Tonight both my wife and I were exhausted and thought we’d quickly dine out. What started as a plan for dosa ended up at Vatan in Bella Vista, thanks to a friend’s recommendation while we were already driving. I’ll be honest — I usually find Gujarati food a bit on the sweeter side, but we didn’t want to drive too far, so we gave this place a go. Vatan has replaced Tikka Take in Bella Vista, and I’m glad we stopped in. We ordered a Gujarati thali and a Kathiawadi thali. Our daughter had pav bhaji and our son had paneer paratha. The thalis absolutely surprised me — every single item was delicious and felt properly made. Everyone must try their Sev Bhaji — it’s outstanding. The pav bhaji was really good too, and the paratha was solid. The main reason I’m writing this review is that after a long time, I genuinely felt that “India wala taste” at a restaurant. Also, good thalis are hard to find for dinner at most Indian places, so this was a big win. Nice ambience, great food, and overall a very satisfying experience. I’ll be sharing a couple of photos as well.

Authentic Gujarati Feast & Heartwarming Service! Vatan Restaurant in Bella Vista truly is a "Taste of Gujarat" right here in Sydney. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, ordering the Maharaja Gujarati Thali and the Kathiawadi Thali. The food was absolutely outstanding, tasting just like authentic home-cooked Gujarati food—a rarity to find outside of India! Eating here brought back lovely memories of famous, traditional Gujarati dining halls like Atithi, Pakwan, and Sasuji from Ahmedabad. The service deserves a special mention. The staff was incredibly courteous, always smiling, and very accommodating. They happily catered to our requests, like bringing extra puris for the kids, which we greatly appreciated. The managers were also attentive, checking on us at least twice to ask about the food and if we needed anything else—this high level of care perfectly mirrors the hospitality one experiences in the best Gujarati dining halls. If you are looking for an authentic Gujarati dining experience with food that tastes like it's made with love, look no further than Vatan. We are surely coming back and bringing more friends and family! If your family is visiting from Gujarat, please bring them to this restaurant, and they will truly appreciate the taste of home. Highly recommended! Consistency, Authenticity, and Hospitality at its Finest! We returned to Vatan Restaurant in Bella Vista, this time with the full family—including my parents, my brother, and his family—and the experience was just as exceptional as our first visit. It’s officially our go-to spot! • The Food: Still the most authentic Gujarati taste in Sydney. It’s remarkably consistent—every thali felt like a home-cooked meal in Ahmedabad. • The Service: Exceptional. Even with a large group, there was minimal wait time. The staff are incredibly patient with kids and accommodated our last-minute order changes with a smile. • The Vibe: They actually listen to their customers! We gave some feedback regarding the background music and they changed it immediately. If you want a place that treats you like family while serving food that tastes like home, this is it. We’ll continue to bring our loved ones here. A must-visit for any Gujarati food lover! Thanks Team Vatan

Visited Vatan Indian Restaurant for Sunday dinner and had a mixed experience. The menu was very limited, and many guests—even families with kids—left because there weren’t enough options. Service was quite slow, with long wait times between orders. Food-wise, there were some hits and misses: the pav bhaji was tasty, the bajri rotlo was excellent, and the dal bhatti was good—though most dishes lacked salt. The pulav was bland, and the chaas had almost no flavor. The thali was decent but would have been better with quicker service. Overall, good potential but needs improved service, better seasoning, and a fuller menu—especially on weekends.

Food, service, quality and taste of food, ambience, staff and their positive attitude, these all things made our evening and our visit worth it. We had their Thalia, pavbhaji Thali, bharthu Thali and few other sides along with tap beer. Everything was just perfect and the food was outstanding. Finally the wait is over and we all Gujaratis can enjoy our authentic Desi food. P.s we finished our dinner with a typical Gujarati sweet, Mohanthal. Haven't had such nice Mohanthal in ages and years. Ghar Ni yaad AVI gayi. In short, Jalso padi gayo baapu

This place is good to have Gujarati thali food. Finally owner has shown his food variety in this place. Will definitely like to try the new menu item. Place is very well taken care of with cleaning and service. We were served by fantastic lady Dhruti who served us with alway smile. She explained and always come to our table and asked for the food service. This lady is outstanding with amount of energy she has. Will visit this place again to try the new menu.