Vatan Indian Restaurant
Category: Indian/Pakistani [Edit]
409 3rd Ave(between 28th St & 29th St)
New York, NY 10016 (212) 689-5666
- Nearest Transit:
28th St-Park Ave S (6)
- 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: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
34 Reviews for Vatan Indian Restaurant
I cannot WAIT for Vatan ro return, but I was satisfied with her cousin, Gaam. I ended up at Gaam with my date, who's from Pakistan. He couldn't wait to go back and bring his parents and family.
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Vatan and Tamarind are my favorite Indian restaurants in the city.
Vatan serves traditional Gujurati Vegetarian dishes served thaali-style (lots of small dishes plus flatbreads and rice). Its a family-style experience which reminds me of eating at home with my Gujurati family. Speaking of, my family loves this restaurant - everyone but my mom (who we try not to offend when raving about the Vatan chef - she feels threatened by the competition).
Make sure to ask for seconds of the mango raas (puree) and enjoy a cup of authentic chai (no soy-chai-latte-foamy imitator) with your meal.
Please hurry up and open up again, Vatan!
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If you want a decidedly different Indian experience, try Vatan on for size. I love meat, but have no issues with the fact that Vatan is completely vegetarian. Didn't miss it once.
The all-you-can-eat aspect is pretty cool too, especially considering it's not a buffet. Even after visiting a few times, I always feel like I never quite know what I'm going to get, but am delighted when the food arrives. The waitstaff has always been extremely patient with explaining their dishes as well as bringing more mini-samosas.
Is it going to change significantly when it opens back up? I really hope not. They always did great business, so I can't imagine that things are going too badly. However, I know I'll re-check the reviews here before I go after the reopening.
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This is without question the BEST Indian food I have ever eaten in a restaurant. I don't even know what else to say, it's that amazing. Whenever I am planning to eat at Vatan I generally starve myself for the begining of the day because to be too full to eat the mountains of delicious food they serve would be a shame. I hope the menu isn't affected by the renovations, and I can't wait for them to re-open!
*UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNTIL FALL 2008*
I had one of the best Indian meals ever here, even though I can hardly remember any of the 27,000 different dishes I was served. The premise (can a restaurant have a premise? Why not.) is, you get a set menu of lots of little dishes, and if you want seconds of a particular one (or thirds, if you are a real little piggy), you just ask for it. Though you'd have to have a really big appetite to finish them all and ask for more (I'm not judging, I'm just saying--okay, I'm judging).
Oh, and the inside of Vatan is amazing, lots of multi-level sunken booths, crazy murals, and bathrooms with individual cloth towels instead of paper ones (points!). Place looks like Escher did the spacial layout... careful you don't miss a step and end up falling into your booth, to the horror and amusement of all patrons and staff around (I was wearing big shoes, okay?).
Sadly, Vatan is currently under construction until the fall, so I will have to check out Gaam in the meantime and see if I can make a clumsy fool out of myself there, too.
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You step inside and feel like you're in an Indian painting (trees "grow" out of the booths). There aren't many tables, which explains why you have to make reservations 2 weeks in advance. This is the first Gujarati restaurant I've ever heard of- most Indian restaurants are either Punjabi or South Indian- and the food is authentic (the waitresses even look like Indian Aunties). If it wasn't a dinner buffet I would definitely frequent it every time i miss some home cookin'. Make sure you're really hungry before you go for it to be worth it :) Note that the food is vegetarian.
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+ very pleasant service
+ love the decor
+ not cramped/crowded at all
+ i love beans! chickpeas, lentils, kidney... all of them!
+ everything is vegetarian (might be a minus to some... but for me a plus)
+ most dishes have a healthy kick to them
+ fantastic chai
- as cool as it is to sit low to the ground... my legs did fall asleep. but this should probably be blamed on my poor circulation/lack of flexibility than to the seating format itself.
i have to comment on how delicious the chai was - probably the highlight of the meal. it is heavily spiced with cardamom, which i love... not a commonly used spice in western cultures, and reminds me of home. a delightful surprise.
a la fin, i am fairly inexperienced in the ways of indian food, so i can't speak to it's authenticity, but all i know is that it tasted good. 4 stars for yumminess.
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This is easily my favorite restaurant in the city. I have many wonderful memories with my boyfriend here, it's a great spot to date. The food is WONDERFUL!
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Prix-fixe, all you can eat, vegetarian Indian food. Everything was prepared about on par with the other Indian places I've eaten since moving to New York (an aside: Chicago has New York beat in Indian food, Mexican food and the Hot Dog. New York has Chicago beat in pizza, sushi, and falafel). Less than $25 dollars a person. As other reviewers have mentioned, you are going to leave ridiculously full.
If it was just based on the food, I'd have given the place three stars, but the atmosphere earns them another star. The waiters have a cute little schtick going on, and there is so much space, much more than I'm used to in New York.
The wine list is pretty pathetic. You'd think that they'd be interested in trying to make some money there, 'cause it's not like they're gonna get you to buy more food...
So, decent food, good atmosphere, crummy wine, funny waiter and cheap. Good place to take your vegetarian friends,
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So, the absolute number-one best thing about Vatan is that you get to take your shoes off and put your feet up. Tuck them under your legs or stretch them out or whatever you want. You have options which most restaurants do not offer, which is really great if you're like me and have spent considerable time at other restaurants trying to figure out how to tuck your legs up on the chair without seeming awkward/rude/weird or kneeing the person sitting next to you. Not sure how many people are actually like me in that respect...actually, it could just be me.
Also, I thought it was cool that you can ask for more of anything you like, and was pretty disappointed with myself when I got so full that I couldn't even ask for more of anything. Everyone else has pretty much explained how the whole deal works and I'm no Indian food expert, so I'll leave that to the pros. Suffice to say, I liked the food (um, to the point of having to waddle my little self out the door) a lot, the seating even more, and I cannot comment on how difficult it is to get a reservation because my dining partner made it.
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A different kind of place. Quite a welcome departure from the formulaic North Indian fare. And the ambience is distinctly "rustic", again a welcome change from the overly-manicured Indian joints with stock-in-trade sofa cushions at one end of the spectrum and pseudo-retro, bohemian-wannabe settings at the other.
Wonder if Vatan makes any money, given that it is closed on Mondays, only open for dinner, doesn't admit tiny tots and serves a three-course meal for just $25, with an average dinner for each table lasting well over two hours, and the tables being fairly spaced out. Go figure.
The three-course meal is filling even if mediocre in quality for the discerning. There is little if any varation across days, save the extra dessert item on select week days. Ask for the Aam Rus (mango pulp) with the main course--for some unknown reason it is the only part of the fixed-price meal that is not served unless requested.
At any rate, I love their baby samosas. And masala tea. Some of the Vatan staff know me by name now, but that doesn't always land me a reservation.
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Okay, you are going to leave this place REALLY full. This is how it works: There are no choices, they bring you 5 courses of vegetarian goodness, each course is huge unto itself with enough range in spice and taste to satisfy most (as long as you like Indian Food). The servers are delightful and explain everything to you. If you'd like any portion of a single course, they happily bring out more for you. This is great, because if only half the plate is working for you, just ask for more of half that plate! I really like the decor because it's kitshy Indian, with teared booths, making for an interesting eating experience. All of the tables have roof tops.
I'm a former vegetarian, but have been with lots of non veggies, who LOVE this place.
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It's heaven. It really is. I almost always bring visitors here. You can order your food mild, medium, or hot. I get medium. It's a set menu, and you begin with a plate of appetizers including chickpeas, potato balls, spinach, and other lovely things to eat. Then the main meal arrives with two soups, wonderful lentils, two breads, and a variety of amazing flavors. It's truly amazing.
You can order more of any dish, and if you overdo the heat (as a close friend did last time when she bit into the pepper) they will bring you a nice dish of yoghurt to save you.
The dessert is mango ice cream and a carrot honey mixture. You also get the most wonderful chai. Don't add sugar! Keep the flavor!
I really love the soups, but the sticky rice with sauce (they come separated and you mix them) is also really good. The lentils are scrumptious, too.
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I would love to give Vatan five stars because the food is delicious; my server Raj was fantastic; the atmosphere cannot be beat; but the concept is both a winner and loser.
In many ways I feel like the whole price fixe/we bring you a little of everything and you can ask for more concept is geared towards those who know very little about this style of Indian food. Double-edged sword here is that this is a great and filling value, but with a bit of everything it is tough to really focus and wholeheartedly enjoy what you are eating. Overstimulating, maybe?
That said - the whole meal rocks. Everything is spiced beautifully. This is top quality Indian, pretty much the way it ought to be done!
One other downer involves the chick in the party of four that sat right next to me. I had thought I left LA to the cozy confines of a true city, yet this lady had LA written all over here. The type of personality that can almost singlehandedly ruin a culinary experience. With a voice like the woman who lost her pinky toe after heckling Jerry on Seinfeld I was a tad annoyed through the second half of my meal. Why do girls act like this? And why do guys date girls who act like this?? Sorry for the tangent...
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went to gaam for valentine's day. the interior is nothing like vatan, but the quality of the food is just as outstanding. when we got there we were one of two couples at 8:00. i was a little wary, but shortly after our arrival the crowds flooded in. everything was absolutely delicious.
checked out the upstairs which is perfect for groups- cheesy cave-like decor.
Before we got married, my wife and I were dating long distance for a few years. I lived in NYC and she lived in Chicago.
Whenever she came for a visit I HAD to make a reservation at this place. The food is really good. Like everyone says, you won't miss the meat if you're an omnivore. The decor, while a bit kitschy, does give the place a unique and warm feel (look for the stuffed monkey's in the tree). And the place is mildly romantic. No wonder we had to eat here all the time.
Now years later, we're married and living on the West Coast. But whenever we come to New York for a visit, we still make our pilgrimage to Vatan. It's become a tradition.
The food might not be for everyone. I've taken a few people there who didn't think it was worth the fuss. But if you like Indian food, it's worth checking out.
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Yes, I'm afraid it 's true - I think I'm becoming a "regular" here! How could I not, with all the great things Vatan has to offer?
Let's see:
1) A $23.95 All-You-Can-Eat 3 course meal of excellent Indian Vegetarian food
2) A dining atmosphere that offers both traditional Indian and regular seating as well, not to mention the calming decor that makes you feel like you are worlds away from the hustle and bustle of NYC
3) An extremely pleasant and accomodating waitstaff
4) A decent selection of good and reasonably priced bottles of wine to choose from that pair really well with the spicy food (especially the Shiraz and Merlots)
The cuisine is traditional vegetarian fare from the Gujarati region, which is far more interesting than the usual Indian food you get at most Indian restaurants (sorry, no tikka masala here kiddies). The waitstaff is very accomodating to first timers who are not familiar with the food - they explain each and every item on the plate. You also have a choice of having your food mild, medium or spicy. The food never stops coming and by the end of the meal, you are so stuffed, you can barely walk! And people say that vegetarian food is not filling?! That's just crazy talk - they've obviously never eaten here!
I went last week and will be heading there again tonight. Every single person I've introduced this place to has loved it so far (even the serious meat eaters). The only thing that's not on the menu that you want to ask for is the mango pulp for dessert - yum!
Fair warning: eat a VERY small breakfast and lunch because you will need to save room for this amazing and seemingly endless meal!
Reservations are recommended as they are always packed any day of the week I've ever gone.
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Cheesy decor, cheesy 'costumes' on the wait staff, but the food they clearly pump out night after night has been honed to mass-dining perfection. They know their stuff, and you just get to sit back and enjoy. Reservations are next to impossible on short notice (you can usually get a table on the same day....at like 10:30pm). YOU WILL BE FULL! So, don't worry about the price fixe.
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When dining with Vegetarians this is a great, fun place to go. The decor is unusual and the price fix is $19.99. I wouldn't recommend this place for the lactose intolerant as are not many non-dairy options but the food is tasty without being too spicy or saucy.
If you can get there early, do. During the week-even on Mondays-they are booked until 10 pm! I am not quite sure why hits is because although Vatan is good and fun it is not excellent and amazing.
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Yes, the place is original, the meal too as it lets you discover many different recipes. I would not say it's excellent. Service was nice at the beginning then so-so.
Ask for the Mango Pulp (it's in the menu but you have to request it), it's really good and tasty.
For $24++, it's definitely worth it.
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Every time I eat here I leave feeling extraordinarily full. The prix fixe dinner is an amazing value and features more legumes and fiber in one meal than you ever thought possible!
This is a great place to go with vegetarian friends because you won't miss the meat at all and if they're used to dining at places where the only vegetarian option is a roasted vegetable plate, this will be a nice change. The ambiance is especially nice - little private wooden booths and fountains create a feeling of privacy and calm.
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I was absolutely vowed by this place and wonder why I have not been here yet. Such a nice change from the regular North Indian restaurants where all you see is the greasy creamy curries. This is the authentic Indian food that people actual cook and eat at home on a regular basis, not the tikka masalas and whatnots you see at other places. Seemed like a touch gujrati style to me. Very nice ambiance, hostesses, waitstaff, nice seating area. All you can eat prix fixe menu for just $25. The only gripe I have is that they give you so much food, that I really can't do justice to and I feel really guilty wasting food. They should offer a smaller selection too...I'd still pay $25. Don't go by the price, its so worth it, infact, I think its actually cheap...
Not being a vegetarian, I wasn't sure I was going to like this place. The food is so tasty, varied, and plentiful, though, that I didn't miss meat at all.
The decor is pretty nice too, with its intentional tackiness.
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Simply amazing (100% vegetarian) food. It is all-you-can-eat with a twist. Instead of doing some kind of cheesy buffet, you are served course by course with the option of having second or even third (and maybe even more) helpings of any of the items served to you. The decor is also quite nice although it is tacky at some points.
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This place was recommended to me by an Indian friend of mine. When I first walked in, I thought I had found the 'Casa Bonita' of Indian food. The big surprise was just how good the food was. The restaurant is decorated like an Indian village. The decor is a little old, but it's still fun. I walked in without a reservation on a Saturday night and was able to get a table within a few minutes. The tables all require that you take your shoes off, and you sit up on a couch with pillows. You can't sit American style, so don't come here if that's uncomfortable. On the other hand these types of tables make it a fun place to take a date.
The serve a $25 prefix, which I think is a good deal for dinner. They say it's all you can eat, that is, they will bring out more of anything you like. They give you so much food, that I imagine most diners never ask for seconds. I'm so used to the typical northern Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala, this is was great to try something different.
I only have a few complaints. The painted ceiling was cute, but it made this place much noisier than if they had used acoustic tiles or had some kind of fabric. Also they didn't have any music playing. My salty lassi was plain and not very salty. Sometimes Indian restaurants will give me a sweet lassi when I order a salty one, thinking that a Caucasian wouldn't' really want a salty lassi.
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Atmosphere: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Food: Very Good
$/person: 30-40
Value: Very Good
Notes/comments: Spacious; courteous, attentive server; attractive pricing.
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If you are in the mood for a gut busting food frenzy this is the place. Platter after platter of spiced veggies, exotic rices and fluffy breads. I couldn't breath after because of the combination of drinking so much water and all of the food.
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Been there almost everytime I go to NYC to visit... Good Gujarati food...
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Really good vegetarian, if you want a change from the ordinary. The decor is oddly simple and the service impeccable. Give it a try!
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WHICH rulers, the Raj??
An Indian friend tells me they refuse to make reservations over the phone for people with Indian names...
Nuff said.
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Brian E:
Think about "The decor is old." India is old.
You mean "Prix Fixe," not prefix (cute).
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This place reminds of Indian village....excellent gujrati food ...little spicy though..multi course meal which you will enjoy and its a different experience..the ambience is nice..with a tree right in between the hotel...You will come to know about Indian tradition and the way the waitresses are dressed reminds of the good old days of the rulers
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This is probably one of the few places in the US where I have eaten authentic Indian food. Although being only vegetarian deters a lot of people from coming, once they try the food, they always come back for more.
The ambiance is great. They have tried to give it a typical Indian village look, and all the servers are dressed in traditional Indian clothes. Its a great place to try Indian food. Two thumbs up!!
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the prix fixe dinner here (which is the only option fyi) is really great for when you're SUPER hungry. its really great for groups. the food's all vegetarian, but its a great experience no matter if you eat meat or not.
the ambiance is really nice.. its gujrati food, so its not your typical indian restaurant (which are usually north indian dishes), but still very good.
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this place is delicious. excellent, excellent vegetarian gujarati food. a little kitsch with the decor (set up like a gujarati village, replete with little huts), and it's tough to get a reservation (the maitre d' is fierce... not in the good way), but the food is absolutely worth it, the price is reasonable, and the spice level is just right. plus. the middle-aged woman wearing a sari explains to all the non-indians exactly what they're about to consume. beer menu is a bit weak... would prefer 22oz kingfishers to 22oz taj mahals, but that's the only weak spot.
you must try vatan. it just might change your life.
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