Chez Dévi
1450 Crescent Street | Website
Located on Crescent Street in the heart of downtown Montréal in a sumptuous décor inspired by the spice route, Chez Dévi serves succulent dishes straight out of their tandoor. Don’t forget to order the assorted breadbasket to accompany your meal.
India Rosa
1241 Mont-Royal Avenue East & 1050 Wellington Street | Website
India Rosa’s decor sets the tone for these restaurants that combines traditional flavours with a modern twist. Whether you’re there for brunch, cocktail hour or dinner, the menu is made up of delectably colourful sharing plates and specialties from their tandoor. Don’t skip the unique signature cocktails.
© Two Food Photographers - Alison Slattery
Le Super Qualité
1211 Bélanger Street East & 20 Sainte-Catherine Street West (Le Central food court) | Website
Le Super Qualité is a colourful eatery serving Indian street food and regional specialties. The Rosemont location serves snacks, dishes and thalis featuring a different region every week, as well as special. The downtown Le Central location has a smaller but just as tasty menu.
Star of India
5864 Sherbrooke Street West & 1806 Saint-Catherine Street West | Website
Star of India has been around for more than 3 decades. It serves what is possibly the best butter chicken and naan bread in town in a friendly atmosphere with great service.
Restaurant Bombay Mahal
1001 Jean-Talon Street West | Website
A favourite among locals, Restaurant Bombay Mahal offers a great span of Indian cuisine from north to south. Located in multicultural Park Extension, its menu is extensive and the prices reasonable. It is vegetarian-friendly and BYOW.
Maison de Cari Golden
5210 Saint-Laurent Boulevard | Website
Blink and you might miss this tiny spot on busy Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Maison de Cari Golden is a well-hidden gem that offers fantastic food in an unpretentious setting. Try the tandoori specialties or the biryanis.
Restaurant Malhi Sweets
880 Jarry Street West | Website
Hidden on Jarry Street, a little out of the way, is one of the best Indian restaurants in Montréal. Restaurant Malhi Sweet’'s Punjabi cuisine is authentic, delicious, affordable and served in an unpretentious yet welcoming dining room.
© Alison Slattery
Gandhi
230 Saint-Paul Street West | Website
Gandhi is an elegant restaurant located on cobblestoned Saint-Paul Street in charming Old Montréal. The scent of warm spices and the lure of Indian music is enough to send you on a virtual voyage to India via some of the delicious dishes and the great variety of homemade breads.
© Alison Slattery
Restaurant Sandhu
4548 Papineau Avenue | Website
Whether you’re craving a big bowl of pasta or a plate of lamb tikka masala, Restaurant Sandhu offers both Italian and Indian cuisines in its Papineau Avenue location. Its specialties include butter chicken, lamb Madras and an extensive wine list in a bright décor with friendly service.
Pushap Restaurant & Sweet Shop
5195 Paré Street | Website
Pushap has been a favourite go-to spot among food lovers looking for a wallet-friendly vegetarian feast. It’s famous for its generous thalis as well as its large selection of Indian desserts, which can be bought by the pound to take home.
Le Taj
2077 Stanley Street & Time Out Market Montréal | Website
Le Taj has been serving Montréal’s Indian food lovers since 1985. Head to the Time Out Market to grab lunch or to their elegant, white tablecloth-clad original downtown location for dinner. Critically acclaimed Le Taj serves a wide variety of dishes including tandoor specialties as well as an à la carte dinner menu.
Rasoï
3459 Notre-Dame Street West | Website
Rasoï’s tapas-style menu combines inspiration from international cuisines while bring firmly rooted in India’s bold flavours. High quality ingredients and an extensive cocktail menu add to the unique ambiance of this Saint-Henri restaurant.
Dosa Pointe
895 Jean-Talon Street West | Website
Family-run Dosa Pointe specializes in South Indian cuisine and, more specifically, the dosa, a thin and large crepe usually rolled around a curried potato or paneer (fresh cheese) filling and dipped in chutney.
Le 409
409 McGill Avenue | Website
For something a little different and more contemporary, Old Montréal's Le 409 feels like a cross between a colourful Bollywood movie, a Havana street corner and a sleek London lounge. The menu lists beautifully presented classics as well as fusion dishes (including butter chicken poutine!) and great signature cocktails.
Maison Indian Curry
996 Jean-Talon Street West | Website
Northern and southern Indian specialties are on the menu at Maison Indian Curry, which means you can indulge in a variety of dosas, tandoori dishes, biryanis, and rich curries.
Thanjai
4759 Van Horne Avenue | Website
The cuisine of southern India is featured at Thanjai. Rice is the main staple as it is grown throughout the region, as are some of the cuisine’s warm spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Popular South Indian dishes on Thanjai’s menu include dosas, idli (savoury rice cakes) and vada (fritters), as well as some spicy curries.
Tula
5258 Saint-Laurent Boulevard | Website
Tula is a plant-based Indian restaurant located in the Mile End. This colourful spot offers vegan versions of popular Indian staples such as butter “chicken,” tikka masala and biryanis as well as some Pan-Asian dishes. Tula also offers what is probably the only vegan Indian brunch in Montréal every Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are recommended.
Chand Palace
989 Jean-Talon Street West
Chand Palace is a small, unpretentious restaurant on Jean-Talon Street offering wallet-friendly specialties as well as great thalis in vegetarian, chicken or lamb versions.
Darbar
2027 Saint-Laurent Boulevard | Website
Quartier des Spectacle’s Darbar serves a “progressive punjabi” cuisine in a cozy ambiance. The wonderful family story, the delightful and well executed food and the original signature cocktails are all on point and make Darbar a must-visit spot.
Maison ChaïShaï
2005 Bishop Street | Website
Located in the Concordia University neighbourhood, Maison ChaïShaï is a family-run restaurant specializing in Indian-Pakistani fusion street food. Try their butter chicken poutine or the aloo tiki sliders and don’t miss the outstanding desserts.
Crèmerie Meetha
787A De Liège Street West | Website
Located in Park-Ex, Crèmerie Meetha specializes in Indian-flavoured ice creams as well as chai. The flavours are inspired by Indian desserts such as gulab jamun or jalebi and are available by the scoop or by the pint. Please note that Meetha is a seasonal spot open from May to November.
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 30 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.
