Restaurant Review: Ayurveda Café

Ayurveda Café 706 Amsterdam Avenue (at 94th Street) Upper West Side, Manhattan 212-932-2400

Vegiboys Rating (2.5/4)

The Ayruvedic approach to nutrition emphasizes balance as a key to preventative health, and the Upper West Side’s Ayurveda Café pursues this philosophy with a consistently changing menu that reflects the kitchen’s interpretation of balanced Indian cuisine. Per Ayurvedic tradition, the thalis available on the menu contain components with all six Ayurvedic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent.

We joined regular vegi-friend Bess Matassa in tackling Ayurveda. However, without a strong pre-meal knowledge of the restaurant’s philosophical underpinnings, we didn’t find anything particularly unique about the dishes – the 10 components of each thali consisted of just good Indian food. Together with iced teas and mango lassis, we found the Ayurvedic inspiration largely hidden from our dining experience, and our food was similar to the thalis from any Kips Bay Indian venue.

Ayurveda Café could simply be called a good Indian vegetarian option for anyone looking for food on the Upper West Side, though nothing seemed unique enough to warrant a special trip from outside the neighborhood.

At $23 each, the meal was a reasonable value overall, comparably priced with Little India. The restaurant offers a nice atmosphere, with friendly staff and a comfortable dining room (a fountain helps to divide the entry from the tables, and the ceiling is adorned with painted clouds).

Don’t forget to draw from the fun box of fortunes near the exit for a bit of post-dinner divination.

Food (2.5/4)
Atmosphere & Service (3/4)
Value (2.5/4)