Saravanaa Bhavan is a huge vegetarian I South Indian chain restaurant and definitely a well known establishment! I got to come with my family for an anniversary dinner, and so glad we came! The server Simran was so pleasant and really made our experience wonderful! Though we had a big group of 8 people, the customer service was amazing and we were seated immediately upon arrival. We got quite a few dishes and were able to share amongst each other to be able to try everything! We got Masala Coffee (8/10), Chili Bajee (8/10), Vadai (9/10), Paneer Fried Rice (7.5/10), Special Thaali (8/10), Ghee Paper Masala Dosai (9/10), Paper Dosai (9/10), Ravai Kichadi (9/10), and Parotta with Chana Masala (8/10)! We were thoroughly happy with the service and would highly recommend coming out for a group dinner! 8.5/10 Overall Recommend read more

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I recently got together with old friends from high school for a vegetarian lunch at Saravanaa Bhavan, located at Woodside Square in our old neighbourhood. Although only one of us was vegetarian, we all decided to try this place. That's the type of friendship we have. We support each other. I'm glad we decided to do this because the food was actually quite good. I personally didn't miss having meat. I don't think any of us did. The delicious flavours of the food had us all more than satisfied. The menu at this place is huge, with tons of choices and options. It took us a while to decide on what to order. There was some confusion when the food arrived because we couldn't remember what we ordered and we didn't know what the dishes are supposed to look like but we eventually got it all sorted out. Whether you're a vegetarian, or just want to try vegetarian dishes, make your way over to Saravanaa Bhavan. They have several locations in the GTA. read more

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Saravanaa Bhavan is definitely NOT the same as Samosa World, but somehow, my photos for Samosa World ended up under Saravanaa Bhavan's page when Yelp refused my suggestion to add the business. Oh well! Samosa World is actually in the food court, and I think the Google Maps hours might be off since they seem to open closer to noon. During these high-inflation times, their prices are a steal! Samosas are 2-3 for $1, and rolls are $1 each. While the meat samosas do have a lot of potato in the filling, I really can't complain at this price point. Everything had a nice slight spicy kick to it. I'll definitely be stopping by again! read more

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The place is clean and bright, we really enjoyed the low music, allowing us to hear each other speak. For lunch we ordered masala dosa, which I expected to by crispy, but it was a little flat. The filling was potato curry, nicely don't, and very flavourful. My dinning partner ordered the two idly and once vada, both our mains came with the same three chutneys. To finish the meal I had a chai masala, this was not as hot as I would have liked it to be, and it was quite rich so I ordered hot water, but it came to the table warm, so I sent it back, but the wait staff didn't ask why or anything... so I just left it at that. Going forward I probably wouldn't get the Luke warm chai again, or the semi crispy dosa. But the wait staff were friendly, and I would like to try other items on this menu. read more

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I recently had an amazing dining experience at Saravana Bhavan, and I highly recommend trying their Rawa Dosa, Rasam, and Podi Idli. The Rawa Dosa was perfectly crispy. The Rasam, was a tangy and spicy just like you find one in India. Podi Idli - soft and fluffy rice cakes coated with a delicious spice powder called podi. They were simply divine! Do try their filter coffee and Paneer Chilly Dosa for some change from traditional menu. If you are craving for authentic South Indian food, then Saravana Bhavan hits all nostalgic notes. read more

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Very nice stuff. Very extensive menu for dosa. Very flavorful. Average prices of about 12 to $14 for a dosa. read more

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We dined here on recommendation by my friends from South India. It was a pleasant dining experience and we were able to take in some of the cuisine and culture. Our group was able to sample a good variety of food on offer. We started with some Medhu Vada ($7.99) then sampled a lot of different dosas. I ordered Channa Batura ($12.25) for myself just to try out something different other than dosas. For beverage, we had some Special Masala Chai and Madras Coffee. We ended the meal by ordering something sweet such as the Payasam ($5.49) and Kulfi ($5.99). Between all that we were able to sample, it was an amazing dining experience. We were able to gain good exposure to South Indian and vegetarian food. I like how the place's setting was designed and laid out. It was clean and very spacious. The menu was laminated and dish descriptions are also printed. I also appreciate how there are wash stations available outside so one need not go inside the male and female restrooms to clean up. A small issue I have was the very long wait times before the food were served. I do understand that this can possibly be attributed to the food being prepared fresh or due to the business of the restaurant during the time, but I can't say for sure. read more

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Prices are decent and good variety of food. I am not familiar with the names of the dishes but everything we ordered was delicious and the server was helpful to recommend some things we've never tried. read more

Sarvanaa Bhavan is a reliable brand for South Indian food across the world. There is little to nothing that can go wrong with any of its outlets. While this store here was not at par with Delhi/Chennai restaurants, but still decent and probably as best as we could find in Canada. We came on weekday night for dinner here. 4-5 tables were occupied. Ambiance is decent and overall a family place. Ordered Onion Rava Masala Dosa and Thali. Thali was a pleasant surprise - initially I was two-minds if I'll like it as a North Indian. I swapped rice in thali with puris and man-o-man, each sabji in thali was like a little surprise. Payasam in thali was too sweet, rest no complaints. Tasting that, I felt good that we didn't order dessert. Dosa was lovely - crisp and flavourful. Masala filling could be a bit more but otherwise, it was nice. Would like to return sometime for breakfast. read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Special Thali - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

We ordered two paper masala dosas. The food looked good and was presented well, but the taste was completely bland. There were very few potatoes in both the dosas and the sambhar tasted like boiled, flavourless daal without any vegetables or proper spices in it. The crowd was mostly South Asian, so why does the restaurant seem to be making food that may appeal more to other communities that like their food without much salt or spice? On the plus side, the restaurant has a nice seating area and the washrooms were clean. The servers were polite and attentive enough. However, the food is overpriced for the quantity that they give you. It feels like you are getting a small snack and paying the price of a proper meal for it. This is not a place that I would recommend to someone who wants to eat genuine South Indian food. read more

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Came during lunch time for their a la carte menu. Lunch buffet was still running but we wanted to try their dosa. Paneer dosa - great flavours, not spicy. Corners of the dosa were crispy and the fillings made the dosa in the middle soft. Chutneys are great, I liked the tomato one the most. The sambar was yummy too, great depth in flavour, but a tad too spicy for me though. Seems like a popular place for lunch. The server was helpful when we asked him for recommendations. Reasonable price as it was a filling meal. Would come back and try other dosa options or their buffet! read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Kara dosa (top and spicy), planeer dosa (bottom and mild) - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

It's a really traditional Indian restaurant, I felt like it is a fansy place, but food is not too expensive. The taste is rich, even though food is Vege only. read more

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Saravanaa Bhavan is a great vegetarian option for South Indian food in Scarborough. Economical lunch vegetarian buffet including unlimited dosa, vada, and poori with a good selection of dry dishes, wet dishes and dessert! Dosa is always made to order! There is always a rice dish for non-dosa lover. Dinner is also great! I adore idly, utthappam and dosa! Essentially, the base batter for all three items are the same; fermented lentil and rice batter, but prepared differently. Idly is steamed with soft and fluffy texture. utthappam is a thick pancake with crisp exterior and soft interior. dosa is a thin crepe with crispy texture. All three items make my belly happy! If you are looking for vegetarian option in Scarborough, this is one of the best restaurant! read more

I was so excited to try this place! I mean my husband's co-workers said this was the place for Dosa's! The wait time was a little hectic. We were seated and then waited a good 20 minutes for menus and then a good 15 minutes for a server. I understand there was a buffet going on but there were multiple times I saw a server not doing anything. My second issue is the food. We ordered a Mysore Masala and a Masala dosa. My husband said the Mysore Dosa was to salty and had a funky taste to it. I did try a few bites and it was ok for me. I found the masala dosa to be ok but the filling taste reminded me more of a roti filling. The worse part? My husband and I both got sick from the Dosa. I'm talking bad belly. Even if I could give this place another chance, I wouldn't. Just a bad experience all around. read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Masala Dosa - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

I have to update this review because I honestly feel like the quality of service and food has declined immensely in the last year. We ordered multiple Rava Dosas of which all of them came out as regular dosas but just in a triangle shape. They definitely lacked the suji needed to creating a holes for a real Rava Dosa. We also ordered a sweet Lassi was turned out to be more sour than actually sweet. When we asked for a replacement, our waiter told us it would be more sour than sweet. This is something he really should've told us before we even ordered it the first time. After speaking to the manager he only made excuses and reluctantly offered to make us one new Dosa. We accepted but we're unbelievably frustrated at that point that we didn't even want the new ones. read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - So frustrating that this "Rava Dosa" lacks the suji needed to creating the holes that really make a Rava Dosa - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

Went to the Scarborough location and was impressed from the start. Let me start by saying that this strictly a vegetarian restaurant. Certain items are only available after 6 pm so look online b4 you take a trip down to the restaurant. The menu is huge and your bound to get lost trying to decide what you want. Place is clean and the server's are very friendly and helpful with any questions you might have. read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - ONION MASALA DOSA Thin rice and lentil crepe stuffed with mashed potatoes and onions. Served with sambar and chutneys. - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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We went to this south Indian cuisine for dinner. Customer service was brutal. There were 8 people in the party and the restaurant was half empty yet it took them 20 minutes to get us seated. This restaurant customer service was horrible. It seems like they were focused on Uber business than serving people who are the restaurnt. We ordered 2pori meal, 3 mini tiffin, 2 malasa dosa and biriyani plus 3 mango lassi. They served the pori and masala dosas but never bothered to bring out mini tiffins. After 20 minutes, we asked and they said its coming, 15 minutes later we got the food. As we got the bill, the mango lassi was served. I am sorry to say, food was good but the employees dont care. I will not be going here! read more

After the recent renovation, the space has become much more aesthetically, pleasing and roomy. Unfortunately, the noise levels are horrendous. They need to use some sound dampening in the ceiling or pillars. It sounds like a noisy cafeteria inside. Onion Chili Uttapam 4/5 Masala Dosa 4/5 Mysore Masala Dosa 3/5 - dosa was soft not crisp which is what I've usually had. Sweet Dahi Vada 4/5 Filter Coffee 4/5. Not strong enough for my taste. Service was absolutely below par. We were waiting for 15 minutes until someone could be flagged down to take our order. Once the order arrived, one person got their meal and their appetizer, which we had specifically asked to be served earlier came afterwards. Service overall seemed very disorganized with no assigned tables to servers, so you had no idea who you should be flagging down for simple things like a water refill. I have to note that , one of the employees who was taking orders, Pradeep was very helpful and did her best to address any concerns we had. Although the food was pretty good, not likely to return, unless they fix the noisy environment and improve service. read more

2.5 I generally don't do buffet AND NOW I KNOW WHY. This time was different only because the selection was better than a la carte. But: $15.00 is steep for vegetarian food, especially if you don't eat a lot in one sitting, like me. They have unlimited dosa and puri which keep appearing on your tali dish. (A server provides these). Service is a finely tuned machine and runs like clockwork, get them in and out! The dosa here are thin, non-greasy but the buffet food was not hot. I have a peeve about lukewarm food. Handwashing sinks are clean, food was adequate, but lacking in depth and definitely not enough spice. Hubby said his rasam (soup) was very good. Meh. read more

I always see this place packed when I watch indian theatre that is next to this place. I tried the idli and masala dosa. I thought it honestly wasn't that tasty. Service was okay. To be honest I'm not a fan of vegan food. I tried better dosas at other places. The Dosa was mediocre at best I was still hungry. Lassi wasn't that tasty. No more vegan food read more

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I think is me.. I am not impressed at all with Sarvanaa Bhavan's lunch buffet. ($9.99) The food is quite good.. and the spiciness level is excellent.. my friend was like eating them and have runny nose and tears in her eyes..! :P The waiters always around and bring freshly made dosa and bread from the kitchen. I think I rather coming for a la carte instead for dinner, because the food in the buffet area I found them lukewarm.. especially when outside is freezing cold... and you really want your food HOT, not just spicy hot! There is an area on the side that has sink to wash your hands before and after your meal.. that's a good idea but it really gross me out when I can hear people rinsing their mouth and making disgusting noises right when I am eating my food! -0.5 star read more

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Great service, great food and great people. They brought wrong order, were quick to replace. Dosa not as good as guru lakshmi, but still decent read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Part of the menu - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

Let me start by saying that I love meat... With that in mind, I love this place. I know it's vegetarian, but it has lots of tasty food that really show cases what vegetarian food can be. The paper dosa is crispy, tasty and definitely an experience. The curries, rice dishes are amazing, and the desserts are authentic. If you're a big meat eater, give this place a try. It may change your mind about veggies. read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Hot Coffee! - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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Newly renovated nice ambiance, quick service on a holiday weekend and clean atmosphere. Food as always delicious and not too spicy just *chefs kiss* read more

Well, it is very difficult for one to get disappointed eating at Saravanaa Bhavan. The taste of the food is very authentic and close to what you get back in India. This is the first time I have ever seen a lunch buffet at Saravanaa Bhavan and it was good. The food options was sufficient and good. Service was good as well. You will not be disappointed eating here. read more

Decided to go here as the first indoor meal after the lock down..kinda disappointing. The food was alright - the coconut chutney was watered down. The dosa was crisp but the chutney is what makes it. The potato filling was a little bland and I've had more flavourful ones at other places. Vadas were oilier than usual (I know they are deep fried). They skimp on the chutney and sambars especially considering you're getting one of the large paper dosa, you need more sambar and chutney. COVID: They have set it up fairly well with one-way signs and most servers wearing gloves and all servers wearing masks. I did notice many customers getting up to go wash their hands without a mask or when they're leaving. I wish the servers reminded customers when they get seated to keep their mask on unless they are eating or at their table. It was a little precarious in my opinion especially considering they got floor signs and did their due diligence (for the most part). read more

Arpita, our very attentive & pleasant waitress recommended us to try the "Special Meals Combo $19.99 & Ghee Paper Masala $13.99 which were all freshly made, tasty & healthy. Ended up ordering the delicious Masala Chai, Rasamalai and Malai Kulfi for dessert. Had a wonderful meal here today. Will be recommending Saravanaa Bhavan to other foodies like ourselves; who will definitely be back to try other items on their extensive menu. Let's hope we are lucky to get Arpita to serve us again! read more

When you have a craving for Tamil feast, Saravana Bhavan's special weekend buffet brunch will hit the spot. It is available Friday Saturday and Sunday on regular weekends and on Monday as well on long weekends. The food is fresh and there is quite a spread in terms of variety. We have tried it few consecutive weekends and still have not found it boring or repetitive. Must try. If I lived closer I would go every Friday . read more

Did not like it at all. Too much salt in the dosa. Tea was over cooked and extremely bitter and had a burnt taste. Even though they claim they have chefs trained by the chain but this is no where close to sarvana bhawan quality , not even remotely. read more

I have visited Saravana Bhavan with my family countless times, if I had to estimate, probably over 15 times. What we like about it is the ability to choose anything from the menu since the restaurant is 100% vegetarian. I find they have a really great selection of dosas and you can't really go wrong since these are their speciality. A la carte - We typically go with a la carte because we like ordering some of the more specialized items on the menu. The buffet tends to be more of their basic offerings. I've had many of the different dosa varieties and they're all really good. I like the chutneys and sambar it comes with and I always make sure to get a dosa that's stuffed with some type of curry on the inside so I get lots of different choices for sides. Breakfast/Lunch buffet - Like I mentioned earlier, the buffet is full of their basic offerings like sambar, chutneys, idly, vada, potato masala, mixed rices, desserts, and fresh dosa and poori to the table. Unfortunately with the buffet, you won't be able to try any of their speciality dosas. This is a good option if you're looking to get an overall introduction to south Indian food. The service can be spotty. Sometimes when they're busy, they'll open up the back room and seat groups there. While its a good thing because you won't have to wait as long for a table, I find the servers don't pay as much attention to you in there since they're all focused on the main room. The service in the main dining area is a lot quicker and it's a lot easier to get a hold of a server. The prices are also pretty high considering the food is vegetarian. I do appreciate that they use fresh coconut for their chutneys but I do think paying $6 for two vadas or two bondas is a bit much. The convenience and taste doesn't stop us from going back though. read more

We are from the US and went there for a evening dinner and lunch buffet. The dinner was served so late. We ordered Rava dosa and was far from okay. it was cold and not cooked. I could clearly tell the cooks were tired and cooked just because they had to! Sorry we don;t have to eat this uncooked cold dosa. the next day lunch buffet! Please don't ask why we went again. BIG MISTAKE! The guy who walks around with dosa was on the other side and even after calling him repeatedly did not serve. When he came it was cold. Asked for poori which came after we finished our meal. No one is supevising. Employees there look like they are unhappy and doing it just for the pay. No customer service! No quality! Please don't waste your money and time even if it is once! read more

Be prepared to eat with your hands! They have cutlery if you want, but the traditionalists eat with their hands! =) I am not an expert when it comes to South Indian Cuisine, but they have made me a lover of the food. So that has to say something. The Good: 1 - Vegetarian - so as a vegetarian I don't have to look through the menu for what I can and can't eat. 2 - The buffet is great, especially as a new person to the cuisine, it allowed me to try the different foods. 3 - There are two hand washing stations. 4 - There is plenty of parking. 5 - They have paan. This is not something I enjoy, but for those who grew up with this stuff, it is nice to know where you can get it. For those who are new to this cuisine, I wouldn't recommend this. It is the stuff wrapped in a leaf when you go out to pay and it costs $1. 6 - It is cheap! I don't recall the exact price, but around $10 for a buffet. 7 - I love getting the candy coated fennel seeds on my way out! The Not So Good: 1 - Sometimes you have to wait a bit to get the dosas or puri, especially if they are busy. 2 - The idlis are not available with the buffet. They are at the Vancouver location, but not here. For the Newbies like me, I would stick to either the dosas, idlis or the thali. Give this place a try if you are looking for something different. For those that don't know, South Indian food is very different from the indian food you get at most restaurants. read more

This is the second time in the year that I felt waste of time and money to dine in here. People working here think that we are eating for free, no respect and worst service. Wait time to find a table is around 45 mins. Wait time to place the order is around 25 mins after calling them repeateddy Wait time to get the orders is around 30mins for a regular meal. Wait time for the bill is around 25 mins. Quality of food is not the one that we had in India. It's better to avoid this restaurant to have a good, peaceful meal. read more

Why does it have just 3 star rating? We went there thinking we'll order just a thing or two but looking at the spread for brunch buffet, changed our minds. Despite being busy, it was tidy and clean and we were promptly attended too. Everything had a terrific quality! I know it sounds presumptuous of me but I loved, well everything. The thing is even the best items from Ala Carte are dressed down for buffet but not in this case. I loved their crispy Medu Vadas and three kinds of Coconut Chutneys. They don't place Dosa and Puri among the spread but regularly serve that on your table. Upma tasted exactly like what I used to get back home. I bowed out but not before sampling their filter coffee. Ahhh, the bitter sweet flavor of Chennai that I missed. Economical joint. $35 all in including tip for two! read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Traditional way of serving Filter Coffee - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

An authentic Vegetarian South Indian Restaurant. There were no fleas, fruit flies and my food was served hot and didn't appear to be re-heated from the day before (Just wanted to clear that up before I started my review) If you have ever been to a South Indian restaurant in India you would love this place, because they have everything setup just like you are in South India, they have a hand wash station (Yes people still eat with their hands in South India, and a few do in this restaurant, if it bothers you then I suggest you do not go here). The food is authentic and is priced right, there are tons of Vegan options, this is a vegetarian restaurant, so if you are vegetarian you don't have to worry about anything just order anything from the menu. There is plenty of space to sit and lots of parking in the mall's parking lot. The place can get busy on weekends. If you have never had south Indian food before I would highly recommend you try the Masala Dosa as your first dish. Everything here is served in stainless steel dishes, (if you were in South India it would be on Banana leaves, seeing as we won't have Banana trees in Toronto anytime soon, Stainless steel will suffice) Service is mediocre, if you want something after you've already ordered and received your food it can be a challenge to get the server's attention depending on how busy the place is. Try something new and different and you will not be disappointed. Meat and potato lovers stay away, this is not a place for you. read more

I have had their Madras Masala Dosa, Chili Mushroom Dosa, Idli, Vadas, Rava Halva....etc. All good. It is one of those places that maintains it's authenticity and flavours outside of India. read more

This restaurant is huge! I'm sure it will seat at least 20+ families. Service is extremely friendly and quick. We were a family of 6 adults and a kid and we all tried the weekend lunch buffet. The spread included 6 curry veggies(subjis), 3 dry veggies (poriyal), pakoda (fried veggie appetizer), dal rice (bisi bele), biriyani (fried rice), yogurt rice, pickle, papad, raitha, and 3 choices of sweets. This is in addition to the dosas (rice pancakes) and puri/naan (bread/Roti) that can be ordered separately at the table. Needles to say, we all thoroughly enjoyed and were so stuffed. We also got a cup of coffee each to seal the meal - very traditional style. Highly recommend their lunch buffet, if you crave Indian/south Indian food or if you simply miss home read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Lunch buffet ! - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario

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Good food, good service. The mini tiffin is great if you want to try a bunch of appetizer style south Indian food as a meal. The dosa, idli , vada & chutneys, barota & kurma, khyma idli are all very tasty. The south Indian brunch on weekends is a fantastic idea! read more

It may not quite live up to the hype (featured in a Toronto Star 'best ethnic food suburb in the world' article, and one of the places that US economist & foodie Tyler Cowan dined at), but Saravanna Bhavan in Scarborough is good. It was my first visit to a south Indian vegetarian restaurant, so bear with me! We visited on Sunday for their lunch buffet, which offers a great range of spicy and mild tastes. VERY good paper dosa - luckily an endless supply from friendly servers - and poori for dipping, spicy potato poriyal (my favourite!), mint & coconut chutneys, channa masala...yum! The only thing I wasn't ecstatic for was the mango pickle dish. For refreshment, we had mango lassi and mango juice - filled to the brim, and perfectly fresh and sweet. :) It was steady (not crazy busy) during the lunch hour (12-3pm), but we didn't feel rushed to finish our meal. In fact, we stayed and chatted by the ceiling-high windows for 2 hours! If you love Indian food, definitely check this place out. I'll probably be back! :) read more

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Quality and taste of the food has been degraded.. They must have change the chef or they might have started using bad spices. I think it's not a South Indian food at any angle.. I've been in south India for 4 years and I know how the food is. I came here 5 months ago when the food was good but today (31 may 2014) the food is awwwwwwww.. I hated the food that's why I'm too disappointed. read more

Saravanaa Bhavan - Masala dosa.. - Indian Near Me - Scarborough, Ontario