Gulshan Dhaba Murthal Review: Is the ₹177 Tawa Paratha Worth It?
I was on my way to Chandigarh when I pulled into Murthal, hungry enough for a paratha but not interested in another oversized highway complex. Gulshan Dhaba was busy, noisy and a little cramped. Good. That was closer to the stop I remembered, even though it is clearly a restaurant now.
I ordered exactly what I had come to try, one aloo-pyaz tawa paratha and one tea. The paratha cost ₹129, the tea cost ₹40, GST was ₹8.46, and the printed bill came to ₹177 after rounding. This Gulshan Dhaba Murthal review is based on that January 22, 2026 visit, the food I actually ate, the bill I kept and the parking problem I dealt with outside.
Gulshan Dhaba Murthal review: the short answer
Gulshan worked for me because it offers a fried tawa paratha as well as the more familiar tandoori style found across Murthal. My aloo-pyaz paratha arrived with white butter, green chutney and pickled onions. It was filling, properly browned and enjoyable, but it was also oily. The tea was good. Service felt decent despite the crowded dining room.
The weak point was parking. Space was tight during my visit, cars were being adjusted around one another, and I had to wait while the staff found a workable spot. If you want a calm stop with a huge, organised forecourt, this may frustrate you on a busy day.
Why I chose Gulshan instead of the biggest name in Murthal
Most Delhi to Chandigarh drives eventually produce the same debate: where should we stop in Murthal? Amrik Sukhdev attracts the biggest crowd and has expanded its parking and restaurant setup considerably. I have found its food less consistent than it used to be, so I wanted to revisit a place that has changed less dramatically.
Gulshan Dhaba is not frozen in the past. The dining area is large, the menu covers far more than basic highway food, and the building is clearly a modern restaurant. Still, the experience felt less like entering a shopping complex. The seating was close together, the room was loud and people were moving constantly between tables and counters. There was energy, but not much quiet.
The dhaba says it has been running since 1950. I could not find records that settle the “oldest in Murthal” debate, so I am not awarding that title on the strength of a sign or a repeated online claim. What I saw myself was a prominent GT Road restaurant with an old name and a packed dining room.
Parking was the first problem
The approach looked crowded before I even got out of the car. Parking near the entrance appeared full, and there was no large internal parking area waiting behind the building. I spoke with the parking staff, moved the car and eventually got a spot where it would not be trapped permanently by another vehicle.
There also seemed to be an event or unusual activity nearby that day. Police and other people were standing outside, so I cannot say every visit will be equally congested. The permanent limitation is easier to see: Gulshan simply has less obvious parking room than some of the expanded Murthal complexes.
Give yourself a few spare minutes if you arrive at a busy time. Anyone travelling with an older family member may prefer to drop them near the entrance first, if the traffic and parking staff allow it. I did not check ramps or reserved bays, so I cannot rate accessibility.
Inside Gulshan Dhaba
The dining room felt busy and fairly congested. Wooden tables and chairs filled most of the floor, families occupied several sections, and the service area remained active. Decorative ceiling panels and circular lights gave the room a recognisable look, but this was not a relaxed cafe where I would sit for hours.
That crowded atmosphere has two sides. It can feel noisy, especially if you are travelling with someone who prefers a quiet meal. It also means the staff are used to moving orders through a full room. My service was decent. I was able to order, eat and continue towards Chandigarh without turning the stop into a long detour.
What I ordered and what I paid
| Item | Quantity | Rate on bill |
|---|---|---|
| Aloo-pyaz tawa paratha | 1 | ₹129 |
| Tea | 1 | ₹40 |
| GST | ₹8.46 | |
| Amount paid after rounding | ₹177 | |
The printed bill is dated January 22, 2026. Prices can change, so treat these numbers as evidence from my visit rather than a permanent menu. I am also not listing dozens of dishes from online menus that I did not order.
₹177 felt fair for the stop I made. The plate was filling and I was back on the road without ordering anything else. Just do not confuse “famous Murthal breakfast” with a light meal. This was fried bread, potato, onion and butter, and it ate exactly like that.
The aloo-pyaz tawa paratha
The reason I prefer having a tawa option is simple. Most well-known Murthal restaurants push tandoori parathas, and after several highway stops they can begin to feel similar. Gulshan lets you order a tawa paratha, which changes the texture and gives the meal a more fried, crisp-edged character.
Mine was stuffed with aloo and onion, browned across the surface and served on a steel plate. A bowl of white butter sat alongside it, with green chutney and pickled onions. The butter softened quickly on the hot paratha. It was satisfying road-trip food, the kind of plate that makes you slow down after the first few bites.
It was also fried and visibly oily. That is not a hidden drawback, it is part of the style. If you are watching oil intake or want something lighter before a long drive, choose accordingly. A tandoori version or a different dish may suit you better. I enjoyed the tawa paratha, but I would not pretend it is a light breakfast simply because it contains potato and onion.
The filling and browning worked well for me, and the accompaniments gave enough contrast. The sharpness of the pickled onions helped cut through the richness. I did not need to add a second paratha. One was enough with tea, especially knowing I still had hours on the road.
The tea was better than an afterthought
I often order tea at a highway stop almost automatically, and plenty of places serve something forgettable. The tea here was good. It arrived hot, had enough flavour to stand beside the rich paratha and cost ₹40 according to the bill.
I would order it again. That sounds like a small point, but on a Chandigarh drive a satisfying cup of tea is often the difference between a rushed fuel stop and a proper break. I did not record its ingredients or sweetness level precisely, so I will leave the description there rather than inventing a recipe.
Does Gulshan still feel like a dhaba?
Only partly. Gulshan still carries the old name and paratha tradition, but walk through the door and you are in a restaurant. Rows of wooden tables, branded coolers, service counters, a large menu. No charpai fantasy here.
Gulshan retains a slightly old-school edge because it is more cramped and has not expanded its parking in the same way as its largest competitor. Whether that feels authentic or inconvenient depends on what you want. For me, the tawa paratha mattered more than pretending the restaurant has not changed.
Gulshan Dhaba versus other highway stops
If your priority is a huge parking area and a polished family complex, another stop may be easier. I recently visited Mannat Haveli Murthal, which feels more like a destination with decorative outdoor areas and shops. It had its own parking struggle during my visit, but the visual setup is grander.
For an earlier break while travelling towards Delhi, my Neelkanth Star Karnal review covers a ₹125 special kheer and a larger food-complex format. That stop gives mixed groups more branded choices. Gulshan makes more sense when I specifically want a Murthal paratha, particularly the tawa version.
I would not choose solely by fame. Direction of travel, parking pressure, hunger and the people in the car matter more. Gulshan gave me a good plate and tea for ₹177. It also gave me a small parking headache. Both facts belong in the recommendation.
Who should stop here?
I would send a tawa-paratha fan here first. It also works for a quick, filling stop when you do not mind noise and close tables. Someone looking for calm seating, easy parking or a long family break may be happier elsewhere.
Families can eat here, but the busy layout may feel tight when the room is full. Large groups should expect noise. Drivers who dislike manoeuvring around closely parked cars may want to avoid peak periods or keep another stop in mind.
Health-conscious diners should look beyond the romance of the word “dhaba” and order carefully. My tawa paratha was fried, then served with a generous portion of butter. I liked it, but liking something and calling it light are two different things.
Useful details before visiting
- The bill identifies the business as Gulshan Veg. Dhaba on GT Road, Murthal, Sonipat, Haryana.
- My visit and bill were on January 22, 2026.
- The aloo-pyaz tawa paratha cost ₹129 and tea cost ₹40 during my visit.
- The amount paid was ₹177 after GST and rounding.
- Parking space felt limited and crowded during this visit.
- The tawa paratha was fried. Ask about alternatives if you want less oil.
- Current prices, operating hours and crowd conditions should be checked before a special trip.
I am deliberately leaving out exact opening hours. I found third-party pages calling it a round-the-clock operation, but I could not confirm that from a current official source. Check before making a special late-night trip. Menu prices and parking conditions can change too.
My honest verdict
I did not come for luxury, and Gulshan certainly did not surprise me with any. I wanted a tawa paratha. What reached my table was browned properly, heavy with aloo and onion, and flanked by butter, chutney and sharp pickled onions. Tea followed. The bill said ₹177. Job done.
The parking arrangement needs patience, and the dining hall can feel congested. The fried paratha is also not something I would eat casually every day. Those limitations do not cancel the experience, they define it.
I would return when the route, timing and appetite line up. I would not call it Murthal’s undisputed best or definitively oldest dhaba without stronger evidence. Gulshan is a practical, long-running stop with one useful point of difference: you can still sit down for a satisfying tawa paratha while much of Murthal keeps getting bigger and shinier around it.
