I came across this place while trying to find an alternative place to grab something to eat around Oxford Street. I absolutely loved their vegetarian dishes and will definitely come back here every week before my Spanish class. The small thali I went for was really filling and the curry probably the best I've ever had (and I've tried quite a few). Hearty, home-cooked food. Nothing pretencious about it. Definitely worth a visit when visiting Soho. read more

Govinda's Restaurant - Clean plate! - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

Standard vegetarian fare for a moderate price. Could be spicier but there is a good flavour intensity across the curries. Large thali is all you can eat, just go back up when you are ready to the counter and they will reload your dish with whatever you like. Although I went back for seconds I didn't see many others doing the same - so the initial portion sizes are quite generous. Not sure if this is the healthiest vegetarian you can get but good if you are really hungry, just don't expect it to rock your spicy socks off. Go in for a feed then sit it off in the nearby Soho square. read more

This place would have gotten a five star rating from me - five years ago - when two awesome auntijis were running the kitchen and they used to make the best a) achar b) tamarind chutney c) paneer samosas -- and they used to make the achar and the chutney themselves -- so eating here was like eating at home!! :p :P :P :P :P Now its great - but not as great as it used to be - but it is cheap and they give you a lot of food - and they give it to you on a thali! Don't miss the samosas -- the desserts look really gross! But the rolls are yummy and the dhal is always decent! And its all prasad - which you can taste -- because it does taste like the food was made with a lot of love and devtion (on a good day) Although - if you strike up a conversation with anyone -- its likely that someone will try to krishna-fy you - this was my least favorite part of the experience (but I was still a regular). I was offered a bhagavad gita twice -- its like they spot a vegetarian and then they go in for the kill ... also ... you will leave the restaurant singing "hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare," so long as you don't break into dance I suppose you're ok -- but once the aunties left and took their sweet cooking skills with them - i stopped going back so often -- i think someone needs to petition them back read more

First, I'd like to say that I'm not a fan of Indian food, so my review is not the most reliable to find out more about this place. You'd better trust the rest of the Qypers below/above me. I give 4 stars because I still think it's quite good value for money and a nice place to go. So, having said that, after one visit for lunch I'm kind of disappointed about this place. I tried the thali set meal with almost everything from the canteen-type food and it didn't seem really fresh... it was like the food had been there for a while. The rice was OK and so was the cabbage curry, but the salad was slightly stale. I can't help associating vegetarian food with freshness and deliciousness and healthiness... and this wasn't like that. After eating not very much I felt bloated and sick, rather than energised and in peace as I was expecting. Anyway, Govinda's was worth the visit for me just for one reason: the fresh mango juice for just £1.50. I love juice and I'm not used to find such a tasty one in London for this price. I won't be going back for lunch but for sure to have juice/lassi and to try the desserts. I must add also that I loved the steel plates and cups and the staff was really nice and helpful :) read more

AMAZING FOOD!!! And even beyond the food quality, the people who work here are absolutely incredible. So giving and caring, they really just want you to share and enjoy in what they've made for you. It really touched my heart. And my stomach!!! In a great way!!! So much flavor :) read more

In short: Unpleasant and Unwelcoming. I visit Govinda's every time I travel to London, as it is the only eatery I know of that is allium-free. While the food is nice (it has a canteen-feel about it, and the food is microwaved and almost always served cold in the centre, but it is still tasty and enjoyable, albeit not worth the price) the service and atmosphere there is the most unfriendly and unwelcoming I have ever experienced. One time I took my brother, and he sat down at a table while I ordered and paid for our food (between us, we tried everything on the menu other than the curries). After I paid, I asked the cashier if I could leave one tray by the till while I took the other over to a table. She very rudely said that I (as "only one person") could not "take up a whole table". I felt completely humiliated and tried to explain that all this food was not for myself, but rather for my brother and me (though, the notion that a single person was not welcome to sit at a (tiny) table is ridiculous). She cut me off and told me I could sit at a certain table (making me struggle to carry two trays at a time too, with drinks), far away from where my brother was already sat waiting. The restaurant was so packed that I could not get my brother's attention over the crowds of people, and I had to text him to come and find me (as I also could not leave a table and food unattended). I hoped that this was an isolated incident, but every time I have visited, I have been made to feel unwelcome, and like a burden, rather than a customer. I will not be returning. Points to note for prospective customers: 1) There are nowhere near enough tables and there is no attempt made to ensure that they are not serving more people than they can accommodate. 2) You will be made to feel rushed, both when choosing and paying for your food, and while eating your food. 3) The staff are always unfriendly and unhelpful, and other customers - who I assume see themselves as regulars - are incredibly rude, and will try bully you for a seat, particularly if you make the grave mistake of trying to eat there alone. read more

Cheap and different restaurant in the city centre, my one and only visit to which was instigated by a rowdy hare-krishna sing-song going on next door in the foyer of their temple. Never did I think before that day that a bunch of peace-loving vegetarians could effectively replicate the mood of the crowd at a Millwall - Leeds football game. I swear to Buddha, I stood there gaping back as about two dozen men, women and children lined up and down the stairwell, chanting so loudly passengers in passing taxis could probably make out the words. Even the lady behind the desk was moshing. Anyways, after witnessing that, I knew my search for lunch had ended. I ducked into Govinda's next door and savoured their very cheap and cheerful Indian fare. They have a wide variety every day with vegetable curries, samosas and mounds of pilau rice. I believe there is some kind of all-you-can-eat deal too but I was only there during lunchtime. I would have to say that the food was the wrong side of stodgey, but for that price and with the entertainment included, I can't argue. read more

The best vegan/vegetarian food in london center! I am vegetarian and I always go to Govinda's because they have the most amazing variety of flavors. You can choose from pizzas, pastas, Indian food, salads, deserts... I meet non-vegetarians there everytime I go because they Love the cool environment and delicious healthy food choices. Everything really is delicious!! The prices are fantastic which is good because then I'm free to try everything that catches my attention. I like to order my meal take-away and sit to picnic in the Soho square park which is just outside! There is something for everyone. Highly recommended! read more

Ok, somewhat bland, steam table food. Can be crowded. Good vegetarian alternative to the fast food crap on Oxford. Cafeteria style can be offputting. read more

Good vegetarian food close to SOHO square. The all-you-can eat buffet is deceiving though as you can only eat all you can from just a few of the items they have..the rest are a'la carte. read more

Govinda's Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

For cheap, vegetarian food in the centre of London you can't go far wrong with Govindas. Run by Buddhists you can expect a warm welcome and a right-on clientele. Don't come looking for a fine dining experience or for frills, but do if you're looking for tasty, wholesome food a stones throw from Centre Point then this is the place read more

Good prices ,tasty food ,nice ambience -loved it ! Decent size portions -lots of different preps in a thali ,Indian style . Healthy drinks options and friendly staff . read more

If you want something really nutritious to eat come here, centrally located in Soho. Here you will find everyting is freshly prepared and feels like a new food experience as the food is so wholesome and delicious. There is even a Hare Krishna shop upstairs where you can buy all sorts of things. read more

Govinda's Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

I just been to this restaurant and the food is really nice. I had burger and salted lassi - :) They have blessed priests outside the restaurant chanting hare rama hare krishna and just dancing to release the stress and pains in life. The scene is really beautiful. Recommended especially for Krishna Fans. read more

The food was very good. Clean and a warm welcome by the staff. Good and authentic Indian food. read more

Every time I come to London (and this is my 26th) I stop by Govinda. It offers a relaxing getaway from the hurly-burly of Oxford Street compulsive shoppers providing a vegetarian meal with a nice home-feel to it. My personal favourite is their vegetarian lasagna, which I generally couple with a piece of poppadom bread. Of course many more options are available, but I'm a creature of habits. It goes without saying that Govinda is a religiously connotated restaurant, but, in line with Hare Krishna values, people from all creeds and lifestyles are welcome to enjoy their lovingly prepared dishes. read more

Govinda's Restaurant - Vegetarian lasagna with poppadom bread. - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

Food is good but need more variety You get out of there smelling very bad I wasn't comfortable sitting there at all! It's hot, it's smelly and you get kind of missionaries running around trying to talk to you.. I'm just there to grab food! Plus restrictions on what you can eat for their all you can eat menu read more

A real retreat in the heart of London's shopping district, especially since the well needed renovation of the seating area some months ago. The food is delicious and very wholesome. They serve a large choice of indian, italian and asian vegetarian dishes and their cakes and sweets are addictive. Make sure to try the mango lassi as well. read more

Great place with very friendly and helpful staff. Food is excellent and would visit again. Beware at noon when everybody wants a piece of the action. It can get quite. Hectic and full. read more

Govinda's Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

Could not be more recommended. My meal - http://i55.tinypic.com/o1a0w.jpg read more

Great food at pretty reasonable prices. Friendly atmosphere. No huge queues. Central location. read more

Food was delicious - very typical Indian fare and appreciate that they do not use onions and are 100% legit vegetarian. Shockingly however the servers behind the counter were not the most friendly or patient with explaining the process. The serving ware on the metal plates and bowls isn't my preferred way to eat. read more

This is my favourite central London restaurant. This comes as a surprise to many of my friends, as I am fiercely a carnivore and never go for vegetarian options, yet this is a vegetarian, Hare Krisna restaurant. So, WTF? Well, basically, I am allergic to onions. Yes, I know it's not common, but it's the bane of my life. If I eat so much as a little onion in a curry, I will be sure to throw up. If I am unfortunate not to realise there is onion in the food, and I have not felt the need to throw up, I have been known to faint a few hours later. It's really really horrible. And debilitating. Well, guess what! Hare Krishnas don't eat onions either! Apparently it's nothing to do with an allergy for them, they think that onions will give them impure sexual thoughts (or something like that). I don't really mind why they don't eat onions, I'm just thankful they don't. Which is also why I always order the Hare Krishna option when I order food on long-haul BA flights. I must say, I get funny looks from the air hostess when she sees who has ordered it, as I don't look like the sort of person who would eat Hare Krishna food. For a start, I rarely wear anything orange unless I am going to support Valencia CF in a football match. And I would rarely be doing that on a long-haul flight, I normally use RyanAir for those trips. Anyway, back to Govindas (which is oddly a very popular name for Hare Krishna restaurants, and I have enjoyed Govindas in Dublin and in Prague, though whether they are all part of the same chain I do not know). I eat one of two things here. Either I go for the DELICIOUS lasagne (no idea what's in it, but I can't believe that food can taste this good without meat). Or I go for the all-you-can-eat Thali, which you can have refilled afterwards if you feel like a pig. That's about £8 (cheaper during the day I think) and it's well worth it if you're hungry. Trust me, you won't be hungry for much longer. It's just so tasty, and it's so reassuring to know I can eat EVERYTHING and I don't need to go through the whole tedious rigmarole about onions because their religion bans it. I would even consider joining their religion if it weren't for the fact that they ban garlic also. And alcohol. So I'll just be a fairweather Hare Krishna, when in Soho, and when 30,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. Now, all together now: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare There, didn't that make you feel better? Now, shut up and eat your thali. read more

Delicious food and great value. I got a small take away thali meal to eat in soho square. Great for an expensive, tasty meal

I am completely in love with this restaurant. Amazing location,food and price. Great Indian food plus the staff is very nice. I highly recommend it! read more

It's not often that I find a new veggie place that I'm bowled over by. Great value and food that I know is gonna taste good before I even try it out. Lovely friendly staff and baby-suitable too. I was here with a friend and her new-born and we got tons of admiring glances, lol. Will return often, no doubt! So happy to have discovered this... read more

To sum it up, great vegetarian food that is extremely affordable. The restaurant within the name is a bit over egging it, as its more of a banqueting cafe. You go up to the counter order what sized thali you like, pay at the table and if you are lucky find a spare table and seat. Seeming that the restaurant is linked to the temple and run in conjunction with on another, you would hope that you would have a warm welcome. But the interaction with the staff was slightly cold. Maybe it was because they had a few difficult customers before me in the queue. However, if you want some cheap, tasty, vegetarian or vegan food come here straight away. (Visit - 18/07/2015 Dinner) read more

I always have lunch here when I'm in London, even if I have to travel quite a distance to get to it. There's a lot of choice of vegetarian and vegan food and all so delicious! It's self service and you have to move along fairly quickly as there's always a bit of a queue, so you have to make decisions quickly (which I'm not really very good at!!) However, I usually go for the veggie curry of the day with brown rice, and they have Purdeys too which is my favourite drink, not found in many cafes/restaurants. The desserts are gorgeous too! Always a friendly place which, for me, is very important, and quite inexpensive too, so perfect altogether! read more

Delicious and eminently affordable vegetarian food in central London. A large thali with everything costs £7.95 and that allows for seconds, if you have the room (you'll be hard pressed), but one could easily have a wholesome and filling lunch for under a fiver. The space is clean and cheery, with a niche dedicated to Lord Krishna and Sri Prabupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, and there is soothing Krishna devotional music playing in the background. It's nothing fancy, but that's not what you're looking for if you're considering dining here. There are plenty of tables, even at lunch when a bit of a queue (fast moving) forms. Most people seem to take away. The restaurant is run by and for members of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (aka Hare Krishnas) - not Buddhists. Preparing food for others is an act of devotion for members. The temple is next door. read more

How I wish that this place was near where I live. This is traditional satvic food from India, as made by Hare Krishnas. And so it is blessed food. It feels so incredibly nourishing and when I get the chance to eat here I feel the benefits for a while afterwards. Satvic food is not heavily spiced by and large, so do not worry about things being too full of chilli. The restaurant is basic with a counter you take a tray along, like at a canteen. I believe the food is likely to be eggless as well and I mention that, because some prefer that. No alcohol here - for spiritual reasons. A great shop next door where you can buy some things from India, such as chyawanprash, which I can never find anywhere else. Chyawanprash is a sort of spicy paste, sweet and lots of cardamon etc. to ward off colds etc. I wouldn't call the restaurant cheap but I feel you get good value for money and the thali is delicious!!!!! read more

Really good, no frills, fast Indian food: You order at the counter, no time to dilly dally. You need to know what you want before getting in line. Seating is pretty much cafeteria style since you just have to grab a chair wherever you can. Hello, stranger, may I sit next to you? Don't go there if you are looking to have a leisurely meal, unless you're the kind of person who doesn't care there's a poor person standing next to you with his tray of food, waiting for you to finish and get the hell out. Like I said food is top notch. Ambiance? None. read more

I was walking through Oxford Street with some friends looking for a nice place to eat and I came across this gem of a restuarant hidden off of a side road - with astoundingly cheap food considering its geographical position, this vegetarian only restaurant contains underlying themes of frugality and buddhism (adourning the walls were pictures of the Dalai Lama) and the staff dressed in tibetan/oriental garb give a very genuine feel to place. The simple wooden furniture is rustic but very neat, the crockery little more then stainless steel metal plates and cups - the two compliment each other and then with the soft murmering oriental music in the background, you feel like you are up in the Himalayas tucking into some native fare. My recommendation is the Dahl vegetable soup that tastes so damn good and doesn't leave you too out of pocket - and have a look at the shrine-like mantlepiece against the opposite wall to the entrance. A diverse and interesting eat! read more

Govinda's Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - London, XGL

Delightful vegetarian food at a cafeteria-style restaurant.

Very unassuming place, both inside and out, but boy is this a fantastic vegetarian Indian. I'm certainly no expert in Indian food, but having spent a few months eating my way around India I'd like to think I have a reasonable grasp of the real deal, and this place is the most authentic Indian I've had outside India - even down to the steel water cups and trays. read more

I thought Govindas was filling, cheap and good, but found it rather mild. I like my food spicy!

Vegetarian thali and many many lassis. Great filling and inexpensive meal. And Hare Krishna music / vibe makes it an even more positive vibe. read more

My younger sister and I went into London as part of our Easter holiday, and- in my traditional way of getting around London in the most tourist-y and incredibly disoriented style, we got lost. But, thats half the fun! On route to finding someplace we found vaguely familiar (seeing as we only really know the museums) we grew decidedly hungry, and in a street we stumbled across Govindas Pure Vegetarian Restaurant. Great, we thought- we're vegetarians, and as a family we don't eat meat- so, we checked it out. From what we could see, the clientelle was mostly older people (bear in mind my sister and I are 13 and 17 respectively), and artistic-ly types, but the more respectable kind that wash occasionally and are less scruffy than some, but certainly not in suits! :) Well, what can I say! It was superb, for the most part. The prices were compared to a noodle place just across the way (my sister and I are huge fans of oriental foods) and we found both the prices and the food (on further inspection) to be satisfactory. The place had a good atmosphere- everyone seemed relaxed and cheerful- well, not as dour as they could be, considering the weather was bad in this is, after all, England. ;) The staff were, overall, friendly and helpful, and were accomodating to letting my sister have whatever she wanted from the foods available, instead of sticking to their pre-planned dish allocation- so the service was flexable and considerate. And finally, the food. It was rich, intense and had a very homemade genuine feel to it, like someone had put a lot of effort and care into making it. I was most impressed my the range of foods- curry, soup, different kinds of rice (we both enjoy brown but we find so few places that make brown rice available over white rice), breads- it was a wonderful selection! There are a few things though, that got on my bad side- when we picked a table at random, it wasn't clean, and in the immediate vicinity, the unoccupied tables bore dirty trays of used plates and utensils. The food was rich, intense and had a very homemade genuine feel to it, as I've already said- but everything had a strong undercurrent of peppers! I'm not a huge fan of peppers, and have been known to even avoid them if I can, so this was a minor let-down, because over that undercurrent of one of my most hated flavors, everything else was great! That said, I was impressed that I could find something my sister enjoys (she's at that age where she's going through various food dislikes, combined with some early-teen vanity over weight - like she NEEDS to worry about that!) and she's being a bit fussy over her eating habits at the moment. She heavily recommends the lentil soup she had- and it did taste marvelous! So, in conclusion, I would go again, but not with meat-eating people who I had a formal relationship with. The restaurant was far to comfortable an atmosphere to go with anyone I wouldn't take home! Good for friends, I should imagine, and definitely for picky sisters! I think I will go again, and see if a second experience changes any of the impressions I got. read more

I love this place! You get a lot of food, it all taste brilliant and you feel fresh afterwards. Its all vegetarian and I recommend the plates where can you can get a little bit of everything. Close to Oxford Street. read more

An out-of-the-road surprise Govinda is. Attached to the Khrisna temple on soho square, it deters number of people. However the complete thalis are excellent, not over cooked in ghee butter as other place. My small thali was filling with loads of flavours. The small tables and the general chatter going around really conduces to a good lunching atmosphere. read more

I've eaten here more than anywhere else in central London. Healthy food, good sized portions, the famous set meal (all you can eat after 3pm). Fellow customers are always pleasant and decent to be amongst. Prices have crept up in recent years but still good value for money. Convenient location, just off Soho Square and Oxford Street. The one place I always feel well fed and content when leaving (all food is blessed I believe!). Pure vegetarian but not vegan as butter ghee is used in the preparation but no onion or garlic is used. Very small and limited toilet provision in the basement is the only downside. read more