Swades Vegetarian Restaurant - Al Nahda 1 Dubai

Name: Swades Vegetarian Restaurant - Al Nahda 1 Dubai
Address: Emirates souq - Shop No 18 - 19 - 2 Street No. 6 - near Al Rida Mosque, Al Nahda, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +971545645636

Al Nahda

Vegetarian restaurant Open now 0 545 645 636

Swades is a pure-vegetarian Indian restaurant in Al Nahda, with North and South Indian dishes, snacks, thalis and sweets. Reviews point to the Punjabi thali, paneer pakoras and familiar home-style flavours as useful starting points.

Reputation Score

4.3

★★★★☆

407 ratings

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The Good Stuff

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Snack favourites

Punjian Samosa Chaat was rated the thali’s standout, while paneer pakoras brought repeat visits for their freshness.

Homely flavours

Several diners describe the vegetarian food as authentic, fresh and comforting, with one calling it just like home.

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What to Eat at Swades Vegetarian Restaurant - Al Nahda 1 Dubai

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Swades Vegetarian Restaurant - Al Nahda 1 Dubai, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 1

Fafda Net +2

“we ordered from Swadesh restaurant today to celebrate Indian independence day, food was awesome.. specially Samosa, Kachori, Fafda, dodha barfi and vada pav were biggest hits.”

Honorable mentions (20)

12 Aed thali Net +1

“I usually take 12 AED Thali which have everything - Tawa chapati, veggies (like home made), snacks, salad & sweet.”
Aloo paratha Net +1

“The food is very tasty, we ordered Aloo paratha, Gobi parath, dhokala, fafda & jalebi.”
Baigan bhartha Net +1

“The baigan bhartha and bajra & jowar rotla was finger licking good....”
Bajra rotla Net +1

“The baigan bhartha and bajra & jowar rotla was finger licking good....”
Dhokala Net +1

“The food is very tasty, we ordered Aloo paratha, Gobi parath, dhokala, fafda & jalebi.”
Dodha barfi Net +1

“we ordered from Swadesh restaurant today to celebrate Indian independence day, food was awesome.. specially Samosa, Kachori, Fafda, dodha barfi and vada pav were biggest hits.”
Gobi parath Net +1

“The food is very tasty, we ordered Aloo paratha, Gobi parath, dhokala, fafda & jalebi.”
Indian thali Net +1

“Had the indian thali (unlimited ) was very satisfied with the good which was served and the service was on point and the food made my chef vikas was absoulutely amazing will return again soon and will”
Jalebi Net +1

“The food is very tasty, we ordered Aloo paratha, Gobi parath, dhokala, fafda & jalebi.”
Jowar rotla Net +1

“The baigan bhartha and bajra & jowar rotla was finger licking good....”
Kachori Net +1

“we ordered from Swadesh restaurant today to celebrate Indian independence day, food was awesome.. specially Samosa, Kachori, Fafda, dodha barfi and vada pav were biggest hits.”
Paneer curry Net +1

“Paneer Curry (7/10): The paneer curry was flavorful and rich, but nothing extraordinary. The paneer itself was tender, though the gravy could have used a bit more depth to make it truly memorable.”
Paneer kulcha with punjabi chhole Net +1

“We were pleasantly greeted by Mr Shubham and he suggested tasty Paneer Kulcha with punjabi chhole to my kids.”
Paneer pakoras Net +1

“Amazing paneer pakoras .. we have been coming back multiple times for fresh paneer pakoras …very good staff who genuinely assist and recommend without any constrains - must try place - shades al nahda dubai”
Papad/fryun Net +1

“Papad/Fryun (7/10): A crunchy and flavorful accompaniment that added a nice textural contrast to the meal, though not particularly unique or standout.”
Punjabi samosa chaat Net +1

“Punjabi Samosa Chaat (10/10): Easily the star of the meal. The samosa chaat was bursting with tangy, spicy, and sweet flavors, creating a perfect harmony. Every bite was satisfying, with a great balance of chutneys and crispy samosas.”
Punjabi thali Net +1

“The Punjabi thali had its highs and lows, with the Punjabi Samosa Chaat and Sweet Dish shining through as must-haves, while staples like the Dal Makhni and Boondi Raita were a letdown. With a few tweaks, the thali could elevate itself to a more consistent level of excellence. Overall, the experience averaged out to 7/10, offering a satisfying variety of flavors.”
Rasedar aloo poori combo Net +1

“We ordered 2 plates rasedar aloo and poori combo which comes with gulab jamun and chhas. the food was finger licking good and salt was deliberately kept less to suit everyone’s taste.”
Tandoori butter roti Net +1

“Tandoori Butter Roti (6/10): The roti was fairly decent, but it could have been softer and more buttery to really stand out.”
Vada pav Net +1

“we ordered from Swadesh restaurant today to celebrate Indian independence day, food was awesome.. specially Samosa, Kachori, Fafda, dodha barfi and vada pav were biggest hits.”

Drinks 3

Tea Net +3

“Great taste and delicious food. After a long time, I finally found a nearby place serving authentic Indian tea.”
Masala tea Net +1

“Masala Tea is too good too.”
Sweet lassi Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“We also ordered a Sweet Lassi, which was average at 5/10—It lacked an authentic Punjabi touch.”

What to Avoid (16)

Food 16

Aloo poori Net −1

“Pathetic food. Ordered Aloo poori. Aloo was under cooked with no taste, poori were not cooked properly. Wish we had ratings in minus. Waste of money after waiting for an hour”
Biriyani rice Net −1

“Biriyani rice was not at all cooked and so was very hard.”
Boondi raita Net −1

“Boondi Raita (5/10): The boondi raita fell flat. It lacked the fresh, cooling flavor that raita should provide, missing the tang and crunch that could have elevated it.”
Dahi kachori Net −1

“We ordered raj kachori they gave normal dahi kachori. After eating one bite when we said to the lady taking orders that it's not raj kachori, she was not interested to rpy n after asking multiple times she just said we serve like this only to our customers, rest food was also super flop.”
Dal khicdhi Net −1

“Bad food sent. Dal Khicdhi couldn’t figure whether to eat with spoon or drink with straw.”
Dal makhni Net −1

“Dal Makhni (5.5/10): Disappointing for a classic Punjabi dish. The dal makhni lacked the creamy, smoky richness it's known for. It was mild in flavor, leaving much to be desired.”
Dal tadka Net −1

“Can you believe dal tadka with remarks no spicy is with chilli piwder”
Gujrathi thalli Net −1

“Ordered first time the gujrathi thalli. Potato was not soft and had a pale taste. Green Gram rice got stale, was giving a wrong taste. Overall food taste was not good. May be it's only this menu which is bad.”
Hot samosas Net −1

“Horrible staff equally awful food …they lie about everything, can’t even serve hot samosas ( I meant the fresh ones ) .. kept us thinking they are frying fresh ones by delaying, we reached home with reheated ones ….If you guys can’t give a simple service no point running an outlet…”
Kesar rasmalai Net −1

“Ordered kesar rasmalai. One which came was white, kesar entirety missing. Taste was below average . Bland milk, not sweet.”
Motichoor laddu Net −1

“I ordered motichoor laddu from your outlet, but the laddus were given to us frozen. After we raised a complaint, your team informed us that you store the laddus in a freezer only. Please note that motichoor laddu is a fresh sweet and freezing it affects both taste and texture, which is not acceptable. Kindly clarify your storage practice and arrange a replacement or refund.”
Parata Net −1

“Worst food... Parata was very thick and not cooked inside.”
Raj kachori Net −1

“We ordered raj kachori they gave normal dahi kachori. After eating one bite when we said to the lady taking orders that it's not raj kachori, she was not interested to rpy n after asking multiple times she just said we serve like this only to our customers, rest food was also super flop.”
Sabudana Net −1

“Another dish Sabudana not properly cooked.”
Sev khamni Net −1

“The food was terrible. Ordered sev khamni. Which was filled with thickest layer of sev and full of sev and no other taste felt.”
Sev tamatar combo Net −1

“I ordered the Sev Tamatar combo, but they served a watery gravy that clearly tasted like misal gravy.”

Tips for a Better Visit

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Try snacks. Start with Punjabi Samosa Chaat; one detailed review called it the thali’s standout dish.

Visit off-peak. Go outside busy periods if possible: the compact room can fill up, especially on Saturdays.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Emirates souq - Shop No 18 - 19 - 2 Street No. 6 - near Al Rida Mosque

Al Nahda First - Al Nahda, Dubai

0 545 645 636

Mon	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Tue	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Wed	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Thu	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Fri	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Sat	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Sun	7:00 AM – 11:00 PM

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Common Concerns

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Inconsistent cooking

Reviews report undercooked sabudana, hard biryani rice and poorly cooked paratha on different visits.

Tight seating

The dining area is compact, and one Saturday visitor waited half an hour for a seat.

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The Bottom Line

Swades is a pure-vegetarian Indian restaurant in Al Nahda, with a broad menu spanning North and South Indian food, snacks, thalis and sweets. The clearest reasons to consider it are familiar vegetarian meals and a few standout snack dishes: reviewers repeatedly mention Punjabi Samosa Chaat, paneer pakoras, samosa, pav bhaji and Gujarati favourites. One detailed thali review rated the samosa chaat highest, while another visitor kept returning for fresh paneer pakoras.

Thalis can be a practical way to sample the kitchen. A reviewer described a 12 AED thali containing tawa chapati, home-style vegetables, snacks, salad and a sweet; another found a Punjabi thali affordable at 25 AED per person, although its dal makhni and boondi raita were less successful than the samosa chaat and dessert. Jain food and free parking are also mentioned.

The experience is not completely consistent. Some diners praise the welcoming atmosphere, attentive service and homely taste, but others report undercooked dishes, incorrect items, slow service and delivery waits exceeding an hour. Seating is compact and can involve a wait on busy Saturdays, so off-peak dining may be more comfortable.

For takeaway or delivery, check the order and allow extra time.