Been to this place quite a few times in the evenings and definitely recommend this place for decent veg food and value for money
Idly and vada - both served hot and were yummy. Idlis had adequate ghee which was enriched the taste. Sambar was more of Karnataka style and was a bit sweet which is not my favourite
Poori masala - my all time favourite here
Coffee - ok
North Indian meals - overall good but two of the side dishes were a bit sweet
Value for money šš»
Taste - good
Overall 4/5
I was longing for good meals for this rainy season. And this place was absolutely perfect for my craving. ā¤ļø
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Palmgrove is a tiny piece of Madras carefully hidden in the heart of Chennai city. The moment you step into the property, we are transported to the past. Vintage car, old building, retro style interiors greet us as we enter the reception. I wouldn't have guessed that the restaurant Menaka would be so crowded when I saw it from outside. The tables were all occupied by people who seemed to be patrons of the restaurant since it's inception. We were guided to our table and given the menu card. We ordered mushroom soup and it tasted quite good with mellow flavours and made us feel warm and hearty. Most of tables around were ordering idli and we did the same. The idlis were served hot with a dollop of ghee on top which is rare scene in any restaurant. The accompaniments were tomato chutney, coconut chutney and sambar. The chutneys tasted awesome and the Karnataka style sambar with sweet tones was divine to eat the idli with. As we were waiting for the dosa next, we overheard the guests from the next table chatting. A old man of over 70 years was explaining to others he had come with about the legacy of Palm Grove. He was a true patron who would have brought in many new customers. He mentioned that one couple who celebrated their first year anniversary were throwing silver jubilee party again in Palm Grove. And our food arrives just in time, the plain dosa which was crispy and tasted nice. If you thought mushroom soup followed by idli and dosa was strange. We ordered gobi manchurian next š. Isn't ordering a mix of dishes from various styles the point of a multicuisine restaurant. However the gobi didn't meet our expectations, it was soggy and chewy. We hope this was a one off situation. We expressed our feedback and it was waived off from the bill. We finished our meal with the signature grape juice. This juice has the whole grapes they were skinned and added back to the juice provided good bite and added texture. The whole experience was enjoyable and we would definitely go back again for the grape juice.
One of the best veg restaurants in Chennai. Good food with a nostalgic atmosphere. A go to place for vegetarians.
A PLACE HAVE BEEN VISITING FOR YEARS ,BACK AFTER A LONG GAP TO FIND THE SERVICE AND FOOD TO BE VERY GOOD JUST LIKE THE OLD TIMES. SOFT IDLIS AND CRISP VADAIS ,THE SAMBHAR A LIL SWEETISH AND SUPERB.FRESH COCONUT CHUTNEY.THE FILTER COFFEE TO DIE FOR .ONE OF CHENNAI S ICONIC PLACES
One fine place to head over for lunch - their meals and service is simply brilliant. Combined with the nostalgic building, which they said is since 1983 (remember the year guys?).
Note: this experience comes entirely from my affection towards meals, good quality food and a relaxed atmosphere. After all, you need a big table to hold all of the meals sides paathrams! Extra sambar and appalam please! Easiest 5 star given based on the above!
Very tradition authentic South Indian meals and tiffin served . Was very impressed with how they still are consistent in providing quality in the food. They hadnāt charge for juice that I spilt by mistake and replaced with another one .. very few restaurants like palm grove still serve purpose in giving quality than commercial aspect .
Visited palmgrove for a sunday dinner with a large family group..there was a small waiting time but we managed to get tables together for a group of 16.
Panner tikka starter was really well cooked but the accompanying onions tasted raw..baby manchurian was okay..had butter naan and masala kulcha with peas gravy and vegetable gravy both of which were good..
They have the authentic taste in every dish which was very pleasant to experience..
We go very often to Menaka restaurant in Hotel Palm Groove. The restaurant has maintained the ambience for years. The bearers are extremely friendly. The quality of food is consistent and very good. I rate this restaurant as the best in Chennai in this class of vegetarian restaurants.
If there are talks about an age old hotel at Nungambakkam, it can be about none other than Palmgrove. I have always wanted to try their South Indian meal, I got an opportunity to do so only recently. The Menaka restaurant is located on the ground floor, a few yards away from the hotel reception. The restaurant is pretty spacious and can accommodate at least 150-200 people at a time. So we did not have to wait for our table.
This used to be the alternative to the Woodland's Drive-in. Great Udipi style food. Try the masala dosa with the sweetish sambar or a three course sambar vada, rasa vada followed by curd vada. South Indian sapaad without the sapaad. Look, this is comfort food for South Indians and all the North Indians I know drink their sambar by the gallon!
A hotel which looks like an old palace! Palm grove is such a big place! Went to menaka for lunch with my family! the hotel is a big place with lovely ambience. They have AC and the place has a very lively atmosphere. They are also a completely pure veg restaurant. I had some veg meals, channa bhatura, mini idly, basundhi and vanilla ice cream . The food over here is great and really good. The mini idly was really mouth watering, it had some ghee on top of it and I could smell it. The service is also really really good, the servers were very friendly with us as well. Overall I had a good time over here with my family and the price is also decent.
the best vegetarian restaurant for both South and North Indian cuisine ... have been here many times and have tried both North Indian and South Indian... anything u order it's hot and just drooling ... always crowded and noisy ... few waiters don't attend u at all on the other side few come and ask on and off whether anything is needed .. so it's a mixed review for service.. but food Nd it's quality always stands out ...
One of the oldest restaurants in Chennai. Do try this place for typical south Indian food. The sambhar is too good. Other cuisines are great too.
Lovely place, Breakfast and Lunch is amazing. Breakfast buffet is really nice juices are good and Lunch thali is exquisite . It taste good it feels clean and a very quite classic ambience with blistering feeling of old Chennai.
When i'm old, wrinkly and about to kick the bucket
And I'm asked what I'd eat last, without a racket
No thinking twice i'd pick the idly with ghee
For a last meal worthy of kings with glee
Some sweet sambar before the sweet surrender
Oh what lovely chutney from the old stone blenders
A restaurant that's withstood the test of time
Oh wise one - why doesn't Zomato allow stars upto 9.
There was a time when there was Hotel Palmgrove and there were others. And, within the hotel was Menaka.
If the name Menaka conjures visions of celestial beings, the food proves it is a place fit for the Gods.
The food is extremely tasty - my favourites being idli, sambar and masala dosa. The Thalis are filling too. Today was no exception - the idli served with spiced coconut chutney and sambar; the crisp dosa served with potato curry accompanied by chutney and sambar; and strong coffee served with a smile by the crew brought back memories of how Old Chennai used to be, and still is, in pockets.
My favourite restaurant, and this is a sentiment shared by many who have grown up in this city, is located centrally. The dishes arenāt pricey and parking isnāt an issue except when itās weekends. Even then thereās parking in the side roads.
Thanks ever so much to the chef and service crew for a great food experience as always.
Great place for a weekend breakfast. Tried this place out with a few friends on a Sunday morning. The restaurant is in palmgrove hotel and has an old world charm (stewards included).
The idlis were side but not the best I have had however the vada and podi dosa were amongst the best I have had in the city. The service is slow and impersonal.
Try this place out on a lazy Sunday morning when you aren't pressed for time and you won't be disappointed.
Recently we had been there after a very long time for evening snacks. Really very happy with the taste and quality of food served. service is good. Nostalgic
Came here with a couple of friends on a Sunday morning. Brilliant food. Great quantity. Good location. Reasonable pricing. Great service. Would go back to Menaka anyday!
Sunday morning palm grove breakfast !! Nothing can be better than that ! Was not as crowded as I imagined managed to find a table for two !! The hotel itself takes you back to 60-70ās I think !!ā I have seen Gemini Ganesh a few times here ! Had masala dosa was good as usual !! Canāt complain about anything !! Well almost the coffee can be better and the toilets !!hope they keep running the place but I doubt it will last long considering the real estate value and itās returns ! It will be a shame to pull it down ! Hope someone runs refurbish and run the place
Andhra meals at its best. Madras meals even better. We tried the owner butter masala, was good. My friends were recommending breakfast - idly, Vada and dosa - next visit to chennai for sure š
Food: 9.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Value For Money: 9.0/10
One of my fav veg restaurant in Chennai... Menaka inside the Palmgrove hotel in kodambakkam high road. Channa batura is very good here. Crispy dosas and naan varieties are awesome. Panneer butter masala is sure try.Ā
They do have meals served for dinner as well.Ā Ā Falooda and rose milk also very nice.
Had a chance to stay in hotel palmgrove and experience there food during my visit to Chennai. Awesome taste and healthy food. To start with the healthy and wide range of items in breakfast esp. the grape juice was pure and rich. All kind of items like cornflakes, porridge, idli, vada, upma were available for breakfast. Then an amazing thali in lunch (pic uploaded).
The place is pocket friendly as well.
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Walked into this restaurant with so much familiarity as I've heard about it for ages.
And the moment you've heard about something for long, you expect certain quality benchmarks.
This restaurant delivered. It was a nice variation to the typical taste you get from most south Indian restaurants.
Tried the Sambar Vada, Mangalore Bajji, Channa Batura and the grape juice.
I loved the Sambar though the Vada tasted like it was made hours ago. The slight sweetness along with the perfect mix of spices and the fact that it was served steaming hot made it the perfect start to the meal.
I've had Mangalore Bajjis before, but this one was one of the best of the lot
Onion Bajji was okay. Channa Batura was again good.
Now this is where we go to Menaka's must popular item.
The grape juice, though a tad too sweet, was really a deal breaker. My friends didn't enjoy it as they felt it lacked freshness. I enjoyed every sip of it. Nice and cold, and at least one piece of pulp in every single sip till the very last one, this drink is one of the first things that comes to my mind any time I feel like sipping on something.
In fact, I visited thrice after just for this drink. Absolutely breathtaking.
Overall, a must visit for any South Indian lover, in case you haven't already.
Sunday Morning Breakiee at my grandpa's favourite placeš
The early morning rush here to relish the breakfast buffet spread or the usual tiffin items truely does amaze me maybeš¤ that's one of the reason I wanted to try this place and guess what I had a hearty breakfast tried their mostly raved about Crispy Hot Vadašand My all time favourite Pongalšthere are very few places that satisfy my Pongal cravings and this places is now added to the listš
Subtle flavours of ghee, pepper and finely chopped ginger which I'm not a great fan ofšbut guess what the flavours where not that dominant so I didn't mind itšOverall the best way to start my morningš
I heard that their meals is to good and a must try by one of the regulars therešwill drop in for lunch soon
Ps : It sure is a bit pricey maybe because of the demand for their years of experienced quality and service they provide
Have went here twice ,both is for lunch . Excellent food and nice service . Grape juice was the excellent and stand out . All the items in the lunch menu was good
This is a very famous, old and a known to all hotel. I'm so naive to review this place. Still I wanted to share how this place made us feel.
My father in law always appreciates the sambhar served here. So when we were at Nungambakkam, we decided to visit this place for lunch. My husband had South Indian meal and he loved it. Any South Indian meal lover will enjoy it is what I heard from him. I tasted the Badam drink and Ice cream with fruit salad which came with the meal and both were lip smacking.
I had Butter Nan with Peas masala combo and it was just awesome. I always like North Indian food and I can say many exclusive North Indian restaurants in Chennai have to work more to match this taste.
From the crowd there, we were able to know the authenticity of the place. There were all types of people from family crowd to youngsters.
This place made my day a soulful one. Will soon visit to have their breakfast options!!!
Have been here twice within the last 2 months for lunch on both occasions..!! Had Andhra meals here..!! Great food, great service.. On weekends it gets really very crowded.. So avoid the place during peak hours if you are with toddlers/oldies..!!Ā
If you are looking for a satisfying South Indian lunch, then this is the place to have one..!!
Overall,
Food - 4.5/5
Service - 4.0/5
Ambiance - 3.5/5
Value for Money - 3.5/5
We went there and ordered two thali...and it was just awesome...good food, charges are not so much, family restaurant. Staffs are so polite.
Love the lunch meals here.. been having it for over a decade and only gets better.. the only place that they serve in big bowls instead of the micro small ones and all the accompaniments are hot when served.. even the halwa was warmed š total win win and a must try for home made type of South Indian vegetarian meal...
the grape juice was too sweet but was nice for the combination... they have pure ghee for your rice which is unadulterated and definitely a weakness for me š¤
Had heard about this place from a friend and one morning off we went in search of this place.. figured out that it was one of the oldest hotels in chennai.. reminded me of woodlands hotel.. And I was not very off the mark...a very Karnataka ish hotel.. Menaka is the restaurant there.. Nice clean..and tasty food. The sambaar is the typical Karnataka sambaar.. little sweetish š... personally I like the kerala and tamilnadu sambaar.šš... the cheese dosai here is good.. remember to tell them to put extra cheese.. all in all a great breakfast place..
Love South Indian and North Indian food here. Have been going here from so many years. Their Idly Sambhar Medhu vada Sambhar. Plain Dosa, Rava Dosa, Paper Roast are most delicious south indian food I have had in Chennai and they are must for. Also Mini Idly is also very tasty. For North Indian Veg Kofta Paneer Butter Masala Chilly Paneer Kaju Masala are must try for. They taste delicious. In rotis Masala Kulcha is my all time favourite!! Overall the food is amazing!! Their Grape juice is mind blowing and the best in Chennai! Milshakes are good. Not to forgot Their South Indian and North Indian Meals are among the best in Chennai.
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Have real fond memories of this place. Right from my CA student days when we used to come here and hog on idlis and Pongal as well as my early career days when we used to come for their unlimited meals. This place transports you back to the 80s and 90s madras when life was simple, food was served with no frills and coffee came in cup n saucers. Sine the number of visits to this place is uncountable I would stick to recommending my favourites here. If ur here for tiffin (breakfast or dinner) think no more than idly. Their idly servers with cups of Udupi style sambar and that white chutney! Heaven! My other favourites here are the poori (u get 3 pcs - yes ole school) , Pongal and ghee roast. Not a big fan of their Upma but they have got fan following for it as well. The coffee is average compared to other coffees you get in chennai. For lunch stick to the Thalis and you are in for a treat. My personal fav is the North Indian thali.. this is not authentic North Indian food but the comfort North Indian food (customised to South Indian palette) and will remind u of ur childhood days when u first tried panner butter masala ( Iām talking about madras kids of the 90s). Also donāt miss their grape juice which has crushed prices of fruit floating in them.. an acquired taste but I love them. Overall this place is history written all over and if you are missing madras in the fast paced chennai lifestyle head straight here!
Bestest idlis I ever had... If you live in Chennai and you are frequent hotel goers then you must certainly try Menaka especially for vegetarians and South Indian dish lovers..you cannot miss special vada, Idlis and obviously grape juice..I love the ambience here very much and Ample car space to park your car anytime.
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PALMGROVE !!! OLD IS GOLD !!!
One of the oldest hotels in Chennai which is a landmark by itself. The place has remained the same from beginning and has not been much renovated. The hotel looks decent and this restaurant still serves some tasty food. This place in nungambakkam has a lot of parking space for both cars and two wheelers.
Coming to ambiance, the place can be repaired and renovated as the reception looks little shabby in the front. The restaurant is pretty decent.
We went here for lunch eventhough this place is famous for its breakfast buffet. The place gets crowded even on a weekday. Lunch was still good. The options like anyother regular hotel will be meals and some north indian items. I went for madras special thali (meals) that day. Meals in general here have common items and based on your selection you will get add-ons. Say for special madras meals will have sweet and an ice cream, Andhra meals will have podi and gonkura. For meals, you have an option to select chapathi / poori. Rice, Sambar, Karakozhambu, rasam, 1 poriyal, 1 kootu, curd will be the standard items. All items were really good and yes it is little udupi style of cooking, so be ready to taste some sweetness in almost all items.
Service is average and can be improved. The items reach your table on time, but the staffs really lack professionalism.
Value for money restaurant and does not make a hole in the pocket.
A Sunday pongal morning and u wanted to have a nice morning breakfast, where would u go?
Yes guys this place is packed with pure vegetarian flavours and the breakfast buffet/A la carte was a good one. Name it sambhar, chutney,idly, dosa, pongal, coffee, masala dosa u name it the flavours are there.
I have been here after very very long time with my family. Still the place is good. I like the ambience, taste, quality all are very good. consistent is still same. Still maintaining the traditional. Overall too good. I will recommend...
All time favorite when I crave to eat authentic South Indian food. Their dosas and sambar are the best. The quality remains to be the same even after so many years. The price is too much for what they offer.
I've been here like 'n' number of times as this hotel was very close to my office. Our regular order will be Madras Meals. You'll get the meal with bowls neatly arranged in a Round plate with Hot Poori's in the middle. Still loved by many old guys and i've seen many old people having their chat in this place.Ā Now i've shifted to different place but planning to go there by 3PM to have Hot cutlet.
Large place with good service . There's ample car parking . The quality has been maintained for decades now . No fancy food but still many options to choose from.
90s vibe 90s interiors tasty breakfast and free nostalgia ... It's a time machine takes me back to my childhood days .I would recommend this restaurant for kids of 1985-95.Go for breakfast in the morning very refreshing try the pongal.Thumbs up from me
Menaka is one of the oldest fine dining restaurants in Chennai and still has a very strong reputation for food taste and quality. Very popular for the idly and sambar , it is a must try, they make the sambar udipi style with a bit of jaggery in it. Taste of sambar has been the same over 20 years now. So really ocnsistent with their food. The other must try here is naan with paneer butter masala, grape juice very popular and also their south indian meals. I decided to end my meal with perfect south indian coffee. Palm grove is popular more for south indian variety but also has north indian and Chinese food in their menu.
A restaurant for anytime. Idlis and sambar are ultimate. The south Indian special thali is a delight .rasam vada, mangalore bonda are other specialities. And grape juice is divine
Ashok Subramanian Chennai
+4
Nice Tasty authentic vegetarian. Economical too.
Service is good. As its inside Palmgrove, you see wedding happening there and those are the times you suffer for parking. Valet parking also not there.
A pretty good hotel to have south Indian. A very old hotel yet famous and delicious since day 1. Nice ambiance. Service is also a bit fast..
Definitely one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the city. The serve one of the softest idlis and everything on the menu is equally delicious. And when it comes to price this restaurant does not empty your wallet.
A normal south Indian restaurant with lot of varieties of course. The dosas are very well prepared. Onion Rava dosa and mini idli are awesome. Their grape juice is very famous, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's sweet enough to give u shivers!!!! Loaded with sugar syrup. Good ice creams though.
Price : approx 500 for 2
Service : good
Ambiance: clean, but conjusted and noisy
Food : good (South Indian)
An old time all time favourite... whenever we want an elegant extended family dining with the menu pure veg , traditional , authentic South indian Tiffin the natural choices as woodlands ,palmgrove and mathsya.
It was palmgrove today and we were not disappointed with the food!! Sambar drenched idly , golden dosas and coffee remains our favorite . The waiting time is very long during the weekends though . We waited for 40 mins to get a table!! The cuts vada wad not good but the waiter swapped it it with the rasa vada as soon as we raided the concern
Overall.if u want to eat idly n dosa in a good ambience head to pal.grove!Premnath Mahadevan
One fine Sunday, me & my family decided to dine here for lunch as it was strongly recommended by my dad.
The moment I entered, I felt like I was taken back in time.
Old yet majestic building, you will realize that the place has stood through time. Standard tables & chairs, waiters dressed in full white, surprised the tradition is still followed!
Place was packed, and we were asked to wait for about 10 minutes for a table.
We ordered 2 bombay meals & 2 Palmgrove special meals, Poori & Idli sambar.
I got the Palmgrove special meals which consists of tomato soup, Gulab Jamun,butter Naan, paneer butter masala, dal fry (oh yum!), Chenna masala,raitha, pulav and of course white rice & it's sides!
And for dessert hot fudge sundae!
Though it's limited meals (except rice),since it covers so many dishes, it's filling and worth Rs.222!
Special mention about the Grape juice that comes with bombay meals, it was a delightš
If I had to describe this place in one word, it's LEGENDARY!
Good place for vegetarians.Had a good meal(Palmgrove special thali) and my colleague had Andhra Meal.Ofcourse its a complete traditional thali.Staffs were very humble and good at serving.Having a pleasant ambiance.Definitely a good place to visit.Dont miss Masala Papad!!!!
A good veg restaurant in palm grove hotel. The food rates are better when compared to other restaurants in Nungambakkam area. You get homely food of Udupi and mangaloreian style. Good service meals are available for dinner also
Visited at around 4pm & it had sparse crowd.
Ordered ghee roast masala dosa & sambar vada.
Sambar Vada was a delight. Sambar was top notch.
Ghee roast was crisp & tasty too.
Returned the next morning at 9am for its famous breakfast buffet. Predominantly South Indian breakfast with soft idly, vada, sambar,mini dosa along with delicious grape juice & fruits . Desert options were gulab jamun and kesari bhath.
Best breakfast destination around US Consulate General, Chennai and worth the price for buffet.
Goood and legendary place for vegetarians. Had tiffin and coffee. Enough tables to manage crowd. Good parking facility. Food tastes like home made and the entire set up is like from 1980s tamil movie hotels. Will definitely visit again.
This is lovely restaurant situated in an old Hotel just off Anna Salai road.
The place is clean with quick and friendly service. Thank heavens it is Air Conditioned :-). Their menu has quite a variety of dishes to choose from so can cater to most moods of a person who likes South Indian Veg food. They have Dosa's, Idli's, a few North Indian dishes and a variety of Thali,s or meals.
We opted for the Madras Thali which came with quite a variety of items. The Poori, Curds and Applam (papad) are limited but all other items were unlimited including rice and how much ever Ghee you wanted. This is topped off with a scoop of Ice Cream and a beeda to help digestion.
Will surely recommend this place. Please note they serve 2 Poori's my pic shows three because I took one from my friends plate ;-)
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Finger Lickin' Good!
Menaka, one of the most beautiful Apsaras according to Indian Mythology, was stunning enough to break Vishwamitra's (a respected sage) meditation and make him fall in love with her. As I gorged on a Ghee Idli at this busy outlet named after her, I wondered if she would've ever bothered to lure Vishwamitra had she tasted the wonderful food served here? When you can fall in love with food, why would you take the trouble of making a sage fall in love with you?
Jokes aside, Menaka (the restaurant) has earned the title of being a legendary joint in Chennai. After having tried the wonderful breakfast spread and some typical South Indian delicacies here, I can vouch for the fact that it is indeed one of those phenomenal eateries that has stayed strong through the test of time. I got to witness the super-fast service, clean environment and systematic functioning of this outlet that both my grandfather and father had raved about. Of course, the highlight of the experience was the hot, mouth-watering food that goes straight to the heart.
I had the opportunity to visit this outlet twice during my stint at Chennai, once for their popular breakfast spread and once for a quick dinner.
Hereās what I tried and loved:
- Idli, which was supple and had a lovely grainy texture. The best part being the drop of ghee on top which really added to the taste!
- Ghee Roast, my absolute favourite, was beautifully presented in an inverted cone-like shape. The crispy Dosa was a delight to have because of the lovely earthy taste of ghee and the wafer-thin feel of the dosa.
- Medu Vada, a classic that was crunchy and filled with pieces of coconut and green chillies.
- The accompaniments of Sambar, Coconut White Chutney and Garlic Chutney worked beautifully with all the dishes with my favourite being the Garlic Chutney which was mildly spiced and had a strong flavour of garlic
- Traditional Dahi Vada with Boondi (small fried spiced crispies) drizzled on top captured the authentic taste of the South India style Dahi Vada
- Upma, which was a part of the breakfast spread, was prepared with generous helpings of ghee, rava (Semolina), green chillies, onions and tomatoes. It is served piping hot and makes for a good addition to the buffet.
- Kesari was a wonderful mix of saffron, rava, roasted cashew nuts and sweetened just to the perfect level.
Although I did try the much talked about grape juice, I did not particularly enjoy it as it was too sweet for my liking. However, the tea served at the breakfast buffet is worth a try as it is light and works as the perfect end to a great meal! The best part though was that the entire meal was light on the pockets and certainly value for money.
Whether youāre looking for a power-packed morning meal or a quick dinner, Menaka is definitely the place to be.
Read the reviews, after a fabulous Sunday workout wanted to splurge and went for their Buffet Breakfast. Idly, pongal, uppuma, Poori, Breadtoast, cereal, tea/coffee. Food quality was great, Sambar was divine. But I still think Ala Carte Poori and Idly is different than the Buffet served ones.
Place is absolutely crowded, and if you hate noise or sharing table with other families - don't go here. Traditional Chennaiites and aged people come here in droves to have the 80s feeling and food. Prepare to be waiting for 10-15 min to be seated in the crowd. But its worth for the quality of the food.
Located in the heart of the city, but with ample Car parking space. Loved it.
Ambience 3/5
Value for money 5/5
Food 4/5
Service 5/5
When should you go ?
Breakfast with family friends or cousins
Why should you go ?
When you feel like eating south indian food
One of the oldest south indian restaurants in chennai
What should you order ?
They serve amazing idlis vadas dosa filter coffee pongal
Had been her for breakfast it's beautiful and must try place
It hides it self on kodambakkam high road inside hotel palm grove
The test is authentic and value for the money
The best time to be here is for Morning break fast. If your lucky you will find a place immediately. For a long time this restaurant is been consistent with the quality of food they serve. It looks slightly over priced but the quantity they give compensates it all. Their grape juice is very special which will be our default order when ever we visit here. Only thing it'll too noisy when it is crowded since its a packed room. But Definitely worth visiting 'n 'number of times.
Honest, down to earth South Indian menu that never lets you down. You can safely take any out-of-towner there. Clean, fast service, food quality that's remained undiluted for a long long time. And very economical to boot! Parking is a challenge particularly when the are weddings at the venue.
I should this place has the most amazing sambar in the city! Every single dish we ordered for the breakfast was just too amazing for us to stop eating! Their idlys, medhu vadas and dosas are a must try! They sambar and chutneys are game changers! Coffee is also good! Every time I want to have South Indian breakfast their dishes are what I crave for :p I heard from few friends that the afternoon thali is also delicious.
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Menaka - A place which would take back you to the previous generation days.
One among the legendary outlets of Chennai has been in bookmarks quite for sometime, for their breakfast. Since multiple plans failed, happened to visit them for a weekend dinner.
It would be mean to say that Menaka is outdated. Menaka located at Valluvarkottom road, next to Spring hotel is a restaurant in the Hotel Palmgrove.
A old building with a red Toyota Crown car on the front has a wide lobby in the front. Walked away straight to the restaurant just to know that the people who were waiting in the lobby came before us and were waiting for a table! That surprised me. So be prepared for a minimal wait.
This 100% vegetarian legendary outlet had classic interiors. The wooden chairs and tables along with the mirrors all along the dining space with white lights makes it a 90's royal dining space.
They have their in house specialties. Although I ordered Ghee Roast, Podi Dosa and Mangalore Bonda. I was so happy to see a ghee roast positioned completely in a average sized plate. The soft dosas which were crispy had the chutneys and sambar for aid. Mangalore Bonda was really good! 6 pieces for INR 71!
Paid INR 298, though service was sloppy at times. The price is a tad higher comparing its peer legendary outlets. But the place do complete justification on taste index.
PS: Revisiting them for their buffet breakfast, would like to modify the rating and review based on the same.
Went for breakfast on Sunday, and it was crowded as expected. We had to wait for our turn and finally got a seat after 20 min. We chose the buffet breakfast. The pongal, Kitchadi were delicious. So was the Kesari. Outstanding experience, but the crowd was the only drawback.
Kuppan Chetty Ramanathan
+3.5
Today we as a family of 4 adults and 2 kids stepped in for Lunch at 12.30pm. As we entered it has been half packed and we could get accommodated all together. we have ordered for two southindian thali meals and two menaka special thali meals. For two kids we have ordered a tomato soup and gopi manchurian dry.Ā
The ambience was good however, don't expect a posh set up, since it is a very old restaurant with that great set up.Ā
Regarding the food, the food was very delicious and enough for a full meal. gopi manchurian dry was little bit o.k. great taste to have within our pocket friendly budget. only thing they have to improve is regarding their service and staff strength. only 4 or 5 people were available for service which made us a difficulty to ask something whenever we needed. for sake we had to wait for atleast 5 minutes minimum for the rice to be served second time.
Very old restaurant , old chairs & tables , have seen the same staff for years , they can be good or bad depending on the crowd at the restaurant & their mood. No frills & quick service Best place for idly , set dosa with curry , chola batura , Special big vada & grape juice .they serve great quantity of sambar & chutneys with their south indian dishes , no other south indian restaurant is so generous on chutney & sambar . Ā North indian food is also pretty decent , i also liked their Biriyani & Jeera rice . Very crowded on week ends . I like their south indian thali also, podi rice with gongura is really nice . overall a Good place for snacks, lunch & dinner .
Good breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Very good place for a family get together. All their dishes are very good in terms of taste and quantity. I love the people who work there, very humble and they service you patiently.
One of the best places in Chennai to have south Indian food! The sambar here is just superb!
Foods u should try here:
1.idly and vada
2.onion uttappam
3.chappati kuruma
4.ghee roast
5.grape juice
All positive words.. and positive vibes. I have been fond of this place for quite some time now. The service is impeccable despite having senior people to serve... apparently a policy. And the food is great. The best items .. grape juice.. masala dosa.. etc.
This place is one of the kind of heritage hotels in chennai..
The ambience is just the old school one but gd and spacious..The food there especially the authentic breakfast is so gd..we had sambar vada, Rasa Vada, idli, podi masala Dosa,Finally to top everything up we had Earthquake icecream..it sounds funny put the icecream was gd with dry fruits,cut fruits and 5 flavours of icecream..
This place has just been the same for years..
For some happy weekend breakfast!
Located on the ground floor of the Palmgrove hotel, Menaka has been around for a long time. Ambiance has been the same over the years and this place is always crowded.
After waiting for fifteen minutes we got a seat and since I was in no mood to wait some more, we decided to indulge in the breakfast buffet.
The spread is limited and there was no dosai, whatte sad feel. So took some of everything. Idly, pongal, poori, fruit. Everything was hot and the server kept serving some hot sambar. The taste overall was pretty average.
Ended my meal with a coffee, duh.
The total was ā¹520.00 for two of us which I wouldn't exactly call value for money. But for some happy and fuss free south indian indulgence, this place could be a nice option!
Over all,
Location - 4.0 / 5.0
Parking - 4.0 / 5.0
Ambiance - 2.0 / 5.0
Service - 3.5 / 5.0
Food - 3.5 / 5.0
Pricing - 3.5 / 5.0
Had been this place after many years ... However nothing much has changed including the quality and the old charm... the meals.. Is still the best choice on the menu.. Highly recommend you give this place a try .. especially on Sunday
Divya Srinivasan (Creatikaa)
+4.5
Location & Ambience: On the Nungambakkam high road that paths way towards Kodambakkam. And just next door to The Spring Hotel, is the Palmgrove. Ample space for parking and the Menaka restaurant holds its dining place in the ground floor as you enter the hotel. A huge and spacious dining room that is well-maintained. Over the years they havenāt changed the look whereas they continue to keep the place neat and clean.
Taste & Variety: I was targeting on their Breakfast Buffet that is available all seven days a week. A good and a tasty spread in consideration to their price. The spread included: Cornflakes, Bread (Butter and Jam), Sweet Lime Juice, Fresh cut Fruits, Pineapple Kesari, Pongal, Semiya Sevai, Medhu Vadai, Idly, Dosai, Sambar, Coconut and Tomato Chilli Chutney, Coffee, Tea and Milk.
That definitely was a sumptuous South Indian breakfast. Nothing special to mention about the cornflakes and bread, whereas I fixated my mind to the South Indian delicacies. I took a lavish serving of Pineapple Kesari, Pongal and Semiya Sevai with Vadai, Sambar and Chutneys for my first round.
Pineapple Kesari - The tanginess from the pineapple slices, crunchy cashews and raisins with the ghee dripping Kesari was yum, yum and yum. I wish I get an extra tummy just to stuff myself with that kesari.
Pongal was the best, cooked to perfection with a slight hint of ghee and cashews. The sambar without doubt elevates any ordinary breakfast dish, which holds a mild sweetness and the use of shallots (chinna vengayam) always does the magic. Another place that left me drooling over their sambar. Equally good were both the chutneys but I am a favourer of Tomato Chilli chutney so my obvious preference and love was more for the tomato-chilli one than coconut chutney. Semiya Sevai - I am more of a Kichadi person than Sevai but the dish was good. When my plate is empty that means the food tastes good, surprisingly I enjoyed eating the sevai. The use of ample vegetable and the mild sweetness from the onions along with the spiciness from the chillies complimented each other perfectly. But after a few spoonful of sevai the sweetness started to take an upper hand and that didnāt go well.
Idly and Dosai had no complaints, Soft and hot idlies. Crispy dosai with a very little hint of ghee. Pour on the sambar, let them bathe in sambar and then you shall not dare to say ānoā for the South Indian delights. The crispy Medhu Vada is always a delight with Pongal, nom nom, I donāt know how many vadas I gulped in. And to finish it off the Madras way, with strong Coffee. The variety seemed enough for me considering the price, and a delightful South Indian spread.
Quality & Quantity: Itās buffet and unlimited, so quantity is as much as your tummy can hold. In terms of quality of the food, the taste just justifies the use of authentic ingredients and fills your meal with flavour.
Service: It is self-service so I donāt have the luxury to comment about the service.
Price: The breakfast buffet is priced at Rs.205 INR excluding the taxes. The total bill came upto Rs.494 INR (including taxes) for two people. Yummy food and happy tummy so that pricing seemed totally worth.
If at all you are visiting them for breakfast and you can stuff more food into your tummy then opting for the buffet would be a wise deal. And if you have already visited them for lunch or dinner then I would definitely recommend to try their breakfast once, I hope you shall not be disappointed.
As the saying goes, āold is goldā and you have yet another example that vouches for that statement. Holding on to the taste for over decades and decades, this place deserves an applause.
This is the Ashoka group. I love the food . Very old restaurant.
We went for the breakfast and had sambhar vada and onion dosa .I liked the sambhar a lot.
It's a place retaining it's traditions still. The sambar is authentic - I think they add jaggery to make it taste different . Their grape juice is very is very different by boiling the grapes.
The service is a bit slow and the ambience needs improvement.
A place to visit and enjoy some authentic south Indian varieties
Very good place to try authentic south indian meals, visited this place many times and still like them.
Gives you a very Ā nostalgic feel wen u dine here. Food quality, hospitality is very good, ambience is ok type.
Rest no complains, no parking issues, located in prominent area (everyone knows palm grove in this area) so finding this restaurant is not difficult.Ā
i havent tried other dishes, so cant comment as of now.
I have visited this place almost 3-4 times ... They are cheap tasty n healthy .. It's the very old or oldest restaurant in chennai . Their sambar is super awesome.. N mangalore bonda is tasty .. They serve authentic veg n udupi style food.
Palmgrove traditional and old in style,taste but still holds its own against the best, highly underrated restaurant in an age where you market crap and sell it people buy it! Jus b seen buying it this place is worth a mention best for a quiet evening with family and friends and makes us non vegans think twice! Best was the sambhar and red chutney was scrumptious. Keep it up...though customer service needs updating to the times...
I found Menaka on the list of legendary restaurants in Chennai and decided to try it. This place across the bus stop, is inside Palmgrove Hotel. The Hotel itself takes you to 80s. As you walk past the reception, you'd see Menaka on the right side. Old furniture and waiters with an average age of 50 raised my expectations with 'legendary tag' in my mind. I ordered a madras meal and it certainly exceeded expectations. Simple meal with a variety and end it with an ice cream. No frills, good food. They only give 2 pooris, so if you eat like me , you order more separately. All the vegetables were delicious, sambar was ok with a few more drumsticks. I've also had better rasam, but this one was fine. All in all definitely worth a visit.
Menaka cards head office Chennai is great in welcoming customers and explaining options. They do have separate section for order proof reading and delivery section to take care of respective areas. Wide collection and helpful staffs.
Printed my daughter wedding card here. We are from Malaysia. Kannan was so patient with every amendments. He done a very good job. Shankari sis was very helpful and kind. Even though she is 57 years old but very knowledgeable. In conclusion good quality and good customer service.
Excellent service . Great choice of cards. Delivery section Shankari mam was so good at her service .
Very good employee found in their proof section - Mr. Raju
Very clear and very professional - always with a smiling face.
He itself corrected many things which makes our job easy. Knowledgeable and kind person.
Rest- cards collection are goodšrates are little high now.
Wedding cards haven! They have all kinds of card designs. Staffs are friendly. We ordered 600 cards and return on 11/6/23 for proof reading. Proof reading is no joke. We went thru several rounds of revision until we are 100% sure the details are standardised on both sides with caricature correctly sited on the cards. Though the place closes at 6pm on Sundayās the staff was with us until 7pm to ensure the details are correct. Recommended to all NRIs to do your wedding cards here. Easy access to the arcot road office.
Wonderful place to select wide range of cards according to your needs. Affordable in terms of price and customer satisfaction was on top notch. Quality of cards seems to be outstanding. Thank you menaka cardsšš¼
Very much satisfied with the deal! Cheap and also the quality of the card is very nice. Deepa mam was very calm, she attended each customer in a friendly manner.. she also didnāt hesitate to show the cards one after another thank you so much very much satisfied with your service will suggest menaka cards to my friends also .
It was wonderful experience with menaka cards. Meena was so helpful, polite and patient and helped me choose my card. I appreciate the wonderful customer service and dedication they showed up. And the cards were also of very good quality starting from 13 rs and their designs were endless and very good.
Awesome is a word to talk about their collection, their customer handling skills, their suggestions. Card rates are also very minimal. Mr. Sashidharan gave good suggestions. All the staff are courteous, polite and ever smiling. Kudos to n the team. Proof reading was a good suggestions. The delivery incharge is smiling
Devarajan Chandrasekaran
+5
Mrs.Sankari who delivered our cards has rendered a smiling service. All the staff of your office have done excellent service from the first day of card selection to the delivery date. Keep it up.
Swaminthan Narayanaswamy
+5
This is second wedding in our family.like last time experience was very satisfying. Special mention should be made of proof reading persons very experienced and guided us. Over the years Menaka cards has become very professional keep it up
Very good service. Priya and Ramya both worked very patiently with us to create our Wedding Card. Delivery Section Sankari was very polite and courteous. We got our sonās card 10 years ago and now we are back again. Thank You
Excellent service throughout the journey from card selection till delivery. Each representative are dedicated and kind at each customer.
Wedding card came out so well. I loved their service and delivery on time. 5 star for your service
very beautiful and elegant cards! very satisfied.
delivery was quick and the staff was very helpful with their service!
Delivery section Shankari madam and sales person Illakkiya service excellent. All went on very smooth provided needed details. Now i m 62 yrs 30 yrs back i have printed my marriage invite here . Thank you.
I came all the way from Malaysia to get my wedding card here. It took only two days for them to prepare 800 cards for me with a very reasonable price. They have soooo manyyyyy designs. They proofread so many times to make sure everything is correct. Amazing service. Excellent!
Brilliant service by Shankari at the Delivery sectionā¦ very systematic and highly professional in her approach. As usual MENAKA CARDS has exceeded my expectations on the output of my daughterās wedding cards!
I came to Menaka cards without any prior knowledge before of buying and selecting the invitation, Kudos to the team who helped me to walk around the store and explained every process and selections in detail. Staffs (especially delivery section sankari) were very professional in handling each and every things start from selecting, proof reading till delivery loading. Thank you team.
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