Located in the heart of Montreal, Shandaar Cuisine offers authentic South Asian food, also known as desi food. From your favourite Karahi to the ever-loved biryani and the famous doodh patti to the refreshing mango lassi, Shandaar Cuisine's menu has the best desi food in town. Your go-to desi restaurant with a breezy and vibrant ambience, Shandaar Cuisine is the perfect destination for an unforgettable dining experience.
Shandaar Cuisine is described as a warm, inviting spot delivering authentic Pakistani and South Asian flavors with consistent excellence across karahi, biryani, butter chicken, naan and chai. Diners praise the welcoming ambience, attentive service, and meals that feel like home cooked; dishes are fresh, richly spiced, and generously portioned, with favorites including Karahi, chicken tikka, lamb biryani, fish pakora, and a strong chai and mango lassi. A recurring theme is hospitality and attention to detail, with staff going above and beyond to ensure a memorable visit, and the option to host events in a private space. While a few notes mention value for money and occasional longer wait times, overall the restaurant is seen as a standout in Montreal for true desi flavors, where the food, warmth, and atmosphere invite repeat visits.
We had a great experience at Shandar restaurant! We chose the Peshawari chicken karahi & it was absolutely delicious. The chicken was tender, full of flavor, & perfectly spiced. The service was good & the atmosphere was warm & welcoming. I definitely recommend it, especially if you love rich & flavorful food!
Total Disappointment - Fake Ratings & Pathetic Service
'I was completely misled by the high ratings. Visiting Shandaar Cuisine for their Iftar buffet was a terrible mistake. Despite the $30+ per person cost, there was no actual buffet spread. We were told food would be served at the table, but it took 30 minutes just for two naans to arrive. The Karahi chicken followed 20 minutes later & was just a tasteless bowl of tiny, bony pieces. When we asked about the rest of the meal, they begrudgingly brought small, unappetizing portions of biryani, chole, butter chicken, kebab & pakora. The food quality was so poor it literally caused nausea. Worst of all, when we called ahead, they urged us to'hurry up,' yet when everyone complained, the owner simply blamed a lack of staff. If I could give zero stars, I would. Beware-do not trust the hype.'
Mar 9, 2026
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I was trying a new place for my birthday, & I was surprised by the place.
The Best Best Best for :
Kababs & butter chicken, aalo tikki
What I liked :
It is Private & reserve
Meals were served warm & well seasoned with steam coming out.
The staff is not to overally friendly, they check on you randomly & came accross genuine.
I felt welcome.
The bill at the end , was less than we expected.
Nice place for birthday & date .
9/10 experience.
Could be better:
Wish the lighting was a bit brighter.
More juice option.
Music would have been addition
I don't understand how this restaurant is highly rated, we ordered butter chicken & naan, there was literally 5 pieces of small chicken thighs, not even brest, it's mostly the sauce, for the price we paid it's extremely disappointing... As for the naan it was half cooked, horrible, just waste of money & food... During Ramadan... One would argue because they were fasting & were tired by end of day, but the guy who gave us our order to pick-up was actually eating about 30 minutes before Maghrib, for a Halal restaurant this is kind of unprofessional!
Food was amazing! Definitely try their lamb karahi, chicken tikka boti, kebab platter, & chai! Tried so much more, everything was delicious! Definitely will be coming back.
Absolutely perfect restaurant!
Since we're in Montreal, Canada, we ordered Chicken Shandaar Karahi & it truly tasted like home-no extra oil, just authentic flavor. The chicken samosas are made in-house & were fresh & delicious. We also had naan, garlic naan, & Lahori channa-everything was cooked fresh & full of taste.
I've never had such a perfect desi meal in Montreal. The guy musa who served us really knows how to deal with customers-polite, professional, & very welcoming. The service was awesomeeeee.
A perfect place to sit, relax, & enjoy amazing food. Highly recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We had a great experience at Shandar Karahi. We ordered white karahi, lamb biryani, & chicken tikka, & everything was delicious. The white karahi was rich & creamy, the lamb biryani was flavorful & perfectly cooked, & the chicken tikka was juicy & well seasoned. Portions were good & the food was served hot & fresh. Overall, very tasty food & worth visiting. Highly recommend for anyone who loves Pakistani/Indian cuisine! 😊
This was truly a one of kind dining experience, from start to finish we were greeted with such warmth & hospitality by the owners son . The owner herself even came out throughout the meal to check in on us & make sure everything was to our liking.
The butter chicken, & lamb Karahi was top notch & left everyone in our party of four craving for more & we left with full bellies & smiling faces.
As well there was another amazing brother from Tanzania , that works there, super welcoming & insightful regarding the food itself & the overall dynamic of how south Asian cuisine has transformed throughout the GTA.
Service was quick , friendly & everyone was full of smiles. A meal at Shandaar felt like eating a genuine home cooked meal at your favourite relatives house. They treat you like a part of the family!
