The food was amazing. Great mughlai food, I tried butter chicken boneless, butter Naan, butter kulcha, dal kichdi, dal tadka. All the food was superb and very tasty. The place doesn't look very grand or appealing from outside, it has a very old school look and even inside the restaurant it looks like a simple restaurant and not much, but mughlai is brilliant, the waiter did mention they are famous for their mughlai food also. They didn't have tuborg brand of beer and only had kf.
First sorry for giving 4 star to you... But u guys desrev more than that...
I'm a traveller and I been to Ur place few weeks ago... Experience was good but not excellent, I visited coz one of my travller reference...
Got served with brunch and it was good, but smwr I found lack of taste in food..
But location is awesome.. will come back while it's rainy...
I hope will c sm changes in taste.
Service is excellent.
To be frank, this place is very under rated. Since we had ordered non-vegetarian items, I will only talk about them!
We had ordered Chicken tandoori and Chicken dum biryani, an both of them were nearly perfect. The only thing that needs an improvement is the ambience, else its one of the best places to spend some good time with friends and family.
(Prefer the AC sitting :p)
Order:
1. Hot & Sour Soup: The soup had good amount of chicken, not too spicy.
2. Chicken loly-pop: There were 7 pieces with a spicy chutney. The chicken were cooked well, the chutney was made with garlic.
3. Reshmi Kabab: There were 4 pieces served with onion salad. The kebabs was cooked well but the masala tasted little different from regular kebabs.
Ambiance: The restaurant is pet friendly and has very friendly staff. If you are not a pet friendly person please avoid this place. The owner owns a pug who is old but adorable. Also you would once in a while notice street dogs and cats roaming in and out the restaurant. The dog went to the kitchen, when we complained they took the dog out of the kitchen. Not everyone would like the idea of street dog entering the kitchen. They have started being conscious about it....yet would suggest please inform them from beforehand if you are not really sure about it.
Great food... I have been here many times, I order the butter chicken or chicken tikka masala.. Service is also really good. Enjoy the food every time!! Zubin Nalawalla
This review is more about history rather than the current state of the restaurant.
El Taj before it was taken over by the Kamat group was an iconic moghlai restaurant of Lonavla-Khandala.
The tandoori chicken was a must have item for anyone visiting Lonavla on weekend.
I remember frustrating long wait we had to endure before the tandoori would finally arrive on the table!
And the times when the waiters started recognizing us and would oblige us by an out of the turn serving!
And the times we would tip (bribe?!) the waiter as soon as we sat to get prompt serving of the coveted dish!
And the times when we could see that none of this would work on a particular weekend because of extra rush, we would book our order and go off to take a round and return an hour or so later!
All this seems like an figment of someone's fertile imagination now, but did happen in the 80s!
I make it a point to stop here for lunch every time I enter Lonavala. Great butter chicken and dal. Very well priced and excellent service.
One awesome place which I have been visiting for over 10 years now ! Awesome location and good variety of food. Chkn manchow soup is super yummy...especially in winter and rain ! North Indian is also good. It is worth a visit once... to experience it yourself !
Have been visiting this place since the longest time If I remember.
Their junglee kebabs is my favourite with the crispy coriander.
also their butter chicken hot roti's & dal fry...all time hit. Home like food.
Food ordered : reshmi tikka, butter chicken , dal fry and garlic Naan.
Went to this place while travelling back Mumbai from Khandala .
Ambience is okiesh and is a place to visit if your aim is to have good food at low prices .
Non-vegetarian food is a must here . We ordered chicken kadai and chicken butter . I liked both of them and found them better than many places here in Mumbai .
My trip mates had veg food though, they told me that it was okiesh . But still food easy on pockets is always desirable when you are travelling .
Ambience- 2.5/5
Food-4.5/5
Service- 4/5
Value for money- 5/5
Located near lonavala exit as well as kune falls. Place is very simple and airy. Ordered Chicken Kadai, veg kolhapuri, dal tadka and some naans. Service was quick. All the dishes were good and in good quantity. We were 6 amd it costed us just 1030 bucks!
One of the very old legendary place to visit in lonavala. We are visiting this place since childhood but somehow the place has lost the charm that it had in its glorious days . The management is somehow not able to maintain the place. The service is good and u get to see the same old staff eho remembers the faces of the regular visitors and thats something really warm. The food wise its the same since what i remember and one of the places where u get chicken tandoori really quick. The prices are at pretty higher sode compared to ambience and the way it is maintained.
Now this is the true hidden gem which no one knows about in Khandala unless they have owned a bungalow here or been going here for Donkey's years. El Taj is the oldest surviving Non veg restaurant in Khandala. No seriously! Even my parents ate here in their youth.The blockbuster dishes here are the Butter Chicken served half or full plate and the Mutton seekh kebab. Just superb. It is a part of the Kamat greenhouse compound and so the Udipi style service continues here. But the food is good and hits the spot especially on a cold Khandala winter night!Very popular with old timer khandala people especially the Parsi community
Great food. Slightly overpriced but still ok when you're on holiday. Don't go of you're looking for ambiance.
This was a popular stop over in 80s .. little run down .. but continues to have that nostalgic charm .. tandoor stuff is good .. mutton is well cooked .. u get beer , whisky , rum , vodka .. good homely service .. if u coming from mumbai , take khandala exit .. its bang down there .. dont forget to play with a cute pug there
Good family restaurant and bar serving non-veg food and liquor.
Awesome tandoori chicken available here.
Visited El Taj for a Sunday Afternoon lunch. Ambience is very average but the food they serve is Deliciously finger licking good. You should definately order the Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken it's very very tasty, if you enjoy Tandoori Chicken this is the place to go
Food is awesome, tandoori is a speciality. Staff is very humble .. even owner herself is personally taking care of things..had a great experience
Dr Nikhil Prabhu (Diabetologist)
+5
Chicken dishes are excellent especially tandoori. They have great chef on the house. Vegetarian section is different
the best tandoori chicken n non veg food around lonavala n khandala . great staff. keep it up team el taj. personal attention by lady who owns the place.
The taste is ok. Chole bhature is good. However the dish quantity is very less and cost is more.
We have been coming to El Taj khandala for close to 9 years now.
In a world where humanity is lost, these people love their pets n feed the strays( dogs cats cows) n have loyal staff
Reasons:
1. They initially had a doberman who would sit in t hotel n happily come to greet n when called
2. Then came 2 dachshunds
3. Now, they have a pug called Simba
4. Amazing chicken tandoori, rotis, dal tadka n more
5. A very sweet old man whose the waiter
So this place is not visited my many
So the management is bit unprepared
However all of this can be ignored by the taste of the food.
Atmosphere is best in Lonavala, Average food, Parking available.
Amazing food quality of food is superb u can get here veg and non veg also both are amazing
Food is very good
Authentic Mughali food. Tandoori, Butter Chicken, Roties & Biryani
The food is very good. Especially the non veg is excellent.
Food and service is better over here than other restaurants in that vicinity.
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