As Canada’s capital city, Ottawa is home to several different cultures that are proud to share the flavours of their home countries. This includes the Indian diaspora that calls Ottawa home, with cuisine options spanning from the north to the south of India and beyond, gracing the city with some stellar culinary destinations. For special occasions, romantic date nights or family-friendly feasts, the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa have a table for you.
Start your day with brunch with an Indian twist including kheema scotched eggs and kashmiri chai or iced coffee in Little Italy. Experience upscale dining and unique blind tasting menus that present traditional and well-known flavours in modern settings on a great spot at Gloucester. Enjoy a Cardamom-infused cocktail at the end of a long day, or even indulge your sweet tooth with sweet treats such as gulum jalab, or the sweet yet cheesy rasmalai all right in the heart of downtown Ottawa. With plenty of vegetarian options, the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa have something to suit everyone’s tastes.
For a chance to experience the best Indian restaurants Ottawa has to offer, book on OpenTable today.
The best Indian restaurants Ottawa has to offer – keep reading
For one of the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa for South Indian cuisine – try Coconut Lagoon in Gloucester
Coconut Lagoon in Gloucester takes visitors on a culinary journey through southwest India’s Malabar coast, exploring the flavours of Kerala cuisine. With a menu helmed by award-winning chef Joe Thottungal, visitors of Coconut Lagoon are treated to a contemporary take on traditional dishes. Start your journey with chilli seared sea scallops served on lotus root pachadi with mustard. For your main, try the popular Chicken mappas cooked in a coconut curry sauce with garam masala. Guests are also invited to try thottungal’s table a seven-course tasting menu that will take you to Kerala and back. Finish your meal with any of Coconut Lagoon’s unique desserts including nutmeg vattalappam, a coconut pudding with jaggery, a Southeast Asian sweetener. Plenty of cocktails inspired by the flavours of Kerala are available, from the moonshine lassi to the munnar mojito. There is also wine and spirit pairing available, as well as non-alcoholic choices including the favourite Coconut Lagoon’s iced coffee. Enjoy your meal in a refined modern dining space, with plenty of seating options, including private rooms that can house 12-16 of your friends and family.
For a journey through modern Indian cuisine at one of Ottawa’s best Indian restaurants – visit katha – Ottawa in Little Italy
Although katha – Ottawa may be located in Ottawa’s Little Italy, it stands out as one of the best Indian restaurants Ottawa has to offer. With a menu that changes with the seasons, Katha – meaning “storytelling” in Hindi, strives to tell a story with each plate. Through the 8-course blind tasting menu, served Tuesday to Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm, you’re invited to savour traditional dishes, reimagined for a modern audience. A weekend brunch, served between 10 am and 2 pm also offers guests a chance to experience twists on classic brunch items. Think nagisi eggs with kheema scotched eggs, or desi anda shakshouka, an Indian-inspired reimagining of a Middle Eastern brunch staple, before finishing off your brunch with a delicious cup of kashmiri chai. Luxuriate yourself in Katha’s upscale dining room that bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary fine dining.
For one of the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa for north Indian dishes – visit RamaKrishna Indian Restaurant in Downtown
RamaKrishna Indian Restaurant has maintained a steady presence on Restaurant Guru’s recommended list and received the honour of best takeaway food in 2024. This may largely be due to its chef’s 20 years of experience working in fine dining restaurants knowing what it takes to deliver the best Indian food in Ottawa. With a menu inspired by the flavours of northern India, RamaKrishna Indian Restaurant features plenty of options sure to please everyone. From appetizer vegetable samosas, and favourite chicken biryani, there are also plenty of vegetarian-friendly options including paneer tikka masala. No meal is complete without dessert, and options such as gulab jamun, sweet dumplings drenched in syrup, and rasmalai, cheese balls served in a sweetened cream, will delight any sweet tooth. Staying true to its culinary roots, RamaKrishna Indian Restaurant invites you to enjoy a lively dining experience, setting the mood with fun decorative lighting. A full bar is also available for those late-night excursions into Downtown.
For a culinary train ride throughout Northern India – don’t miss Last Train to Delhi in Glebe
Executive chef and owner Surinder Singh’s Last Train to Delhi features a menu that’s devoted to bringing a more progressive culinary experience to Northern Indian cuisine. Chef Singh’s team is proud to truly take composting and recycling seriously, reducing waste wherever possible. The small menu boasts big flavours, taking you on a culinary train ride throughout Northern India, with stops along the way in chef Singh’s native Punjab and ending with Delhi staples. Last Train to Delhi is best known for the murg makhini, or classic butter chicken, as well as the crispy shrimp cooked in the tandoor and served with potatoes and chutneys. Other dishes include vegetarian options like kali daal, a creamy serving of black daal, and onion bhaji, onions deep fried in chickpea flour and served with tamarind chutney. The cozy restaurant is adorned with exposed brickwork, warm wood and ambient lighting to enhance your dining experience.
For an authentic taste of Sri Lanka – head over to Ceylonta in Nepean
Ceylonta has specialized in offering the best of Sri Lankan and south Indian cuisine since 1994 and becoming well-known as one of the best Sri Lankan and Indian restaurants in Ottawa. Using the traditional Sri Lankan method of roasting spices before grinding, the flavours at Ceylonta are sure to transport you to another world. Ceylonta also takes care to steam many of its main dishes, adding a healthy kick to a flavourful meal. All of the meat served at Ceylonta is halal-certified. Popular dishes include the mutton vegetable roll served with a spicy chilli sauce, dosai, which are delicious crepes made from urad dhal served with chutneys and curried vegetables. Coconut sambol is another favourite which has spicy flavourings that pair nicely with roti. To make your dining experience memorable, Ceylonta. also offers guests a chance to eat their meals traditionally, with the tips of the fingers of the right hand. Enjoy an authentic dining experience as you relax in the intimate atmosphere of Ceylonta, with traditional interiors carrying you away to the heart of Sri Lanka.
Ottawa’s Indian culinary scene offers you an intimate taste of cuisine from the north to the south, with menus that span the regions of Punjab, the Malabar coast and even Sri Lanka. A passion for tradition and a desire to experiment with modernity means there’s no shortage of experiences to be had. Fusion dishes that combine Western and Southeast Asian reflect the way that local ingredients shape the cuisine of the diaspora.
Don’t miss out – book a spot at the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa on OpenTable today.
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