Udupi Palace

A wise friend introduced me to this spot, claiming it’s one of the best restaurants, if not the best restaurant in Little India, and I have come to agree.
The décor is strange, sort of school cafeteria in a basement, and despite the lovely greenhouse windows I never see the sun in this place, but the food is incredible, the service is personable and attentive, and the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming.
I’ve spent hours here chatting with friends, I’ve come alone and felt perfectly welcome, and I’ve come to the point where their paper masala dosa calls to me on a somewhat regular basis.

This is my new favourite place to go.
Triple 5 star for customer service. Every time I go the servers give me a small free sample of something! Then I order it.
The food is very reasonable. You get a lot, and it’s Delish!
Everything on the menu is vegetarian, and most of the menu options can be vegan or dairy free.
Must try the spiced coconut sweetened Cream of wheat dessert.

Good Indian food. Liked their concept of pizza dosa for kids. Channa battoora was outstanding! Special mention: Staffs were very courteous. Loved the ambience and music that they played.
Con: rest room was not up to the par!

I am a total fan. What a great place. We were in town for a day and were treated like family by every member of the staff and the food was delicious. My partner is a vegetarian, and these are the most delicious treats ever. I couldn’t believe how much pleasure dipping the delicate crêpe into the dishes was. Thank you. Mmmmm!

5-​Star dosas: Good dosas and diverse dosa menu. I would say dosas are @ right price for most extent.
2-​Star service: There was no service other than serving our order. We were trying to shout out for chutneys but no one attended us. They were few customers but service managers were least interested in serving customers. Finally one servicing person came to us and got our chutney request but never got the chutney to us. We never got our chutneys! dosas without chutneys are like junior chicken without ketchup.
2-​Star for tipping: Almost compulsory high tipping for no service The visa machine shows options in such a way you would tip very generously. good trick but cheap one.

I’ve definitely experienced better.
The layout of the restaurant is very weird. It is a giant hall in a basement with very little décor. It definitely does not invite you to sit and savor a meal. Plus, there is a giant partition in the middle as if something is hidden behind.
We ordered the idly and the rava dosa. The sambhar was okay at best. It lacked spice and tanginess. The rava dosa felt like it had been made from old batter.
Finally, a south indian restaurant that charges a dollar each for extra sambhar and chutney. That is a cardinal sin in my opinion.
Never going here again.

Good option for Indian vegetarian south Indian food.
Ambience is not great, but clean and decent.

A kitchen staff came out of the toilet stall and walk right out of the bathroom without washing his hands.
I was really grossed out

Pros: decent pricing, somewhat good food, fast service
Cons: dirty restroom, restaurant really needs renovation, dirty tables and chairs
Staff: friendly
Food: ordered a thali, not all the dishes were fresh. Some of them I think we’re leftovers from previous day. Chat was sub standard (bad decision ordering chat in a South Indian restaurant)

I have been going to Udupi for over 15 years. Its by far the best Dosa I have found in Toronto.
I tend to generally get the same things when I go; The masala dosa and the veggie thali. If there are more than two of us i’ll add in a second dosa and the mixed appetizers or even an extra main veg dish. The thali varies depending on the day and you can ask what is in it that day in case there are things you don’t like you may be able to swap it out. the soup that comes is amazing always. The spice level varies depending on who is the main cook. Sometimes its very hot but generally its spicy but not super hot.
I have gone with someone gluten free and the dosa was certainly not as good. but gluten free is specific and when the main part of something is the dosa best to try some other options as well.
They have some special stuff for kids and are vegan friendly. I would highly recommend the food here.
The décor is a bit unusual. Its a kind of cafeteria style dining experience in that its one big sparsely decorated mostly white room with tile floors and an abundance of tables and chairs. They do serve you though so not cafeteria in that way. They have many wall murals that are interesting to say the least. The noise level can get intense when its full as the sound echo’s and reverberates. and often there are kids running around.
the staff is generally quite friendly and when you ask questions they are always ready to help. You could have a very big group here as well as they will put a bunch of tables together for you.
I have once gone on Christmas day and had a wonderful experience. They even have a Christmas Dosa done up like a decorated tree in a case. what more can I say??? this place is really a very special vegetarian landmark.

Food wasn’t that flavourful or great. Chutneys are often repeated, and a lot of flavours are repeated as well. For example the appetizer platter all tasted the same.
Didn’t help that I got diarrhea the next day.
Why all the positive reviews is beyond me. Won’t be coming back here.
It’s a shame, the people that work there are nice.

Doing some errands and a little shopping therapy. Stopped by my most favourite Vegetarian restaurant for Pongal, Yellow Dahl and Puri. The food here is simple, yet so interesting. I love, as well, that the food here is consistent. Being a bit of creature of habit, I don’t like surprises of foods changing flavour or consistency. I also don’t like to waste my money on bad cooking. I am so inspired by the food here that I put Udupi on our itinerary, for our trip to India in August.

Amazing prices! Also the best thali I’ve had and I was pleased that it can be made vegan and gluten free unlike many other restaurants. I loved that there were so many different items, and that it included two kinds of breads as well as rice and halwa for dessert! I haven’t had vegan halwa in almost a year and I’m so glad I was able to fins a place that makes it vegan. My boyfriend had the vegetable mutter which also tasted really great and also included rice and the two breads (at other restaurants you usually have to pay extra for these items. For appetizer we had the samosa chaat which my boyfriend was pleased to see since he hasn’t had it since he came four years ago from Nepal.
Great service and food comes quite quickly.

This is definitely the number one Indian restaurant I have ever been to, and I know I will return there over and over again.
In my experience, this is the best vegetarian place in Toronto, especially for lovers of cooked vegetarian food.
Because it is a restaurant that serves South Indian dishes, be prepared for a totally new culinary experience. The dishes they carry are very different than those you can find at the mainstream Indian restaurants.
Coincidentally, this is also one of the cheapest eat-​out places out there. You can be fully stuffed for $ 13-​$ 15. The bill for two persons rarely exceeds $ 30.
Perfect for children — they have a place for them to play, as well as a children friendly menu.
The atmosphere is also great. It feels like a dining room. If you dislike posh places that make you uncomfortable making the napkin dirty, then it is definitely a place for you.
The only negative thing that I experienced was the fact that sometimes it might be difficult to get the waiter’s attention, but you could say it gives you more time to think and decide.

Overall: Unless I was in the area, I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back.
Service: Our food took a while to arrive but they all came around the same time.
Food: I liked the dosa and curries. My mango lassi was room temperature.

Great place for lunch. Their dosas are to die for. I usually take the spicy dosa. They also have gluten free dosas for those that are intolerent/​celiac.
The athmosphere is a bit weird. It is a very big room in a basement, but this actually add to the whole experience.
If you are looking for a cheap and delicious lunch, don’t hesitate and go to Udupi!

Always delicious. Sometimes service is a bit so-​so, don’t always get the thali tour, but staff are always pleasant. I always feel good after eating here. True comfort food.

I have been here a few times.
Although in fairness, many a time I had walked by this locale and the whole: having to walk downstairs, somewhat over simplistic vibe, and uninspired decour had discouraged me from going in.
Specially since I am not Indian and my overall knowledge of what constitutes true «authentic» restaurants in this hood is somewhat limited, aside some tried and true spots.
As such, when in the hood, which normally implies that I would be with a guest or a with a party, for their sake, I always opted to avert this locale due to the risk of a bad meal due to my curiosity.
However some of my Indian friends have taken me to this place since then, mostly because they like the selection of the menu which is quite extensive for what I have been told plus a number of vegetarian dishes (I normally come here with vegetarian friends) that I generally do not served in other South Indian restaurants like dosa. Although personally, I have to admit, the food is good but it did not WOW!™ me.
It was good and I would go again but I give it one more star simply because although the décor is on the simple side, they always seem to have plenty of space. Also, most of the clientèle is generally DESI so that is always a great sign.
I still feel that I will come back but to really get the full experience I generally will come with someone who knows the cuisine a little better than me.

This is a slightly revamped version of what I posted on another review site. I leave Toronto and this was my favorite restaurant during my 8 day stay:
I’ve always told Americans who think they want to go vegetarian that many Americans I know who tried it and quit gave up because they made or ate such bland dishes or perfunctory vegetarian cooking. I always tell them about the wonderful Indian vegetarian food I tried and got to love when I lived in New Delhi for two years during the early to mid 70s. I have remained a huge fan of Indian food… non vegetarian as well. While on a national tour in my role as an entertainer, I felt I was getting a cold and also had bad inflammation on my right hand. I was so happy to find this place when searching on line and I went — and had the VERY BEST t vegetarian Indian meal I have had in my LIFE.
Now, realize: I lived in India, I’ve had Indian food in the US for some 40 years and done events in San Diego where Indian families invite me to eat. I also lived at the home of an Indian family for five months in New Delhi when I was a student. To me, this is the perfect restaurant. The initial waiter I got answered my questions perfectly about some of the dishes and helped me order so I didn’t over order or under order. It was on person, except for when I brought the star of my show (pictured below) out. And he’s made out of wood (I’m a ventriloquist).
First, I had the most WONDERFUL samosa I’ve had — as good as the ones I had in New Delhi coffee houses in 1972. Ny favorite dish, bindi. They had Kadai Bindi, which they told me was a curry of okra, tomatoes and onions. I figured the okra would be a bit firm and spicy like the others I’ve had over the years. I asked about soup and he mentioned a «hot» soup Rasam, that I had never had. And REAL chai (not the ones they serve at coffee shops in the US or you buy in pre-​mixed tea bags). The verdict? The Samosa was an immediate smash and I inhaled the two of them, using the sweet redish sauce and the spicier green sauce. The soup was the BEST and HOTTEST but more flavorful soup I’ve ever had — and I’m someone who makes lots of soup including chicken soup. Two pieces of red chili were floating in it.
Sorry, my grandmother and mother (and me), I liked this BETTER. The bindi? The best I’ve ever had. The chai? Exactly as good as the chai they used to serve when I was interning as a student on The Hindustan Times. I later asked manager Peter John about the dishes, particularly about the soup. And, not having told him my maladies, he noted that this soup has ginger, curcumin, pepper, chilies, and garlic (you could see the thin slices in the soup) and it could clear your chest. YES: these ingredients are not only what are recommended for colds, but they are considered anti inflammatories.
I wish this restaurant was in my home city of San Diego… There’s also a nice, cozy, open feeling to Udupi Palace. But here you have great waiting staff, great service, superb food, nice atmosphere (some parents with kids as well), and a friendly manager. Udupi Palace is a big, shining diamond in Toronto’s Little India. I was so taken by it I asked Mr. John if he’d let me get some photos of him to post on this review and also have him take a few of me and the star of my show. HIGHLY H-​I-​G-​H-​L-​Y recommended. And if you’re someone who thinks vegetarian food can’t be as satisfying or moreso than meat, you’re in for a huge and happy surprise.

If you like South Indian food, this is the place to go! Everything is vegetarian with the majority of the items vegan. Their old menus weren’t that clear but judging from other people’s pics online, their new menu has vegan items clearly marked.
We’ve been quite a number of times and tried:
— samosas
— appetizer combo
— masala dosa
— mysore masala dosa
— szechaun dosa
— spring dosa
— paper dosa
— vegetable uthappam
— onion uthappam
— South Indian thali (vegan version)
— aloo paratha
— bhel chaat
— panipoori chaat
— sev poori chaat
— idli chaat
— idli manchurian
— chana masala
— kadai bhindi
Whew.
Everything has been delicious but uthappams apparently aren’t really my thing though they are great here for people that like them. My favourites are the masala and szechaun dosas, the thali (which usually includes chana masala) and the chaats. The fusion idli manchurian was pretty good too.
Staff have always been friendly and service really quick. Have only eaten in but may try delivery soon.
Note: This restaurant is lower than street level so a small flight of stairs and not accessible, but handrails at stairs so suitable for people who can manage stairs with rails.