Taste of Gujarati culture at one of the most iconic restaurants in the city
- Gandhi Road, Khadia
The menu changes according to the season, but what always remains the same is the recipes and the simplicity with which we serve
A local institution
Everyone in Ahmedabad knows Chandravillas, one of the oldest and most iconic restaurants in the city. Founded in 1900 by visionary entrepreneur Chimanlal Joshi this was the first restaurant to serve a thali: a platter of Gujarati specialities curries, rotli, bhakhri, paratha, poori potatoes, lentils, rice, dal, farsan and sweets on one single plate for just Rp. 1. Their thali quickly became a local favourite and famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Amitabh Bachchan have come here to have one.
The big fire
Until 2002, Chandravilas was a symbol of communal harmony, spread over a few floors with more than 400 employees and constantly bustling with customers. Their reputation took a blow during the riots of 2002 when a part of the restaurant burned down. It took almost a decade to re-open its gates again. Today, it runs only from the lower portion of the building. With a loyal and loving customer base, the present owner, the fifth generation of the Joshi family, is quietly content and happy with the business: “The menu changes according to the season, but what always remains the same is the recipes and the simplicity with which we serve”.
What to order?
Chandravilas serves over 500 people a day. Bestsellers include fafda (fried chickpea strips with chili) and jalebi (deep fried sweet swirls) is a popular combination here in Gujarat. Even on a normal day, people come from far off places come here and during the Navratri festival, the restaurant is packed with people buying kilograms of the yummy goodies.