A Culinary Journey: The Best Indian Restaurants in Montreal

Montreal has so many Indian restaurants, this long list only scratches the surface! With new arrivals on the scene every year, there are always new fiery curries, crisp dosas, fragrant biryanis and pillowy naan waiting to be savoured and compared.

The standout spots on this list bring serious heat, big flavour and regional personality to the table. Here are some of the best Indian restaurants in Montreal right now.

Old Montréal's Gandhi leans elegant without going timid on flavour. Mirchi masala fish brings green chilli heat and sweet shallots, while tandoori masala shrimp pick up smoke from the clay oven. Pasanda lamb gets extra richness from cream and homemade cheese, and duck tikka masala is the curveball worth ordering. Combo menus make exploration easy. Do not neglect the naan, crisp edged and ideal for sopping up every last drop of sauce.

Read also:
Where to Eat Butter Chicken in Montreal: From Classic to Creative Twists

A Montréal institution since 1985, Le Taj pairs classic Indian cooking with one of downtown's most distinctive dining rooms, complete with sculptures and a mural from Expo 67's Indian Pavilion. Watch naan blister in the open tandoor, then dig into smokey tandoori chicken, masala shrimp or creamy paneer makhani. Its legacy now stretches beyond the original restaurant through counters at Time Out Market and Royalmount.

Tandoori Palace moved into a roomier, more polished Laval home in 2024, but the food still brings the swagger. Konkani shrimp arrive in a coconut rich sauce, tandoori specialties carry proper clay oven char, and colourful thalis come with fragrant basmati rice. Lunch means a broad buffet, while dinner is better suited to sharing. Free parking and a private room for up to 80 make this an easy group pick.

Le 409 gives Indian comfort food an Old Montreal nightlife makeover. Velvet banquettes, Bollywood colours and speakeasy lighting set the scene for chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and a gleefully excessive butter chicken poutine. Onion bhaji brings crunch, lamb korma comes cloaked in almond rich sauce, and the bar keeps pace with drinks like the Mumbai Mule and Garam Sour. Lunch offers a cheaper way into the greatest hits.

India Rosa takes Indian classics out for a night on the town. Across its Plateau and Griffintown locations, chicken tikka masala and lamb korma share billing with butter chicken poutine, while weekend brunch pushes the menu into more playful territory. Cocktails weave in spices and traditional infusions, and DJs from Wednesday through Saturday turn dinner increasingly social as the evening unfolds. This is curry with a side of nightlife.

Rutba brings modern Indian cafe energy to the Main, with a menu that enjoys bending the rules. Butter chicken meets burrata in one gloriously rich mashup, while paneer do pyaza balances caramelized onions against fragrant spice. Cheese naan arrives crisp outside and soft within, ready for serious sauce duty. Portions encourage sharing, and weekend brunch gives Indian classics another contemporary spin in the intimate, low-lit room.

Downtown's Chez Devi draws on a restaurant legacy that also reaches New Delhi and New York. The all you can eat lunch buffet is the big attraction, piling plates with spiced shrimp, paneer tikka masala and fresh tandoori bread. The kitchen is especially deft with meats fired in the tandoor, but vegetarians are hardly an afterthought. Generous portions and a broad selection make this a useful crowd pleaser near Crescent Street.

Darbar puts a seasonal, locally minded spin on Punjabi cooking near Saint-Laurent metro. Nihari lamb gets nine slow hours to turn meltingly tender, murgh tikka masala pairs smokey tandoori chicken with creamy tomato sauce, and seekh kebabs pack minced meat, herbs and char into every bite. Chef Simar Singh sources locally whenever possible, aiming within 50 kilometres. Finish with the glitzy gold leaf gulab jamun or a mango lassi.

Amber brings Indian and Pakistani comfort food together on Rachel Street, with generous portions and a welcome bring your own wine policy. Butter chicken leans creamy, tomato rich and slightly sweet, while chicken tikka masala turns up the heat. Beef niaré goes deeper and more aromatic, and the vegetarian selection includes satisfying spinach with cheese. Raise a glass of fragrant spiced tea to this cute Plateau enclave.

Saint-Henri's adults-only Rasoï brings family inspired Indian cooking into full bar mode. Chilli paneer delivers an Indo Chinese jolt of spice, while coconut shrimp arrive in a thick, tropical leaning sauce. The cocktail program is just as adventurous, working cumin into gin and spice into rum. Lanterns, warm colours and an energetic room make it a natural pick for dinner that has no intention of ending quietly.

Tucked inside Hôtel Rasco, Veranda gives Indian cooking a polished Old Montreal makeover. Butter chicken and Lucknowi lamb korma cover the comfort classics, but don't miss the shrimp moilee: its coconutty richness is addictive. The palak burrata gleefully bends the rules with the inclusion of luscious Italian cheese, making it the perfect dish for a saucy date on the pretty terrace.

From the family behind India Rosa, Héritaj takes Indian flavours somewhere decidedly more decadent. The butter chicken is reinvented cordon-bleu style, stuffed with paneer, vegetables and dried fruit, while the biryani is amped with bone marrow and wild mushrooms. Other standouts include the tandoori octopus, the scallops korma and the foie gras with mango and ginger: all dishes worth dressing up for the occasion.

Parc Ex favourite India Beau Village does not believe in a short menu. More than 50 dishes include 14 lamb preparations, 19 chicken specialties and 16 vegetarian choices, all driven by North Indian staples such as turmeric, coriander and garam masala. Chicken and lamb thalis offer a strategic shortcut through the options. The 200 seat dining room works for crowds, while solid value and efficient takeout keep regulars coming back.

Le Super Qualité turns South Indian comfort food into something playful, colourful and highly snackable. Mumbai influences mingle with family recipes in dishes designed for sharing, preferably with fingers and zero ceremony. The Tiffin Meal, vegetarian or not, is the move for maximum variety, stacking several flavours onto one generous platter. The original 18 seat room keeps things intimate, while its Le Central counter brings the same street food spirit downtown.

With locations in Longueuil and Saint-Lambert, Moghel Tandoori is a South Shore favourite built around clay oven cooking, fragrant basmati rice and unapologetically rich sauces. The butter chicken is the headline act, simmered in creamy tomato sauce with coconut milk and almonds for extra velvet. Fresh ingredients and imported spices keep flavours vivid. Bring your own wine and raise a glass to flavour.

Family owned since 2005, Kuljit India keeps North Indian cooking straightforward, affordable and deeply satisfying. Clay oven tandoori dishes share the menu with slow cooked curries, butter chicken, dals and excellent vegetarian options. Chana bhatura, biryani and samosas are particular crowd pleasers, while freshly baked naan handles the essential business of sauce mopping.

Chand Palace brings Punjabi cooking to Parc Ex with freshly ground spices and family recipes passed through generations. The butter chicken is rich and luscious, the tandoori dishes arrive fragrant and smokey and slightly singed from the clay oven. The kitchen is halal, portions are generous and prices stay friendly. Can't decide? Get a thali, it's a great deal that'll let you taste a few of the classics at once.

Pushap is a longtime favourite that's all vegetarian, and all North Indian comfort food, from the crisp samosas and bouncy paneer pakora to the aloo tikki, chana bhatura and tangy chaat layered with yogurt and tamarind. Thalis are the name of the game here, but leave room for the Indian sweets. Going home without a box would is a crime.

The name isn't a bluff. Family run Dosa Pointe specializes in huge, crisp dosa, i.e. South Indian crepes made from fermented rice and lentil batter, with fillings ranging from classic spiced potato to Mysore masala, paneer and chicken keema. Dip that goodness in coconut chutney and sambar. Idli, vada and aromatic Hyderabadi biryani broaden the field, while Indo-Chinese dishes provide an unexpected second act.

Bombay Mahal is one of Parc Ex's enduring Indian standbys. From the indulgent butter chicken to the spicy, coconutty chicken Madrasi and fiery-hot vindaloo, it's all special, but don't skip on the baingan bharta: a smokey eggplant delight. Best bonus: you can bring your own wine.

Rendez-vous Bistro has little interest in staying in one culinary lane. Indian spices meet grilling and Italian influences in dishes like basil chicken kabab, paneer tikka masala and gloriously rule breaking butter chicken pasta. Rajasthani flavours also get their due, with richer regional curries joining the mix. Finish with paan kulfi, because after butter chicken pasta, suddenly playing it safe would just seem weird.

Chettinad cooking doesn't whisper, and neither does Lakshana's. Star anise, fennel and stone flower build the aromatic backbone of its South Indian curries and dry preparations. Dosas are a major draw, arriving crisp with sambar and punchy chutneys, while idli, vada and pongal make compelling arguments for exploring beyond curry. Vegetarians and vegans have plenty to work with, too. Bring an appetite for spice.

Do not let the word "sweets" fool you into skipping dinner. This casual favourite on Jarry handles Punjabi savouries just as confidently, including creamy lamb korma, goat curry fragrant with ginger and garlic, butter chicken, shahi paneer and chicken seekh kebab with naan. A substantial selection of Indian sweets waits at the finish line.

Tiny Maison de Cari Golden has been quietly doing its thing on the Main since 1987, long before Indian food became a mainstay in Montreal. The butter chicken has a subtle sweetness that's very special and addictive, while the tandoori chicken is beautifully charred and the biryanis are fragrant. Classics include lamb curry, onion bhaji and soft garlic naan, all good reasons to squeeze into the cozy room.

Hindusthali has been entirely plant based since opening in 2017, but this is not Indian food wearing a wellness halo and apologizing for itself. The family run restaurant builds its meals around fresh ingredients, bold seasoning and customizable thalis, letting diners assemble several curries and sides onto one satisfying platter. Vegan veterans will feel seen. Dedicated carnivores may briefly forget they were supposed to be missing something.

Sandhu's backstory is almost as eclectic as the menu. Founder Ajmer Sandhu trained under an Italian chef in Germany before opening in Montreal in 1985, and his sons now carry on the family business. Indian and Italian traditions collide in lamb korma, Madras shrimp, veal parmigiana and homemade ravioli, with ingredients sourced from Jean-Talon Market and Quebec farms. Evening table d'hôte menus and hot gulab jamun round things out.

Saint-Henri's Oorja dives into Indo Chinese Hakka cooking with serious personality. Five spice braised pork is tender and savoury against sharp pickled vegetables, while Apollo fish comes fried with curry leaves and green chillies for crunch, heat and fragrance. The cocktail list follows the same playbook, working Sichuan pepper into gin and cardamom into rum. Sculpted wood, low lighting and intricate details give the room a polished after dark mood.

Located on Mackay Street in downtown Montreal, Vedha deserves a place among the city's best Indian restaurants for the impressive variety of its menu and the vibrant flavours found throughout. The restaurant brings together North and South Indian specialties, from aromatic curries, biryanis and freshly baked breads to dosas and flavourful Indo-Chinese dishes. With generous portions and plenty of vegetarian, vegan and meat options, Vedha makes it easy for everyone at the table to find something satisfying.

Keep it spicy with our dedicated section on Indian restaurants, or go straight for the classics and with our guides to the best butter chicken and the most flavourful curries in town!