Review Ras Vatika Indian Vegetarian Cafe - Auckland Central

This is a small family run business. The food is excellent and very tasty. Freshly made. If you want table larger thank 4 best to book ahead. Restaurant clean and pleasant service. Cost $ there is a parking area on the first road off dominion past the restaurant .

This place is awesome! It's very small and unassuming. It doesn't have the typical Indian decorations to attract people. In spite of that, it's a very busy little restaurant and take away. There is a constant stream of people ordering take aways, as well as sit down guests. They opened up a bit late, and the food takes a while to come out of the kitchen, because they are so busy, but it is absolutely well worth the wait. If you want a quick bite, then rather order in advance. Otherwise this is the perfect place for an extended, relaxed lunch with friends or family. The food is delicious and authentic. Every bite was an experience. It's real ghar ka kanna (home cooked food). It doesn't have unnecessary cream or sugar or overly oiled and spiced, just good, homely food that makes you want to have more! I had to pack most of mine, because I wanted everything, but couldn't eat it all. It's real good value for money. I would recommend it to everyone. The lady at the counter was very friendly and patient in explaining the different food to a group of ladies that sat nearby.

Food was good and decent. Tried the Mysore masala dosa, accompanied with chutney, sambar and curry. Curry is very good, sambar is decent but coconut 🥥 chutney is disappointing Bombay style poori is very good. Piping hot and accompanied with potato fry, salad and papad, wish they provided some pickle along with it. Kiddo had dahi puri and faluda (nip), both are very good. Overall value for money but don't expect much ambience and hospitality, would have given 5* if hospitality is good

What a gracious host and delicious food. We stopped over before heading to the airport and couldn't have asked for more delicious, comfort, and healthy food. The host met us and chatted with us for a few minutes and was very kind to us when we had trouble converting to NZD.

Loved it. Authentic Gujarati vegetarian food. Fresh and full of layers of flavour. All topped off with warm, old-school hospitality.

Such a lovely and welcoming space, and the staff are wonderful. Felt very “at home” here. I ordered the Chole Bhature and it didn’t take too long to cook and serve. It was sooooo tasty and super fresh. Looking forward to trying more of their menu.

Highly recommended for the vegetarian lovers. Me and my wife eat here regularly. Such a delicious home made food with lots of flavours and spices. Friendly staff with great service. This restaurant is run by daughter and mother for very long time Very hardworking people. Love their Medium Thali.

Delicious vege food. Lots of variety. Great flavors. The service is lovely too. Definitely coming back again and trying more food! We ordered the mysore dosa, paneer paratha and cutlets (snack)

We came here after reading a blog and thought of giving it a go. The place is not a traditional fancy Auckland style restaurant, more like a normal home style food eatery. We loved it, great food very warming staff. The lady taking our order helped us choose our food, as we did not know any of the dishes. We had a platter presentation, it comes with 3 different foods, a side of chutney, a small salad, rice and flat Nan. (I forgot the name of it!) Great taste, good spiciness (A bit spicy for me, so really not very spicy!!) And ideal portion size. If you are nearby and like Indian food, give it a try!

Our travelling was a bit exhausting while arriving in Auckland. The next day we tried this restaurant and the food was just so nostalgic! The owner, a Gujarati lady, has preserved the Indian and Gujarati food values! Really recommend to try this restaurant!

Dom road is just full of some gems. Was craving some Dosa and after a quick google, eventually found this place. Got the Mysore Masalla Dosa and vade and damn was it good. Super flavourful and crisp. Definitely one of the better dosa spots in Auckland. Will try the special one next time!

Dosa was pretty good, aloo tiki chaat and chole bhature were very disappointing. Also, the Faluda was decent, however, it was missing glass noodles/vermicelli. I told them that they forgot to add vermicelli and received a blank stare. After I insisted and pointed at their menu saying it says so here, they replied saying "we don’t add noodles and we didn't write this menu".... O.o what?!?!?

Always nice music they understand vegan which is awesome. I have been coming here for about 10 years and believe they make the best dosa in Auckland. That being said their curry's are so good I find it difficult not to get a Thali aswell each time ;)

Nice home made food. Not a place for you if you like spicy food. Customer service is ok. Saw an old lady rudely telling customer that shop is closed while blocking his way with her hand. No one was wearing cap, everyone was roaming around with open hair.<br/><br/>Food quality 3.5/5<br/><br/>Food quantity 3.5/5<br/><br/>Food taste 3.5/5<br/><br/>Customer Service 2.5/5<br/><br/>Ambiance 1/5

We went there looking at the ratings but was rather disappointed. We ordered dosa, dahi papdi and vada pao. Dosa was descent, but too salty and sambhar(curry) wasn’t great either. Vada pao was rubbery because I guess they heated the whole thing up in microwave. Very average food!!

A great hole-in-the-wall Indian joint that serves home-style Gujarati food. If you are a desi, their taste of their Thali's will bring back memories of the delcious home-made food prepared by your mom. If you are not a desi, Thali is a good sampling of the kind of food Indians eat on a day to day basis. Just be ready for the onslaught of nose-watering spice when you order the Mysore Masala Dosa.

Good food. I specially want to mention about their pickle which was made by them and was so fresh that we could feel that in the first bite. Would love to visit again.

Awesome yummy authentic Indian food! Just like how you would get the Dosas and Vadas in India. Great place. Friendly service always with a smile.

Staff was polite and friendly. We ordered mysore masala dosa with chole and bhature. Chole was alright however dosa was yummy and the lassi we ordered had perfect ingredients.

I think the Ras Vatikas Special Dosa is possibly the most delicious dish in all of Auckland - certainly the best vegetarian one. The pav bhaji is delicious too, and the patra (when available), and the bhelpuri, and the rose lassi, and the thali... It's all good! And so, so cheap. The restaurant is tiny and pretty basic, but when the food is such good value, who cares.

Went here for the first time and would definitely go back again. The Ras Vatika Special Dosa is massive and worth coming here for that alone!

Authentic as you can get. Lovely tasty morsels with delicious syrup on the side. Paratha was amazingly delightful, love it so much there! Mlem!

Ras Vatika is a little unassuming eatery on Dominion road with amazing food.<br/>We started with the pakora bhajia with the most amazing tamarind sauce I have ever tasted. It puts all other tamarind sauces to shame.<br/>We also had the Bombay poori-bhaji which was another highlight. It tasted fantastic, the potato was spicy and full of flavour, I loved the curry leaves in it too. <br/>The oav bhaji combo was also good, but for me the standout being the other 2 dishes.<br/>I will definitely be back to try other items on the menu. Hopefully sooner than later.

Most food were spicy. It wasnt my cup of tea. But would take a vegetarian/vegan mate here if had the chance. <br/><br/>The only thing i would hype about was their appetiser, forgotten the name but pictured third here. It was weird but delicious (cold but creamy savoury filling) unlike something i've tried before. So worth it though!

Excellent food, pure vegetarian and wide range of food. Try Masala Dosa and Pani Poori , yum! Been with group of friends and they all really enjoyed . look forward to seeing you soon

Lovely Food and Service. So many options at really good prices also. Have found one of my favourite Eaterys in this Place. I dont normally enjoy Indian food but this place is very impressive. We had a Medium Thali with Samosa's, Pakoras and another dish which fed us both and came to $24. Such good valued food for a good price. Thanks to the Ladies also. Cheers

This is an undiscovered gem. The best vegetarian Indian place. I had special thali, trust me the best of its kind. Small place , not advertised at its best however food is the best. This place serves North Indian food. Lassi is amazing. Average prices. <br/><br/>Minus- No parking. Service might take a bit time

I was introduced to this place by my good friend and colleague, and me being a Gujarati, there's always a certain hunger not in your stomach but in your heart, this hunger is the love for my traditional/cultural food. I always order a medium thali, in which I get Dal, Rice, A vegetable dish (Mummy ke haath waali sabzi), 3 chapatis, pickle and some papads. Their Chapatis are worth dying for! I can just keep eating them and never stop. Surprisingly they not only cook Gujju food but also have some Mumbai Chaat and South Indian dishes like the dosa which I enjoy to the fullest.<br/>One Gujarati word to sum it up all - Saras

Great little place. Despite my lack of knowledge when it comes to authentic Indian food, I really did think the food was really good. We ordered three things, ras-vatika special dosa, bhel poori and the patra; all at medium spice. Dosa was huge (as it should be, I guess), the bhel poori was absolutely refreshing (yet also spicy) and the patra was a mouth explosion (spicy and with sweet tamarind sauce). I may be a noob but the flavours were great. It's just a humble, relaxed little restaurant. Don't expect amazing atmosphere or anything. Their lassi's were pretty good too!!

Excellent food . Very fresh and made on order. You can also request vegan food (No dairy) and the owners are happy to  make meals on request. Divine food ,authentic Indian experience,  fresh and delicious. Highly recommended.

I really like this place. The staff are friendly and the wait time for food isn't bad. <br/>The dishes are bit on the spicy side <br/>I usually end up buying a Thali or a small meal with veg curies rice and roti. <br/>The plus point is that it serves good vegetarian food and I am not vegan my self. <br/>I wish this place was a wee bit busier

Just being to this place recently.  We enjoyed the food.  The service was friendly and attentive.  There were plenty of parking nearby.  The prices were very reasonable.  If you are keen to take some Indian vegetarian dishes, I strongly recommend that you drop by this place.  I think it will not be a mistake.

The pani Puri was great and the dosa could have been better. The North Indian items are better than the South Indian ones. Overall an enjoyable dining experience !

This place has a great variety of chaats (indian snacks) at reasonable prices. I have been stopping by here for a cheeky weekend or on-the-way-home snack for years and absolutely love it. It's got a nice homey atmosphere, great for chilling out.<br/><br/>Pictured is the Masala Chat Papadom and Chole Bhature.

For what it is, this place is pretty good. The food is tasty, full of spices and well seasoned. Service is what you would expect, friendly but minimal. We asked for 'spicy'.. I am not sure if they went easy on us but that was most definitely not spicy. <br/><br/>The thali meals are great value, and offer great variety. We had a substantial dinner meal and ended up paying a mere $10.90.. seriously cheap!

Went here yesterday after reading the reviews. I must say it was good- but not the best. The best mango lassi, in my opinion, is found at Jai Jalaram in Sandringham. We had pau bhaji and a small thali. Pau bhaji is also better at Jai Jalaram. Thali was good, but only had dal and a potato dry curry with rice, a small salad and 2 chapatis, which were good. Nothing special or amazing. Overall, I will not be going back.

Best mango lassi ever!!!! And I'm fussy about my lassis and I'm Indian ! Heh. Good wholesome veggie Indian food! Recommended! Fan of the chole bhatura and did I mention the lassi? Tastes a bit like what someone's mum would make - and for us Indians that's a huge compliment !

been coming here for years - worth trying a dish at a time and building up a list of favourites. mine is the list of chaat items. check out the daily selection for the thali options.

This is the real deal. Healthy, wholesome vegetarian food cooked well. Too often Indian cooking is overly sweet and creamy. Here, the food is fresh, lean and lush. For the uninitiated chaat platters offer a taster of different soups, curries and fries. Highly recommended.<br/><br/>Be aware though, the restaurant itself is a little cramped, so better for a quick takeaway of casual meal than a dinner event.

Pooris were awesome 2nd time I had them n they were great. Had the special lassi... tasty n definitely not cloying like the mango lassi. ..

So, the decor leaves a lot to be desired. But who cares! This food is the tastiest authentic Indian I've tasted in Auckland. Delicious!

Good food but over priced . The snacks are good but curries are too oily and the service slow. most times the snacks are not available an you have to wait to get it fried. Also you have to ask if they have any curries since the display is empty .

Service &amp; food quality are excellent. I can trust the hygiene levels as it is a family owned enterprise &amp; the prices only reflect the excellent authentic Gujarati food being served here!

I think this place is a bit over-priced for the kind of service they offer.<br/>However i love their potato vada's trust me its the best vada you will find in Auckland..and just for a $1.50 perfect price :) !!<br/><br/>I really wanted to try undhiyu but ugh! like i said it wasn't worth the price so i just didn't get it..I'd rather go to jai jalaram if I'm cravng for some undhiyu or pav bhaji..! .<br/><br/>Try having mysore masala dosa here... I really liked it !!!

Delicious vegetarian food, great prices, and good service. Shame there is not more seating space

Very very good food. A small place to get brilliant Indian food with a smile. They do a mean Dosa! don't be put off by a slightly peeling interior, you won't be disappointed. Service has always been quick, anyway what's your rush?!

Agree with previous reviewer that this place is better Satya! Love the Dhai Puri, Chole Bhature, and the dosas, as well as the tomato and onion uttapam. Curries can be a bit too salty sometimes, but taste fresh and homemade, rather than the heavy, creamy stuff you get at many restaurants. I have been returning again and again to sample more from the extensive menu. Great value for money, but service can be slow if restaurant is busy.

Unimpressive exterior, average interior but great food! If you enjoy good authentic Indian food, then vegetarian food is the best way to sample it. Forget Butter Chicken or Rogan Josh, try the vegetarian dishes here.<br/><br/>I had the Bonda (large savoury potato balls dipped in chick pea better), Dhokra (savoury semolina cakes) both served with a Tamarind dipping sauce as starter. Delicious. <br/><br/>For my main a Mysore Masala Dosa. It was a revelation. Thin Dosa flavoured with chili, wrapped around a aloo/onion/tomato curry served with a Coconut chutney &amp; Dhal. It was excellent. Might upset the Herald &amp; Metro reviewers, but better then the overrated Satya! Excellent value for money but don't come here for the ambiance!

Yummy choices to pick from!! I loved the food, especially the onion bahji's. Cheap prices although the seating area is very small, and you may need to wait a while before being seated.

Excellent food specially if you looking vegetarian. <br/>Vegan food also available on your request.<br/><br/>Jain food also available on your order.<br/><br/>Take a drive and enjoy your food. Never miss the taste

good food good prices<br/>coudl be a little quicker

Ras Vatika must be one of the oldest restaurants on the Balmoral stretch of Dominion Road. We had already been going here for years, even before we blogged about this little Indian vegetarian eatery in 2010 (http://nomnompanda.blogspot.co.nz/2010/09/ras-vatika.html). The prices have not changed in that time, so what used to feel rather expensive is now rather cheap. The venue is also more run down than the newer eateries nearby (surprise, surprise!)<br/><br/>The food is slightly different every time, but invariably good. The channa masala (chickpea curry) that comes with our favourite dish, chole bhature, is sometimes more tomatoey, sometimes more spicy. The fried bread puffs accompanying it are sometimes taller, sometimes more golden in colour. The masala tea is sometimes more peppery, sometimes tasting more of cardamom (it also comes unsweetened, so you can add sugar to your liking). Whatever combination we get, though, always tastes great.<br/><br/>This place runs more like a home kitchen than a commercial enterprise, so don't be surprised if your meal takes a while to arrive, and at different times. Also, if you are ordering one of the fried snacks such as a chili pakoda, make sure you are eating in, so that you can have a fresh one with tamarind chutney.<br/><br/>Often, there will be new and exciting things on the counter, packaged and ready for you to take away. One of our favourites here was something like a spicy and sweet poppadom. Last time we went, they had a folded pastry filled with nuts and sugar, called gugra. I am looking forward to seeing what they will offer next time!