Ottawa's Indian food scene has grown well beyond butter chicken and naan, with restaurants representing Kerala, Punjab, Nepal, and the old East India Company tradition all within a short drive of downtown. This list was put together by reading restaurant websites, Google and Yelp listings, and customer reviews across Tripadvisor, Yelp, and Restaurant Guru to find ten spots that are currently open and consistently recommended.
1. Sona The Indian Kitchen
Area: Hunt Club, south Ottawa
Sona is run by Virendra Singh Negi and Mangal Singh Negi, two chefs who say they've been cooking Indian food for over 25 years across Mumbai, Dalian, Dubai, Toronto, and now Ottawa. The restaurant leans into a broad, all-India menu and offers gluten-free options on every dish, plus catering for weddings and corporate events. It's a solid pick for anyone who wants a wide-ranging menu rather than a single regional focus.
2. Coconut Lagoon
Area: Vanier
Coconut Lagoon focuses specifically on Kerala cuisine, pairing contemporary technique with classic South Indian flavours and local, sustainable ingredients. Reviewers consistently call out the Chef's Signature slow-cooked lamb curry and describe the cooking as "spectacular" and the service as impeccable. It suits diners looking for coastal, seafood-forward South Indian food rather than the more common North Indian menu.
3. East India Company
Area: Downtown (Somerset St W) and Bells Corners
East India Company has been a fixture of Ottawa's Indian dining scene for decades, with locations downtown and in Bells Corners. It's built its reputation on a daily-changing buffet alongside a menu of classics like butter chicken, tandoori dishes, and fresh-baked naan, with vegetarian and vegan options available. It's the choice for diners who want a reliable, long-running buffet experience over a tasting-menu style meal.
4. Kochin Kitchen
Area: ByWard Market
Rating: 4.2 on Google
Kochin Kitchen was started by three people from Kerala and specializes in South Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, including Kochin shrimp curry, king fish curry, and Kerala dum biryani. Reviewers describe it as "easily one of the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa," with praise for the authenticity of the Kerala-style dishes and the decorated, ByWard Market setting. It suits diners looking for South Indian seafood curries in a sit-down atmosphere.
5. Masakali Indian Cuisine
Area: Downtown (Clarence St and Wellington St W) and Stittsville
Masakali runs multiple locations across Ottawa, including downtown spots on Clarence Street and Wellington Street West plus a Stittsville location on Hazeldean Road. The menu covers biryanis and vegetarian staples like paneer tikka and dal makhani, aimed at a fuller resto-bar dining experience rather than quick takeout. It's a good option for west-end and Stittsville residents who don't want to drive downtown for a sit-down Indian meal.
6. Thali
Area: Centretown/downtown (O'Connor St)
Thali is built around the traditional thali format, a multi-dish tasting plate, alongside appetizers like crispy paneer and samosas and mains such as lamb biryani and a salmon thali. Open daily for lunch and dinner, it's positioned as an authentic Indian cuisine spot in the heart of downtown. It works well for diners who want to sample a range of dishes in one sitting rather than committing to a single entree.
7. Kalinga Indian Cuisine
Area: Downtown (Laurier Ave W)
Kalinga has built a reputation for rich, well-spiced butter chicken and generously portioned mutton biryani, with reviewers repeatedly citing warm, attentive hospitality as a standout. Diners describe it as one of the more polished Indian dining experiences downtown. It's a good fit for a proper sit-down dinner rather than a quick lunch.
8. Royal Indian Cuisine
Area: Alta Vista
Rating: 4.3 on Google
Royal Indian Cuisine makes its dishes fresh to order rather than from frozen, and runs one of the more popular Indian buffets in the city on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, with free parking and wheelchair accessibility. Reviewers highlight the palak chicken, garlic naan, and tandoori chicken, along with affordable pricing, though the weekend buffet service is sometimes described as slow. It suits budget-conscious diners in the Alta Vista area who want a casual buffet option.
9. Punjabi Chaap Corner
Area: South Ottawa (Bank St, Towngate Shopping Plaza)
Punjabi Chaap Corner specializes in chaap, a soy-based Punjabi street food dish, alongside other North Indian favourites, all cooked fresh in a clean space with Indian music playing in the background. Reviews praise the bold, well-marinated chaap flavours and quick, helpful service, though the dine-in setup with disposable cutlery is better suited to takeout. It's a strong pick for anyone specifically craving chaap rather than a full sit-down Indian dinner.
10. Everest Cuisine
Area: Carlington, west end (Carling Ave)
Everest Cuisine blends Nepalese, Indian, Indo-Chinese, and sushi menus rather than serving strictly Indian food, which makes it a bit of an outlier on this list. Customers highlight the variety of traditional Himalayan dishes, flavourful momos and chowmein, and welcoming service. It's worth including for diners who want Indian-adjacent, Himalayan-influenced flavours alongside more familiar curry dishes.
How We Built This List
This list is compiled from public web sources, restaurant websites, and customer reviews on platforms including Google, Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Restaurant Guru. It is not a paid placement and no business on this list is affiliated with ottown or its operator. Details were last reviewed in August 2026. Ratings, review counts, and other specifics are included only where they could be verified from a source read during research, so several entries omit fields like rating or founding year where that information wasn't confirmed.
Source: THE BEST 10 INDIAN RESTAURANTS IN OTTAWA, ON - Yelp and individual restaurant websites and review pages cited above.
