Gateway to India Restaurant in Nanaimo

Lovely Indian kitchen, great portions, the curries always last me for 2 meals

It was literally the best idian restaurant ive been to. Idk why theres barely people who ordered when we dined in

The best food,in different types flavor. the most welcome service, I recommend everyone need dining and take out try gate way to india restaurants for food in nanaimo, you wont regret it. Thank you for your services. Food : 5/5

Returned for take out after being away for two years. Happy portions and pricing and delicious meal all happened!! We always get take out which gives us a couple of days of yummy leftovers. Cant wait to go back again.

Hands down the best butter chicken in town, it s my friend and I s go to. The garlic naan is large and absolutely TO DIE FOR. We always takeout but if you do fine-in they have quite an intimate, dimmed lighting setting, probably good for a date. Prices are super reasonable, great portions, and incredible food! Vegetarian options: Multiple Parking: Plenty of parking on the street Wheelchair accessibility: Accessible

We usually buy the pakoras from Costco but recently they are very doughy. Too bad they used to be much better

I ve been ordering from this restaurant for years. The food is excellent! However, tonight, I ordered, and when I got home, the containers were about 2/3 s full instead of being full to the top. I called to tell them, and the lady I talked to said she d talk to the kitchen and that it wouldn t happen again, which is great, except it doesn t solve this problem now. If I pay for something, I expect to receive what I paid for every time. It would be great if I felt like they cared.

Delicious! Your missing out if you haven t tried this place

Best restaurant in the whole entire world, love everything here any everyone!

Simply the best naan bread!! And two types of butter chicken!!!!

Very good wine and beer we had the paneer and the lamb dishes with garlic naan bread. It all was delicious best garlic naan ever. We will be back thank you

You cant get better Indian food in Nanaimo. The food is fresh, prepared when you order, and served hot. You can also order three different levels of spice hotness. Service is prompt without being over - bearing. The lavish decor on the inside is not predicted by the plain exterior. Highly recommended for couples or large groups. Do not expect fast-food speed from when you order until the time your meal is served. **** Update January 2024 We won t eat there anymore, or get take out, because their prices have sky/rocketed and they must have a new cook who is much less talented.

I honestly liked their food, but found an actual steel wire IN MY FOOD. I had it in my mouth and spit it out to discover metal wire...I took it to the restaurant and showed them the metal and they were skeptical. After much deliberation they sort of agreed that could/may have happened. However, they offered me nothing..no refund, no replacement food, no apology. Terrible shame cuz I would have come back too.

If theres anywhere as authentic, flavourful and delicious that you need to try its these guys. The food has always been prepared professionally without exception, the emphasis is on consistent, quality and perfection. The business has stood the test of time and I am grateful that they havent conformed to the fast paced compromised charlatans of today.

Really quite delicious and savory food. Humble owner with kind and patient table service. Glad I came here.

A delightful restaurant! The aloo gobi is vegan and was absolutely delicious. Large portions (my meal ended up being enough for two or three, with rice). The food is mildly spicy, satisfying and flavourful. The decor and atmosphere are beautiful and rich. Roti is vegan. Service was friendly and efficient! We will be back! Vegetarian options: Lots of vegetarian options, and some vegan.

It was ok, nothing spectacular the pakora were really tasty but the mains we ordered were really bland for medium heat it was like there was the bare minimum for seasoning and spices. What really upset me though was that the prices were $3-$4 higher then they were on the menu, I don t want to come off as cheap but I m a student who has a budget and when the price of a small rice (and I mean a SMALL rice portion) is DOUBLE it s menu price it really stresses me out.

Food was amazing, I am going back...you should too!

The customer service was awful. The lady/owner was rude. The food was good

Great food. Service was poor and the place desperately needs renos.

Fantastic food and service always! Love the chicken pakoras and tandoori chicken especially:P

The best Indian food Ive had anywhere. I particularly recommend the beef korma and palaak paneer. The service is a little slow, but its a beautiful restaurant, and very low key. You can enjoy good food and conversation at this place. Just be a little patient with the pace of service.

Worst experience, ordered a paneer butter masala and found a hair in it.

By far one of the best Indian restaurants in nanaimo, maybe even in all of Vancouver Island. I highly recommend getting the palak paneer and naan bread

We bought this restaurant s pakoras from Costco. They were absolutely delicious! We used the air fryer to heat and crisp them. 300 degrees for 6 minutes. Crisp and full of flavour! Can t imagine why anyone would use a microwave. You need an oven or air fryer for crisping up the coating. My relatives on the mainland would love to be able to buy them in their local Costcos but can t find them. Only available on the Island for a change! So, so tasty!

Been here multiple times and it has always been so delicious! Very quick and efficient service as well. Will definitely be back.

Honestly the best butter chicken and garlic naan ive ever had! Absolutely delicious, I cant do spicy food and they definitely nailed the no spice! The food 5/5 but the service isnt great... We only order for take out because if you eat in, your portions almost half in size!! Same price but you get WAY less if you dine in. Great prices and they usually are pretty quick with getting the food ready. But as other reviewers have mentioned.. the lady at the front counter (owner?) is lacking in customer service skills for sure. Not very welcoming. Also sucks that they open at 4 :( would love to have butter chicken at lunch time as well! But overall very tasty butter chicken, would recommend!

Gate Way To India has some of the best food in Nanaimo; the restaurant is by far one of the cleanest well cared for places. The servers are allways kind, calm, and very quiet. It s a great place to just enjoy the food and the company you are with. Thank you for allways hosting such a beautiful setting.

Worst customer service ever. I never had to write a bad review for any restaurant before. The first time I ordered I got overcharged and was given the items I didn t even wanted and got charged for that as well, so I was like ok may be it was an accident. Second time bf ordered and he got overcharged. This time I took the item and went back to ask for a refund. They were totally mad about it and was really rude. They didn t wanted to refund me. After a long argument the lady decides to take away the food and see if I opened it or not so that they can still use it.She also mentioned that prices online are all wrong, I should had checked the menu that s in store, but order for pickup on phone. I got my refund but was a long argument and hustle. Definitely will never order from them or recommend any one to order from there. Not worth it. I am so sad :(

They should stick at selling their packaged food to costco. Cause customer service was just awful. A Lot of things are wrong here like wrong prices on their website and just not acknowledging the complaints. Truly tragic owner/manager was extremely rude and not helpful. Will never order from here again.

Try the red butter chicken, its amazing!!

The food was awesome. A quiet place which was perfect for our group of 8.

Food used to be amazing but has really gone down hill, I ordered hot vindiloo and it had zero flavour and zero spice the naan bread was burnt all in all a terrible experience. We thought we d give it one more try maybe the kitchen had picked up the slack but they didn t, will not be returning

Tasty food, fast service! Im gluten free and vegan and they had quite a bit for me to choose from! Will definitely be going back!

Owners don t have sense to talk, lady was so rude and disrespectful. It was my first time in Nanaimo, i went to this restaurant with my family but we left after seeing the behaviour of that lady.

Super disappointed with the service. My friend and I reached the restaurant on Valentines day, when there was just a family dining in. We were told to wait for 10-15 mins before we were actually attended. The lady made us sit next to a dirty table, when we asked her if we can sit on any of the other empty tables, she was rigid about it so we let that go. Our order was placed after 20 mins of waiting and looking at other people. We got our order an hour and 15 mins later, and were still not served even a glass of water. Mind you- the table next to us was still dirty. So basically, if you have 3 hours to spare at a terrible service- this is the place for you.

Too bad. It used to be the best. The service is now horrible, it wasnt great before either. But, the food made up for it. Now its a lose/lose situation.

Dined there today the food was fabulous with a great selection and very friendly staff

A perfect combination of excellent food+ great ambience+ home-like service! We loved every bit of it. It really was a gateway to India(Panjab).

Havent been to the restaurant but I buy their samosas from Costco at Langford often and absolutely love them. Its definitely a favorite at my household. Also really love the spicy chutney that comes with it. Highly recommended.

I don t know why the Restaurant Name is gateway of India it should be gateway to nasty food, I recently had takeout from here and got food poisoning. Won t recommend ever

Jus finished a delicious supper at the Gateway..excellent service..the food was amazing..highly recommended

The lamb vindaloo was surprisingly mild but very tasty. There is an excellent selection of vegan dishes. The ambiance was also very nice.

Love the food

Probably my favorite restaurant in Nanaimo. The menu descriptions never do the actual flavor any real justice. Update June 2022. Still as amazing as ever. Well worth the drive from comox!

Food was not great but service was pathetic. We had 8 people(east Indians) there for lunch. We were so hyped to find an Indian restaurant in Nanaimo. The lady(seems like the owner) was the only one serving with a rude attitude. Felt like she was in no mood to serve & was openly argumentative. She also asked us to decide at once & was not impressed by us ordering more food.!!! While billing she did not offer a split. Moreover, she added 26% tip herself. All in all the restaurant did not make us feel welcome instead they were disappointed to serve us.

The samosas at Costco looked like a tasty treat. We ve travelled to India and have ordered samosas from the sweet shops in Abbotsford many times. We love Indian food and often prepare our own at home. I toasted these samosas in the oven till golden brown but they had no flavour. Even the dipping sauces didn t do much to enhance the flavour profile. Just a pastry stuffed with bland potatoes. Maybe this was a mistake? I called to report this to the restaurant and they didn t seem to care. There are better samosas on the trains in India.

Very helpful and friendly we ordered food when they were almost closing but they still make food for us thanks

Ordered buttered chicken take out and both my wife and I got food poisoning. My wife called the restaurant but they never returned her call. I would not advise nor will I ever get food here again.

One of the worst services i ve ever had. The lady who was serving(and apparently seemed like the owner) was way too rude. The way she talked was terrible and made us feel unwelcome. When asked to split the bill, she refused and added a tip without even asking. I don t recommend this place at all!

We bought some food today. We had a very bad experience. The old lady at the counter has no greeting sense. She didn t say hello or anything. We ordered shahi panner it s was gross. They use samosa stuffing to make aloo paranthas. I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Such a horrible experience.

Our favorite Indian restaurant in Nanaimo. Beautiful interior, fantastic for a dinner vibe. Loved all the food we tried at our last three visits so far. The exterior is deceiving, not representative of what is inside at all! Vegetarian options: Lots of paneer and chana dishes. Parking: Parking available behind the restaurant.

Portions werent as big as I hoped for the price but everything was good and hot and well cooked drinks were good food was delicious it wasent very busy maybe too much competition in the area now

Ordered Lamb Vindaloo with garlic naan and rice. Food was excellent and service was aswell. Will be coming back soon.

Good taste and nice ambiance! portion size is medium and naan is tasty

Gateway to India came highly recommended. There was only one waitress on duty who gave us water then ignored us for at least 1/2 hour. She spent most of her time in the kitchen, maybe working on take out orders, and kept her head down to avoid eye contact as she served the only other patrons, a party of 4. Once we finally placed our order our food it came in a reasonable length of time. The medium heat we ordered was milder than expected however it was delicious and authentic. My advice would be to plan on an extended wait time. It was 6:00 PM on Saturday night. Parking: There is both street parking and a lot in the rear of the building.

Food here is just fantastic. Best Butter Chicken I have had in Nanaimo, they make it fast, and the waitress is good to me. She even offered me to sit and relax. Going to keep coming back. Impressed with the food

Edit: Not sure what happened, but the quality and flavor is not what it used to be... Original review: Absolutely the best Indian restaurant in Nanaimo. Good food portions, decent prices, and most importantly, the food is absolutely delicious and full of flavour and depth! Not oily, salty or sweet. Many restaurants add too much salt and sugar into dishes. Gateway takes care to only make dishes the healthiest way possible. Very impressive. On a final note, almost all restaurants use staples to close their takeout bags. Gateway does not use staples for a very good reason! To keep staples or the risk of staples out of the food. Ive had staples in my naan from another restaurant (wont mention the name) and my elderly parent even had a staple in their rice. We have never had a single issue from Gateway, only the best experiences from staff that truly cares. When the dining room was open, it was also very pleasant. We mostly order for takeout. Stop reading this review now and give Gateway a call after viewing their delicious menu selections.

Great vegetarian pulao/biryani, papadum. Tea was ok. Only one middle aged lady was handling the orders, so took a lot of time to get water and the utensils. Also, since we ordered for comparatively lesser food (than other occupants), we were asked if we would rather take away. This was quite awkward experience.

Amazing pakoras! And vegetarian dishes!!

The service was fabulous!! The food was delicious!!! Just the right amount of spice!! My partner raved about the naan bread, both the garlic and the house naan!! Warm atmosphere!! Made us forget about current circumstances for a few minutes!! Lovely owners!!

Amazing indian food that tastes like it shouldnt be in Nanaimo.

Incredible food, nice staff and a lovely place to dine. Try out the prawn pakoras, they are amazing!

Food here is amazing. The only reason I gave 4 stars is that we were seated at a bench table and the fabric we sat on was disgusting. It desperately needs replacing. Putting table cloths down on it did not help.

Food was great but incredibly expensive.

Love their food and ambience. Try their Samosa and Pakora as starters, Eggplant curry with garlic naan in mains and complete the meal with a Lassi as dessert.

Always delicious! Service is excellent and the staff are friendly and kind. Always look forward to ordering from Gateway

Very rude treatment, took 10+ mins to notice us, then took 15+ mins for taking the order, whilst we were seated the lady owner asked to take a take out instead as theyre nearing the closing time. Like who does that, we would not have mind but we were traveling. We explained the situation but wont budge, we said to cancel it then, she said but wed still need to pay as order once placed is final. Oh my God, we just paid, took our food and gave it to a needy guy on highway. Also lost the appetite.

Food was delicious, but gave diarrhea to all three of us. My husbands friend was traveling and was even more inconvenient for him. Please improve whatever it is in your kitchen.

Too spicy and quality of food was average but I like Panire Pooka

Most amazing Indian food in a town full of Indian restaurants!! Amazing customer service and great staff. Do recommend!! Don t forget to ask for Umesh .. will light up your evening.

Unreal food, every time. Might be the best food experience ever, 10/10 recommend!

Shout out to Gateway to India, Ive driven past this place many times and finally tried them yesterday. Really glad I did! I got the curried lamb and naan which came up to $18. Good portion sizes, authentic flavor and not too spicy. Im indian so my expectations are pretty high and I have to say they did not disappoint. The naan alone..ooo lala! Give this restaurant a try yaall.

The advertised opening hours are very wrong, says opening at 11:30 we came by today at 2pm and were told its closed till 4pm :( (Sorry google doesnt let me post w/o stars so choosing the middle 3 as I wasnt served - will be happy to adjust after I get a chance to eat here).

If you are are tourist and not in their 2 pm window then good luck. Please plan your visits, we were there after 2 pm and ....got shown the door.

Don t even think about going somewhere else when you go to Nanaimo. We came from vancouver for the night and the curry chicken and dal makhni were the best ever we tried. I wish they would open a location in lower mainland. I will say without a doubt I ll be coming back to Nanaimo just for this restaurant.

Try the lamb very good food very nice very filling fresh nice

Couldnt get service. Entered, waited al.ost 10 mins while someone answered several phonecalls and carried a conversation with another customer getting takeout. Just wanted to be seated...... in an empty restaurant. But I couldnt even get someone to acknowledge I was in the room

The food is great--5 stars--but everything else is 1. Service is extremely slow and unwelcoming; youre made to feel like a burden. Owners are rude and biased. If staff make any mistakes it gets taken out of their paycheck.

Such good food here

We ordered take out. It was amazing! Great portions, very delicious, good quality. We ordered garlic nan, butter chicken and mango chicken. Fabulous!

Busy but good food

Waiter was super rude.woyld not recommend coming here.

Ordered something for pickup on Friday night. No acknowledging of the customer and no smile. They really should train staff on customer service. Food was average, not worthy of the price.

Cant find s better lamb palak anywhere.

Tried the food for the first time today..sorry to say, all the online reviews made the expectation high. But the food is overpriced for the quantity as well as quality. Dal makhani was very bad and looks like they packed only some leftover quantity and it tasted nothing like dal makhni. No effort made in blending the spices or uncooked dal to the tadka. Butter chicken was not good . Only sweetness in the flavor. Chole was on sweet side . The food was meant to be mild, but it was missing flavors and salt also. Not going to order from this place again.

Was overall disappointed with quality and taste. Paid a lot for takeout, naan was okay but over or undercooked. Chicken in the butter chicken was very strange. It was shredded into tiny gristly pieces, and tasted weird. Sauce didn t taste or look like butter chicken. Samosas were very doughy and reminded me of store bought, and didn t have good chutney pairing on the side, very underwhelming. Honestly only tried it based off ratings and have had a much better experience at places that are rated lower.

Food was ok. But the waitress or the lady owner did not know how to split the bill between 2 people. This is basic stuff

Amazing food- the pakoras and Samosa are great, the chutney was amazing! Server was great, owners so nice. Very impressed. Will be back.

Our business is located just south of Nanaimo, so we dont have many restaurant choices around us. We love to bring in lunch for our staff, and continuously find that Gateway is one of our top choices from our team, so we always make the effort to drive into town to pick it up because of how delicious it is. The staff/owners of Gateway to India have always been incredible to us when ordering. We order a large amount of items and have never had an issue with receiving an incorrect order. The staff always greet us with a warm smile upon picking everything up and help us out to our car. The last time we were there we had to wait a few extra minutes for the delicious pakoras (worth the wait!) and the lovely woman helping us brought us samosas to try and a little treat for our dog who was waiting in the car. We were blown away by the nice gesture which furthered our love for this restaurant. Thank you for providing consistently amazing dishes, a great selection of authentic food, and impeccable customer service whenever we dine with you. We love to support local businesses, and will always make the trip to support you and your staff!

Amazing indian food and just eith superb taste. The sauce were just rightly made. Spiciness is very adaptable to ones order which is great for poeple with mild taste. The place was very clean and decorated well. The sits where comfortable and solid. The parking is quite accessible and the place is easilly located. All in all definitely recommend this place.

really impressed!! I live on 5the street but today is my first time coming here. The food portion is not big, but tastes amazing!

I changed my appetite I had takeout and my experience exceeded expectations. A beautiful restaurant and beautiful people A

Hands down the best Indian restaurant in Nanaimo

Great food.. Great service.. We are privileged to have this establishment in Nanaimo.. Thank You..

Awesome curry. Recommend 100 %

Beautiful interior styling. Great food. Lovely and friendly proprietoress. Pleasant surprised and will return.

It was not what i expected to walk in to. The outside kept me away, until i walked in for the first time today. I was mind blown. If you cleaned up the outside with some stone the outside would draw alot more people to this breath taking place. I will definately be going back there. I rate the outside of the building 3/10. Inside, 10/10. Food 10/10, Service 10/10. Definately recommended. This is not a paid review.

Best Indian food in town, in my opinion!

There was no service at all! when we entered the restaurant, it was empty, we waited 10 minutes standing at the gate for someone to come, greet and let us sit but they were so busy inside that they didnt bother to even see, after that 1girl saw us and went again inside, told the people behind but took time to come out. finally she made us sit and then one of the owners (lady) came, took order, served us with food and she vanished. In the middle of the food I had to call them on their Restaurants landline number to bring me more Naans and green chillies. even the call did not make any difference. we finished the food, waited forever for them to come, bill it and parcel the rest of the food, which I had to do it myself. After all of this, I cannot say anything about the food even if it was good or bad... very Poor.

Super surprised about the atmosphere and food. Good surprised

Very friendly, beautiful decor, amazing food, great price. The only thing is I think the tables could be bigger. And a little less cramped. Will go again and very recommended

Bahut swaad khana, tawa vali roti atey dhaal makhani bahut jada swaad si! Thank you gateway, your food taste like home, the tawa roti tastes like my moms roti and dhaal makani and palak paneer was amazing. We will continue to support you during this pandemic, thank you for staying open and providing food to us punjabis who miss home God bless you

Really good food. I have been ordering take out and dining in here for years. Consistently always great.

Everything was very fresh and tastes delicious

Awesome

Best indian food on island

The waitress was welcoming but she vanished after serving the food. Didnt even check to see if we need anything else. Weird Also, she entered the tip by herself. Double Weird. The food wasnt good either. We ordered chicken biryani and it had more oil than Saudi Arabia.

Our family eats here frequently. The food is excellent.

Great food and service. Oddly enough I eat here only once or twice a year when I visit family but its a must.

Very good

Delicious food, excellent service!

Good, simple cuisine - mainly curries with other excellent additions like biryani and dahls. Food was fresh and quickly prepared, and was quite flavourful without being overly spiced. Wine list was a bit thin and some import beers were unavailable. Overall a good choice.

Dont let the facade fool you. Inside is very nice and the authentic Indian cuisine here is delicious.

Rude and worst hospitality. Indian lady who worked there should learn some hospitality skills.

Food was very tasty.

Good authentic Indian food. Fair pricing.

Great atmosphere. I felt the dishes were a little bland and not as spicy add I wouldve thought. The chicken was super dry.

Amazing Indian food had the butter chicken with rice and naan bread

The food here is always amazing! Side note: even mild dishes can be a bit spicy. If your not a fan of spicy foods then let you server know. I have never had a bad meal here and the pricing is reasonable as well.

Good and Ugly! Very delicious Biriani! Just from construction site and hungry! Sees this cute restaurant before catching a bus.i decide to get in for my favourite India food! The lady at the reception sees me with horror as I walk in!(I still don t know whether due to my skin colour or otherwise!no idea!)quickly before I make an order she mentions if I want a takeaway!wow! Was such a turnoff!because I felt she judged me as to how I looked! The lady should learn basics of hospitality!

Great food! Wonderful lunch.

Good Indian food and menu.

Good place, good ambience, serving size is less.

Serving size of dish is less. Good place , good ambience

Best indian food Ive ever tasted. Im addicted to this llace. Amazing staff and very clean and beautiful environment. I recommend the Lamb Biriany

Very authentic East Indian food reasonably priced and good quality.

Service is average at best

I only had takeout

Great food!! Service is always a bit slow.

The food here is very good. But when I first drove past the location i almost instantly changed my mind about going in to try it. The look of the restaurant outside is not inspiring but dont let it put you off.

Food was excellent, service not as good.

Ordered take out . It was the worst I have ever eaten, watery no flavor, just heat. Terrible service. Waited forever for our food, even though we had phoned and put in the order at least 3 hours before we needed it. Didnt receive our total order. The server was rude. I will never go or order from the Gateway to India again.

Love it ! Love it ! Love it. Omg what a lucky find. Sauces sooooo delicious and the Naan bread was the best I have ever had.

Wonderful and flavorful dishes. Great service. Will be back for sure!

Excellent food, but the prices are on the high side.

Excellent menu and good table service.

Amazing food!

Best Indian I have found here yet!

Great food!

The place looks dull from the outside but the inside is spacious and washroom is clean. It has 2-3 parking spots for customer and road side parking is allowed too. In terms of food- the price per item definitely does not satisfy neither the portion nor the taste. Each item in image is $16 apart from naan which was $3or higher each. Hence i believe many people complained about quantity. Taste is good but in that price I expected better. The staff were very nice.

Good ambiance and food.

Hands down the best sit down Indian food in Nanaimo

Good rice for the price.

Lovely cocktail and nice mango chicken curry!! I also love the vegetable platter

Great Indian food in Nanaimo with an upbeat atmosphere.

For the people who like their spice levels as good as Indian spice levels this would be a place I suggest. Veg biryani , shrimp biriyani and veg and shrimp pakoras really tasted the Indian style . Totally liked the spice level comparing to other Indian restaurants in the island .

The food is great and the decorations are pretty, but I think its probably better to order take out than to eat in on busy nights. We learned our lesson of course and will probably consider that we order out or go later in the evening when the rush has ended in the future. We waited nearly an hour for our food, the waitress brought us papadums on the house for the wait which was appreciated, but ended up mixing up my order and forgot to bring me the food we wanted to take home. I dont think its her fault because it was so busy and she was doing her best, and things get chaotic when its busy, but the experience in general was kind of stressful for me. I feel that it would be a good idea to consider expanding their tables to include the tables by the fireplace at the back when its super busy, theyre apparently reservation only (if I recall correctly) but they sat completely empty for our entire visit to the restaurant. In all my past visits I believe I have only seen one table of two seated over there.

Unreal food. Looks like a hole in the wall outside but beautiful inside.

What I had was more than expected. The staffs were very polite.

Nice place. Very good food. Not the quickest but worth the wait

Excellent food and helpful staff!

The food was great and not too busy.

Excellent food but prices a bit high

Terrible restaurant. The waitress served me the wrong drink with alcohol and I am pregnant and could not have alcohol. The waitress did not say sorry and pretend it now happen. No one come out to say sorry but keep asking us if we still want another non-alcohol drink. Would never go to that restaurant again!

I order chicken Biryani for take out and after opening I found out Potatoes, Green peas and Cauliflower along with chicken . Basically they gave me left over vegetable Biryani mixed with chicken . Its horrible.

Nice food. ..

Awesome food and service!

Good place with quite an ambience that suits for a family

Suburb service amazing food and a real authentic taste of East Indian cuisine. The ambiance is stupendous great place to eat!

I had to return to update my review and give Taste of India the five stars it deserves! Our previous review happened just as the restaurant transitioned owners and the recipe did change...Now we specify the old/yellow recipe and are beyond satisfied with the butter chicken. Thanks for listening to our review and adjusting for your customers! This used to be the best Indian food in Nanaimo. Tonight our butter chicken tasted like Ketchup. I called to share feedback and they said its a new chef and a new recipe. I hope they can find their old recipe so we can do a five star rating!! Until then, steer clear of the butter ketchup chicken!

My favorite Indian restaurant. Absolutely delicious, and nothing so far triggers my sulphite allergies - which means they probably make a lot of their own sauces! My recommendation is lamb vindaloo with maximum spiciness, and garlic stuffed naan.

Had the butter chicken and samosas. They were both very bland.

Simply outstanding. Do not be distracted by the dingy exterior and lifeless surroundings. Go inside and you will experience exquisite dining and ambience. Ive worked as a restaurant cook, and I have cooked Indian food for over 30 years. This restaurant is among the best I have ever dined in. I learned that they have been here for 25 years, and Im not surprised. When the garlic naan arrived, I knew at once that we were in for something special - they have an actual clay tandoor in the kitchen. The naan were massive, light, and delicious. The basmati rice was done in the classic and fancy way, cardamon pods and all, and the rice grains were completely separate and fluffy. This is a small but crucial detail, and it shows that the chef knows how to pre-soak the rice. The Shahi paneer was excellent. The butter chicken comes in either yellow (classic Indian), or red (western) versions. I tasted the yellow version and I was very pleased. The portions are huge, no doubt in part thanks to the large takeout business they do with the nearby university crowd. Oh how I wish this establishment were located down the block from me. I would be there weekly. I hate to admit that they make better Indian food than I do, but they certainly do.

Food is great and you get quite a bit. Staff was friendly too. No complaints.

Excellent + authentic Indian food! Not good beer options tho.

Lovely place...good ambience. Delicious food ..friendly staff named harpreet....courteous, polite, friendly & a sweet person....over the top was the potatoe paratha....mutter paneer and the most loved beverage of indians...The Tea.(chai) ..fresh and refreshing....thank you Harpreet...lunch was superb...planning again to come down for dinner.....some pics clicked & attached for memories...keep up the good work...tk cr...thnks!!!!

Very flavourful food. Good portion size. Im a huge fan of the pakoras and mango chutney. I asked for the spiciest curry they make, and was satisfied with the heat and flavour. We have been back multiple times. Best indian food I have had locally.

Bad management. Standards have severely gone down over the years. And this will be the last time I eat here. The Worst Indian food in Nanaimo, bland, and expensive. They also didn t have several of the wines or soft drinks that they advertise on their menu so our sons only non-alcoholic option was water. There was hair in my curry. Their ice cream was DISGUSTING and Freezerburnt with a thick rubbery skin on it. We ordered 3 of them and they were literally small pucks made in cupcake moulds that you could not break with a spoon. The ice cream had a thick rubbery freezerburnt skin and was filled with chunks of ice crystals. It was very unappealing. I have had this pistachio desert at other restaurants and this was not correct. If you want traditional Indian food with good service do not eat here. We politely spoke to the waitress about the problem with our desert. The manager would not speak to us. And sent the waitress back out to tell us that there was nothing wrong with the ice cream. The waitress said that she would refund a different less expensive $3 item that we had ordered instead but would not refund the actual item that was of very bad quality because the item of bad quality was more expensive her own words. I have never heard of such! The manager rudely refused to even speak to us.

Great food with a cosmopolitan ambiance.

Fantastic meal! So glad we went in. Beef vindaloo was amazing. Ive been taking about it for a week.

Great food

Love their food!! 30+ years in Nanaimo and going strong!

So much flavours