Top Indian restaurants in Waterloo, Canada

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Empress of India, and it was truly an exceptional experience from start to finish. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was inviting and chic, setting the perfect tone for a delightful evening.

The menu boasts an impressive array of dishes, each one crafted with precision and creativity. Our server was not only knowledgeable about the menu but also incredibly friendly and attentive, making excellent recommendations that suited our preferences. The attention to detail in both the presentation and flavors of each dish showcased the culinary expertise of the chefs.

The ambiance of the restaurant is both sophisticated and cozy, making it an ideal spot for any occasion, whether it's a romantic dinner or a celebration with friends and family. The staff's professionalism and warmth added a personal touch to our evening, making us feel well taken care of throughout our visit.

In conclusion, Empress of India exceeded my expectations in every aspect. It's a culinary gem that combines exceptional food, impeccable service, and a charming ambiance. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience. I can't wait to return and explore more of the menu!

Today,I went here with my family for dinner.We tried Hot and garlic cauliflower wings ,Paneer Tikka ,Garlic Naan, Tandoori roti,Mango shake ,Pista kulfi.Taste was up to the expectations.

I loved the mango shake so much that I could not stop myself ordering for the second time. We ended our dinner with delicious Kulfi and I would recommend Pista kulfi.

Overall nice staff and good service.Will visit again for sure.

One of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to by far! The tandoori chicken and samosas were my favourite. Chicken was not at all dry and a large portion. The sever was wonderful and attentive and the decor is beautiful. Will definitely be going back!

A Culinary delight at Empress of India

My recent visit to Empress of India was a delight from start to finish. I visited this restaurant 3 days ago. One of my friends suggested me this so I had to visit from Vaughan as I live in Vaughan. I ordered multiple dishes. The standout Manchurian set the tone with its perfect blend of spices. The mango shake and lassi were refreshing and impeccably presented—so good, I ordered the lassi three times! The cauliflower wings were an irresistible vegetarian revelation, and the butter paneer a true masterpiece in rich, satisfying curry. The menu's authenticity showcased the chef's expertise, making every dish a flavorful journey. The attentive service and cozy atmosphere enhanced the experience. Empress of India is now a favorite, offering Indo-Chinese delights, creamy lassis, and innovative vegetarian options. Can't wait to return for more culinary treasures!

Bad quality food. I suspect everything they have is stale. The food is not edible and no hygiene is maintained while preparing the food.The place should be inspected and shutdown by public health Waterloo. Owner should be put behind the bars for risking health of customers.

This place is amazing! Super lovely decor and the food is spectacular! The butter chicken and Naan was my ultimate favorite! Service was super fast and friendly! Definitely recommend trying this place!

I am a regular customer at Empress. When I saw their Instagram post announcing a change in management, I was curious to see if this had impacted the food's taste. To my delight, it was even better than before! I noticed the same servers, so I asked one of them about the change. They confirmed that everything, including the chefs, remained the same and only the management had undergone a revision.

I can see that everything has improved, and the new owner always attends to the customers' needs attentively. I appreciate this personalized touch and will certainly continue my visits!

I ordered shahi koftas and garlic naan, which never disappoint. Additionally, I am a fan of their Hakka noodles, and I make sure to order them extra spicy each time I visit. Their hot cauliflower wings were also delightful and are a must-try! I ended the meal with Rasmalai, and it was equally satisfying.

The overall ambience and vibes are pleasing, consistently delivering a full fine-dining experience.

I ordered two chicken biryani today for lunch. When I went home and opened the box, the food didn’t smell good and the meat was old and not fresh. The rice was very hard and dry. Terrible experience buying this food. They should provide good quality food for the price we pay. Never go here to buy food. It’s a waste of money. I regret buying food here and will never go back. Definitely not recommended.

This is hands down the best Indian restaurant in the Waterloo region. The food has such a depth of flavour. Great vegan options. The onion bhajias are an absolute MUST. My only wish (and this is not a complaint) is that they had vada.

As someone from India who's lived in various regions there, I can definitely say this restaurant captures authentic Indian flavors. I had their mixed platter for starters where the shrimp and lamb kebab stood out, order the cauliflower wings for Veg it super crispy and yumm. For the main course, we ordered the Bhuna lamb, and Chicken Korma and it was really tasty. What surprised me was the complimentary bread or rice served with, that's a rarity coz other GTA restaurants where it's usually an extra charge. I learned that new management took over recently, which might explain the noticeable improvement in food quality. In my opinion, the 3.9 stars rating on google defo undervalues its offerings.

Empress of India is a cozy spot that serves up delicious Indian dishes. I visited this place and found the owner has changed. The owner and staff is super friendly and makes you feel at home.

Top Picks:

1. Butter Chicken: Creamy and full of flavor, it’s a must-try.
2. Vegetable Biryani: A hearty mix of veggies and spices in fragrant rice – simply satisfying.
3. Garlic Naan: Soft, garlicky goodness that pairs perfectly with any main course.

Don’t miss the Mango Lassi – it’s a refreshing delight. The place has a nice vibe which makes the dining experience special. Great spot for those wanting a taste of authentic Indian flavors in a Kitchener Waterloo.

Food is amazing and clean atmosphere. Have been going to this place for more than 10 years and the taste or the quality never disappoints. Now I am not local anymore, but whenever there is a chance to visit anywhere near, I make sure I stop by. The Keema Naan is to the point, and honestly everything on the menu is recommendable. I personally like the chicken samba with keema Naan and yogurt sauce. Lamb biryani is also good and is my husband's pick.

This went from "a place for mango lassi" right to *my plaza favorite* after their renovations this August.

Got food there 5 times in the last month, their food over delivered 🥹

Imo, the #shahi poutine is the best in the world -- it's better than La Banquise (claims the 2nd). Excellent execution! What killer concepts to:
- replace dull gravy with flavorful curry
- pack in large chunks of paneer w/ the squeaky cheese 🤩

Today I got the keema aloo peas, tastes amazing & the portions are hefty for a girl. Got a buy one get one free deal, so I guess it's gonna last me 3-4 meals 😅

This place is the best! I used to hate curry but Kismet converted me. Everything is made to order so is always fresh. The staff is super friendly and treats us like family.

Amazing food and super friendly people!! Try the chilli chicken!!!!

I had a really good experience. First thing I liked is it was opened till 2AM, which is a rare thing in Kitchener Waterloo region. The samosas and tikki with chai werea delight in October weather. Even Kishan who served us was very welcoming and warm. I would like to visit you guys again to try more stuff.

Very delicious Chicken Biryani and amazing customer service by Faysal. 100% recommended.

They had flyers in the Waterloo Masjid I came to the plaza one day and could not find them. So I went to Kabob Hut Persian restaurant. Another time I came but forgot the flyer again for the 50% off butter chicken so I got the lamb biryani instead. Today being Friday just came from the Masjid and had the butter chicken with nun in mind forgot the flyer again I thought “ Said” the owner won’t make a big deal he was sitting in his luxury car when I questioned him about what the big deal is about a flyer that you printed ? Isn’t the point to attract customers ? He said no you have to have the flyer and the student try to lie to me about the deal being over when it said until Sept 30 2023. Nice to know you Kismet ✌🏾

We tried the tandoori chicken dinner meal with the pea pilao, as recommended by the staff. Really generous portions-- was enough for 2 people. They had a deal on mango Lassi, only $1 each! The meal was as good as I remembered it from years ago.

I wouldn't mind revisiting Twisted Indian Wraps, and here is why.

There is a pretty good amount of food options, but unlike many other restaurants, the non-vegetarian options cannot be made vegetarian. We ordered Masala Fries, Mini Salad Bowl, Naanwich, Naanza, Mango Lassi, and the Aloo Tikki Chaat recommended by the service. The Masala Fries were a bit of a disappointment because in other restaurants, Masala Fries are filled with many seasonings/spices, sauces, and toppings, but these Masala Fries were plain French Fries with a bit of seasoning on top and served with packet ketchup. The Mini Salad Bowl was pretty good, and I am glad we ordered the mini size because it is very filling since they added a lot of protein (my protein choice was Saag), but the server said she would add Jalapeños, and did not. The Naanza was tasty, but the very scrumptious Naanwich was the favorite. I can see why we were recommended the Aloo Tikki Chaat because it was also delicious. The Mango Lassi, which I forgot to photograph, was average because it had an artificial, distant mango flavor, and more cream/milk flavor.

The service is pretty friendly and quick. Since the restaurant is a bit similar to a salad bar type of place, we can go and see our food being prepared and customize it, so the food arrives quickly. The food prices and quantities are both good. The restaurant, cutlery, dishes, seats, tables, and restrooms are clean. I am very happy with the dietary restriction friendliness, as it includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free! It would be better if some dishes could have the meat removed, however.

Overall, this is a fairly nice restaurant with a good variety of food!

I ordered Paneer masala bowl today and this is how it looks like (see picture)
the dish received had a bad smell couldn't eat, no paneer and I have receipt which clearly says " Paneer Masala with brown rice, onions and Tomatoes" charged for $13.95

Wonderful staff, amazing food . Their Samosa chaat is my favourite dish. The quality and packing is great too.

Went there last Sunday for lunch. I didn’t know they serve buffet as well. The whole spread was nice and fresh. Tried almost everything and liked everything. Game changer was vermicelli kheer and mango kulfi. Chicken tikka masala was the best in main course. The whole staff and owner are very humble and polite. Overall highly recommended if you are looking for South-indian cuisine.

Numerous options for sandwiches, bowls, wraps, tacos, naanzaa (naan like pizza), etc. Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Service was excellent, and the food was just as good.

Absolutely love the warm, friendly service and the food is always ready in an instant. The atmosphere is energetic with great music. The food is always fresh & tasty. Never been disappointed once, and I have been getting lunch there, once a week for a year! Love it.

I recently visited Kismat restaurant located in the University Plaza and I must say, it was an amazing experience. The restaurant offers authentic Bangladeshi cuisine and all their meats are halal, which is a big plus for me. I love the taste of halal meats more.

Before covid I used to to eat there monthly , I have enjoyed their lamb curries and lamb biryani. The meats were tender, juicy and flavorful, and the spices were just right. They also made fresh naan, which was soft and fluffy, and some delicious beverages like mango juice, which tasted homemade.

Although Kismat restaurant is on the slightly expensive side, I believe the taste and quality of food is worth the price. And recently, they added a loyalty plan that makes it even better. If you commit to pay $40 monthly, you get a 10% discount and a free beverage (the mango juice is definitely worth it!). This makes it easier for customers to enjoy the same quality food without having to worry about the cost.

Overall, I highly recommend Kismat restaurant to anyone who is looking for authentic Bangladeshi cuisine with halal meats. The food is delicious, the service is great, and the loyalty plan is a nice added bonus. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed!

I'm not from around here but needed food and wanted samosas. Holy moly am I ever glad i stopped here. The workers in there were some of the nicest people I have ever met and the samosas were the best i have ever had. Ordered both Veggie and Meat samosas. The size of these things is crazy and the flavor is out of this world. I highly recommend coming here!!

Amazing food!
Amazing Ambiance!
They also have several takeout options and Canada's heartiest soup! 💜
Tries and loved the buffet!
Totally recommend if you love South Indian food!

I tried dosa and the whole buffet there. To be honest, it was one of the best i had in canada. They give you the option to customize dosas their chuttney are literally scrumptious. The owner was very nice and well-behaved. The uthappam was sooooooo good i loved it..... overall, the food was awesome

The best place to have indian food in waterloo❤️🤩🤩. They serve the authentic south indian food. The idlis and vadas are the best. They serve buffet now and also they give so many customization options when it comes to dosa and uthappam. Do try their chutneys. And don't forget to have their badam latte. It's top notch. If you ever get a chance to visit waterloo . Give this place a try i am sure you definitely love it .

Oh my, where to start? If I could give 10 stars I would. We have driven past this place many times and always made a mental note to try it (and always forgot soon after🤦‍♀️). Last night we finally got out there, and wondered why we waited so long. Very clean, open, brightly lit, and fresh feeling atmosphere. Apparently they used to be located on a different street, but I'm glad they moved because otherwise we might not have found them. We were greeted with friendly faces and allowed to choose where we sat. We ordered mini samosas and onion bhaji to start. Chilli chicken, and chicken Tikka masala (commonly known as butter chicken) for the main course. I ended the meal with a delicious cup of Masala Chai. We have eaten at MANY Indian restaurants across Ontario, and not a single one will compare with this restaurant. We were truly rendered speechless when asked how our meal was. I know this sounds cheesy, but it's true. Simple words just could not describe how good it was. The Tikka masala was rich and creamy and melted in my mouth (I think I melted a little too at that first bite🤣). My husband says the Chilli chicken was amazing, though the sauce very spicy (he was WELL warned when ordering!). The mini samosas were adorable, but still full of flavour, and the onion bhajis were crispy and cooked to perfection. We were also given a small caddy of 4 homemade sauces/chutneys for the starters. A corner portion of the restaurant is dedicated to their homemade soups, stews, sauces, chutneys, juices, desserts, and more, that are for sale to take home. We happily chose a few of our favourites from the evening, and will definitely be back for more. If you couldn't tell from my very happy, very long review, this restaurant is a MUST visit. We will definitely be more-frequent customers now. ❤️🙌🏼 Thank you Classic Indian!

Yesterday I visited Tandoori Express Waterloo. I purchased $40 food, including chicken biryani, naan,combo meal, and samosas.I support local restaurants, but I had a very terrible experience with food . The quality of food is worse , it's rotten and notorious. The barbq chicken smells bad and older than 30 days,Naan dough is bad and old , and bread is chewy, Biryani rice is uneatable, and the quality of biryani chicken is extremly poor and uneatable.All food I bought is hazardous to health and my kids felt sick after tasting.I garbage all the food .I called them and complained yesterday when i opened the food bit no manager contacted. Tandoori express quality has been going down for more than a year . we stopped buying from them but yesterday was my big mistake and regret that i bought a food from them. They are taking money and providing unhealthy and sick food. There must be a food inspector to come and check the premises, and i will inform The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) .
I don't recommend anyone to buy any eatable things..and want my money back!!

This restaurant is one of the best to have indian-style wraps and sabzi. We love their superbowl which is a mix of rice, salad and proteins (both veg/non-veg) so we’re getting a complete set of nutrition at an affordable cost.

Their chat items especially the samosa channa chaat and aloo-tikki chaat are so delicious and wraps/burgers are so filling. The quantity of every food is enough to share with friends and family and the quality of ingredients used are also fresh. The staffs are kind and helpful especially Rajal was so friendly and patient while serving the bowls and chaat items.

They introduced naanwich- a sandwich-styled stuffed naan which looks yummy although we didn’t try it yet. It’s our go to place to have a healthy meal but also satisfying our taste buds at the same time.

It's a nice fusion food place with some pretty unique concepts. There's a lot of variety to try and the food was pretty good, although a little bland to my tastes. That's usually how fusion food tends to be though. The shake was pretty good, although I felt it was overpriced. Surprisingly, the masala fries were the best item we got.

I love this place very much, good seating arrangement, well organized. I ordered samosa chaat, tacos 🌮, masala fries and cardamom tea . Best thing , they made everything in front of you with your choice of veggies with chicken or any any other kind meat. You can also control the spice level by telling them. Samosa chaat quantity and quality was excellent. It was so yummy . Tacos and fries were also good. I love the tea, although I only liked hand made tea but their tea wasn’t bad at all. It was so flavourful, I enjoyed it. I love the cheese cake with Indian sweet.

We ordered a few dosas and a spiced mango juice. All of them were authentic, delicious and the ambience was very good! They also have a lot of curries that you can take home and make yourself to save time. The items were a bit pricey for our budget but we had a great experience! Will come again!

Rice and butter chicken. There was a lot of butter but barely any chicken
Taste was good though. They should also have a smaller container for rice as it is just too much rice. I also had a samosa which I found good but there is a strong taste of frying oil, almost like same oil has been used too many times and it kills the flavours.

I ordered 4 large dishes, 2 out of which barely had any chicken (in Achari Chicken) and paneer (in Shahi Paneer).

We called right after opening food and they didn’t pick the call, probably they were closed.
We took out time to go the next day and the manager said it was hard for him to believe the fact.

They have zero consideration and the food didn’t taste quite well either.

RUDE BEHAVIOUR BY MANAGER.

I've been going to this location for over a year now and it's been great! Definitely visit at least once a week. Usually get the combo plate so you get to try a bit of everything. The garlic naan is the best I've had in town, baked when you order, and you get a huge portion. They have a great variety for spice levels, and the staff there a awesome. I would eat here everyday, if I could!

This is a great place to stop in for a good quality Indian meal. It is home to the best onion bhaji in all of the Grand River district and the sambar and chutneys are so good that they are available in bottles for taking home and the dosas are stellar!
We have no problem finding vegan and gluten free options here, and the staff are consistently hospitable and friendly.
Google the address, make a plan to get to this reasonably priced, casual dining establishment and go hungry because the aromas and the quality of the food will definitely result in your enjoyment of lots of yummy things. We don't get to this restaurant as often as we'd like, but if we lived in Waterloo, we'd definitely be there a lot more.
And they have a lunch buffet!!!!! Get to this place!!!!