Deluxe thali
The deluxe thali is praised for its generous portion and familiar Indian flavours, with tea also getting a thumbs-up.
bansi wala restaurant
Deira
Bansi Wala is a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Deira’s Gold Souk, with dine-in seating and a broad menu. Reviews point especially to its deluxe thali and Indian street food, including pani puri and sev puri, making it a convenient stop while shopping.
Reputation Score
4.2
★★★★☆
173 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Street food
Pani puri and sev puri are specifically praised by visitors looking for vegetarian Indian snacks near the souk.
Fresh breakfast
The puri bhaji is described as freshly made and tasty, making it a useful breakfast or quick-meal choice.
Wide seating
One group of five found the seating area large enough for a comfortable meal while visiting the souks.
Quick service
Some diners report that food arrives quickly, including one review that also found it fresh and staff attentive.
Vegetarian choice
The menu gives vegetarian diners plenty of choice, including Indian, South Indian, Chinese and street-food options.
What to Eat at bansi wala restaurant How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For bansi wala restaurant, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of bansi wala restaurant, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 10
-
Pani puri (gol gappa) Net +1
“Amazing pani puri and sev puri! Would recommend for those wanting veg Indian food near gold souk”
Positive 2Negative 1
Review excerpts
“Amazing pani puri and sev puri! Would recommend for those wanting veg Indian food near gold souk”March 2023
-
Chaat chole Net +1
“Chaat chole Samosa and Chaat Aloo Patrice chole was a splendid and great aroma,just a right mix of the spices and dahi.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chaat chole Samosa and Chaat Aloo Patrice chole was a splendid and great aroma,just a right mix of the spices and dahi.”May 2023
-
Chapatis Net +1
“Chapatis were good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chapatis were good.”February 2023
-
Deluxe thali Net +1
“For all the vegetarian indians who are missing the food back home this place is a must visit. The deluxe thali is very good thumbs up for the tea as well.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For all the vegetarian indians who are missing the food back home this place is a must visit. The deluxe thali is very good thumbs up for the tea as well.”March 2023
-
Garlic naan Net +1
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”March 2023
-
Masala dosa Net +1
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”March 2023
-
Phulka roti Net +1
“Very authentic vegetarian Indian food. Tasty and fulfilling. Phulka roti is great. Must go if you are looking for nice Indian food 😊👍🏽”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very authentic vegetarian Indian food. Tasty and fulfilling. Phulka roti is great. Must go if you are looking for nice Indian food 😊👍🏽”August 2022
-
Puri bhaji Net +1
“As mentioned by other reviews, their puri bhaji is freshly made and tasted good. I had to deduct one star for the toilet not being clean.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“As mentioned by other reviews, their puri bhaji is freshly made and tasted good. I had to deduct one star for the toilet not being clean.”January 2024
-
Sev puri Net +1
“Amazing pani puri and sev puri! Would recommend for those wanting veg Indian food near gold souk”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Amazing pani puri and sev puri! Would recommend for those wanting veg Indian food near gold souk”March 2023
-
Sezchuan fried rice Net +1
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”March 2023
Honorable mentions (3)
-
Sezchuan noodles Net +1
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”March 2023
-
Steamed dumplings Net +1
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered the garlic Naan, sezchuan noodles, sezchuan fried rice, steamed dumplings, and masala dosa (I hope I remembered the names of the dishes right) and it was all delicious.”March 2023
-
Vegetable buryani Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“Vegetable buryani was okay type but a filling one..Staff serves with a smile recommend the owners to take care of them❤️”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
Drinks 1
-
Tea Net +1
“For all the vegetarian indians who are missing the food back home this place is a must visit. The deluxe thali is very good thumbs up for the tea as well.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For all the vegetarian indians who are missing the food back home this place is a must visit. The deluxe thali is very good thumbs up for the tea as well.”March 2023
What to Avoid (4)
Food 4
-
Badam milk Net −1
“We ordered papaya juice and a badam milk. They ground badam and mixed with hot milk and served me 😠😤 I told they to take back my order but they told can’t so called their manager to ask about the badam milk, she told I am from Nepal and I never 👎 tasted this before 🤷🏻♀️ I really disappointed 😔 Finally the shop owner came and I explained it He take back my order and redo it”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered papaya juice and a badam milk. They ground badam and mixed with hot milk and served me 😠😤 I told they to take back my order but they told can’t so called their manager to ask about the badam milk, she told I am from Nepal and I never 👎 tasted this before 🤷🏻♀️ I really disappointed 😔 Finally the shop owner came and I explained it He take back my order and redo it”November 2022
-
Chhole bhature Net −1
“However Chhole bhature was tasteless.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“However Chhole bhature was tasteless.”November 2022
-
Paneer tikka sandwich Net −1
“Cash machine did not work. Paneer tikka sandwich was unbelievably bland. The paneer was white, not sure how it was marinated at all.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Cash machine did not work. Paneer tikka sandwich was unbelievably bland. The paneer was white, not sure how it was marinated at all.”March 2023
-
Plain dosa Net −1
“We ordered plain Dosa which couldn't be eaten by normal standards and also the bill came for butter Dosa stating that that's what they gave us.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered plain Dosa which couldn't be eaten by normal standards and also the bill came for butter Dosa stating that that's what they gave us.”December 2023
Tips for a Better Visit
Check billing. Confirm whether your dosa is plain or butter before paying; one customer says the order and bill did not match.
Carry tissues. Bring tissues or wet wipes if restroom condition matters to you; one review explicitly recommends carrying them.
Ask about water. Ask whether drinking water is chargeable before ordering, as one visitor says normal water was not provided free.
Try the thali. The deluxe thali is one of the clearest review-backed orders, though portion and value opinions are not consistent.
Consider takeaway. If attentive table service is important, consider takeaway: one reviewer found the waiters poorly trained and recommended it instead.
Check freshness. For pani puri, check that the puris are fresh when served, since one customer specifically reported the opposite.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Gold Souq - behind HONEY GOLD
Deira - Al Sabkha, Dubai
Common Concerns
Hygiene concerns
One review reported a visibly unclean kitchen and a strong kitchen smell reaching the seating area.
Uneven service
Several diners complained about inattentive or unprofessional service, including having to ask for water, spoons and glasses.
Dish mismatch
A diner says a plain dosa was not edible and that the bill charged for butter dosa instead.
Price complaints
Some customers considered the thali expensive for what was served, with one specifically objecting to a 32 AED thali.
Restroom upkeep
Restroom cleanliness is a recurring caution, with one visitor describing the toilet as unclean and another calling it rough.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
32AED
thali
“For a 32AED priced thali what they give is saddening”Google review · September 2023
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Bansi Wala is a pure vegetarian Indian restaurant in Deira’s Gold Souk, useful when you want a proper meal without leaving the shopping area. The clearest draws in the reviews are the deluxe thali, puri bhaji, pani puri, sev puri and dosa. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, and the business description also mentions South Indian, Chinese food, sweets and street food.
There is plenty of positive feedback on flavour, portions and convenience. Visitors describe the thali as filling, the puri bhaji as freshly made, and the pani puri and sev puri as especially enjoyable. Families and larger groups have found the seating spacious, while some diners report fast service and polite staff.
A review also describes the restaurant as an oasis in the market, with reasonable prices and pleasant ambience. The experience is not consistent, however. Other diners report bland, overly salty or poor-quality dishes, unclean toilets, a visibly dirty kitchen, kitchen odour, bugs and weak air-conditioning.
Service complaints include missing water, spoons or glasses, incorrect orders and unhelpful responses from staff. Check your order and bill carefully, ask about chargeable water, and carry tissues. The 32AED thali has also drawn a value complaint, so confirm pricing before ordering.
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