Govinda’s

Very simple basic dishes, mediocre taste and very limited selection. Bought $ 10 for 2 from Groupon. Pretty cheap but you definitely get what your pay for.
It’s actually located in a temple so depending on how comfortable you are eating there it could feel like a totally amazing experience or just uncomfortable.
In the summer it’s incredibly hot as there is no aircondition.
It’s also a non for profit organization and everyone is a volunteer there.

Bought $ 10 for 2 from Groupon. Pretty cheap. You get for what your pay for. Keep in mind it’s non for profit organization. A temple.
If it’s a hot day, then don’t even bother going in there. There is no AC or FAN. You will sweat like a pig in there.
Servers are volunteers and they are amazing. Food not so much. It’s blant. I recommend stay away from this place… however I recommend helping the organization.

I got two words for this wonderful Restaurant «Divine Dining»!

Nothing impressive. Mediocre food. Usually Iskcon restaurants are very good. This one didn’t meet expectations. Just because this restaurant is in the temple, it can’t be reviewed as great food. They could do better. The people serving were nice and the place itself was spacious and clean.

This was a unique experience. I’ve never gotten lunch from inside of a Hare Krishna Temple before, safe to say.
Dim lighting, nicely made-​up tables, soft Indian music. Kind of a funky atmosphere. I liked it.
Got the dish to go, $ 10 all in, pretty generous amount, lots of variety, nice taste, pretty fresh. Really enjoyed the date balls for dessert. I’m not a vegan or vegetarian by any means, but I still respect the food and the ethos behind it.
All in all, I enjoyed it. Will be back for sure, maybe I’ll try eating in next time and soak up more of the atmosphere.
I don’t know how they make any money though, it wasn’t very busy and it’s pretty cheap and there is no alcohol obviously to help pad the bottom line.
Hope they make it, I’d like to come regularly!

This place rocks. Friendly staff and calming atmosphere. I recommend it to anyone!

Simply best Indian vegetarian restaurant in Toronto with elegant ambience and meditative atmosphere. I love to go there often.
Food is really yummy starting you with soup and salad, then main course and ending with Dessert.
It’s worth your every penny, time and taste buds and I guess the best value for money you will ever find in Toronto.

the friendly service is what I really liked! the people who work there were very friendly and welcoming
as a vegetarian who loves indian food, I was in heaven… I’m thinking of going vegan soon though and I noticed that although everything was delicious and made with lots of veggies, many things had either ghee or paneer (I think) which is cheese
anyway, my favourite were the kafta (?) balls! which tasted like balls of cheesy chickpea goodness, sooo good, and the dhal, which is like a thick lentil soup! AND ALL FOR 8 BUCKS if you’re a poor student like me that’s the best news youve heard all day
highly recommend!
oh and the décor and music is really nice too :)

I’ve been coming to Govinda’s for about 13 years now — in my opinion it is one of Toronto’s best kept secrets for really delicious Indian food!
The portions are beyond generous — I’ve never once come away hungry when eating there. I would never in my life call their food bland like some other review mentioned. No they don’t use garlic and onions, but they use hing (a spice that has the same sort of savory taste profile as onions and garlic), and plenty of other spices and curries, so the food is extremely flavorful and tasty! And the staff is always very warm and welcoming. If you go there enough for them to recognize you, it gets really lovely as they get so happy to see you back, and you feel like it’s really «your place». And you absolutely cannot beat the price.
In the past few years they have renovated the dining room, and it’s absolutely stunning inside now! The dramatic vaulted ceilings create a real sense of grandeur, and the authentic and large, beautiful Hindu statuary and tapestries are as gorgeous as they are fascinating to get up close and really take a good look at. Most of the time there is gentle Indian music playing, though sometimes it may not be — either way, the natural light that comes in from the skylights is lovely during the day, and at night the low lighting makes for a really intimate and relaxing feel.
Yes, this restaurant is inside the Hare Krishna temple, but it’s in a completely separate section of the building, and it’s never something that comes up if you’re there to eat. In fact, I think it’s a really cool element — how often do you get to visit a real temple AND get an flipping awesome meal on the cheap? If you have no interest in the temple part, then you simply stick to the restaurant room. But if you like to catch a bit of culture, you’re free to pop into the temple-​space and look around before or after your meal, and if you have any questions one of the staff there is always happy to answer them.
I couldn’t find anything to complain about if I tried. Like I said, I’ve been going there for 13 years. I found the place when I was in university, fell in love, and have been going back — dare I say, religiously — ever since!

Went there on a groupon deal ($ 10 for 2 people for lunch or dinner buffet). You get a bowl of soup and a small plate of salad and two times at the buffet (someone puts the food for you on a plate to monitor portion control) and one dessert (non Indian).
I found the food to be incredibly salty and very bland — very little variety. The place is in some sort of church, and the actual restaurant is in a room with really high ceilings but it was dark and a little dingy. The people were nice, but unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend it. The experience was a bit weird for me.

Food was cheap but not great. The meal starts with soup and salad, and then unlimited amounts of some of the foods at the hot table. One dessert is also included.
Found the process a bit confusing and the servers seemed equally as confused.

Look for deals on Wagjag or Groupon they always have deals for this place. We got 2 lunch buffets for $ 10. That’s $ 5 for a buffet. It was in a cool building i think it use to be a church. There wasn’t a big selection but worth what we paid. Not sure if i would pay full price for this place. The food was decent, only a couple dishes did we love.

Nice selection of a vegetarian buffet. A little hard for me to eat here as a vegan. I was disappointed in the limited amount of gluten free options as well as the ghee and cheese in 70% of their dishes. For a $ 10 buffet it is a great deal. Service is warm and welcoming.

Govinda’s is the vegetarian restaurant in the Hare Krishna temple. The food is Indian but they don’t use garlic or onions, so it’s a bit bland. The price is actually a donation. The last time I went there it was $ 7. The volunteer working there pushed the food around on the plate with his fingers a bit, which I didn’t like so much. Every so often there is a jingling sort of chant that comes over the PA system. It’s an interesting experience, but the food isn’t that great and the atmosphere a bit weird.