Diwana Bhelpoori House

Angella

Jolly, cosy vegetarian restaurant 12th November 2009

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Very near Euston station. Great starters. Mine contained chickpeas. Lovely flavours. My main course was masala dosai. The 'pancake' was too crisp for me but the potato filling was good and it was so big that I had half of it wrapped up to take home. They offered as I sat 'playing' with the second half. I was really pleased, because when you are somebody else's guest you don't like to ask to have food wrapped up. I'd already filled up on the starter. And the mango lassi.

Drinks? Good choice of non-alcoholic. I was told that you always get given tap water automatically in Indian restaurants. The other Indian drink I tried was the Faluda with glass noodles and rose water. It tasted very pleasant.

Slurping any kind of noodle in public can be a disaster for those of a delicate disposition. You look hideous, like Dracula in drag - with strings of pink hanging from your mouth or - draped down a beard.

Desserts included gulub jamun which was home made and warm and wonderful. We ordered one portion of the sweet syrupy gulub jamun and one of fruit. The fruit was cut fine like tinned cubed salad, in order to fit in a sundae glass. But it tasted fresh. We were also given a small square platter of complimentary fresh fruit including something in strips of yellow which turned out to be jackfruit.

Toilets down a dingy corridor, generally rather soiled and seedy.

Restaurant very jolly with a happy crowd of intellectual couples of all ages. Plenty of nooks to sit in so you feel private although surrounded by people. Tables for two or four. Coloured fairy lights, either for diwali or Xmas added to festive feel. Ended our meal with masala tea. An acquired taste but I've acquired it. Waiters rush about but quite pleasant. The place is open until midnight. Very handy. Busy in the evening on a wet Wednesday. Service is brisk, from waiters who rush around and as in most restaurants nowadays want to grab the menu back to give it to others - hence the people who want to occupy a table indefinitely have complained elsewhere on this site - but you could go to a pub in the same street if you want to sit all afternoon or evening. The trouble is, the sort of people who want wholesome food don't want to sit and drink. One couple had a bottle of sparkling wine - maybe they had brought in their own. I never found out. Maybe other diners or the owners could enlighten me. Would I recommend it to family and friends? I already have.

avarma

Go here if you like getting abused 3rd June 2009

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If you like rude service, do make it a point to go here. And I'm not talking the kind of cold-shoulder rude - the kind where you may actually get a snide abuse from the waiter.
First - while seating us - he accidentally moved the table over my Mom's foot - which hurt her a bit. No apology followed. We ordered some tea and snacks - since neither of us was too hungry. Apparently, that is not an option (you must order a few BIG entrees to use up their table space). However - this was not conveyed to us politely - rather in an extremely rude manner (the waiter muttered in Hindi why are you wasting our time!!!).
Their staff is not just ill-mannered - but are in serious need of psychological help. The owner of the restaurant is obviously asleep at the wheel - since this type of behavior seems to be rampant (judging by some of the other reviews).

CPaskell

Great value veggie Indian buffet 5th September 2008

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I go here for the lunchtime buffet (mon-fri and £6.95 all you can eat) and the Thalis (a 3-course meal all served together in separate small pots), which are all fantastic. Great range of food and lovely taste - on the spicier side, so be warned if you like your Indian food bland, this place then may not be for you! The decor is basic - wooden benches in boothes and small tables and the service can be poor (I have had staff grunting at me for tips with hands out for the cash before). The reason to go here though is for the food - if you plan on enjoying the buffet, make sure you get in for between 12 - 1pm. The buffet is very, very popular with locals and business people and if you leave it too much later than 1pm to arrive, there won't be much food left for your money. If you arrive in good time, there's rice, breads, curries, fried spiced vegetables, salads, sauces - and all homecooked and fresh. Definitely try it!

Niamheen at 05/09/08

I've been in the evenings but not for the lunch buffet. Top tip - thanks!

Niamheen at 05/09/08

I've been in the evenings but not for the lunch buffet. Top tip - thanks!

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nickwhitworth

Mmm Curry 1st September 2008

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My review is based on the lunchtime buffet at Diwana Bhel Poori House, which osts £6.95 if memory serves and in my opinion is worth every penny.

There is a huge variety of delicious food, which you can help yourself to at the front of the room, literally tens and tens of dishes, which are all worth a try.

The menu is vegetarian only so if you like your chicken tikka you'd have better luck going elsewhere.

The only thing preventing this place from getting 5 stars is the atrocious service, on numerous occasions I have found waiters to be rude and sometimes it's very hard to get their attention.

acrobat

Thali heaven 4th August 2008

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There is so much that is good at Diwana's - aside from the dodgy toilets - why would anyone want to eat in Euston station and pass up the oppourtunity for a Dosa, some Idli and Sambhar or my personal fav a Thali, a selection of small pots filled with a couple of mains, a sweet and some raita - you can't go wrong.

sumit

A stalwart 13th July 2007

7 found this helpful

My family have been going here for getting at least thirty years, so I can't really give it anything less than five stars, even though it's been through its ups and downs over the years. Decor is very basic and the service ranges from obsequious to surly, but the food is usually pretty good. My regular order is bhel poori or pani poori to start and a paper dosa to follow (spectacular looking - like an edible model of Sydney Opera House).

aliyakhan

eat a dosa! 12th September 2006

3 found this helpful

All you people who order curry and rice every time you go to an indian restaurant need to go to Diwana and try a masala dosa. Please do it. For me. They are yummy and Diwana does as decent ones as I have found in the UK so far. If you don't know where to start have the "deluxe dosa". Enjoy!