Darbar in Montreal

Darbar exceeded all our expectations! We ordered the Murgh Malai, Tandoori Fish, and Chole Bhature, and each dish was a masterpiece. The Murgh Malai was incredibly tender and flavorful, the Tandoori Fish had the perfect smoky char, and the Chole Bhature was a delightful explosion of spice and texture. We paired our meal with two cocktails: a Whiskey Sour with an Indian twist and the Lahore Express, a litchi-infused drink. Both were unique and expertly crafted, complementing the meal perfectly. What truly elevated the experience was the exceptional service. The head chef was warm and engaging, taking the time to discuss our preferred spice levels and even offering to prepare dishes off the menu to suit our preferences. Its rare to find such genuine hospitality, and it left us feeling truly cared for. We cant wait to return!

We had such an amazing experience at Darbar. We went for my boyfriends birthday and Im so happy we did! Not only did we have what is in my humble opinion the best authentic Indian food of my life, but our server was so warm and kind, and the chef came to our table to check how the food was himself and check if the spice level was to our liking and adjusted accordingly for the coming plates. We saw him do this to every table, so it wasnt just birthday treatment haha. Looking forward to going again!! 10/10 recommend :)

i love this place, the food is amazing

Delicious food, great service, highly recommend.

Good dishes, but really expensive for the quantity - without the little wow factor. Nothing disastrous, but still.

Great experience ,Great food , and you feel how much they care about you enjoying what you order. The Chef comes to ask your preferences on spice level . And boom amazing food lands on your table divine taste and evry dish has its distinct taste Just wow Sadly no photos we were starving

Great service, the waiters are super nice! Beautiful interior and nice ambiance.

Very good, the taste of the dishes and dosage of spices. Small, friendly and simplistic family restaurant. The chef comes to see you to confirm if everything is good. Wow! Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetarian dishes.

All dishes are delicious! The rice a little disappointing (dry and overcooked) the naan bread is exceptional! Toilet to improve!! (Cleanliness, no hand paper, noisy fan, disintegrated heater!) too bad, that doesnt make a good impression!!! But I would come back!!

My wife and I were there twice this fall. The food, drinks, and hospitality were amazing. Staff took care to answer our questions about the menu and other dishes we saw at tables nearby. Owner Simar remembered us on our second visit and was gracious and welcoming. We cant wait to get back to Montreal to visit Darbar again soon...hopefully this winter!

Vegetarian options: M Food

Best Indian restaurant I have eaten at. In fact, it s the best Indian food I ve tasted in my life! Everything was incredibly tasty. The presentation was superb and we had very good service. A special mention to the samosay pakoray starter! A great discovery!

I visited Darbar on a Saturday evening with my family and discovered a hidden gem in Montreal serving the best Indian food. Everyone at Darbar was so warm and welcoming, which is rare these days. Will keep visiting

Tried their new takeout concept, delicious!

Great chef, passionate about his work! Excellent quality cuisine and authentic service. A sweet and delicious discovery!

It was really a wonderful first experience for us. The dishes were really tasty and we didnt loose any savor in the spices because they were really well used. We were able to taste everything in each dish so thank you. The waitress gave an excellent service able to listen to let us have a wonderful experience. The Thali and the desserts absolutely recommended. Thank you Coming back soon

i grew up on punjabi food. this was some of the best food ive had. (the mango lassi with a hint of cardamom was divine) + amazing service, staff & vibe! +++ locally grown food! they change the menu along with whats in season :,) a lil $pensy but we asked them to feed us on a budget & they diddd~~~

Excellent dishes and great service. The owners are really welcoming. We had a great evening!

We discovered this little restaurant and we were charmed by its food, its owners and its atmosphere. We highly recommend it. In addition, we help with the Frenchization of newcomers. The server was also very attentive and made excellent recommendations.

Amazing atmosphere, amazing food, kind staff. I can absolutely suggest it!!!! J peux absolument le recommander !!!! Food

What an extraordinary gastronomic experience! We asked the chef to make us fall in love with his cuisine blindly and we were won over from the starters. The flavors were exquisite and the ambiance was magnificent. An experience to live.

Intimate atmosphere, delicious food, lovely waiters. Food is all cooked from scratch for each meal, so be prepared to wait, but it is well worth the wait! Also, they were very nice to convert the vegetarian thali into a vegan thali. Thank you! Vegetarian options: They accommodated me as a vegan.

Superb evening with friends. Thank you very much to the chef!

Adorable little simple restaurant, run for years by the same family. Ive been there a few times, and its always enchanting. It is now the son of the founder who is in the kitchen, and he remains faithful to the family principles: good, authentic, generous and tasty cuisine, a warm welcome and a friendly atmosphere. What s more, the staff makes a point of serving us in French. There is even a note on the side of the menu asking us to continue speaking French to employees who do not yet master the language very well, so that they can improve. In Montreal, this is rare. I will definitely go back! A word of advice: Book! The restaurant is very small and fills up quickly.

Subtlety!

What a feast! For my daughters birthday, we took a lovely trip to India. Its a small, traditional restaurant, we loved all the dishes.

Best Indian food we tried in Montreal, we were there with friends last weekend and tried Indian food at two places, Darbar and Le Taj (one which is rated as #1 restaurant in Montreal). Darbar food and the service hands down beat Le Taj. The warmth and love with which chef welcomes you and takes care of you, it feels almost like you are eating at your family home. Space is limited so please do reservation. We will definitely be back for food at Darbar, wont mind driving from upstate NY all the way to Montreal just of the dinner - with regards to Le Taj, not so much.

My group and I had another incredible dining experience at Darbar. I am a regular at this restaurant, the chef/owner came out to personally greet us and welcome us to the restaurant and go through the menu with us. The service and atmosphere were excellent as well, and my group couldn t stop raving about the food. All items we ordered were on point and came out piping hot, the team also took all of our dietary restrictions into consideration and adapted the menu accordingly. Make sure to make a reservation as this restaurant can get quite busy!!

The best Indian food I ve ever had in Montreal

Came here on a whim and couldn t be happier with how it went! Great atmosphere, great food, lovely service. Would definitely come back!

Very nice and attentive service. Food came quickly, was hot and extremely tasty. The secret tip! Full marks!

Having been going there for over a decade now, the food is always utterly phenomenal. The Murgh Jalfrezi and Saag Gosht are go-to meals, but you can count on anything you order being delicious! Great value, and a truly lovely scene! Always gets a recommendation from me!

Best shahi paneer I ve eaten in my life. The chef came out and personally talked to us about how he makes the food from scratch with fresh ingredients and spices. If anyone is visiting Montreal and looking for a 5 star Indian cuisine please be sure to visit here, you won t be disappointed.

Food was amazing with fresh locally sourced ingredients. Traditional hearty dishes with a modern twist and a wonderful backstory to the restaurant. Owner/chef helped us choose our dishes and told us a bit about the restaurant. He s a lawyer by day and chef by night and you can really taste the passion in his dishes.

SO delicious and amazing, attentive staff! will definitely be coming back!

yummy :-)

One of the best Indian restaurants around (probably the best in Montreal). My family and I ate here last night and everything we ordered was delicious, authentic, and spiced exactly according to your taste. Love the ambiance and decorations (like a place court, as reflected by the name Darbar). Great cocktails and the best mango lassi I can remember having, ever! We started with the Samosa Pakoray then went with the saag Gosht, shahi paneer, Bhindi Bhaji, Chole Buturay, butter naan and onion kulcha, and veg biryani. Everything was great! The chef personally came out to the table to welcome us and manage our experience throughout the night. As a family owned restaurant, they really seemed committed to having each guest have a wonderful experience from start to finish. And the best part on top of the great food was how affordable it was for a family of 4! With inflation and prices going crazy everywhere, this place is a rare exception where you get high quality, authentic, high class food at a reasonable price. Great food, ambiance, price and most importantly, great people. As I m from New York and have experienced an eclectic and wide variety of Indian food, this place ranks as one of the best without a doubt!

I am visiting Montréal for work and was looking for a good Punjabi/Indian food! Ate vegetarian thali at Darbar today! A sumptuous meal with a portion each of dal makhani, saag paneer and baigan bharta (went with the server s recommendations), along with butter naan and basmati rice and a couple of veg pakoras! Was my only meal for the day, so ordered a lachha parantha as well. Everything was absolutely delicious! Authentic North Indian flavors! Simar who runs the restaurant (and is the chef) was very gracious, welcoming and super friendly! He runs this business as a passion which was clearly evident in the food flavors! Maza aa gaya yaara! Will definitely come back next time I am around! Vegetarian options: Saag Paneer, Lachha Parantha

The food, service and atmosphere are good. However, the price vs. quality/quantity ratio of what you have can be expensive.

Excellent as always. Came here multiple times and never disappointed

It was beyond delicious! The staff is attentive, the typical dishes are delectable, not too spicy and the atmosphere is cozy. There are a few tables where one can sit on the floor. The only negative is that I had reservations, but they did not reserve a table for us. We had a starter of bahji onion samosa and a tikka massala with alo Gobi with nan and rice. For two, we took a bag to carry the excess.

Extremely warm staff running this charming restaurant. Chef came out to introduce himself and to wish us farewell. Many options including vegan/vegetarian. We tried a variety of dishes and all were delicious .

Amazing food especially loved the Aloo Tikki & Baingan Bhartha.. Last but not the least hospitality by Simar was next level. He made us feel so comfortable and was so service driven ensuring to give us the time we needed to understand and decide what it is we wanted. Kudos to the entire team at Darbar 100%

The owner is so personable and makes a point to make your experience memorable! Love love love

We enjoyed an excellent experience at Resto Darbar. The food, service and hospitality were exceptional. We interacted with 3 different staff members and they were all friendly and helpful.

Got really sick from the burned garlic on the naan bread. Unfortunately ruined the rest of the night

We visited recently, love their cha ( tea ) and pakoda.

It s was not bad but certainly not good! There are other Indian restaurants with a higher quality of dishes, we were quite disappointed when we went there! On top of this, it s quite expensive so I would not recommend going there

Had an absolutely wonderful evening there recently. Lovely kind staff that are able very knowledgeable about the menu and can provide tailored recommendations. The food was absolutely divine - we had the murgh malai, shrimp rogan josh and malai kofta. Not a single miss. The balance of spice, heat and the exquisite presentation of the dishes served - we were thoroughly impressed. This place definitely deserves more praise!

Great food and awesome service, especially from the head chef. No English menu but staff was helpful with translating. Food made from scratch was worth the wait.

Tasty and we are served in French. I will return there very often.

Roti is top expensive at $6 a roti

Food was amazing

Food was delicious and service incredible as always :)

love this place, highly recommend!

Love the place! Highly recommend it. After a long day of roaming around, this place felt like home cooked meal! Bangan Bharat and dal tadka were genuinely great!

The owner is a delight, literally made a plate of food for my dog. Humble, honest, and flavorful. You must go

Simmer and his employees were so accommodating and welcoming. Some of the kindest people we met on our anniversary in Montreal. The soup and the Tahli were a great value and tasted delicious.

Highly recommend! We stopped in on a Saturday night without a reservation and they were super accommodating even though it was busy. Maybe call ahead to give them a heads up if its a weekend night, this place is in high demand! The food was insanely good-- very dynamic flavors, each dish distinct from another. It all felt healthy, fresh, and tasty. The service was lovely and the chef-owner greeted us and gave some background about the restaurants roots. We came to visit Montreal and it was important to us to support locally owned businesses and Darbar is just that. This is a family restaurant, well worth the visit and the wait if its busy. Definitely try Darbar. Vegetarian options: Yes, many great veggie dishes and options! Kid-friendliness: Our kids loved hearing the story about the familys house turned restaurant. Food can be made to your spice preference, our kids love spice.

Excellent neighborhood restaurant. The flavors are rich and delicate, and the portions are generous. The atmosphere is cozy and calm, perfect for having a conversation. Very reliable quality!

Served beautifully and super delicious. Every dish we tried was perfect. Thank you!

If you re looking for authentic North Indian food, this is it.

Very welcoming. Beautiful atmosphere and good meal with friends. Vegetarian options: I ate a thali which offered a nice variety of dishes in addition to rice and nan bread

Darbar is a culinary journey to India, rich in flavors and thrills! First date with my boyfriend, me in I manage the spices, no problemo mode. So there, from the first bite, BAM! The volcano erupting! I felt like I had licked the sun. The gout on my forehead, the fire alarm ready to go off because of the steam escaping from my ears. And meanwhile, my boyfriend? Nirvana! He was communing with Shiva and the spices, like he knew them all personally. He looked at me like I was a child tasting mustard for the first time. Me, I was fighting for my survival with a big frozen smile, I almost cried into my naan. Second time, we decide to do things Indian style, sitting on the floor. Except there, surprise! Him, in contortionist mode, legs behind his head, like Look, Im a croissant. I, on the other hand, was folded up like a camping chair. In reality, a power pole has more flexibility than me. Legs were numb in less than ten minutes, and every bite became a test of balance. My boyfriend laughed at my desperate attempts to stay seated without falling forward. It took me three days to get over it. But hey, you have to admit, their butter chicken is the bomb, it was well worth a physiotherapy session afterwards. And the lamb curry... my god! You feel like your palate is dancing Bharatanatyam. But the highlight of the show is the variety! Every dish is a surprise. You wonder if this time youll turn into a dragon or just melt with pleasure. And the staff? Adorable, they look at you with that knowing smile like Yes, you underestimated our spices, young padawan. Frankly, its heaven for the taste buds and hell for lovers of yoga positions. And Im going to say it straight: its perfect, no complaints! The service, the atmosphere, the food... 5 stars everywhere, eyes closed! Just a piece of friendly advice: if youre as flexible as a cinder block and your spice tolerance threshold stops at paprika, plan a table, plenty of water, and maybe a medal of bravery at the exit !

Best food I ve had in a long time. Excellent service. Thank you

Chef adapts to intolerances and allergies. So tasty food . More than impeccable service. Small handfuls of Indian spice upon receipt of the bill, just perfect! Affordable prices.

My first night in Montreal I ended up here. So did I my second night and my ninth. This place is excellent. Every dish I have ordered has been remarkably flavorful. I dined in. Give it a shot. Vegetarian options: Many. Kid-friendliness: A kind place.

This restaurant was by far, our favorite on our visit to Montreal. Amazing Indian food and great recommendations from our server. All of the servers could not have been kinder. The food was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Wow wow wow! Writing this just after eating it all, absolutely fantastic. Came with family on vacation, treated very well by the staff and was guided through the menu by our waitress and the head chef. They helped curate a meal to our tastes. Best food and service I have received on this trip and top tier dining experience.

By far my favorite Indian food, of all the places I ve tried in every city I ve lived in. I often make the trip from Vermont to Montreal specifically to eat dinner here, walk around St Laurent, and head back to the US. You can feel the love in every dish that hits the table, and when you hear this place s back story and learn more about the amazing family that runs it, you can t help but love the food all the more. Couldn t recommend more :)

We were delighted with the quality of the food. Everything from the daal soup to the chicken masala, customized aloo saag for me and my wife s lamb curry was delicious!! The mango lassi was amazing. We also had a tea that was out of this world. It was not on the menu, but recommended by our host, it is did not disappoint! We highly recommend Darbar and we will return!

Wij kwamen via een Google Review hier terecht en geen moment spijt van gehad, wat een fijn restaurant. We wilde graag op het terras zitten en werden door de chef-kok (tevens eigenaar) direct goed geholpen. Het eten was smaakvol en gevarieerd. Helaas was de lam op maar kregen meteen een advies voor een ander gerecht. Zou er graag naar terug gaan!

All the dishes were delicious WoW and the service excellent. We will return there for sure

Best indian food i ve had!!

Food was incredible and service was amazing.

I will remember this restaurant for the rest of my life. Amazing food and even better staff.

The head chef is incredibly inviting and helpful. The food was delicious, and I was particularly impressed with the vegetarian entrees recommended by the chef.

This was our first time eating at Darbar. The place was good and we ordered veg thali. Its good,but couldve been better for the price we paid. Vegetarian options: Many

Great little Indian restaurant. They seated us even though it was near closing time. Delicious food. They adjusted the spiciness to our requests. Delicious and innovative cocktails. I want to go back.

The food is spectacular, but the best part is the care and attention lavished by the staff. It is clear that they really care about the customer, and how good their food is. They really shouldnt worry. Its delicious! Vegetarian options: There are lots of fantastic vegetarian options!

Hi - I came from Toronto to Montreal with my parents who had come from India. Wanted to treat them to the best Indian place in Montreal and hence chose Darbar. I had done some reading on Darbar in my quest to find a nice place for Indian dining and was pretty impressed by what I read on the exec chef / owner s hospitality and his background story about parents. The food was good; loved the shahi paneer and butter naan(softest i have had ever); and of course the rasmalai. The garlic naan was a miss. The food is cooked fresh after ordering and takes time which is told at the time of ordering itself. We had also ordered aloo go hi , dal fry and sweet lassi which were good. Because I had told everyone in my family about the stories and posts I have read about the owner and seeing that they went and interacted with every table except ours was pretty awkward and embarrassing. My husband was just asked from afar how the food was but for each table while we were seated ; the owner went and chatted up, explained the dishes and made the guests feel comfortable. Even though the food was good; this experience left a sour taste.

Did not try food but owner seemed nice and honest. Food was super pricyyyyy. Small and cozy restaurant with new reno. Parking is very very tight on street be mindful and plan ahead of time to go there. May not get parking for 20-30 mins

Despite a small error in understanding the transaction, we really appreciated the warm welcome and dishes at the Darbar restaurant. The little note about the importance of learning French at the start of the menu is very well thought out.

Great food and nice service :) fantastic evening!

Warm and friendly service! Extremely attentive and kind. Wonderful choices with healthy vegan, meat or seafood options and each dish has a unique flavour. Authentic cuisine. Fun wine choices and enjoyed the terrace. Can t wait for our next visit! Vegetarian options: Eggplant, lentil and many other vegetable options Kid-friendliness: Saw a family comfortably seated with young children

I love this place and eat here whenever Im in Montreal. The spices, smells, textures and everything about it. Most places I have a particular dish I always order because I know it will be good. Here I want to try the whole menu. If you cant decide, get the thali plate, nice assortment that changes daily.

Once again, I am eating in my Punjabi home from home in Montreal. There is no comparison. This is THE most genuine, wonderful restaurant that I visit in my jog around the globe. Thank you to you all, Simar and family

Cuisine full of flavors, excellent service and recommendations from the chef, warm and intimate atmosphere. A great place.

The food is really excellent and its worth going there! On the other hand, you shouldnt be in a hurry because the service is rather slow as others have mentioned. We waited about an hour and a half before receiving our plates. This is really the only big downside because the employees are still very friendly!

Really good service, food tastes really good, and it has a really good atmosphere.

Our favourite resto in MTL. Always eat here when in town. Intimate atmosphere, food is always excellent and prices are v. Reasonable for the quality of food. Simar, we love your place.

Quality food! Friendly family service!! And then we are served in French!! In Montreal, speaking French is not a given! I recommend without hesitation!!! Very nice experience! Yum yum!!@

I had the pleasure of dining at Darbar this past weekend with a group of 9 to celebrate my sister. The experience there was absolutely amazing and I cannot say enough about how enjoyable our time was! The service was fantastic and everyone truly made us feel welcome and well cared for. The family aspect of the establishment was clear and helped the whole experience feel even more delightful. The head chef, who owns the establishment, was involved every step of the way and made several recommendations, while coming out to explain the dishes when they were served. Every single thing we ordered was fantastic. The experience felt so personalized and intimate and we will be talking about this meal for some time to come. Thank you so much to the team and family that makes up Darbar for such a truly wonderful experience! Vegetarian options: There were a ton of fantastic vegetarian options. Dietary restrictions: Everyone there prioritized dietary restrictions and allowing for those with restrictions to fully enjoy the meal.

Underwhelming, tried the Tika, Jalfrezzi and Lamb Nihari. The Lamb Nihari had only 5 little cubs of meat and all the curries were on the sweet side. The interior is dated and in need of renovation. Overall not the best experience, especially for the price.

3hours for food, Yes, that right, we were there for 3 hours. 8ish-9:30 waiting in the line, because we didn t reserve the table, but even if we had, I am sure it wont have made that big of difference. Anyways, now we are on the table and waiting for the order, we gave order after 15 minutes of getting the table, got our drinks in another 20 minutes, and then we get the food in exactly in another 30 minutes. We were with kids, and it s not worth the wait at all. Family behind us, we talked and they had the same reaction, the long wait. Now comes the food, i am comparing it with what we get in Ottawa, not even close in terms of taste, Paneer softness or, quality of rice, naan. Local Canadian may like the food as the review says, because they don t expect it to be authentic.

To much waiting time and bad quality food .

worst service and food quality is very low

Food quality is very poor . I wait for 1 hour for my order even no one is at restraunt avoid to visit.

Good, but nothing more. Too expensive. My dish ($26) and that of my husband were not served with naan or rice, which is not appreciated because it adds to the bill. They no longer had what I ordered and instead of telling me, they just changed the meat (I didnt want the same meat as my husband, so that we could share) But given the time that was moving forward, I took what they gave me and charged me the same price even though mine was more expensive originally. Good, warm, But too expensive for what I ate. Started very good though (I would have had more sauce!)

Excellent food and amazing service. My son, who is my best food critic, said that this is the best Indian food he ever had.

I like the chicken tikka and beef

Chef Samir , is excellent , we had the best Indian cuisine at Darbar , Montreal in Canada , the flavours were perfect , gave home food touch and great service , best wishes and highly recommend; when at Montreal

i absolutely love it here, the atmosphere and service is out of this world, you literally feel so loved and cared for here haha and the food is amazing! I m so glad I found this place

The madras curry was phenomenal, unlike any curry Ive had. The cocktails were also exceptional and very well presented. The service was also very friendly and warm, and the chef told us about the ingredients in our dishes. Would recommend!

As per the prices charged here, food is not that great! I ordered Non-veg thali and Tandoori Prawns. Thali was sufficient for one person meal it includes 2 sabji, dal makhani rice, roti, papad, and 1 piece of tandoori chicken. Tandoori Prawns was ok it was smelly and too lemony. But they have good options for Cocktails.

A friend and I were travelling from London to Montreal and also had two further planned stops in New York and Toronto. Being Indian, we were craving authentic and homemade Indian food! We knew it was a risk just choosing a restaurant on a whim, but that risk certainly paid off! Simran, the chef, was very welcoming from the start. We were even more impressed to learn that all the food was cooked fresh and we were provided with a reasonable expectation of how long the food would take to be cooked. Simran - bring Darbar to London! We would love a restaurant like yours here!!! Vegetarian options: Plenty of veg options Dietary restrictions: Accommodated dairy free requirements

What a treat! The food was mouth watering incredible! The chef and owner was so hospitable and welcoming. He not only was in the back, but was also managing the front and serving. Treated us to a new dish hes curating on the house. Presentation, taste and texture of all of the dishes were on point. A hidden gem in Montreal. Definitely coming back. We ordered: tikki chaat (not currently on the menu), chicken saag gosht, lamb nihari, the most incredible malai kofta (nothing like Ive ever tasted before), and bhindi. For dessert we had mango cotton candy kulfi with bits of spicy red chili chocolate ganache, and bourbon flamed gulab jamun.

I enjoyed my food & drink at Darbar. I really enjoyed the fact that the head chef is out and about. The head chef was actually the person who took our orders & gave his personal recommendations. I didnt like that when the chef was taking our order, he was very excited to tell us the types of naan (and make recommendations) but he doesnt mention that the naan costs $6(or $8) extra. So when I got hit with an $8 naan charge, I felt blindsided and a bit taken advantage of. I wouldve gotten the rice with my butter chicken instead. I also didnt love the time it took to be served, but I think thats more a personal thing. Im sure some people love the time between dishes to give time to schmooze, but I was antsy by the time the main course came. It took over an hour after the appetizers to get the mains. Overall, I dont have any complaints about the food itself, I just feel like it was expensive for what it was. I think it I had known about the naan I wouldve done things differently and been a happier customer. Or at least I wouldve anticipated the charge. I complained and they took off $2, but I shouldve been more assertive about it. I didnt leave feeling good about it. I guess my feedback if the staff read this: when presenting the types of naan, mention the added costs. Specially if you get the impression someone is new.

We had 3 takeaway meals and it wasnt great. It was too spicy and the naan was really not good. We were disappointed.

Amazing experience! The chef is amazing.

Vegetarian options: beaucoupdegout Food

Very nice location and an incredible service. The owner was taking our orders and was super friendly explained the history of its establishment and overall the best Indian food in Montreal. Definitely worth a second visit.

Excellent food and service!!!!!!!

Not worth it. If you want to eat Indian food don t go here either you can go to park area in Montreal to eat batter food at reasonable prices. Service

Amazing little restaurant. Food is fantastic, and being that Indian food is generally spicy, the waitstaff asks for your tolerance level to make your experience even more enjoyable. My wife and I will definitely be back!

A mixed experience overall. Went with an Indian friend who was craving North Indian food which was meant to be this restaurants speciality. We ordered the garlic naan, butter chicken, lamb nihari and saag paneer with rice. The sauces for the curries were all very good and left a really strong first impression. Unfortunately both the meat and paneer were incredibly tough and overcooked. The lamb was mostly bones and fat, the chicken was cut too thin and was chewy, while the paneer was almost like overdone tofu. Its a shame because the flavours were all there but costs were cut with the main ingredients and, at $24 for an entree, the portion sizes didnt make up for it either. Overpriced as well to make matters worse. The mains should have been no more than $18 like most of the other Indian restaurants in Montreal. While not pictured, I also have to call out their naan as the worst Ive ever had at any Indian restaurant. It was thin, burnt and had the texture of overcooked pizza dough rather than naan. Finally, as a positive note, the service was incredibly warm and friendly when we both arrived and left. However, all the other reviews are correct that youll never get a refill of water or any attendance during your meal unless you go out of your way to flag someone down. Warm atmosphere and I hope theyre able to improve as the basics are there.

Please don t go guys because anyone can go for the food not the any employes attitude.prices are tooo high according to a food .

Some of the best food in Montréal. Excellent and friendly service, too! Thank you!

SOOO good. Thank you for feeding us with your delicious food!!!

Amazing food, amazing restaurant! Highly recommend for high quality Indian food, and genuine interaction. The ambiance is also lovely. Incroyable!

Fantastic curry, loved the madras. Great service and the cocktails were delicious as well. Hope to be back soon.

I told the head chef that this was the best meal Ive had in a while, but the more I think about it it may be the best meal Ive had....... ever. The service was exceptional, the staff was so caring and welcoming, the environment was so comfortable, and the FOOD. Perfectly balanced, beautifully tender, well portioned and priced. I am struggling to put this into words. It makes sense that the staff are so wonderful and passionate considering what a high degree of excellence they have achieved. I recommend this place to anyone who likes enjoying things.

Felt like home eating here. The food, service, warmth of the place is unmatched. Keep up the good work!

Excellent !

Every time we go, the service is great and everything is delicious, it s our favourite restaurant in town

We had dinner at this fine restaurant which offers excellent cuisine. The dishes are tasty. We shared a starter consisting of chicken skewers. I loved the Jogan Josh fish. The desserts are to die for.

It s my birthday today and the food firstly it s too late and its worst too have been experienced in Montreal. The service was also not that much good. The naan breads are too hard it s difficult while chewing so the overall experience was too bad . I ll highly recommend don t choose Darbar restaurant for your special day . It s worst. The prices are very high and quality of food is disaster. I felt disappointed after that because I spent money but it s not worth it here.

We used to love Darbar but the quality went really downhill. Last time the Biryani wasnt even basmati rice and the naan was burnt. Service is cold and slow.

The food at this restaurant deserves a solid 5/5 rating. It offers a unique twist on traditional Indian cuisine with a delightful Western influence, resulting in extraordinary flavors. The food actually got tastier since the last time i visited. Ive been a patron here since the days when Uncle Sadar Ji managed the place, and his hospitality was unparalleled. Although I didnt encounter the same level of warmth during my recent visit, the restaurants quality remains exceptional. Ill definitely return and am eager to see them expand to new locations.

Typical and delicious dish Warm welcome as always

Small but cute place. There are parts of the restaurant where you can sit on the floor. I am weak to spicy and asked for non-spicy food, but it was slightly spicy. However, the flavor of the food is great. The rice is exquisite!!

Food at Darbar is super delicious. If you are looking for a home cooked meal taste in a restaurant this is the place to go. Although service is a bit slow it is compensated very well with the authentic tasty Indian food. Kudos to the chef who gives personal attention to every customer. We stuck to the original Veg Thali. And it lived up to its originality.

So good, impeccable service, we will come back! Excellent thali

Wonderful evening with delicious food! Chef introduced himself and warmly welcomed us! Will return every time we visit Montreal! Food : 5/5

Tastiest restaurant in Montreal, absolutely delicious food, we had a great time. Simar (exec chef) and his mother are very welcoming. Highly recommend even if youre new to indian food in general.

A wonderful evening. The shai tukar was spectacular, Ive never had anything like it.

An absolutely incredible experience. Food was superb and prepared to perfection. Head chef came and walked us through the menu, providing personalized recommendations based on our preferences. This place is a must visit!

Quaint family restaurant with amazing food!

Food is not authentic Indian food. Biryani had cherry tomatoes in it. Murg tikka masala tasted more like butter chicken . Garlic naan was like a store bought naan

Absolutely fantastic, the best Indian (progressive Punjabi) in the city center. Mainly for the excellence of their cuisine and the effort put into the service and atmosphere. Truly remarkable, should serve as a reference as an establishment.

Excellent. Tasty. Nicely served. We hope meeting you very soon Food

Some of the best Indian food I ve ever had!!!!

First of all, the ambience sucks! It feels choke. 2. The food takes forever to arrive and we weren t told this 3. They didn t ask for how spicy we want it and when we got the food it s just too sweet first for a chicken masala and a lamb korma 4. When we complained, they said it s our fault, we should have asked or our server should have told us (which they didn t) 5. Lastly, the worst part is that the place is packed and everyone seems to be happy which is funny cos it s either people here don t know what Indian food should taste like or what good service is. How mediocrity thrives in Montréal scares me! I m giving it 2 stars just to be a nice guy. Oh I forgot, even the Nan bread sucks and the food quantity is just too small.

Delectable, friendly and attentive staff. Authentic dishes, perfectly spiced. To try again and again!

Amazing experience, delicious food, reasonable prices, and extremely welcoming and accommodating staff. Definitely recommended.

We had the most amazing time at this restaurant on our first day visiting Montreal from Toronto! We showed up without reservations and the lovely chef (Simar) was able to kindly accommodate us. The food was probably the best Indian food I have ever had in my life! Our waitress and all the staff welcomed us so well and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time! My mom sis and I were so grateful for the overall experience and we will most certainly be back!!!

The food, ambiance and service are exceptional. Thanks again to the whole team, it was magical!!!!

I had a very unique experience here and the food was great, it was personable and quaint. I would definitely recommend and also a word of advice to pre book a table as the restaurant is small.

The meal was delicious! An abundance of flavors! And the owner and chef was very friendly to us. We will return.

The best tikka masala Ive ever had! We always bring friends and family here who are visiting from out of town. Its simply exceptional!

Service is on the slower side and reservations are recommended. But the food is delightful and the head chef is personable. He came over to talk with our table at least 3 times, and explained the philosophy behind the menu personally. If Im back in Montréal, I know where I am going to for dinner!

The chicken items (curry, both appetizers) were salty. Veg curries were decent. Tried non veg thali and malai chicken appetizer. Naan was very good! Non veg items were a big flop!!

Excellent

Amazing food and exceptional service. Owner was very friendly and accommodating.

This was one of my favorite dining experiences ever. The staff were very friendly and the chef introduced himself before our meal. He helped curate a wonderful vegetarian menu and made an appetizer that wasnt on the menu! We loved everything about the experience.

Fantastic food , service and atmosphere!! Also, interesting and heartwarming story of a family business Make a reservation and go.. and tell your friends to go too!! Food

Very small and quaint restaurant, but the atmosphere is very relaxed, the servers and service were incredible as well!! The food was to die for! Check this place out!

My wife and I had a wonderful meal here on a recent trip to Montreal. The service was friendly and attentive. We each had a Thali but one vegetarian and one meat version to get a mix of curries that we shared. We really enjoyed their curries - spiced just so as to be not overpowering hot but enough that you could still taste individual spices and the food. That takes some skill to get that spicing right! Sides of samosas, naan and rice were very good. We liked the cumin seeds in the rice. Plates were attractively garnished with tasty pomegranate seeds and coriander. We tried their version of Shahi Tukra, a dessert weve never seen before, made in a puff pastry shell instead of ghee fried bread, with rosewater, cardamom, thickened sweetened milk and nuts and garnished with pomegranite seed. It was excellent!

Very good, traditional, dishes full of flavor, just a shame that rice is not included in the dishes

The food was absolutely delectable and the service was super friendly! We were offered a starter that was not on the menu (Aloo Tikki) and I sincerely hope it will be added to the menu, because it was DELICIOUS! Vegetarian options: Have the Veggie Thali! You will not be disappointed

Friendly, welcoming, warm, authentically exotic and excellent cuisine! Great discovery! Really very good!

Darbar is my favorite Indian restaurant. All dishes are delicious. The atmosphere is calm. Its not noisy. Even my 12 year old son empties his plate!

Best Indian food in Montreal. Nice atmosphere and the chef came and made sure everyone had a great experience. Highly recommend!

This is my go-to restaurant in Montreal for Punjabi food. Phenomenal menu and food; presentation; service and an intimate setting - and summer on the patio is great!

Incredible food !!

Our favorite Indian restaurant in Montreal hands down. Our Valentines meal was wonderful. Food was delicious as always and the atmosphere is cozy and conversation with fellow diners was inspiring. Staff are warm and always go above and beyond. Highly recommended.

thank you very much for the welcome! We really appreciated the service (very welcoming and attentive) and the quality of the dishes, especially the samosa.

Great Indian restaurant at the heart of Downtown Montreal! As a Londoner visiting Montreal for work I went to Darbar many times in the past few months for my weekly fix of Indian Food and can honestly the quality of food and level of service is exceptional. Well done Darbar team and I look forward to visiting again when I am next in Montreal!

Dining at Darbar offers an unparalleled culinary journey. Chef and owner Simar personally visits each table, offering insights into the menu and the stories behind your selections. Every dish, having been perfected over months, presents a distinctive twist on traditional Indian cuisine. The ambiance is cozy, complementing the vibrant flavors and lively atmosphere. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant for an unforgettable dining experience.

I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala to take out -- while it was quitey tasty the portion size was measly. Sad to say, I didnt get my moneys worth.

Fantastic dinning experience. Highly recommend.

Really tasty authentic Indian food , must visit

Never been to an Indian restaurant. The experience was awesome. Great owner. Crazy flavors. Cheap prices Will definitely return

Excellent service, very pleasant chef. He is the owner. Do it again!

Excellent food. Really kind and generous owner. Thank you for the good meal.

I lack the words to truly capture how phenomenal the food here is. Every dish had a wonderful mix of flavors sweet mixed with spice, mixed with heat your taste buds wont believe whats happening. An incredible amount of attention and detail has gone into each dish, and the owner (Simar) coming to each table to serve and explain each one himself. Dont even get me started on the mixed drinks and tea options! Definitely recommend everyone to come here. You wont be disappointed.

Don t trust the outside: all the love is within! Simple, but warm atmosphere (as long as the exterior door is closed! BRRRRR!!!), you get good advice, the service is family-friendly, pleasant and fast and the food OMG! It s DIVINE! Just WOW! We will definitely come back!!

The best Indian restaurant in town!

One of the best, if not the best Indian restaurant in Montreal. Always amazing!

We liked it, tasty meal.

Delicious food!

Excellent food, warm atmosphere.