Ananda

Very authentic and tasty Indian cuisine! The gigantic dosas are an experience to try. I am not necessarily a vegetarian but this restaurant made me enjoy all the dishes I tried with great flavor combinations. Everything was on point and great to share. Bonus for the idlis that soak in so well the delicious sauces, I didn’t have time to take a photo because I just wanted to eat them.

For HOW much quality Indian food is in NYC Ananda is a disappointment. The food was very bland and there seemed to be a miscommunication as to whether or not a dish came with chillies (we were told yes but when it came it out was a floppy bland pancake). We were offered to order something else (which was nice) but returned the dish. I don't expect a fully comped meal at all but a discount would have been nice. My friend was very hungry and still found the food not tasty. TLDR: bland food in NYC that has top Indian food, service wasn't great.

Had masala tea and it was awesome. Staff is very kind. They are vegetarian restaurant so it is so good to have in a posh area of Manhattan.

Amazed to get to eat authentic tasty Indian restaurant Service was great and the restaurant was clean. Food was great.

So glad to have South Indian cuisine, truly comfort food with dosas, tamarind rice, idli, etc tasting of my family's home cooked meals in Kerala. The dining is cozy and relaxed with soft piano jazz and mood lighting accompanying the flavors and conversation.

Amazing indian food! We especially love the masala dosa. Everything is so flavorfull. Fully vegetarian and many vegan options. Our favorite place in the area!

Everything about Ananda was truly a bliss. A gem in Manhattan. Quiet place to decompress and have excellent food. It may have been due to the fact that it was Memorial day weekend but the place has a good vibe with chill music playing in the background. Good place for real conversations and real food.

Amazing place and food! Great service and owner truly cares about his customers. Went with my family and had a great time. Appetizers were tasty and delicious. Main meals and drinks were also great. Very clean and kept place! Overall very happy.

Food was alright, didn't feel fresh. I ordered idli vada combo and 2 dosa. Within couple mins of ordering, you could hear the microwave go off and idli came out tasting stale but hot lol. I don't know if they are good for their curries but the dosa was oily so wouldn't recommend.

The food was alright and I ate all my food. No crazy complaints. I thought all mango lassi drinks were creamy but not this one. It was thinner than I have tasted but ok. Probably won't order the Lassi here again honestly. The palak paneer (left)was slightly spicy and manageable to eat. The palak was also light in sharpness in terms of the crayfish spinach and cheese inside was also not sharp. The Kala Chana was sharper in taste and liked the small Chana (ball)texture inside. The waiter Ahimsa was calm and seem to not be in a rush to take our order which was nice. Sometimes waiters at places can be too energetic which is not good for me.

This was my second visit here. The restaurant had a very large party to handle while I was with there with my hubby. The server did a good job getting our order out correctly and pretty timely. considering the large party. We started with complimentary papad which would have been outstanding if they weren't very stale. Next came the kachumver salad which had well diced tomato, cucumber, onion, carrots and chickpeas. The salad was fresh but very under seasoned. A side of chat masala took care of that so be sure to request some. The real stars of the meal were the dosas. These were some of the best i've had, and i've had a lot. I got the gunpowder masala dosa and hubby got the masala dosa with spinach and mushrooms. The gunpowder dosa had the perfect amount of spice and crispness. The masala potatoes were like the best masked potatoes ever!! The spinach and mushrooms did not make the dosa too soggy. It was just perfect. Excellent place if you love dosas!!

Love this place. The vibe at lunchtime was super chill and beautiful. Soft jazz music playing. The staff is very sweet and welcoming. I had a classic masala dosa with a rose lassi. It was delightful! I will be back! Shukriya!

Stumbled upon this cozy South Indian spot for a dosa night. The staff were kind enough to accommodate my visit without a reservation and moved tables around for me. The menu was vast with the souther staples. My order: Plain Rava dosa Gobi Manchurian The dosa was perfect and crispy. The sambar , dosa and coconut chutney lacked salt. The tomato chutney wasn't spicy enough. The Gobi Manchurian was a let down! It was too sweet and tangy. crisp to the right amount on the outside whereas the insides were left uncooked. Ambience was great and customer service was stellar. These dishes lacked authenticity but it makes sense since they were in SoHo and had to contain the spices according to their audiences.

Ananda is a great place with delicious vegetarian Indian food. I don't think you can go wrong ordering anything on the menu. The restaurant is in a nice location and the inside has a nice ambiance to it. The service felt a little slow at times but it got the job done.

N and I had a very leisurely dinner here recently. Restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of the Village. I had been craving dosa for some reason, and this place popped up in Yelp. For some reason, Dosa is not easy to find, and locating a good dosa, is an even more challenging task. This one served up a very decent dosa. We picked the masala with mushroom and spinach. The dosa was nice and crispy and the filling and accompaniments were tasty. We also ordered a thali (I think the Southern one) and it was plenty of food to share. For a completely vegetarian meal, it is deceptively filling. Recommend wholeheartedly for a casual and reasonably priced meal.

Mmmmm the dosa that we got was soo yummy! I believe it was a masala dosa that was filled with paneer. The dosa was crispy and light and already flavorful on its own and the paneer inside was quite yummy too. To be honest I didn't care much for the dipping sauces we had except for one of them because I liked the dosa by itself. We also got a masala gobi cauliflower and it was ok! It was cauliflower and the cauliflower was doing its cauliflower thing. To me the dosa is what I would come back for and honestly the star of the show. This place is also vegan and kosher for those with dietary restrictions! Service was quick and staff was very nice. I quite enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant as well. Very chill and low key.

Loved the dosa here, served in a large triangle with some excellent sambar and chutneys. The potatoes inside were excellent. The deconstructed samosa was pretty good too, as was the rose lassi, but I wished they hadn't put in a straw in there when I didn't ask for one.

Dosa time!!! This is so good, I'm going back second time in a week Service is awesome too and the place is perfectly located. Can't wait.

Delicious vegetarian Indian food, nice service, cute location! I've been coming to this restaurant for years and have ordered a few different dishes on the menu. My favorite strategy is to get the the North Indian Thali plus the Masala dosa to share with a friend. I love the variety of the thali and overall, the food is very tasty, well made and flavorful. What's also nice is they can make items vegan friendly if you have more restrictive requirements. Service is pretty good and the ambiance is pleasant. The restaurant has generally nice background music and simple, yet inviting decor. When the weather is nice, they open up the windows so you feel like you're on a patio even though you're inside. I will definitely continue to be a regular at this spot!

Did you know Ananda means delight in Hindi? Guess what? I'm delighted that I finally found a really good Indian restaurant in the heart of Soho. Thompson Street, have to say, is becoming the food Mecca Street with Carbone, Cuba, Red Lion, Arturo.. even a pop up bagel shop where I've heard the bagels are to die for! So you see, you can find most cuisines on Thompson. Thus it's perfectly fitting that Ananda is on Thompson and has wonderful neighbors. I was craving Indian food and Yelped* where I could find a really good place and Ananda popped up. This was the second? third? crisp fall day? We keep going backwards and forwards with weather. Well, IMO, forty degrees means SOUP!!!!! Thus, I stared at Gandhi and he whispered " order the Mulligatawny soup" . I always listen to wise people and I did just that plus onion pakora. The Gobi Manchurian also winked at me but I'll save that dish for a future visit. The pakora was downright delicious and I couldn't stop munching and dipping in the wonderful condiments: mint and cilantro chutney (green) and tamarind chutney ( brown). Munching and dipping... Then my soup came and it was piping hot: lentils, ginger, corn, carrots and coriander. A perfect tonic on a slightly chill day. I ordered garlic naan to go for one of my employees. The service was courteous, the music was soothing ( think massage music) and I love the water decanters that had trees painted on them. All in all a great lunch and nicely priced. I see the Gobi Manchurian in my future... *There was a 10% off order upon Yelp check in and the owner stated it was only during COVID.

Ananda has fantastic food, not super expensive, quick, very accommodating of dietary restrictions

I have tried a lot of South Indian restaurants in the city and I have to say this one is a must try! Everything from the ambiance to the customer service and the food is DELICIOUS. The options on the menu are diverse and All very fresh! The uthapum felt a little undercooked, but the dosa was delicious! give this spot a try especially if you're in the area

Good food and great service!! We got the masala dosas with lemonade and mango lassi. I feel like the potatoes could have been fresher/more flavorful, but otherwise, really solid food place

This spot is a MUST VISIT!! No wait times, no insane prices, & some of the best food in New York. I came with a party of 4 and it totaled to around $100 for an amount of food that we did not come close to finishing. The servers are sweet and very polite, the food was so so good!! The dosas were hot and crispy and came with the most flavorful sides (coconut peanut one is fire), as well as so big!! These prices aren't super cheap but they are so worth the price. The Gobi Manchurian is delicious I almost thought I was eating meat to be honest. The drinks are very good although i wish the mango lassi was cold. The only dish that was a little underwhelming was the Pav Bhaji (just a little lacking in flavor?). The naan is soft and pairs with the curry so well. If you pass by this spot, please check it out! So homey, spacious, and delicious.

Rudest behavior ever If you want to go and pay to get yourself shouted at .......this is the place.We had our lunch here on 6/4 and tried to give a honest feedback but the manager started shouting at us .Even after having our credit card in his hand ...he was accusing us that we don't want to pay so that's why we are complaining. and we never mentioned about money or not paying.He had our card and was shouting allegations at us all we wanted was to pay and leave.Avoid this place .Also yelp should start an option for negative stars.

I had a serious craving for south Indian food, and Ananda was definitely able to satisfy this! While looking around Greenwich Village/NYU, I found this restaurant and sat down inside. The location is spacious, and the menu is quite large, though I immediately knew what I was going to order. Within minutes, I was able to put in an order for the Onion Rava Masala Dosai with Masala/potato on the side. I also specified that I would like the dosai to be extra crispy, as I have often found that the inclusion of onions leads to a softer dosai. After around 15 minutes, the waiter brought my dish, and I greatly appreciated that everything that came with it was good quality. The dosai itself was crispy as I had asked for and was not overwhelmed by the presence of onions. The flavors were all good and the ratio of crispy edge to soft interior was ideal. The masala itself was tasty and the tomato chutney was decent. The sambar had pumpkin or squash of some kind that was a welcome surprise as a lot of restaurants avoid including this, despite its authenticity. The coconut chutney was definitely a stand out. If you're in the area and craving south Indian food, this might be one of your better options!

A pleasant place to visit after a tiring day at work. Ananda won't disappoint with their foodie treats. A nice and well maintained South Indian restaurant near MagDougal Street. Pondicherry Dosa is my favorite. It was absolutely delicious. Batata vada is also one thing that you should try. Gobi manchurian and Rava onion masala dosa are average. All the best to the team. Keep serving the good food. Love, Amey!

If you're a fellow South Indian, seeking out that taste of home, tl;dr: I was disappointed. Make of that what you will. If you've never had dosa or idli in South India or from the hands of a South Indian Amma or aunty, you won't notice anything missing, I suppose. I ordered the onion pakoras and idli in sambar bowl, and ate them in the restaurant, and then had the pondicherry dosa to go. - onion pakoras: more batter than onion, though the crunch on the limited onions was nice. Came with green chutney and tamarind sauce, both of which I'm pretty sure were out of a jar. - idli: larger than expected. Harder than in should be. Idli should be soft. They didn't even soften in the sambar. I had to cut into it with a fork. - sambar: no flavor. If you didn't grow up on idli and sambar, you might find it acceptable. It just made me grumpier because it misses the mark of Amma's sambar by a long mile. Came with a coconut chutney and a red chutney that tasted...off. I'm not sure what it was, but it wasn't kara chutney or tomato chutney. - Pondicherry dosa: had them for breakfast the next day. A mouthful of salt. The potatoes were so, so, salty. Weird tasting red chutney again. Coconut chutney was fine. And the sambar was bland like with idli and sambar. Cry. I came in hoping to satisfy the need for a good home cooked idli sambar and dosa. I left sad. Service was fine. Nothing extraordinary and nothing bad. I tipped 20% (and if you eat here, so should you; the lack of taste in the food isn't the waiters' fault.) Ambiance was fine. A bit ragged around the edges with jerry-built curtains blocking off an area that seemed like storage. Perfectly fine for solo dining, or a laid back time with friends or family. Not recommended for a date.

This place has really good dosas. The 4 stars is because they do give you very little chutney compared to other dosa places. Other than that it's pretty good. The service is good and the staffs friendly

Tried the North Indian Thali and I like it much. The portion is bigger than I expected and the taste was yummy. Very fresh and hot when served. Full of flavors in the thali. One thing I don't like is the cleanest inside the restaurant. The table and the floor looks not clean and I constant smell some bad smells. Guess the cleaning is not thorough enough. See the room for improvement.

Stumbled on this place after leaving Skirball and was very hungry. I love the idea of a vegetarian Indian restaurant and was not disappointed. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat inside and found the decor minimal but tasteful. There were plenty of options in the menu and we decided on samosas, samosa chaat, chana masala, and an order of naan. All our food was delicious! It came out quick and was piping hot. The samosa chaat was the winner for me, it's essentially a samosa bowl with chickpeas and tamarind and mint chutney. So amazing! The service was polite and did not hound us taking our time with our meal. It allowed us to talk and relax without feeling pressured to turn over a table. A great experience with delicious food. Glad we stumbled onto this l

the fried cauliflower was good. something was wrong with the dosa. literally the filling was unidentifiable mush that was probably made 2 months ago. i felt sick still at the table. and still sick from it. i usually know that long menu typically means that it's impossible for everything to be that fresh. this one person is seating, taking orders, serving and cleaning up tables.

I ate here for the first time this evening with a friend. Oh my goodness. I loved everything I ate! We ordered the Gobi Manchurian, Spinach Masala Dosa, Chole Bhatura, and Palak Tofu. The dosa and bhatura were huge!! And everything was so flavorful. I had to slow myself down because I enjoyed it so much. The chole (mildly sweet) and palak tofu (savory) were so different and delicious. The dosa was crispy and amazing. There could have been more sambar and chutney with the dosa, but we dealt with it. I would definitely come back here with my family. Try them out!

I love the South Indian food here! My go-to items are the onion rava masala dosa and pondicherry masala dosa. I've also tried the utthapams and they're really good as well. In my experience, the South Indian items here are a lot better than the North Indian ones. It's calm and most times, you can easily walk in. I like the casual vibe here and the service is fast!

The food was immemorable, and was merely fuel. I was hoping for more from a vegetarian eatery since I am vegan. We arrived in the late afternoon on a Sunday before it potentially would have become busy with dinner service. We were the only diners (never a good sign). The restaurant spelled of mold like a musty old unfinished basement. That was a total turn-off. Eventual kitchen cooking fragrances helped cover up. Service was unimpressive. A loud drunk couple came in and was seated near our table, only making the experience worse, which cannot really be held against the restaurant. I'll go to reliable Mali Marke on E 6 St instead.

I came to Ananda to celebrate a friends birthday. There were 5 of us and we had a great time! The waitstaff was attentive and we were able to fully enjoy our meal without any rush. We had 2 bottles of wine as well as shared many appetizers and mains. Our favorites were the Gobi manchurian (spicy fried cauliflower) and the mushroom matar. Everything was mild which we were happy about since our group doesn't love spice, but I'm sure it's very easy to spice up. I recommend this restaurant for any occasion - it is a great hole in the wall!

This has become our go to place for dosa. Located in one of my fav neighborhood They make some healthy dosas(less oil compared to other places). Service could be better, but maybe they are always short staffed which is why the delay in food and confusions. We always order our usual rava dosa, mysore masala dosa, idli, filter coffee! Surprisingly they have good chaat such as bhel puri! .

Strange experience. The food was pretty good. The service was insanely bad. My friend said that it was like we were treated as if we were sitting at a table on the street that wasn't actually part of the restaurant but for some reason they begrudgingly served us. It wasn't that busy inside. Still, we had to beg for basic things like glasses and knives and forks and plates for everyone at the table. When we tried to order, They acted as though we were asking for something we didn't deserve. One person would order one thing and they would say "OK then," and run away before the next person could order. There were four of us so we had to repeatedly call waiters over to get our order in, and they seemed to think that we were just ordering too much food or something but, they would never actually let us just put in our dinner order all at once. It was very frustrating. Once the food came though, it was pretty good. I am so perplexed by this experience.

Came here for dinner on a weekday recently. It was in a great location and relatively close. They had a lot of dosa options and I almost went for one, but ended up going with my go-to of palak paneer. It was a tasty dish overall and very creamy. The paneer cubes had a great texture. Portion definitely could have been larger for the price though. Service was interesting because our server had a quirky personality, which we found entertaining and enjoyed. Taste | 4 Atmosphere | 4 Presentation | 3 Service | 3.5 OVERALL | 4

Great food! I took some big meat eaters here by accident. they were so wowed they didn't care it was vegetarian by the end of the meal and, in fact, returned on their own!

Came here to get a masala dosa and it didn't disappoint. Dosa is light and has a nice crisp to it. Some parts got chewy when it's no longer warm. Lentil soup was bland but the masala potatoes had a nice flavor to it. The food and service took a while even though I was the only customer. Will come back to try other dishes when I'm in the mood for Indian.

Understaffed but otherwise great tasting food and good selection. Especially liked the dosas which are tasty and large portions. The fresh lime soda is also very tasty (though maybe an acquired taste due to presence of the Indian spices). The space is nice and airy when they have all the windows open and gives off a pleasant summery vibe. Enjoyable experience.

Great meal! Would definitely return again. My mom is vegetarian and it's so refreshing for her to have a whole menu she can enjoy!

I was a little skeptical at first since they didn't have a lot of customers despite being in a heart of Greenwich village, but I'm so glad I gave this place a try! Highly recommending Thali and Dosa! I don't recommend getting dosa to-go since it won't be crispy by the time you get to eat it.

A decent place if you are looking for South Indian food in central Manhattan. Service and ambiance was ok. It was hard to find the location of the restaurant tough. They also have indo-Chinese on their menu. We tried both their Thalis , vegetable fried rice and Manchurian and it was a good quick lunch kinda experience overall.

STAY AWAY -------------------- This place is a rip off. This was our first time here and we were visiting New York. The prices are not the same as they are published on the menu. They try to confuse people and loot them. There are 3 menus with different prices. One is on the outside of the restaurant, one is printed menu kept out side the restaurant and one is real menu which you get once you sit on the table. The real prices are higher than than what they put on the menu. The owner of this place Mr Raafi (or Rafi) tried to charge the tips twice to extract more money from us. First he mandatorily included 18% tips in the bill. Tips are supposed to be optional. But this person included in bill and when I gave my credit card to pay the bill he charged the tips twice. He gave a receipt which shows tips only once. But when I checked my credit card statement I was charged twice. He was initially trying to sell us expensive items when we asked for recommendation for items. He was pushy. The food itself was very small quantity for the price. The taste was decent. But overall we felt ripped off. Bad experience. Please think twice.

Another stop on my journey to find the best rava masala dosa in the city. This is probably the second-best place I've found so far (second to Adyar Ananda Bhavan). The dosa is crisp, spicy, and very flavorful thanks to fresh curry leaves in the batter. The chutneys were probably the most mediocre part of the dish (but still good). The masala chai was also good. Overall very pleasant outdoor dining experience. I have to make it back here on a weekday sometime so I can try the lunch special (ordinarily a buffet, but currently a lunch thali during covid times).

Good place for authentic south indian food (dosa, idli, vada etc.). Wifey got a rava masala dosa & I got a south Indian thali (has idli, vada, uttpam & full size dosa...definitely value for money)

So. GOOD! We ordered the Onion Pakoras, Mysore Sada Dosa, and Yellow Dal. The whole menu is vegetarian and almost 80% of the menu is gluten free with each dietary restriction (dairy, gluten, vegetarian, vegan) clearly labeled. Excited to come back and try more things! The staff is also very kind.

I came to Ananda with a friend for dinner on a Saturday night. We had a reservation for 6pm and were able to be seated with no issues since the restaurant was not very crowded. I really liked the location of it since it is in West Village but in a more quiet/less chaotic area so you have access to all the fun places for later activities but can have a chill meal here. We were approached by our server right away who took drink orders and then came back shortly for food orders. They have a very varied menu which I appreciated ranging from south indian specialties to north indian curries so you are able to have both if you'd like! For our food we ordered samosas to start, a regular masala dosa, and kadai paneer masala with regular naan. The food took probably around 25-30 minutes to be ready which I found to be a bit long for a wait especially for a restaurant in NYC. Our samosas were very good and I really enjoyed the chutneys they came with! I thought the potato filling was very flavorful and well seasoned. A bit later we got our paneer as well as the dosa. The paneer dish came with basmati rice which was very delicious and fluffy although I feel like the paneer could have used a little bit more salt (but I would rather have under salted food instead of a very salty meal!)-- the sauce had a good consistency and spice balance overall though. The dosa was also very good and perfectly seasoned. It was crispy and felt very light and filling. It came with a side of sambar which was also amazing as well as tomato and coconut chutneys-- the coconut chutney was my favorite! I ended up putting a bit of it on my naan at the end cause it was that good. We asked for the check and it also took some time to get it so I say overall service is good but it was a bit slow on the night we attended. However, the food was good quality and filling and not pricey so I would definitely come back again and would say I had a pretty good first experience here!

We stumbled on Ananda a few months back when we were looking for something to eat before a show and wow, we're we surprised. Pleasant service, peaceful atmosphere and really good food. Each time we come, it seems to get better and better. The tomato, onion, carrot, chili uttapam is outstanding as is the baingan bharta. The chutney is super fresh and the prices are so reasonable. Also, the chai is awesome!

Vibe (4/5): Brought my family here to try out some authentic Dosas for dinner one night and we all had a great time. Sat outdoors so hard to comment on the vibe but looked like your typical "fancy Indian restaurant." Was very easy to get accommodated and the place wasn't packed for dinner on a Monday night. The owner came out to thank us for dining with them which felt very genuine and its always great seeing whose business you are supporting. The owner/waiter were very helpful in giving good recommendations. Food (5/5): We ordered a bunch of different dosas and shared halves so we could try more than one. It did take some time for the food to come out, BUT it was extremely fresh (crispy, flavorful, hot). All of the dosas were honestly great and I would order them all again, hard to recommend one alone because it would depend on your preference/texture. He mentioned the ones which were spicy but I didn't think any of them were spicy at all (I love spicy food) but some family members said there was a small kick. Each dosa comes with Sambar (a "soup" or dipping sauce + coconut dip + some other orange dip) - all were good and I couldn't find the best combo. PS they had other typical Indian dishes, we just veered away from that because you can get that anywhere. Food Order: -Rava Dosa - flat sheets of crispy whatever (flour + veggies + chilies) with potatoes and spices on the inside/ -Myssore Chili Dosa - triangular shaped and less crispy, filled with veggies -Gunpowder dosa - long pipe like dosa that was super crispy -Some other notable sides: Uppamam (thick 'pancakes' with the above mentioned sauces, savory not sweet) Had a great experience with great food. I will def be back.

My friend and I stumbled upon Ahimsa last night. The restaurant was busy but we were seated right away. Unfortunately we waited a very long time before they came to take our order. Everything from that point on took a long while. They were understaffed. Ordered: Mulligatawny soup ($5.99)- the soup was smooth and had a mild curry flavor. There were a few chunks of tomato and herbs scattered throughout. Alu Matar ($12.99)- wedges of potatoes and bright green peas cooked in a mild creamy tomato sauce, served with basmati rice. This dish was my favorite. North Indian Thali ($19.99)- a big platter with basmati rice with small portions of palak paneer, chana masala, lemon dal, and raita. It was served with chapati and papadum. The lemon dal was flavorful. It looked similar to the mulligatawny soup but was a tad bit spicier. The palak paneer was creamy with a little kick. It had good number of chunks of paneer. The size of this entree was substantial. Overall: if you are looking for a vegan Indian spot and are not in a rush, check out Ahimsa. Hopefully the service will improve.

Best indian good I've had in the city, and their thali meal is incredible. Indian food in Manhattan (and most of the city, in general) is pretty mediocre, but this place hits. From the daal to kheer, and everything in-between, I will swear fealty to this place. The price matched what you got, the food was exceptional, and it was very filling. I can't recommend this place enough--I hope they're here for many more years.

Got dosa delivered from here based on a friends recommendation - Mysore Sada and Onion Rava. Both were alright, my mind wasn't blown. Perhaps a dine in experience for dosa is a better idea.

Loved our dosa and the South Indian Thali. The thali also came with rasam, so that was a bonus we were not expecting. Great coconut and tomato chutney. Flavorful sambhar too.

My husband and I found this place while walking around West Village and decided to try it out. We got garlic naan for the table and I got the Kadai Paneer Masala. Everting was incredible. I can't wait to go back!