'Vishalla', a traditionally designed restaurant, came into being on 27 March, 1978. The designer, Mr. Surendra Patel, discovered the name 'Vishala' in the book Bhattachintamani of a religious group called 'Swaminarayan'. This book encompasses the life span of the Swaminarayan Guru. There is a small district in the Himalayas, 'Badri Vishala', which has been widely recognized as a prominent retreat for the 'rishi-munis' since time unknown. The place is fit for the purpose owing to its vastness, the ambience, and the immense relaxation it offers.

'Vishala' found its way into the Swaminarayan book due to the mention of the instance when the Swami went to meditate there. The name caught the sensitive eyes of Mr. Patel as it related to his vision of the restaurant, a place for homely, staple food in a relaxed atmosphere and with a free mind.
Talking of a restaurant usually brings to the mind a picture of a brightly lit, air-conditioned hall, with music playing in the background, and waiters waiting on us and jotting down our selections from the menu card. Can you imagine a place where there are no closed rooms or halls, lanterns used instead of heavy lighting, natural air replacing air-conditioned air, folk songs being sung without mikes, muddy lanes, homely food served on a tree leaf, and everything around resembling a typical Indian village?!

Another distinguishing characteristic of the place is that you get to decide the menu and pay the bill at the reception itself. Selecting from the menu at your seat deprives you of the necessary relaxation. Paying the bill earlier on frees the mind from thinking about the expense. Well, if you haven't heard of any such place, come home to Vishalla.
Vishalla is not only designed like a village; the staff accords to you the same, warm hospitality you would likely experience in an Indian village. As soon as you step in, you can let go of your worries. The atmosphere is imbued with a proximity to nature that relaxes the mind. There are no doors to be seen here – which emphasizes the focus on freeing the mind. The waiters and other staff are dressed in traditional Indian gear, with either a turban or a topi on their heads, dressed in the very typical dhoti-kurta. The interior design is certainly in a class of its own, proudly symbolizing Indian culture.

Vishalla prides itself on its presentation of Indian culture and tradition in its village-like environment with its museum of old utensils known as Vechaar. The museum found its way into Vishalla three years after Vishalla was itself started, on 27 April 1981. Vechaar is the only museum of its kind in the world, displaying such a precious collection of utensils.