- Fully vegetarian restaurant.
- Convenient central location.
- Moderate prices.
- Generous portions.
- Canteen-like, basic interior.
- Limited menu (but changes daily).
- Govinda's central location and moderate prices make it an ideal choice for a vegetarian meal.
- Named after the protector of cows, Govinda's runs an exclusively vegetarian ("karma-free") kitchen.
- The menu is limited but changes daily - and you can pick and mix.
I was apprehensive when visiting Govinda's the first time - being an ardent eater of meat I felt a bit like a fish out of water, weighed down by all the usual prejudices. Would I like the food at all? Would I be hungry afterwards? Would I be served tofu posing as a sausage? To keep all perceived risks minimal I ordered the large variety platter - after all, how large can a meal in a city-center restaurant be for less than € 10?
Then the friendly server grabbed a platter the size of a wagon wheel and heaped the food on, his arm muscles bulging. "Holy cow," I thought and staggered away with my tray, a large lassi adding to the weight. Sitting at one of the utilitarian tables I tucked in - rice with dhall, a spicy concoction of vegetables and a mixture of spinach and chickpeas being the main ingredients, some roasted potatoes in a spicy sauce making a filling extra. Mind you - when I say spicy I don't mean hot, the taste-buds were not numbed by a full frontal curry-assault or a barrage of chili. The strawberry-flavored lassi was a nice contrast, blending in well.
Munching away I was pleasantly surprised by the different foods, they were far from bland, tasty, not overdone and definitely not missing any meat. Despite the slightly canteen-like atmosphere I took my time eating and observing the other guests - the presence of a sizeable number of Indians suggested a decent meal by their standards (... and who better to judge "ethnic" food than the natives?) and nobody seemed to have any complaints regarding taste or style of cooking.
As mentioned before, the staff is friendly and helpful - which might well be the subtle influence of the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a.k.a. "Hare Krishna People"). There are, however, no attempts to force-feed you any ideology or belief.
Definitely recommended!
