Mandap - Hotel Express Towers

Mandap has been serving Gujarati thalis inside Hotel Express Towers on R.C. Dutt Road in Alkapuri since 1974, which makes it older than most of Vadodara's restaurant scene and the default recommendation in the city for a traditional platter. The approach is deliberately homestyle rather than theatrical: no village decor, no folk musicians, just an air-conditioned dining room and a well-drilled service team working a rotating daily menu. The unlimited thali carries several shaak, dal and kadhi, rice or khichdi, two or three farsan items, chutneys, pickle, salad, papad, chaas, hot rotli and rotla brought continuously from the kitchen, and one or two sweets, typically basundi, shrikhand or mohanthal depending on the day. Undhiyu appears through the winter. The restaurant took a Times Food Award as the city's best Gujarati restaurant, and the reputation has held. Pricing is moderate, around INR 500 per person (~$5.20), with a meal for two near INR 1,000 (~$10.40). It runs continuously from noon to 10:30PM rather than closing between services, which is unusual in Gujarat and useful for travellers on an awkward schedule. Lunch is the busier service, particularly on weekends and during wedding season, when the hotel's banqueting also fills. Alkapuri is Vadodara's main hotel and business district, walkable from most mid-range accommodation and a short auto-rickshaw ride from the Laxmi Vilas Palace and the railway station. Like everywhere in Gujarat, no alcohol is served.