Thanjai is an authentic South Indian Restaurant which serves mostly vegetarian and some non-vegetarian food offerings. We specialize in creating the true flavors of South Indian recipes that are familiar to all who grew up with these dishes. We offer a rich blend of flavors, colours, seasoning, health values, aroma, tastes and the visual appeals of this unique cuisine. And, we are the only restaurant in the area offering you this taste experience. Many of the dishes are ‘gluten-free’ and offer low fat and low cholesterol values.
Reviews consistently praise Thanjai for authentic South Indian flavors delivered with freshness and balance, from fragrant biryani and rich goat dishes to crispy dosas and comforting sambar and avial. The banana leaf feast and a variety of thali options appear especially beloved, often described as homely and welcoming with dishes that feel prepared with care. Service is repeatedly highlighted as friendly, attentive, and efficient, with many noting staff who explain the menu and make good recommendations; some comments mention room for improvement in consistency and pacing during peak hours or lunch service. The restaurant is described as clean and well maintained, with a warm, family like vibe and a vibrant atmosphere, occasionally noted as a bit loud. Several reviewers travel long distances or visit multiple times, calling it a standout for South Indian cuisine in Montreal or in Quebec, and praising specific dishes such as chicken biryani, chicken kothu parota, dosa varieties, vatha bath kulambu, ashoka sweet, and payasam. While most experiences are positive, a few mention missing menu items or inconsistencies in service and vegan labeling, but the overall sentiment remains highly favorable and the place is often recommended and repeated as a must visit for fans of Tamil Nadu style cooking.
Hmm this place used to be my childhood but now I fear it got whitified :( I used to go here & burn my taste buds & still keep eating because the flavours were so addictive but they just don't have that vibe anymore. Their dosa wasn't crispy either & the chicken we ordered had 1 chicken & 1 piece with just bones but the'gravy' was still out of this world. I just wish that it did come with more meat pieces?
still good for first time South Asian food tryers tho!
I ordered chicken fried rice & butter chicken. The rice was okay, but the butter chicken tasted very bad. Some of the food was tasty, but some of it was not good.
You can try more better guys
Mar 19, 2026
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
I visited from Vancouver on a business trip & tried the killi poratta with chicken lollipop-it instantly reminded me of my hometown, Sivakasi. Amazing service & excellent food quality. This is always my go-to restaurant in Montreal.
A truly satisfying South Indian meal! The sambar instantly took me back to Chennai comforting, nostalgic, & full of authentic flavour
I tried their Veg Thali, & it felt very homely. It comes with three different vegetable preparations, giving a nice balance & a good carb fibre split. Everything tasted fresh & thoughtfully prepared. Definitely a solid 4.5/5 for the Veg Thali.
The Egg Biryani was decent - I'd rate it 3/5. It lacked the depth of flavour you'd typically expect from a non-veg biryani.
However, their Chicken 777 is a must-try! It's similar to Chicken 65 but tossed in flavorful Indo-Chinese style sauces bold, slightly spicy, & very satisfying. Easily a 4/5.
They also make a wide range of South Indian snacks like murukku or chakli, thattai, ribbon pakoda, & more & they're very reasonably priced. I tried the butter murukku, thattai, & ribbon pakoda, & they were excellent. Honestly, I'd consider ordering directly from them instead of buying from a grocery store!
If you're craving authentic South Indian comfort food & snacks, this place is definitely worth a visit
We visited Thanjai for dinner yesterday with our family m. This was our 4th time here, & it's officially our favorite South Indian restaurant so far! We're from Ottawa, & it's honestly hard to find authentic, satisfying South Indian food there. We've been searching in both Ottawa & Toronto, & we're so happy to have found this gem.
Our kids (6 & 10) always look forward to eating here. Our absolute favorites are the Chicken 65 Biryani & Chicken Kothu Parota both are consistently delicious. The quality of the food & the service are always top notch.
Yesterday we didn't have any plans, so we literally drove to Montreal just to enjoy Thanjai's food , it's that good! We would be thrilled if they ever opened a branch in Ottawa.
We visited this restaurant for the first time with high expectations. I went with my husband & brother, & the restaurant looked nice from the inside, which made us feel hopeful about the experience.
We ordered Chicken Lollipop, Chicken 777, Masala Dosa, & Chicken Curry Dosa. Our food arrived within 20-25 minutes, but unfortunately, the taste was very disappointing. None of the dishes were good, & we were extremely dissatisfied.
What made the experience worse was that from the next day onwards, all three of us had stomach issues, including vomiting & stomach pain. We usually go out for dinner once a week & enjoy exploring different restaurants, but something like this has never happened to us before.
Overall, it was a very bad experience, & I would not recommend this place.
Jan 29, 2026
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
During my trip from the US to Montreal, I stumbled upon Thanjay & had an unforgettable dinner experience. The flavors here are extraordinary-dishes like Chicken 777, Kili Paratha, Shrimp Fry, Tandoori chicken, & Hyderabadi Biryani blew me away. Every bite surpassed the last, so much so that I returned the next day for lunch. If you're in Montreal, I can't recommend this restaurant enough-it's a must-visit for any foodie.
One of the best places for South Indian cuisine.. we had Gopi Manchurian dry from there & it was delicious.. Also enjoyed chettinadu chicken curry & rice.. they were perfect.. a must place to visit if you want to enjoy authentic South Indian cuisine..
Oct 21, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Thanjai has always been that go-to place for South indian cuisine for us. Even though we make dosa, idli, vada at home, but sometimes you just want to go out & eat. This time, we decided to try the big dosa around 3ft-4ft, I guess. It's just a regular plain dosa, just bigger in size, & you get your sambhar, chutney, & potato mix on the side. Good enough for 2 ppl. We did order dahi vada on the side, chicken curry & mango lassi. Everything was really good.
In my opinion, the food was marvelous & magnificent ! But the mango lassi was a bit off. The chicken biryani was on top notch. The shrimp fry was outstanding . Excellent experience !!!
Ordered Ambur goat biryani & chicken 65. They made sure its medium mild, biryani was amazing reminded me of bangalore days when i was living there😍 it was so good! Same smell☺️
Nice Indian place for dine in , they had great menu like Rasam, dosa, appetizers for travellers, we have been out of home for a week & was looking for simple home cooked food, this menu totally satisfied our needs with rasam & chicken 65, we also tried their dosa it was good , the biryani was just mediocre for us & rest of the dishes we tried were really great, we could see lots of people coming & having food from locals, that shows the food is really good here!!! The chicken noodles we tried was also good.
