Gordhan Thal

Gordhan Thal is an unlimited Gujarati thali restaurant in Bodakdev, opposite the Rajpath Club in west Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. West Ahmedabad is the modern, residential and commercial side of the city, and Gordhan Thal is regarded as one of the more dependable thali halls for visitors who are staying away from the Old City. The cooking is traditional Gujarati, served as a set meal in which staff bring successive portions of each item to the table until the diner has had enough.

The menu is broad and follows the seasons. Dishes associated with the restaurant include the full Gujarati thali, undhiyu when it is in season (the winter mixed-vegetable dish cooked with beans, yam and fenugreek dumplings), bajra rotla (millet flatbread) and chaas. A typical thali includes farsan, several vegetable dishes, dal, kadhi, rice or khichdi, rotli or puri and a sweet. At about INR 500-700 per person, it is far cheaper than heritage-setting thalis such as those in the Old City, and the price is a large part of its appeal.

The dining room character is that of a busy, family-oriented hall: functional seating, fast service, a steady stream of refills and a noise level that rises at peak meal times. Dress is casual. It is vegetarian, and because Gujarat is a dry state there is no wine or spirits programme; buttermilk is the customary drink and is usually part of the meal.

Reservations are generally not taken and it operates as a walk-in restaurant, with queues at dinner, particularly at weekends. Visitors who want to avoid a wait tend to arrive soon after the sittings open, at roughly 11AM for lunch or 7PM for dinner, and hours should be confirmed before visiting. Its Bodakdev location is convenient for the SG Highway and Sindhu Bhavan Road corridor, making it a practical choice after shopping or business in west Ahmedabad. Undhiyu is worth planning around, as it is generally a winter dish and is not always on the menu outside the season.