In a nutshell :

Excellent chefs, marvellous food, vegetarian thali for lunch + options of non vegetarian add ons

Address & other details : Andhra Bhawan, New Delhi

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian fixed meal, There are Nonvegetarian add-on options as well.

Meal for 2: Rs. 90 onwards

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

Its an unlimited Vegetarian Thali – u can eat as much as u want. Cereals being poori & rice. Two veggies of the day, Dals, Sambhar, chutneys, rasam, payasam / other desserts served – Simply superb. U can also buy mutton or chicken in addition to the thali. U just need patience to wait till u get to the food table. In case u pass the patience test, u will thank me for suggesting:).

Detailed description – In case u have time to enjoy reading:

After struggling to park ur car outside the ‘Canteen’ of Andhra Bhawan, as u walk in, you see a commotion in the courtyard – looks like a movie is about to start & people are waiting outside. As you walk in, you realize, there are fifty people standing in front of you to eat!!! After thinking for a while ‘is it worth it’, if u decide to go for it, u r lucky. This is one of the finest south Indian Food in Delhi – Andhra food.

After buying the coupons for thalis – u can buy additional coupons for non vegetarian dishes, you wait in the crowd. A portly gentleman with a commanding voice manages the crowd & the whole system – chants out Yeitty four, Yeitty five etc& that is the number on your coupon. As u get to enter the barricaded food section, you will be shown a table by the servers. The table will not be exclusively for u. Tables r for six & in case u r 2 people, u share the table with 4 other unknown people……thats actually not as bad as it sounds coz as soon as the food arrives (max 2 minutes of u taking a seat) , everyone becomes speechless for 10 – 15 minutes (u finish lunch by that time).

The food (fixed menu) is served in steel compartmentalized thalis – compartments containing – sweet dish, spickles, 4 types of subzis (vegetable curries) including rasam, sambhar etc. Each one is delicious & different from the other. Amazing to see how sometimes simplest & blandest of the vegetables r also turned into superb tasting curries. Food is unlimited – till the time u keep eating they come & keep serving. Menu keeps on changing thruout the year.

The servers are quite polite & some of them feed u as if u r a guest at their home.

The dry mutton that they serve is outstanding. The bite-sized pieces of boneless mutton is slightly chewy but overall the taste & textures r great. Must try.

I commend the chefs for how they turn the ordinary to extraordinary.