The lightest Indian food I have had, besides that cooked by my girlfriend or her mother. My GF says it tastes like home cooking. Everything, such as the naan right out of the oven, was extraordinarily fresh. I particularly liked the carrot halwa and the upma, which is somewhere between couscous and Cream O'Wheat, with spices and vegetables. The service was delightful, complemented by lovely, older music. read more

I went here as one of my friends wanted to go. Monday nights they have a raw vegan buffet for $15, and I have to say it was definitely worth the price. I'm not particularly fond of Indian cuisine, but this was great. There was hummus, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, and even a date with coconut dessert. I do hope they offer tea with the meal, especially since the days are getting a little colder. read more

Hands down the best vegan/vegetarian Indian food I've had in the city. The mixed basket appetizer is perfect so everyone can try a little something. The food is flavorful and made super fresh. Favorites are Aloo Gobi, palak dal and bhindi masala (if you like okra this dish is amazing!). Staff is very welcoming and informative. read more

Best Vegan place I have eaten in on Devon. Buffet was excellent, and we were told that we could also order from the menu at the same price. Buffet only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, best to come when they put the food out at around 6:00pm. Closed MONDAY while most other places onn Devon are closed Tuesday. read more

I'm way past due for an update here. I've tried ordering delivery from Arya Bhavan a couple of times and it's just tragic. First of all, I understanding that I'm at the edge of their delivery area, and I respect that. But when I call a restaurant over an hour after placing my order to check on my already late delivery and am told that it's just about to leave, something is wrong. Food shouldn't take over an hour to prepare because, well, you simply can't run a business that way. If I came into the place, would you let me sit for an hour and a half without serving me? But on top of that, both times I've ordered, something has been wrong. One time, they were out of the dessert we ordered and made a substitution without asking what I'd like, and another time, the wrong entree came and we just ate it rather than deal with a two hour turn around time to get the correct dish. This might be okay enough to eat in, but don't try delivery from this place. read more

Pretty great, despite the fact that I tend to be very wary of buffets. Really liked the chickpeas, samosas, etc...wish that things had been labelled so I could have known what, exactly, I was eating. read more

Two star for the veggie and vegan friendliness. Otherwise, there are so many amazing Indian food joints on curry street. This place has really lousy tasting food. It isn't good at all. Try something else. read more

I came here with my girlfriend because I wanted indian food and I've read online that Arya Bhavan was vegan friendly. Knowing what "vegan friendly" usually means in Chicago I was really surprised when the owner/chef came up to our table, greeted us and asked if we were vegans. The way she prepares the food comes from a genuine knowledge of the healing power of food. She understands it and uses it masterfully. The result were deliciously baked samosa, amazing bengan bartha and creamy tadka dal. All accompanied by brown rice and fluffy naan. Everything was light, tasty and made with organic ingredients. At the end of the meal she offered us a sample of a raw dessert she made (sort of a lemon cheesecake): amazing! Once I left the restaurant I felt good: I ate great food, for a very reasonable price and my body was still loving me. I will definitely come back to try the buffet. read more

This place is amazing! Delicious, healthy food on Devon!! I met the owner and was able to talk to her quite a bit about her passion for cooking with healthy ingredients. It was a wonderful experience all around. Definitely try this place! read more

Absolutely delicious buffet. Filling and flavorful, yet without the the uncomfortable feeling of eating too much heavy food. Instead, fresh, nutritious foods were creatively prepared with bursting flavor. A nice hostess (owner?) made sure we had what we needed without hovering. If we lived in Chicago, we'd be here all the time. read more

Great food, with raw, oil free and low oil dishes clearly marked at buffet. When ordering from the menu the selection is impressive, consisting of both North and South Indian dishes. As a marathoner and triathlete this is one of very few restaurants I can go to and not worry about consuming excessive amounts of salt or oil. Fresh ingredients make for fine taste, there's no need to kill a good meal in sugar, oil and salt. Fine touch of spice, great raw bar, vegetables cooked to perfection, welcoming atmosphere. What more to ask for? Oh yes, halva for dessert, thank you. read more

I have been to this restaurant several times and today was the final time. Never will I be coming back! The owner was incredibly rude to us today! We arrived for the buffet at 2:45 pm today (it closes at 6). Three of the dishes (our favorite ones of course) were empty. There were two pieces of naan left that we took- then that was empty too. We put what we could on our plates thinking she would refill the empty dishes. At 3:30 nothing had been refilled. We were hungry and what we ate definitely wasn't worth 19 dollars. I finally asked her if she was going to refill the dishes and she goes well I don't know there is plenty of food and we are very busy! What!!?!? Are you kidding me! Where is all the food? Am I missing it? The experience got even worse. Remember no naan! The table behind us got two whole baskets of naan! Just for them! They must be friends-not sure! But it was so incredibly rude! You can't bring one table food when I asked you for food and you said no!! She proceeded to eat the naan with that table! Who does that! So finally I asked her again! And she said we are very busy! Yea busy stuffing her face! She then she goes well what do you want? I said what's empty. And she said well let me see what I can get in the kitchen. She proceeds to refill the naan and bring us some aloo gobi. It was disgusting!!' I don't know what she did to that dish- It was watery and had a weird taste! We were so disgusted we paid and left! HUNGRY! Please avoid this place at all costs!!!! The owner is terrible and I hope this place goes out of business! read more

After convincing me that I did not want what I had ordered, I took the recommendation of the lady from Arya Bhavan that I spoke with over the phone. The food arrived 2 hours later, and $15 more expensive than I was initially told. I had called after an hour and 45 minutes and was given the phone number of the driver. When did it become my responsibility for locating your driver? When we finally sat down to eat our food, it was cold and my girlfriend found a hair in her dish. This is easily the worst customer experience I have had in my entire life. read more

We are regulars here. We love the food. They don't just serve the same old vegetarian Indian food. They are creative and innovative. So it is not always the same. We always know we will be taken care of, no matter what our dietary requirement. And the weekend buffets are amazing. During the week they serve Talis which are great too. read more

I'd heard so many good things about this place, so my expectations were high. I love Indian food, and have eaten it most of my adult life; as a vegetarian, I appreciate that it offers delicious options for me. This restaurant caters to vegetarians and vegans, and offers a buffet on weekends beginning Friday evening. My friends and I got the buffet, and while there were many dishes to choose from, and while the dishes that were offered were well prepared (the matar paneer especially), I thought the selection was heavy on the saucy stew-type dal dishes and starch. The service, while polite, was very slow, which was odd considering we were the only ones there for awhile. Perhaps if I'd ordered a la carte from the menu instead, I would have had a different experience, but given the many Indian restaurants along Devon, all of which offer vegetarian fare as at least an option, I probably would go elsewhere next time. read more

If you like a good solid vegetarian/vegan Indian buffet, Arya Bhavan is one of the better options on Devon Avenue. The atmosphere is casual and comfortable and we sat socializing for a good time post-dinner without feeling pressured to vacate. The buffet has a large variety to choose from and the owner said there were only two items there that were not vegan! If you are hungry (as I was!) and want a good healthy eating experience without any attitude, this is a good bet. The prices can't be beat! read more

As a foodie that typically shuns buffets, I had the pleasure of enjoying their anniversary dinner where the music and conversation was just as delicious as the food. Kum Kum played masterfully while we perused over masterfully crafted vegan/vegetarian delights. I really appreciate their focus on organic and non GMO foods. A great place to enjoy Indian cuisine. read more

Food was good and I'm dying to go back for the buffet. We were upsold to hell and fell for every bit of it. But it was a good thing because, yeah, the samosas were worth it. The only thing is our order was a bit messed up (we still liked what we got, so found no reason to complain - who doesn't want to try something new) and also for ordering three entrees we were only given one thing of rice? read more

If you're looking for a really nice quick lunch, go here for the buffet. Its $15 per person. It was really nice to try out many different dishes being that there was only two of us. I didn't see many of the standard dishes that many other restaurants have, and that was fine by me. It was nice to try new things. Most of the buffet dishes got cold (well not terribly so), and I HATE when food that is supposed to be hot is cold, but I didn't mind here because the food was really good. The best thing about this place is that the food isn't all oily. Most Indian restaurants go berserk with oil which probably means they use unhealthy cheap vegetable oil (like Uru Swati, ew). I have a hunch that they use coconut oil because I can see n smell it on the naan. Another great thing about this place is that you can actually taste the vegetables in the dishes, many Indian places I've been tend to over saturate food with spices so much that you can't even taste the flavor of the veggies. Now I'm not a salad crazed vegan. I love rich foods, and I found the seasoning to be on point. I also like that the veggies aren't cooked to death. As for non-buffet dinner, I don't have an opinion cause I haven't experienced it, but judging from the buffet, you're in good hands. Give them a try. read more

We have been to more than our share of Indian restaurants in Chicago. Needless to say Devon street has more of these restaurants than any other area in Chicago. Hearing some good things about this restaurant we decided to give it a try. It was lunch time and they had buffet, which by the looks was very fresh (and moderately appetizing). The food was tasteless, the cabbage and cauliflower was way undercooked. The Paneer was hard and the gravy seemed to be mainly oil and tomato paste. The chhole was watered down and the desserts (except for carrot halwa) were far from fresh. The few items that were OK were Cutlets, Gajar Halwa and Uppama. Recommend going to a South Indian place close by instead Udipi Palace. read more

I ordered food and it was really not that bad. But then to my surprise as I went to rip in the naan they sent a fruit fly came flying out from within the bread. I called to request a refund, as I do not eat food with bugs in it. They refused a refund and are challenging my bank for me requesting a stop charge on the debit card payment. read more

I have always had a good experience at Arya Bhavan. The lady who owns the restaurant is sooo nice and concerned that everything is O.K. I've only ever had the buffet and, as others here have mentioned, it's nice to know that everything is meat-free. Even if I'm not quite sure what something is, I feel "safe" to try knowing it will be veggie. The price is a very reasonable for a buffet, especially considering the number of different items. Places like this make me even happier to be a vegetarian. read more

Our experience has been kind of mixed bag. My husband and I have been ordering from Arya Bhavan for quite a while now and always enjoyed it. The delivery is always quick and the food arrives hot. Pretty much what you'd expect. The flavors are great! Nice and spicy with generous portions. Neither of us are vegetarians, but I tend to prefer my Indian food veggie and they've got more options than most. It's probably not the best Indian food I've ever had (but then I've been to India) or even the best on Devon but for the portions, options and price, it's a good deal. Going into the restaurant can be a bit awkward. It doesn't really have what you might call "ambiance" but then it's not really that kind of restaurant. Still, the totally wilted dried out flowers in the vase on the table kind of crossed some unspoken line for me. The staff is friendly, but not overly helpful. We were confused over the buffet and had to ask for hot tea three times, only to have it arrive cold. The friendliness kind of balances out the lack of atteniveness but still. When we went it was also pretty empty and very, very quiet...the kind of quiet that makes you feel like you shouldn't talk or you'll disturb everyone around you. The buffet itself is excellent though. Again, it has lots of good options and they kept all the food well stocked and hot. No worries about how long it's been sitting out here. And it is vegan/vegitarian so it's a great option if that's your thing. But the thing that disappointed me most happened today. My husband ordered the Paneer Makhani and I got the Saag Paneer. Now to understand this story, you have to understand how much I LOVE paneer. No really. It might be the second best food in the world after bacon. We've ordered it before and always enjoyed it. So imagine my disappointment when I realized what we had gotten was not paneer but in fact tofu. What the what?! I would have thought this was a mistake, but I double checked the order and nope...totally said paneer. And it was in both dishes! As you can probably guess, tofu has a similar texture to paneer but the taste is no where near the same. I had heard that Arya Bhavan has recently gone totally vegan, but couldn't find anything to confirm that. If you're vegan, this might be great. But for me? Not so much. I actually enjoy some vegan food, but not when it isn't what I ordered. If I had known this is what I was going to get, I would have ordered something else or gone elsewhere. So over all, it's okay. Maybe it's great if your a vegan but I think next time, we'll be ordering our Paneer Makhani from somewhere else. read more

I have never made a review on Yelp before, but created an account just to say how wonderful I enjoyed the food tonight. I went to the Raw Vegan Buffet tonight and was surprised at how good and healthy everything really was!! The place is nice, decorative, clean and the owners and staff are extremely friendly. The only downside is it took me about 30 minutes to get here from the Loop, but it was well worth it. read more

I love this restaurant!! The food is always fresh and wonderful and very creative. The owners are very friendly and helpful on making the right choice. The buffet is wonderful too! Gives you a chance to try new and different things so next time you go back, you can order something different!! I am not a vegetarian, but love this restaurant so perfect if you are. I highly recommend it!!!!! read more

The only place for healthy Indian food, Arya Bhavan is my favorite Indian restaurant in the city. The genial owner, Karti, is extremely gracious and always keeps close tabs on the kitchen so the food is always fresh and well prepared. Try their masal chai which is the best in Chicago and also ask about the custom thalis that she prepares on weekdays. read more

Amazing food - I am obsessed! I'll be back again. My friend Aditi (who also reviewed this on Yelp!) recommended this restaurant to me and I'm so glad I listened. I went today and had the buffet; the two people I went with also had nothing but good things to say. There were so many good sauces, and naan, biryani, samosas, a few salads, curries, white rice... that's just a sample of what was at the buffet. I'm so glad the food is healthy and full of flavor. I'm thinking of signing up for a meal plan that they offer ($325/month for four meals a day!) read more

Literally, the worst food I've ever had in a restaurant. My husband and I decided to check it out because we didn't want to walk further down to another restaurant in the cold. The buffet appeared promising, but the food was so bad I ended up wasting a whole plate. I'm a person who hates wasting food, so it takes a special kind of yuck to make me do that. I tried their homemade granola which tasted STALE! I swallowed it only because I didn't want to spit it out. For $15 a plate, this is certainly the biggest rip-off ever. If you enjoy good Indian food, please stay away 'cause this is anything but. read more

I went here for my birthday dinner and had a great time with my family and friends. Let me just start off by saying that the woman who served us (and seemed to be the only one working) was nice and helpful. She was really great. On the other hand, I was really disappointed by the food. As a vegetarian and person who eats a healthy diet, I understand that healthy-ifying dishes is difficult and usually will not taste like the original, but this was not good. I ordered a sweet potato dish and I did not like it. My friend got the chana masala which was watery and tasteless. A few people ordered the palak paneer which I also did not enjoy. Others liked some of the dishes and my godmother was thrilled to have so many raw options. The naan to me was terrible, but others liked it. I must say the appetizer sampler was nice. She brought out a coconut dessert bar and that was really good. I feel bad because I really wanted to like this place and was excited for a new find on Devon, but there are some much better vegetarian options on the street. Maybe we should have known when were the only people dining in the restaurant. I do not think I will be back. read more

Come HUNGRY leave HUNGRIER!! We went for a buffet and overall had a terrible experience. The restaurant wouldn't refill empty items in a timely manner. When asked for refill of buffet, the lady curtly mentioned that I should have patience (can you believe that)!! The gravy all tasted similar and hence probably nobody was touching it. The few patrons who were in the restaurant were all awaiting the two or three items which tasted alright. They charge about $11 per person + tax - just not worth it! Especially when Devon has so many other options. Save yourself some frustration and money! read more

Ordering from the menu would be a better option when you visit this place, especially on a Sunday, when the food is way overcooked; it feels like it has been re-heated 20 times over the weekend, and does not have any flavor. The sauces accompanying the appetizers are also fermented (spoiled) on Sundays and the samosas are sour by now. I admit, the food tastes great when fresh, but the kitchen is not clean (I had food poisoning several times ever since I was introduced to Arya Bhavan). I am happy to visit other Indian restaurants downtown and will never return to this one. read more

Wow .. such good food. and such friendly service from the owner, The food was tasty spicy flavorful without being greasy or too salty. Vegan options, raw options. You must visit the place .. unassuming when you step in but well worth the visit ! read more

This restaurant inspired me to finally create a yelp account. The place is amazing. The chef, who I presume is the owner, has a philosophy (detailed on the first page of the menu) of making the restaurant feel like you are in her home kitchen. This is exactly how it feels. We arrived quite late to Arya Bhavan and they were taking down the buffet. She expressed that at this point the food was not nearly as fresh as she would want us to have it, so instead, made us a customized platter so we could experience the variety. It came out fresh and was incredible. She also brought us little samples of various things to try and had recommendations on how to pair food for optimal flavour and experience. Every recommendation was spot on. I could go on and on about the attention to detail and the warm, intimate atmosphere but you would be better off experiencing it for yourself. read more

In my opinion this is the best indian food in the city. Try it out when they have the buffet.

Arya Bhavan was a wonderful experience. We were treated as if we were family and shared an amazing meal with our group. The service was excellent from start and end. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants high quality cuisine with the feel of a family meal. read more

I would give them 0 star, if I could. Its the worst restaurant I have ever been to. The customer service and food both sucked. The waiter left the water pitcher on the table with warm water in it on a 90 degrees day and didn't ever bother to check on us about the food. The food had no flavor what so ever. We got boiled spinach for palak paneer order. Don't waste your time and money at this place, you will leave disappointed. read more

Likely the worst service I've had in a restaurant in my life. We walked into Arya Bhavan on a Tuesday evening; there was one family seated and the other fifteen or so tables were empty (I should've guessed what that said about the place). We stood at the counter for about five minutes, seeing nobody. Finally, a woman (the hostess/server) walked in the front door and walked right by us without saying anything or otherwise acknowledging us. Then, she walked by us three more times without any greeting. She started putting glasses down on a table (again, in an empty restaurant) while completely ignoring us. After she walked by us two more times, we finally politely asked if she worked there, a bit confused as to why she hadn't said anything to us. She grunted a 'yes' and then continued to ignore us while fiddling with the empty buffet dishes. We waited awkwardly for a minute and then asked if we could be seated. She grunted 'yes' again and then waved her hand around the restaurant. We then had to ask if we could have menus since it was obvious she wasn't going to seat us. As we sat down, I noticed crumbs all over the table, so instead of being lazy, I just wiped them off the table. The woman then shouted "THIS PLACE ISN'T DIRTY!" at us. We were so startled that we didn't react until she THREW the menu at my wife who had just sat down. We looked at each other and then got up to leave. As we were headed for the door, I said "You're rude; goodbye" to the woman. By this time, the owner (?) had come out from the back and proceeded to beg us not to leave, probably alerted by the server having screamed at us. My wife explained what happened and the owner replied "I know, I know, please don't leave because of her." Apparently (and based on other yelp reviews), we weren't the first customers to be driven from this place. read more

what a homey place! i stumbled upon it during a visit to devon looking for a place to munch. i'm vegan and this is my indian mecca. there are vegan dishes! there are raw dishes! and there is a buffet for the adhd in you (and me). the proprietress was so sweet and made us feel at home. she GOT the whole vegan thing and was proud to offer lots of vegan fare. i do not have to search, i will just go here with no time wasted asking a million annoying questions about whether i'm ingesting fish oil. read more

My girlfriend and I LOVE this place. We are recent vegans and stumbled upon this place because it is in our neighborhood. We order out, go to the Saturday buffet, or dine in at least once a week now! Kirti is absolutely amazing and it is most definitely a hidden gem. If you care where your food comes from, enjoy eating organic and healthy foods, you must go to this hidden gem! read more

Last night Steve and one of my vegetarian friends, SKM, and I visited Arya Bhavan on Devon near Campbell. It's all vegetarian. There was not a soul in the place except one waiter, but we had heard our friends rave about it so we thought we'd give it a try. We had taj mahal beer, spicy samosas filled with lentils and potatoes. For our entrees we shared a garlic nan (soooooo yummy), mutter paneer (peas and cheese in a rich spiced sauce), avial (vegetables in a coconut and chile sauce), and tadka dal (lentils with ginger and garlic). Everything was delicious. The service was on the slow side but it's what I expect from places in this area. We definitely did not receive poor service. The prices were comparable to other things in the neighborhood. Not expensive or cheap. The only things I would change about this place are the table clothes - trade out the circa 1989 pink and black paint splashes for crisp, clean white linens and maybe red napkins. And the music was down way to low to be a part of the experience. Crank it up, please! I heard they have a buffet on the weekends, so you will definitely see me here again. read more