an Indian restaurant and then bitches about the place's lack of "authenticity"?
Regarding the food. Oh, yes. If this place wasn't such a trek from anywhere I'm likely to go, I would come here all the time and just order Channa Bhatura over and over. I could eat it three meals a day. I like the dosas, too, but the channa is just too good for me to order anything else. This would probably be remedied if I came here more. Boo living in Brooklyn and working on the west side.
UPDATE: I love this place so much that, when I was actually in India, I sought out its New Delhi cousin, Saravana Bhavan! Also very, very good, by the way, if any of you yelpers happen to be on Janpath looking for a good lunch spot.
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Their food is great but on my last visit the waiter dumped food all over my date, didn't apologize, and made us wait forever for the check.
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So far as I can tell, this was my first experience with South Indian cuisine. My verdict? Yum. As in, I-wanted-to-go-back -and -eat -a whole -'nother -meal- immediately, -even -though -I -wasn't -remotely hungry -yum. I've been dreaming of, and craving, Indian food ever since.
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Decided to stop and eat here with some friends on a Friday evening after walking by and noticing lot's of people dining here. Not being familiar with cuisine from the southern part of India we asked the waiter for suggestions. I was impressed that he took the time to describe the dished on the menu even though the place was busy. Finally we decided to let him ordered a sampling of dishes for us to share amongst ourselves. All the food we had was delicious.
Puleeze
I ordered a glass of red wine, disgusting.
I suspected things were not going to be good to I ordered just one app of onion barji, what I expected was a couple of round fluffy balls of oinion and batter with some herbs and adipping sauce, the most common indian app in the world.
What I got was a barji made by taking a thick slice of onion and dipping it in a heavy batter so then frying it, it looked like a greasy flying saucer.
This place sucks ass, avoid if you are looking for authentic Indian food.
So. I almost always order the same thing when I'm dining here: the paper masala dosa. It's essentially a very long crepe made out of rice and lentil, with spicy (-ish) potatoes in the middle. Very long means not quite shoulder width but more than 17 inches in length, methinks. I mop up the dhal with the dosa quick quick while it's crisp. But soggy's okay, too.
+ salted lassi
= "I knew you were good!"
* * *
Ooh, and the mini tiffin, which has everything I could want from savory start to sweet finish. I could seriously use one of these right now.
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I agree with Srini V about this place being one of the best indian spots in nyc. The dosas are phenomenal and I think I've taken every visiting cousin or family friend here for some authentic south indian grub. My perfect (indian) sunday brunch? A quality bloody mary and a paper dosa from here...
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There are a few tell-tale signs that confirm that you are in the belly of a hard-core South Indian monster when you are at Saravanaas:
1) You see adai and payasam featured on the menu
2) Pakoras are unabashedly labeled 'bajjis'
3) The setting is adorably simple yet functional
4) The ambience exudes a neighbor-hoody feel
5) Milagaipodi is available as a side order
6) Malayalam is heard, coming from the next table
7) Coconut ("koka-nuttu") is used liberally
8) No attempt is made to appear Western/Northern
9) Mother approves of the adai
10) You walk away with room to spare for more
Expect to see a curious mix of the well-heeled with their Neiman Marcus shopping bags and others with their grocery purchases at Curry Hill. The service is unpretentious even if not lightning fast. And you don't feel cramped for space as you would at nearby Pongal.
All said, a "simbly tippikyal" South Indian experience.
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According to many my of south Indian friends, this is probably one of the best south Indian restaurants in the city. Though I've had my fair share of Indian cuisine, the long list of dosas on the menu was simply overwhelming. Luckily my south Indian friend explained the various types and made good recommendations. Though I'm more of a meat eater, the vegetarian meal was very satisfying. I've giving it four stars only because I'm told there may be better dosa places in the city.
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This definitely isn't your typical place on Curry Hill. From the outside it's always intrigued me because it's large and brightly lit from the street. I find that it could even be a good place to start off people to Indian food. The flavors, textures, and temperatures are all well balanced... i think it has something to do with chakras. The presentation is great, all on stainless steel trays. I especially enjoyed the puri... yum, my favorite
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Finally a decent Indian restaurant in NYC! It was my first time having dosas. Dosas are like Indian crepes. The dosas are huge but easily devoured. The fillings and sauces are rich and flavorful. Good service.
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Really good Indian food around. The service is so-so considering the fact that they probably don't speak engligh very well, but they sure do know how to cook up a storm, and its so tasty. The dosas are what makes me keep coming to this place, its great authentic indian food.
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Not really the best atmosphere, its very bright and cafeteria like. The service is rushed and they arent very friendly but the food is good. Poori is too greasy, I would skip that, and they dont have any traditional indian fare. Chutneys and dosas are great, its also not very pricey.
weirdly, after visiting several middle eastern and persian restaurants here, THIS was the closest to my mom's cooking thus far in new york.
+ i like the colors on the walls, created a nice energy
+ lots of indian people. this is a very good sign.
+ i hope i spell this right, but the adai was super great. i might have to sneak in and watch them make it.
+ the halwa took me straight back home! it had tons of golab in it, a flavor that is very familiar to any persian person's palate.
+ most importantly, everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves - no fake looks, just honest earnest smiles!
- slow service
- some of the servers seem... a few crayolas short of a full set (you know, the 64 pack, with the sharpener inside the box, that my parents never bought for me. but i digress)
i would definitely go back, next time, with an emptier stomach!
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DOSA: a south indian crepe made from lentil & rice batter usually considered a breakfast dish, but also eaten at other times of day. Dosas can be stuffed with vegetables, meats and sauces to create a quickly prepared meal.
at least that's what wikipedia says. (http://en.wikipedia.or...)
went to saravanaas last night for dinner w/ my vegetarian friend. didn't know what a dosa was beforehand but i figured that's what they specialize in so that's what i ordered. i got the paper masala dosa, described as a "crispy large rice and lentil crepe willed with mildly spiced mashed potatoes and onions". large is an understatement. it was a cylindrical tube that was about 6 inches in diameter and two feet long or crepe-y goodness. inside was a small mound of potato/onion filling. it also came w/ three different types of sauces (the waiter explained them but i don't remember what they were) and a small lentil soup, perfect for dipping the large crepe-y goodness into. mash it down, fold it over, and eat were my instructions. so i did. and it was good. :D
unfortunately i can't compare it to other dosa b/c this was the first one i had, but from the number of people at the restaurant, it seems like this is a good place to go.
Don't expect ambience or service, just basic South Indian food. Not as good as the south Indian fare back in India, but, will do given that there aren't that many options here. Its definitely way better than the other Indian options you'll find in curry hill. We ordered dosas. They were good, but, nothing to write home about. Next time I might try the thali that everyone else around us seemed to be ordering. In other words, its good as an experience if you haven't had south Indian food before or for nostalgic reasons.
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Great place, always packed with subcontinental people. The dosas are good, though I usually get one of the meals because they're yummy and reasonably priced, and you get to sample a lot of things. Though I'm starting to run out of things to sample so next time I might have to be brave and actually order off the menu.
Forget about your trendy but so crowded brunch spots on the upper west side, or lower east side, or wherever it is you frequent. Case in point: we were trying to figure out where to go for brunch w/ a largeish group (7). We met on the corner of 28th & Lexington--just a block away from the 6 line, mind you--walked a couple blocks south to Saravanaas Bhavan, and got seated immediately at a long window table.
I think everyone else in my party got the Bangalore thali, which is more food than I (or they, it turned out) could handle. So I just went for a paneer masala dosa, which was large and tasty.
In fact, I went back to this spot about a month after that initial visit, this time with the in-laws--and the dosai and uttapam met their high standards.
The service is at times indifferent--but that's not unusual for an Indian restaurant.
I suspect that the guy busing our table didn't speak much English--might help if you speak some Tamil...
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I went here for lunch/dinner with a couple of my indian friends. We found the food and service to be bad.
For appertizers we had samosas, idli, and sambar. The sambar was cold ???!!! , and the quantity was underwhelming - we had to ask for additional sambar. For the main course, I had the cheese masala dosa, they had the rava dosa. Both were cold (again ??!!!) and were lackluster in taste.
We ordered mango lassi at least 3 times, but by the time they arrived we had already finished our meal.
Perhaps this experience was just an anomaly, but I won't be going back anytime soon.
This place is like a Madrasi mess hall. The food is super authentic and really tasty - probably the best south Indian place in the city. The only problem is that this is carb-central and as much as I want to can't eat it every day.
I've eaten at this chain in Delhi, Madras and now New York. It's not as good as it is in India but they are pretty darn close. I went with my parents and we all enjoyed it. I've gone several times since and highly recommend it for omnivores and carnivores as well. You won't feel like you're missing anything.
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A great, relatively cheap place for South Indian food in New York.
This vegetarian restaurant is owned by an Indian hotel company based in Chennai (formerly Madras.)
It features authentic South Indian food - dosas, vadas, utthapam, etc. If you haven't had South Indian before, you should know that it is very different from the usual curries you find at Indian restaurants. Much of the South Indian diet is rice and lentil based.
My favorite dish is the dosa. These are huge -- think poster size -- rice and lentil crepes that are filled, usually with potatoes. Saravanaas does them as well as I've had them. (Though there is the dosa cart in Washington Square Park which is just as good and a lot fo fun.)
Dosas are under $8, and a decent meal themselves unless you're really hungry.
Food is served on metal dishes, typical of what you'd find in India.
The place can be packed. At three on a Sunday afternoon there was a 30-minute wait.
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So I went in really wanting to like this place. I read the reviews here, the place was packed, and the food looked amazing.
My date got the paper masala dosa and I got the kara dosa. Mine was soggy but tasty and the paper masala dosa was crispy but oily. I saw a woman sitting at the table next to me tamp down her poori with a napkin as it too was oily.
Maybe I have good luck but I never had an oily dosa before. Was it because we came towards the end of the night and the kitchen was getting sloppy, or is their food generally on the oily side? I'd love to try Saravanaas again because of their extensive South Indian menu, but I'm not so sure.
the food is delicious, all vegetarian, really well-spiced, and the decor is much brighter and more pleasant than your average joint. i've never had trouble going there with groups of 5 or 6. you can get a satisfying meal for $10 if you're a light eater, but i usually end up spending $15 or more.
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this place isn't too expensive, and is great for a sunday brunch. there's usually not a long wait, if at all, for a table. its great for groups, because some of the food is largely portioned so its good for sharing.
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