| Monday | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | |
| Wednesday | |
| Thursday | |
| Friday | |
| Saturday | |
| Sunday |
Amenities, services & more
Darbar was featured in the article(s) below.
Reviews for Darbar
Reviews often mention
chef(157) indian(128) darbar(118) recommend(81) dishes(45) naan(43) family(38) authentic(36) flavor(36) thali(36) highly recommend(34) simar(33)This was our third time to Darbar, this time with a big group where a number of people had dietary restrictions. As always, the service was absolutely incredible. They accommodated everyone beautifully & were sure to tell us each time who could eat what & the food was delicious!
Incroyable. C'était délicieux & le personnel d'une infinie gentillesse.
Prix honnêtes. Excellents plats. Personnel sympathique. Chef attentionné. Belle expérience.
Wait Time & Service:
It took approximately 30 minutes to get a table, followed by another 15 minutes to place our order, & then 30 minutes for the food to arrive. The service felt disorganized, possibly due to being understaffed for an unexpectedly busy mid-week evening. Dishes did not arrive together but were served individually over time, requiring multiple reminders for pending items.
Food & Quality:
We ordered Dal Makhni, Baingan Bharta, & Shahi Paneer, along with Lacha Paratha & Tandoori Roti (not listed on the menu but available upon request).
• The Baingan Bharta was excellent - definitely the highlight of the meal.
• The Shahi Paneer was overly sweet - it tasted more like a dessert than a savory entrée, & we wouldn't recommend it.
• Portion sizes were noticeably smaller than those at other Indian restaurants in the area.
Ambience & Cleanliness:
We were initially seated outdoors but had to request a change due to flies falling into our water. Inside, we were unfortunately seated near the kitchen area, where we noticed utensils being hand-washed & general disorganization, raising hygiene concerns.
Final Impression:
The entire dinner lasted around 2.5 hours, which felt unnecessarily long for a simple meal. While we understand every restaurant can have an off day, the combination of slow service, portion sizes, & questionable cleanliness made for a less-than-pleasant experience.
Possibly the best Indian food we've eaten. The owner/chef Simar (sp?) made the evening special. He selected our meal & everything was perfection! This is a must if in Montreal! Thank you!
An amazing experience- from the friendly & attentive staff to the superb food, we couldn't have asked for me. The restaurant was cozy, casual & felt local. The main event- wow wow- the food was incredible. Samir, the head chef, was great as explaining & recommending dishes, you can tell he's passionate about his craft. Everything we tried was 10/10.
Incredible service. Chef even introduced himself & make sure everything was to our liking. Truly lovely experience. Thank you!
Les plats sont vraiment savoureux. Le chef prend la peine de venir nous rencontrer après notre commande pour vérifier si il doit faire des modifications à nos plats selon nos goûts. Il reviens après pour avoir nos commentaires. C'est plus qu'un souper, c'est une expérience dirigée directement d'un chef Indien. Je recommande cet endroit à tout ceux qui n'ont jamais mangé de cuisine Indienne & aux gens qui veulent en connaître plus sur cette cuisine.
Lovely food & great staff ☺?
Great spot for celiacs !!
GF naans & bhajis!!!!!!
I've been visiting this restaurant every time I'm in Montreal from the U.S. because the food used to be consistently delicious. Unfortunately, my most recent experience was disappointing & far from what I've come to expect.
My family & I ordered three meat thalis, one chicken tikka masala, & one saag paneer. The meat in the thalis didn't taste fresh & seemed like it had been reheated. While the chicken in the tikka masala appeared fresher, the flavor was lacking. The saag paneer was especially underwhelming-the gravy was bland, & the paneer was rubbery in texture.
While we were prepared for a bit of a wait, as we've been here many times before, the food still didn't justify it. The only highlight was the rasmalai, which was excellent.
Unfortunately, the overall dining experience was disappointing, & we left feeling unsatisfied. One additional note: while our server was polite, basic hygiene standards need attention. A strong body odor was noticeable, which detracted from the dining atmosphere. In a restaurant setting, this is something that really shouldn't be overlooked.
Regrettably, I won't be returning on future visits to Montreal.
I knew this restaurant was going to be an incredible experience when the executive chef came out to introduce himself to almost every table. My partner & I ordered the samosas & onion bhaji to start. They were delicious! The tamarind sauce was so tangy it paired perfectly. We also each ordered a thali. It came with rice, naan, papadam 3 stewed dishes & a piece of tandoori chicken. Everything was so delicious I could go on for a while. It was so much food, we could not finish our plates.
On top of the incredible food the staff were all fantastic & very welcoming. Some might consider the service a bit slow, but I believe that is intentional as the chef prepares each dish individually. I for one enjoyed it as it allowed my partner & I to have time to chat & sip our cocktails.
We sat on the patio, its was very comfortable but the noise from cars on the street could be loud.
We had the Samosa starter & Thali, & boy were we stuffed! Excellent all around & the head chef Mr.Anand was charming as well. The food was spectacular, we'll have to come back for the next seasonal menu.
I've been coming to Dharbar for over ten years, & it remains one of my absolute favourite restaurants in the city. The food is always delicious-meticulously prepared with care, balance, & flavour in every dish. The service is consistently excellent, & the attention to detail-from presentation to atmosphere-makes every visit feel special. Whether it's a casual meal or a celebration, Dharbar never disappoints.
I have been to that restaurant a lot since I moved to the neighborhood but I won't go back. Price went up by a lot: the Thali who was below 20$ before pandemic & 25$ recently just got increased to 30$. They do not put the price on the menu anymore 😫 so you have to ask.
The portions were not as generous as before & the wait staff will try to upsell you constantly (at least 4 times during the service).
Finally, they were not compliant with law 72 when we visited: their terminals are still calculating the tip on the amount after taxes.
There is at least 8 other Indian restaurants within 500 meters. I will try those now.
Une véritable explosion de saveurs du début à la fin ! Nous avons mangé au Darbar & chaque plat était un délice. Les épices parfaitement dosées, des portions généreuses, & un service chaleureux qui nous a mis tout de suite à l'aise. Une expérience culinaire authentique que je recommande sans hésitation. On reviendra, c'est certain !
Disappointing Service Despite Good Food
We visited this restaurant as a family traveling from the USA, including our young child. As tourists unfamiliar with French, we relied on the English names provided on the menu. We assumed the descriptions listed below each item were explanations of the dish contents, not realizing they needed to be translated to understand properly.
Unfortunately, this misunderstanding led to confusion when ordering. Instead of assisting us with patience & understanding, the staff responded with inconsistent & frustrating remarks such as,'we told you,''you should translate,' &'it's written clearly.' There was a clear lack of empathy & customer care, especially toward tourists.
To make matters worse, it took over an hour just to receive our appetizers. When we asked about the delay, the explanations kept changing, which only added to the frustration.
Eventually, when the food did arrive, it was undeniably good. However, the poor service & the dismissive attitude left a lasting negative impression. It took considerable effort on our part just to get the staff to acknowledge their role in the confusion.
In summary, while the food was enjoyable, the overall experience was disappointing due to the lack of proper service, empathy, & clear communication. As tourists, we expected a bit more kindness & guidance.
Nous avons apprécié notre soirée & merci de faire un soucis de nous parler en français. La nourriture était très bonne.
