Shafali Bazaar in Ottawa

The owner is such a gracious host, you feel right at home. We stop here every time we re in Ottawa just for the butter chicken and fresh baked naan.

Vegetarian options: Few veg items available Food

Terrible microwaved samosas

Food was bland

Tikka wrap is so good!

Tasty. Good value for money.

Amazing food and friendly staff!

Just delicious Heartwarming welcome

super good and very kind staff, I recommend!

We had tikka wraps which were very very good. We had tikka wrap they were very nice

Seriously the best lunch spot in Ottawa! I always get the Vegetarian Wrap and it s absolutely delicious. Its about $15 and worth every penny. Vegetarian options: Vegetarian wrap absolutely slaps. It s the best.

Not only the worst East Indian meals weve had in recent memory, possibly the worst meals period. I had the saag paneer. The paneer cheese was watery and bland. The saag paneer as a whole was watery, bland and too sweet. Thats right: too sweet! Why would anyone add sweetness to saag paneer? Rather than a dense, creamy texture, it was more like spinach soup. The rice was also bland. The salad, though, was fresh and the dressing was good. Great service, but we wont be going back.

The food is so good. Owners of the place are so cheerful and friendly as well. You should pay this place a visit, youll enjoy their food.

Eating the food here always puts a smile on my face. Especially the curry chicken. Edit: 5 years later I still love this place

I love this place!! The lady is so nice too!!

The owner is so nice and friendly! Food is super delicious as well!!

The food was delicious and the owner is a sweetheart! Highly recommended

This is my favourite restaurant, all levels, I highly recommend

We ordered the lamb curry in a hurry and chicken tikka. We absolutely fell in love. For such an unassuming place, the food was exceptional. We wouldn t even have come across this place if we didn t get inside the Byward market building to explore. Will definitely come back for more!

Great food. Really enjoyed the wraps here. Very fast service. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Was in quick, got delicious food to eat and back on road sightseeing. Great place to grab a bite!

The wrap I had was so delicious and the staff is so nice!

Food is absolutely amazing. We got the chicken and vegetable tikka wraps and there s nothing I would ve changed. Space is a bit small because it s in the market, but you can get food to go or try and snag a little table. Staff were super friendly and really fast!

I grew up eating chicken tikka wraps here and now I make sure to come downtown to order them each time I come back home for a visit. One of the things I miss most from Ottawa. Thank you for the nostalgia, Shafali Bazaar :)

The beef samosas ate was the best I ve ever eaten. At a great price too!

Amazing fresh food!

Yummy wraps!! Slay people!!

Amazing food

Stopped by in Ottawa and the ByWard market. Great tasting mango lassi and chicken tikka wrap! The staff were friendly and efficient, even when the place was packed!

Shafali Bazaar is a gem! Delicious food, friendly service.

Delicious !!! The royal couscous is really very good! And the tea is perfect too!!! The place is atypical and the food takes you on a journey! Vegetarian options: Vegetarian couscous available

Tika wrap and samosas were delicious! Amazing service, would recommend to anyone downtown Ottawa!

Very small portion for a $18 chicken Curry, half of the plate is a boring salad. Even the Curry is kinda boring. Better go somewhere else.

Great food, very friendly service.

Excellent food ! My first time here today and i was very impressed ! I tried the butter chicken, chicken curry and chicken wrap . They were awesome ! Small restaurant but big things come in small packages ! Very friendly owner/chef ! Fresh, homemade food ! A must try restaurant . Your stomach will thank you !

Chai was great, and the warm, friendly owner was awesome! Great atmosphere, will have to return to try the food.

Cold Cold Cold never go there you are waisting money and also pretty expensive for what you get. Always on phone, and never clean their hand and workspace. Problem to manage their time & customer. Cafeteria not a restaurant at all.

Best Indian food ever. Hospitality is great and fresh flavorful food.

Ive been visiting this place for 20 years, and known the owner for about the same. The chicken tikka wrap is always amazing!

Wonderful fresh Naan and some good curries...

Chicken tikka wrap was dry and not fresh. 3 star for respect and chance to improve in future.

Fresh, warm, and way more filling then it looks. Bring your appetite

Very friendly and chatty owner. Fresh naan for the wrap from the tandoor

amazing food, and owners are super nice. best Nan Ive ever had!

Small place but has practically everything you want. The owner was very friendly and helpful and came back of the store to help me. Prices also are reasonable.

Yummy Indian food Rolls are really fresh, juicy We tried the beef and the chicken

Ordered the vegetable tikka wrap and a mango lassi. Both fantastic, especially the wrap.

Love this place and the friendly owners.

A hidden gem in the market! Extremely friendly staff and great food. Their wraps are a must-try!

Tried their Dal Soup and Naan combo. The Naan was freshly made and so good. Definitely recommend this place.

I am always satisfied with the quality of the staff, their service and their food. This is my go-to place whenever I am in the neighbourhood because of its warm and hospitable environment. Whether you have been going here for years, or are a newcomer, the owners will treat you like and extended member of their family. I hold this place near and dear to my heart.

Shafali Bazaar is an almost obligatory stop at the Byward Market to try something really different. Just posting the photo of the plate in this review makes you hungry... :) Insist on NO SPICY if you dont like spicy because it will be spicy anyway! But butter chicken works well for us. The atmosphere is really interesting with passers-by on the sidewalk or those in the Market who wander around and dont dare to stop. Check the prices carefully when ordering because not all of them are displayed or known to the passing tourist.

We had an excellent takeout lunch here recently. The owners were super friendly and absolutely everything was made fresh. I had a chicken tikka wrap made in possibly the tastiest fresh naan that Ive ever had. My partner enjoyed a mixed vegetable curry, which was also excellent. They also made fantastic samosas and onion bhajis - would highly recommend grabbing one if youre a bit peckish. Well definitely be coming back next time were in the Market area and were already looking forward to it.

Came here for lunch had butter chicken and tikka. Food was delicious and good portions, naan was good and fresh. The owners were very nice and friendly. 100% recommend eating here

Nice food

We watched as the friendly owner took fresh dough, kneaded it, and then placed it inside a tandoor oven. The bread which was soft and warm was used as a wrap filled with chicken, veggies, and sauce. Well balanced and well priced. Ill be back!

The Chicken tikka wrap is great! Fresh naan made right in front of you and the chicken is tender filled with so much flavor. Might be a new favorite!

Awesome food, great owners

a staple restaurant of the market building. I cant imagine it not being here!

Great food and excellent customer service. Had a chicken curry and enjoyed it so much that the owners saw it and gave me another helping free of charge! They also have samosas which are quite good as well. Only area of improvement is perhaps for them to try to arrange for more sitting space. The available space is a bit small and can only take about four tables. However this is understandable with Covid restrictions.

Im so sad to leave them a bad review. Had high hopes. Got buttered chicken dish, very expensive for the size and was okay. The naan bread was fresh and good! Over all though very overpriced for mediocre quality and small portions

Stopped accepting card and prices are too high for the amount of food you get.

I love the chicken wrap, been ordering it for years. The staff is always lovely

Been gong there since its opening 26 years ago. Its my go to for samosas pick up and occasionally the chicken and beef Tikka plates. Always very good to me. Mildly spiced, tasty sauces, smily owner couple. They put in long hours. Prices are average high but this is at the center of the By market. Many places had to close due to covid, but this one survived. Good indicator.

The Chicken Tikka wrap is absolutely delicious!

Loved this place - very personable. The owner himself chatted with us quite a bit. Oh, and good food.

Shafali Bazzar has by far the best chicken wraps I have ever had in my life. The taste is out of this world. the generosity of the owners when it comes to food portions is also amazing. If you have not yet tried this place I highly recommend it.

Love that the bread is freshly made in a tandoor oven.Best chicken wrap in the area.

Awesome and spicy food here!

Avoid this place. Its really not good not to mention the cleanliness of the cutlery. The Saag Paneer was terrible; it really had a questionable taste. The rice was lukewarm and tasted very synthetic like powdered chicken broth. Even the nan bread tasted like sliced white bread. Worst Indian food experience of my life. The owners were very welcoming but the quality of the food means that we will not return there again. Avoid this place. It was really not good let alone the cleanliness of the cutlery. The Saag Paneer was awful; it really tasted questionable. The rice was warm and tasted very synthetic like powdered chicken broth. Even the nan bread was tasting like sliced white bread. The worst Indian food experience of my life. The owners were welcoming but the quality of the food means that we would not be going back.

FOOD POISONING! STAY AWAY FROM THIS FAKE INDIAN RESTAURANT! After eating their weirdly spiced cold food (which was supposed to be hot food), I have suffered alot! Dont want to gross everyone out with the details here but I clearly was identified with food poisoning after eating their food. Poor attitude and arrogant staff. The staff is from Bangladesh and selling their BANGLADESH style food and calling it Indian. Really? How ridiculous is that! Good to fool around poor Canadians and other tourists who have never been to India. I have travelled to India many times and know what the food tastes like very well! This entire chain of food joint sucks! They have another restaurant which is ridiculously priced and a big rip-off with ppor quality and tasting food! Be careful!

Excellent service, super friendly, clean space. The samosas are cheap, good quality and delicious! One of the best Indian places in Ottawa

Good one

This is a satellite location of the venerable Cafe Shafali on Dalhousie. This place specializes in things like Samosas, Pakoras, and Onion Bhaji- quick eats to go. However, the best thing on their menu is the bag of Papadums for $4.50, which are as good as any ive had at various Indian restaurants all over North America.However, I would argue that the samosas are a little overpriced and greasy. Theyre good if youre craving, but not must-visit draws.

Amazing little place to enjoy curries, tikka(BBQ), samosas, and fresh naan! We ordered Lamb Tikka plate and beef Curry. Both came with rice and a fresh salad, and were flavourful and well spiced, but not hot. Our lunch plates were so good we ordered a couple of tikka wraps to take back to Kingston for dinner and lunches. The beef samosas are huge, and the owner was a pleasure to talk to. Next time Im in Ottawa Im coming back for sure! Oh, and all of the above cost only 35$!!!

Wondering at the bad reviews; eating there has always been pleasant and quite filling. It feels like going home to your parents to eat if your parents were from India. The food is great and the meats tender. The space is small but thats expected in that area. Service is done with a smile and pretty quick. One of our regular stops on the Market.

Had the lamb tika and it was very good. My wife had the chicken curry and it had a good bit of kick for her taste but she enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it did not put her into labor as we had hoped.

Food was okay :) but make sure you don t charge extra. I was charged twice for one of the items.

You must have to go if you visit Ottawa!!! The food is super delicious and the owner is so kind!!

Overcharged - Charged more than posted prices, feel scammed , was given a dubious explanation. food is somewhat bland although wholesome, portions are smallish. We had eaten there before and I do like to support small independent restaurants but we will not return. oh well, lots of other places to try in the Byward Market area. .

Tasty and tasty! The portions are generous and the atmosphere pleasant! The owners are nice!

Great , authentic Indian curries! Almost as good as my Dads. :)

The chicken Tikka wrap is simply amazing!

Loved the food.Delicious

Incredible food. Amazing service. The best naan bread you can ever find. I come here to eat every time I run into downtown Ottawa. 100% recommended.

The people who run this place are so so kind and parient, and the food is delicious. I recommend the Chicken Tikka Wrap, totally life-changing. If youre looking for fast and easy Indian food, or even just fast and easy food in general, this is the place!

The friendly staff made us feel very welcome. I recommend stopping here to eat during your next visit to the Byward Market, especially if you love Indian food as I do, or if you just want to try something new in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Amazing food!

Quick and delicious. Fresh made meat and flatbread. My wife and I ordered a beef wrap and a buttered chicken. Definitely recommended.

The best Indian food I ever ate and i ate a lot of them!! Really advise to anyone to come and taste .. everything is very fresh.

This is my favourite place to come eat when I m in the byward market. They re food is so fresh and tasty. You get what you pay for, and their quality is definitely worth the price! Staff is also very friendly. Love this place

Delicious Indian food! Weve been going there for years, the staff are very friendly.

Beware the prices! I ordered a lunch with 2 items and it came to $18!! The food wasnt even that flavourful even though my photo makes it looks good.

If I were given one last meal, this would be it

Absolutely delicious.. I love the Tikka chicken wrap. And the nan bread is baked on the spot

Good food for the price. Chicken tikka is great here.

Comfort food, friendly

The smell of curry drew me in - it was intoxicating. But then as I stood in line the signage and other people s orders swayed me to order the chicken tikka. The person before me got a vegetarian tikka and there was this hot sauce and white sauce poured on this pile of goodness on a clearly homemade naan. The whole kitchen was full of authenticity - no cutting corners. Well, I wish I got the curry. The chicken tikka had what tasted like Italian salad dressing on it. That s not the kind of flavour I wanted on my palate at all. I don t even like Italian dressing. I feel immense regret for being swayed by outside influences and not following my gut.

Pricing is deceitful. The starts at pricing model isnt intuitive and led me to be surprised when I was paying 5$ more for butter chicken than I thought I would. Butter chicken was somehow dry and not as flavorful as I would expect.

I feel as though some of the reviews on here must be fake. Our experience at the restaurant was abysmal - you cannot call this food Indian food. My boyfriend, who dined with me, has previously worked in restaurants and found the hygiene standards to be lacking. We had butter chicken, lamb curry, mango lassis and naan bread which all were made by cutting corners. The rice was dry, mango lassis were thin, tasted old and as though the mango was from powder, and both curries were under spiced and contained meat that tasted preprepared. The chicken was clearly off a rotisserie and not cooked in the actual curry (which was from a store bought mix with coconut milk) and extremely dry. What s more, the meal (which had extremely small portions) came to $45 - not worth the price. Would not recommend this restaurant. There are many better options for dining in the byward area.

Quick, generous service. Good for a nice conversation and tasty food.

Great service Good Price Good food Look clean

Good food, but, too expensive, 18 dollars for a plate... There other cheap options...

Wow! Excellent food! Fast service! Kind staff! I recommend it to everyone!

Great taste especially BBQ, Dal, Good Service. Will recommend to others who wants a real taste of indo/Pak cuisine

Absolute overpriced trash

Friendly

Not tasty as Indian food should be.... Tried chicken tikka wrap

We enjoyed our time in this little restaurant. Tika chicken wrap was really really good, butter chicken a little bit less, and a bit expensive but it is a touristic area I guess.

The worst Indian cuisine experience we have ever witnessed. Ordered butter chicken and the sauce was soup-like. Then we found a piece of foil in the butter chicken and had to return it. To compound the matter the self-serve cutlery container looked like it hadnt been washed in probably forever. Complete rip off from obviously very uncaring staff.

Their samosa and chole curry was great!

The Place is way too expensive and there is no variety in items.

Very tasty food and good costumer service

Prices are high and Food quality is worst.. no taste.... Nd they should know how to do customer service...

If you are looking for super delicious wrap, go to Shafali Bazaar and try their Tikka Wrap. It simple, freshly prepared and made with Freshly prepared Naan bread straight from the Tandoori oven.

Love this place! Delicious, yummy food on the go. And in the perfect location - right in the Byward Market. You must try it! #Ottawa2017 #Canada150

Exceptional indian cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. If you are looking great food made with love at a good price....then Shafali is the place.

One of my favourite go-to places in the market. Always a great meal served with care and a smile!

Great place to stop for lunch and to enjoy a great cup of chai and some tasty (and filling) curry meals! From the lamb or vegetable curry to the chicken tikka wrap, I always like stopping there for a meal.

Amazing food cooked with love! Best chicken tikka! I highly recommend.

Best indian food in town for a quick lunch!

Nice little spot to stop in early afternoon. Good food in a basic setting. Lots of activity and people watching.

Yummy vegetarian sandwich :)

I went with high expectations based on the reviews but was disappointed. The chicken curry tasted okay but the naan was undercooked. Fast food place with bad food. The open kitchen in the mall setting did not look hygienic.

Naan bread and curry, tasty!

Delicious food and very friendly staff. The chicken tikka wrap and lamb curry are fantastic, and the mango lassi is definitely a good choice too.

Very impressed. Small area with huge flavor. Best area for Indian food in the city. 10/10 would come again

Fantastic food, and service - Tandoori Wrap is a must

I have been going to the Bazaar for over 10 years now, the quality of the food, the service, simply unparalleled! Best authentic Indian food in town!!! And to boot, the staff is knowledgeable and ready to assist if one is unsure about a selection. Outstanding!!!

Chicken Tikka wrap is a must try

They were friendly and delicious and their food was incredible

Not bad for the price.

Love the chicken tikka wrap and how the make it fresh to order

Food here is amazing! great presentation and service.

A great place to pick up delicious and affordable Indian cuisine! Would highly recommend!

I am only choking down this meal because it cost me$20!!! Chicken is extremely dry, bahji is cold. The shredded lettuce theyre passing off as a salad is the best thing on the plate.

Real Indians. Typical dishes of good quality. And good value for money.

Butter chicken plate was a (2/5) Chicken tikka wrap (3/5) Chicken samosa and chutneys (5/5) First off I was greeted by an extremely friendly gentleman who was very happy and helpful! I went in specifically to order the chicken tikka wrap after hearing about it because it sounded delicious. The naan and chicken were both very fresh and of good quality. The wrap in its entirety was underwhelming, the authentic chicken flavor was overpowered by a strange sweet sauce. There was a very small amount of veggies, leaving a quite small wrap that was not very filling for its price. Just seemed to be missing a lot. The wrap was a 3/5 Visit #2 I went in again and ordered the butter chicken plate which wasnt worth anything near the 13$ menu price (samosa not included). The butter chicken itself was extremely bland and boring tasting and the chicken was dry (Id give it 2/5). The plate was small considering the price and they would not allow you to switch the salad for a naan. The chicken samosa was very tasty and one of the best chicken samosas i have ever had and the chutneys also had a great complex flavor (samosa 5/5).

Such good naan bread!

Great Indian food with decent amount of spices. Very friendly service. Awesome naan bread. Only possible downside was that the butter chicken could have been served warmer (it was perfect to eat right away, but eventually lost its heat).

friendly, excellent naan, butter chicken was nice as well but a little on the sweeter side, only con is that its a little pricey :( but I would go back next time Im craving Indian food :)

This place is a total scam. We just bought 6 samosas was $14. Fine no problem. They hand them to us stone cold so we ask to warm them. They say you have to pay tax if you want them warmed that its not free to hear up your food! They dont charge tax if its cold but you have to pay it to warm it up. Left them all there and left. What a joke! Cold food!!

Granted theres some variety, the food isnt the greatest and its not the friendliest of service either. The samosas are overpriced. They are slightly bigger but I cant see how youre getting more than a regular shaped samosa. There are many other places that offer you greater value for better tasting food.

I must say, they have really good naans. The staff was very friendly but gave false information. Typically one plate here costs $ 7-9 and has 1 curry, rice and salad. We wanted four such plates but since we planned to share, we asked for curry and rice to be served separately. The owner said it can be done and would cost slightly higher than the usual combo - remember , slightly higher. We ordered for four of us and expected the bill to be around $40 - $60 max - ( which would have been on much higher side considering the food quality and taste). To our surprise it was $97.10..breaking the combo actually meant paying double for it. For the misleading information and overpriced food (when not in combo) , you get 2 star!

The chicken tikka wrap is simply delicious. A great selection for a lunch or even a light dinner. Many other amazing choices on their menu. Service was quick and professional.

I was very impressed with the freshness of my meal. The chicken was cooked just right. The potatoes and garbage where cooked perfect!! I would have liked it a wee bit warmer but it was still very yummy. My first time there today and i will definitely be back. The owners wife was very friendly and kind and even scooped me up some butter chicken to try. I was very satisfied with the portion i was served. I will be telling all my friends and family to go have a meal there. You wont be disappointed. Thank you :)

Solid place for a quick and very tasteful lunch in the market

$16 for a small plate of cold butter chicken. Never coming back!

We ordererd take out from this restaurant. The food courier was very polite and friendly, great. But the food was mediocre to say the least. 1- It was room temperature. 2- The salad was served in the same container as samosas. The salad was doused in dressing and slop. 3- We were two eating the food. We order for TWO. We were charged for two samosas, yet given HALF a samosa each. Same for naan bread. Way overpriced for the quality and quantity. Will not be ordering from them again.

awesome food...must visit

Worst food ever eaten.

Worst Indian Restaurant i have ever been and too costly for the quality of the food and service.

Great Indian food with a good kick. Moderate selection of alcohol, though certainly limited with respect to beers. The vegetarian options are varied and the atmosphere is fantastic. Its on the expensive side, though youre paying for a higher quality than most other Indian places in Ottawa. Not a great first data place, unless youre both seasoned curry veterans ;)

Just tried the chicken and beef samosa. Amazing! Ill be back to try the rest of the menu!

I love this place. For quality Indian food, this is the place to go in Ottawa. Although I should warn you that medium spicy at Shafali is quite hot. Very authentic, the naan bread is fresh, cooked to order and absolutely delicious. Youre looking at about 16-20 bucks a plate, but for the quality and taste its well worth it. Its a very small, intimate place which is great for a date or night out with the family. Cant complain about the service, the usual waiters are always very courteous and professional.

Food was not bad...but on expensive side..

Went for a Diwali dinner with my husband and his cousin. Some dishes were ok, some were not. Going on a Wednesday night was slow and the service was slow but there was only one waitress so you cant blame her. The food was definitely over priced. Veg appetizer platter for two - very tasty. Butter Chicken - Ive had better but it was good. Tandoori Platter - not enough food and was bland. Shrimp was overcooked (chewy) Veg Biryani - was very yummy Machli ka tikka - fish was over cooked as well and a little bland. Garlic Naan - very disappointed. Charging $3.50 and dont even use fresh garlic on top of the naan, was a total rip off! All in all, this place was alright. There were hits and misses. I would probably check out other Indian restaurants before I go here again.

The food is outstanding, service is excellent, and the atmosphere is great. The only downside is its a bit pricey (perhaps because of the good reputation).. $4.50 for a small bowl of plain, white rice is insane considering most other restaurants offer the same for 1/4 the cost.