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#1,192 of 4,951 Restaurants in Toronto
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Food
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Value
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CUISINES
Indian
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
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meals, features

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Old Toronto
1.0 km from Royal Ontario Museum
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Reviews (42)
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LanguageEnglish
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Reviewed November 9, 2019 via mobile

If you really wants to try indian homestyle food then go for it. This is simple healthy, cheap and tasty without onions and garlic food. Strongly recommend for homemade indian food.

Date of visit: November 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed November 3, 2018

What a wonderful vegetarian find in this very expensive city - Govindas is located in the historic temple run by Hari Krishna s & offer a 3-course meal for the exceptional price of $10. The surroundings are peaceful & tranquil & service is excellent. In...the room next door is the temple itself which is worth a peep, especially when all the candles are lit. This comes highly recommended especially if you are sensitive to the loud music racket prevailing in most restaurants! What a joy ...More

Date of visit: October 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 22, 2018

Purchased a Groupon for $14, couldn't believe how large our servings were. Not fancy at all, you'll be quite surprised of the location...but if you like authentic Indian food, this is definitely worth a visit. Please note there are no beverages, just water. If you...do not have a Groupon, it is $10 per person...Unreal! Give Govinda's a try.More

Date of visit: June 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 19, 2018

The restaurant serve delicious meals! The system is a bit different, you are served the salad then you go to a food station where you can choose what you will eat. You can have anything that's available, even try everything if you want too. The...limit is what fits in your plate.More

Date of visit: May 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 7, 2017

Where else in Toronto can you get a real meal for $10? By no means is this a fancy restaurant; in fact it's actually some kind of religious charity organization. The food was tasty and fresh. Service quite alright. Your plate is filled with your...choice of the food available; price includes a starter salad plus a simple dessert. The ambiance is quite peculiar - you are practically in a temple. I believe the philosophy is not to waste any food so you should aim to eat everything on your plate or ask for a take out container. Limited hours - just a couple of hours at lunch time and then in the evening. Closed on Sundays.More

Date of visit: September 2017
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 7, 2017

After visiting casa loma we had a good walk around towards avenue road and found this place for lunch. Though we were late for aarthi of Krishna, we had good lunch here. The food served was right quantity and the variety was good and tasty....We being vegetarians we're really gratified to have such a meal.More

Date of visit: July 2017
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 21, 2017

I visited this restaurants a couple of years ago, it was not bad at that time. At today's visit, the food contained almost no spices at all, just very bland vegetables that had been kept warm for a long time-think school canteen. I hope this...is a once off and that the place has not gone all out at catering to customers with no tolerance for spices. As some reviewers have pointed out, the food is very cheap and the people are friendly.More

Date of visit: July 2017
Helpful?
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Reviewed March 30, 2017 via mobile

Govinda's is not your conventional, traditional Indian buffet restaurant. I will not even call it a restaurant. It is like a canteen, a pleasant, delightful make shift cafeteria that is elegantly set up in the assembly hall of a church/temple building. The food is prepared...in the church's kitchen, and is home made. I was told that they serve different vegetarian food every day. I recall seeing the food inspection certificate displayed. You will be served a soup, a salad, all you can eat entrée, and a dessert. The suggested donation for the meal at Govinda's is $10. The food is actually good. Everything that was served was tasty, and the service provided by the volunteers is really great. Overall, lunching at Govinda's was a delightful and surprising experience in the city of Toronto. And I just loved that an Indian temple found its home within the walls of a stone walled church in downtown Toronto. It is a wonderful testimony to the multiculturalism and diverse melting pot that this great city is known for. =)More

Date of visit: March 2017
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed March 14, 2017

This is a wonderful restaurant that serves lunch and supper daily. It is a buffet serving. You pay a set fee and you can enjoy all the wonderful vegetarian foods they prepare. Its part of ISKCON Toronto temple so you can also enjoy the temple...area when you are there. The menu varies from day to day but I can say that everyday is good.More

Date of visit: September 2016
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 4, 2016 via mobile

Govinda's does not disappoint. Great vegetarian platter for lunch including soup and salad to start, a choice of 2 desserts at the end, savory pakoras and a great heaping plate of hot food. This place does not advertise itself as a buffet, so don't get...other comments about it not being a buffet. This is much better! They serve you soup and salad and you then go up and get to choose your hot platter...maybe less rice and more curries and an extra pakora is how you like it. Love this place!!!More

Date of visit: December 2016
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed November 15, 2016

The best piece of advice is to not go in with high expectations of a spectacular vegetarian buffet. Saying that, however, I absolutely love Govinda's! Everyone that works there is warm and welcoming, all of the food is made from scratch with love, and if...you're looking for a delicious, nutritious and warm meal on a budget, this is a fabulous place. They have vegan options too which is great when my best girlfriend (who is vegan) and I eat out.More

Date of visit: August 2016
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 15, 2016 via mobile

What a disappointment A few vegetarian dishes poorly presented cafeteria style in a steam table All fried items dry and cold Salad served with dried out carrots Tasty peanut salad dressing. . Our service was very good though

Date of visit: August 2016
Helpful?8  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed August 3, 2016

Govinda's is an extension of Hare Krishna temple. Most of these temples around the world have a restaurant/canteen open to general public. You don't need to be a devotee or visit the temple to eat at Govinda's. One thing to keep in mind is that...it does not seem to try to brand itself as a restaurant - it is just a place for devotees and others to get cheap food. I am giving an average review for Govinda's, just because the next available ratings on Tripadvisor are very good and excellent. I wanted to rate is as "Good", but that option is not available. Having said that, this is a decent place to have a filling meal in $10, taxes included. It is not a buffet - it is not a completely self-serve restaurant. All the dishes lie behind a counter, and you have to ask for seconds. We were first served garden salad, with some mustard based dressing that was indeed delicious. Then we went to the counter to get our food. There were three "subzis" - one dry, one with "paneer", one - a mixture of vegetables and beans in a coconut based gravy. This was accompanied by a daal, "pakoda kadhi" and cauliflower "pakodas". This was to be eaten with a one "roti" and a big heap of rice. They were indeed delicious - spicy enough, but my friend had a feelings they might have as well reheated the lunch dishes or dishes from previous day. Also, for the quantity of "subzis" and "daal", one "roti" is not enough, especially for majority of Indians, who eat substantial quantity of "rotis" with their "subzis" and "daal". At the end, we were given an option of "sevai kheer" and a date bar. I made a mistake of choosing "kheer", not realising that it was being served hot. So I ended up having a hot "kheer" on the warmest day. I don't think Govinda's would accept my suggestion of serving a chilled "kheer". The temple has been converted from a church - so there is no air-conditioning. We went on a very warm and humid day, and even with all the windows open, the heat was stifling and as a result, I couldn't enjoy the hot food. So one suggestion would be to visit Govinda's when it is comfortable or cooler outside.More

Date of visit: July 2016
Helpful?8  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 27, 2016

This vegetarian restaurant is in a Hare Krishna Church, formerly a Christian Church which creates an interesting atmosphere. The service is excellent, but the food, completely vegetarian, is average or below average. The problem is that it sits in trays waiting to be ordered. Also,...it is not very spicy for Indian style food and in fact can be quite bland. It is very reasonably priced and all you can eat but I want more taste from my Indian dishes.More

Date of visit: June 2016
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 31, 2016

I absolutely adore this place! Been coming since I discovered the place in 2001, and always had amazing delicious vegetarian meals. I've never been disappointed, and never left hungry! Portions are VERY generous, the staff is always welcoming, and no other Indian restaurant can begin...to complete with the atmosphere! The restaurant is located in the back of the ISKCON Temple, which is in a stunning historical church. The ceilings in Govinda's are impressively vaulted, with large, traditional Indian statuary throughout. Despite the high ceilings, they manage to cultivate a really relaxed, and intimate atmosphere in the dining room, with candles on the tables, and lots of dark fabrics. The buffet is $10 (look for Groupons, as you can often find 2-for-1 deals in there for weeknights), and they will pile your plate high with some AMAZING Indian food! Nothing is overly spicy since the style of cooking they adhere to does not use a lot of chilis, so even if you are not able to do spicy Indian elsewhere, you'll likely be more than happy with the flavor explosion you can experience here without sweating bullets! Feel free to check out the main temple room before or after your meal. There are always temple residents and volunteers around, and they're more than happy to show newcomers around. But if the whole temple thing isn't your style - no worries! Govinda's is in the back of the building, so you can get in and out to eat without needing to see anything temple-y. I come here at least 2-3 times a month, sometimes more. Highly recommended.More

Date of visit: May 2016
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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GOVINDA'S, Toronto - Old Toronto - Photos & Restaurant Reviews - Food Delivery & Takeaway - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Govinda's

Yes, Govinda's offers takeaway services.

Govinda's is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5