World’s First Ayurvedic Herbal Restaurant Blends Ancient Wisdom With Modern Technology

Why pay a dietitian hundreds of dollars a session to tell you what to eat when you could just take yourself out to dinner at the latest jaw-dropping restaurant in Philadelphia… a restaurant that offers menu suggestions based on your body type? In what appears to be the first upscale Ayurvedic herbal restaurant of its kind, patrons of the recently opened Ancient Spirits and Grille in the Tony Rittenhouse Square neighborhood answer a short series of questions via a mobile app. who helps their server customize food and drink recommendations to suit their physical build and metabolism.

The independent establishment, run by a seasoned executive chef of the luxurious Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, serves European cuisine rooted in Ayurvedic principles. What is it, you ask?

Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old Indian spiritual practice that divides body types into three life forces, or “doshas,” one of which governs an individual’s physical and mental attributes throughout their life: vata (air), pitta (fire) and kapha (earth). The owners – finance, tech and hospitality entrepreneurs and longtime friends Syam Namballa and Mahi Reddy – designed the optional questionnaire, accessible via a QR code, to assess the emotions, behaviors and activities of each customer and give them clues as to the type of holistic rate. better serve their body, mind and spirit.

With many vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, organic and seasonal options, menu items include: grilled octopus with smoked paprika chickpea puree, coconut-cardamom cream, blood orange ballotine salad; rack of lamb with Turkish dates, couscous, rosemary-boswellia mustard, sesame and port purée; Ginger duck breast with rosemary plum chutney, scalloped green onions, parsnip-potato mash and red wine reduction.

The drink list features wellness-focused alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails that took 18 months to develop, contain syrups infused for two weeks, and contain herbal remedies like turmeric, brahmi, saffron, ashwagandha , cinnamon and lavender. One of these exotic concoctions is Divyagandha: homemade black cardamom gin, organic mead, hemp oil, blood orange reduction. Around fifty wine selections feature organic, biodynamic and minimal intervention producers, while two dozen beers are served in the restaurant’s two bars.

The lavish space contains five separate dining rooms spread over three floors, as well as a chef’s table and a ‘rendez-vous’ table for two suspended 15 feet in the air with views of the city, the lobby and a 50 foot green wall. Creations by local artists accentuate the contemporary green interior.