Where It Began
Bhavnagar,
Gujarat
Growing up in Bhavnagar, a coastal city in Gujarat, food was never just fuel. It was the centre of everything - family gatherings around a thali piled high with sabzi, dal, rotli, and pickles made by hand. Gujarat is one of the most vegetarian states in India, and for brother and sister Ankit and Neha, plant-based food wasn't a lifestyle choice or a trend - it was simply how they grew up.
When Neha first moved to the UK, she quickly realised something was missing. The Indian restaurants she found bore little resemblance to the food she knew. Where was the lightness, the freshness, the bright hit of green chilli and coriander? When her younger brother Ankit joined her, they shared the same frustration - and the same idea.
Welcome
पधारो
Padharo opened its doors in Southampton in August 2023, and the name says it all. "Padharo" is a Gujarati word meaning "welcome" - as in the famous phrase "Padharo Mhare Desh" (welcome to our land).
Everything is vegetarian. Almost everything can be made vegan. Every dish is made from scratch, with fresh ingredients and the kind of care that only comes from cooking food you genuinely love.
Recognition
Awards & Accolades
2025
Indian Restaurant of the Year
Nation's Curry Awards - South of England
2025
Best of Southampton
English Curry Awards 2025
2025
Travellers’ Choice
Tripadvisor 2025 - top 10% of restaurants worldwide
2024
Restaurant Guru Recommended
4.7/5 rating - 1,460+ reviews
Est. 2023
Southampton
100%
Vegetarian
Gujarat
Rooted In
Award-Winning
2024 & 2025
Guests of Honour
Where India’s Cricketers Come to Dine
When international cricket comes to Southampton, India’s biggest names come to Padharo. The night before India Women faced England at the Utilita Bowl in July 2025, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates chose us for dinner - India won by four wickets the next day. The summer before, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana called in during her season with Southern Brave.
Harmanpreet Kaur
Captain of the India women’s national team, who went on to lift India’s first Women’s World Cup - she dined with the squad the night before India beat England at the Utilita Bowl.
July 2025
Smriti Mandhana
India vice-captain and four-time ICC award winner, a familiar face in Southampton from her summers with Southern Brave in The Hundred.
August 2024
The India Squad
Members of the touring India Women’s squad joining Ankit for dinner on the eve of the England ODI.
July 2025
They could dine anywhere in the city - but when Indian cricket comes to the south coast, it keeps finding its way back to East Street.