The location & Parking :
Gopi Restaurant is situated in the middle of the city; off the busy Ashram Road near Ellisbridge. The locations is little bit inside of the main road hence it gives you a peaceful time to wait while you are called in to feast on the delicacies. But usually there ain’t much of waiting at this place, as the management of tables and clients is very efficient. Enough space of parking for nearly 12/14 cars and 20/25 two-wheelers, so no wrenching faces due to that. Also, there ain’t any necessity of prior reservations to come here. Only you have to check if its open when you want to come somewhere around 3:00 because thats the time when it closes for lunch.
The Ambience & Food :
Not much is required to be said about the ambience as it is the typical mid-sized Gujarati-Thali-Dining hall with somewhat dark ambience from inside. The interiors may be dimly lighted so as to give a feeing of cool atmosphere in the sizzling hot summers of Ahmedabad. The dining hall is airconditioned and smells of food throughout (obviously...!!). Speaking of food, the place has nearly 15 items on your platter not counting the accessories like 5 chutnies and 2 salads. However, although being a Gujarat Thali joint, it is not much of a gujju food that dominates your thali in here.
Hence, despite having items like Rotla-ghee-gud-khichdi-kadhi on the traditional gujarati side, other items like Punjabi vegetables, south indian snacks like mini uttapas, samosas, cutlets etc., have seeped in the menu to make the platter more palatable to a vide variety of clientele other than gujaratis; makes sense since Ahmedabad is a home to a cosmo crowd of nearly 15% of its population. The taste of the food is really good and it is pure value for money. Since it is near to VS Hospital, people visiting Ahmedabad have the best place nearby to dine in quality and quantity.
Service :
The service is undoubtedly the best. the waiters literally beg you to have an extra chappati or some more rice, they egg you on to savour that mango juice or pop in an extra shot of rasgullas. Many a times you can even spot a waiter spoil his face when the customer he is serving doesn’t eat much. Since there are two type of menus, limited & unlimited, a person having unlimited menu many a times regrets his decision to have his tummy so full when he comes out of this place. But over all, there is no hurry while the waiters serve you, no delay in waiting period, and speedy processing of your bill hence you have a good feel of your visit over here when you remember it at a later date. The staff is decored in a full rajasthani dress and is very courteous.
Sign-off :
One thing that could be changed in this restaurant is dim lighting and dark ambience. It somehow kills your appetite in such an interior. Perhaps if the ambience is lighted up a bit, it would give a good positive energy to this place.