We tried sharing plates the waiter told us it would save us a bit of money that way. He told us he would do a mix of the chicken and vegetarian (told us he would give us the best meals). We received 2 eggplants, 1 chickpea and 3 chicken (1 spicy and two med) and two bowls of rice. I have to say for all the 6 of us it was a really small portion amount for rice. We run out of it before the meat and veggies and before everyone had some on their plates. I tried a bit of everything and also got lucky I added a bit of rice before adding the chicken or veggies. The eggplant was sweet and surprisingly tasty. The chickpea was my least favourite. Chicken was ok nothing fancy. They had thin Indian pita that I have not tried (gluten intolerance) but they kept them coming. Some in the group had beers. We got one bill and split between the 3 couples. 140$ was our I think it was expensive. My partner had 2 beer, but doing the math quickly plates were about $14-18 each. Don't think pita was included and they had 3 serving. The experience was good but not worth the $70 each price tag. I could have definitely eaten more. Think I would have more if I would have ordered my own bowl. I have never finished my side of rice at Indian restaurant before. Happy I got to try a variety of different dishes. Overall not a location I would recommend. read more

The food is absolutely amazing, the range of things they have is pretty good too! The portions are also huge, I shared with a friend and still had leftovers (which were still just as delicious as they were the day before). I believe we were either served by the owner or a manager as there was only one other small group there at the time and it was great! He was very lovely and everything came very fast! The dishware is beautiful and everything is set up so elegantly, it's a great place for such a fancy vibe without breaking the bank too! read more

Superb food, would highly recommend! Ordered online, great quality and great service. read more

Light of India Restaurant - Chicken Korma, Onion Bhaji, Naan, Papadums - Indian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I cannot thank the owners and staff of Light of India for all their great food and service over the years. I live in Calgary now and my mother, at 92, absolutely loved their food. She would get downright excited to have it every time I sent it. Every time staff bent over backwards to get it early for and added treats for her, a bit of pappadum or a couple of gulab jamun. Her favourites were Kashmiri chicken, Vegetables Korma, garlic Naan and sometimes Muligatawney soup or Chicken Pasanda. My Mom died last week. The last meal I bought her was yours. I cannot thank you all enough for the kindness and extra effort you made for my sweet Mom. When I'm back in town, I will continue the tradition with you. You are wonderful people. read more

This beautiful Gem never disappoints. I always order from Light of india wether it's for pick up or delivery when I'm in Ottawa. The food is fresh and flavorful. Keep it up guys read more

Light of India Restaurant - Butter chicken and shrimp Korma with Bindi and lamb Bryani delivered with contactless delivery at our door. Yum! - Indian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

My go to place! The food is absolutely the way Indian should be done. I have eaten at most of the "Indian" restaurants in Ottawa and abroad and have to tell you that this is the closest and authentic Indian cuisine you'll ever savour. Most places cook "Indian" like a fast food joint. The Light of India caters to the not so spicy taste buds group right up to the most developed Indian pallet. I happen to LOVE Indian Cuisine (top 5) the hotter the better. If you like it hot I would suggest the " Bangalore Pal" it's extremely hot however very flavourful! Like I have said, I have dined at least once in the majority of Ottawa's Indian restauraunts and No one comes close to making this dish as hot or authentic as it should be. EVERY DISH that i've ever had here is flavourful and awesome! I've read people complaining about decor and I have to ask ... are you their for the decor or to have real authentic Indian food, service and price? No I am not an employee, owner and no the owner/family/servers ... etc have no idea who I am except mabe knowing i dine and or order from here often. If anything negative ... I have to say parking in downtown Ottawa SUCKS!!! and you have to watch for the restaurant sign (look up) you can easily walk by the single door entrance. I love this "Mom & Pop" type place. They go above and beyond to make you feel like family. Last but not least ... the staff will inform, question, direct and forwarn you of the different heat levels so that you don't have a terrible dining experience. I believe the first or second time I ate here the server remembered that I like my Indian food "white hot" ... just saying! Check out the "Menu" ... Enjoy!!! read more

I was surprised by other five star reviews and over 40 years of tenure after I tasted their bland soupy goup they called 'curry'. Their food is horrendous for people who are looking to even have a decent(let alone authentic) Indian Cuisine experience. Later, after discussing with the owner, I find out that the White people around neighborhood actually loves such bland and sweet indian curries. The owner was absolutely friendly and an experienced gentleman. He had good knowledge of the market he was in. Bottomline: If you are looking for the authentic rich flavourful indian curries as we all know and love, please do not waste your dollars here. And for all other people who enjoy toned down cuisine suited to their taste and do not care if it is the real experience, please go ahead, they are welcoming you to be seated. read more

I have mixed feelings about the dinning experience that I had Friday night. Arrived with a group of six around 7:30 and the place was packed, but getting a table was no problem. The restaurant was inviting,had a home style feel, and I enjoyed the dim lighting. Tables are very close together, and it can get pretty loud, so you can definitely hear other parties conversations. BUT, and this is a BIG, SHOW STOPPING BUT, the service was slooooooooow! Everyone received their appetizers at different times, leaving hungry guests drooling. The wait times between appetizers and food were very long. Just getting our appetizers took about 45 minutes. Getting our bills was even a bigger hassle to the point where we all stood up, put on our jackets and were about to leave at 10:15 at night!! Remember we got there at 7:30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where they scored points: The food was delicious!!! We ordered krishna combo plate for one to share and veggie samosas. What you get with your combo: ($20.99) Onion Bhaji Vegetable Curry Peas Polao Papadum Pickles Dessert The samosas were the best that I have tried thus far. The onion bhaji was amazing, as well as the vegetable curry!! We never received the papadum, and when we asked where the pickles were, they brought us out some kind of Indian condiment paste. Neither of our guests tried it. Desert was a small bowl of pineapple and grapes which were refreshing. Not sure if the price justified what we received, but the food was delish! Our waiter was very friendly, chatted with all the tables, and we got to know him on a personal level. Our water boy was cute, and came around every 10 minutes to fill up our glasses with a smile! Although this restaurant was accommodating with large groups, was very inviting, and you never feel rushed to leave, it is not a great idea to dine here if you have an eventful night of events. We missed our trip to Starbucks and movie date! :( Would I go back? We all were yawning and had a headache when we left, but I don't think I would be back for a while. 3 Stars because the food, and staff were great. They lost 2 stars because the wait times were outrageously long and service was VERY slow! read more

The Light of India has tasty Indian food and great service. Their veggie korma makes my heart break it's so sweet and delicious. The mellow atmosphere and leisurely pace of the service means a great location for a date or a casual chat with friends. However, if you're looking for food in a rush, you should keep on walking or just splurge on the lunch or supper buffet. I've only had the buffet once myself. It was fairly good with moderate selection, but nothing stupendous. If you want a cheap meal to go and don't want to eat junky fast food, I suggest ordering curry as take out and then make your own rice at home. read more

Light of India Restaurant - the entrance to the restaurant - Indian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

On September 9, 2019, a friend and I had the lunch buffet at the Light of India which was a great disappointment. I had eaten dinner at the Light of India a few times in the past andwas looking forward to the same quality in the buffet. This unfortunately was not the case. The spicing was humdrum and boring, the dal was a watery mess, the butter chicken was dry and too bland, the spinach with chickpeas tasted old and the eggplant dish was awful. There wasn't even a hint of the glories of Indian spices, nor was any care taken to make the food palatable. When we complained to the waiter about the food he just shrugged his shoulders and was rude. I'll never go there again. read more

Good food. Good service as always. Al the owner will make you feel right at home. Personally I always get the chicken vindaloo and chicken madras. Lots of good choices to be had on the menu. read more

We had a really nice experience dining in on a Monday night. We had a vegetarian dish and one of the curry dishes, as well as naan and rice for the side. The food was delicious, prices were awesome considering the portions, and the staff was very friendly. I would definitely recommend it. read more

I decided to try this place again after watching a repeat of Man vs. Food where he goes to New York and eats phaal. I googled it and it looks like Light of India is the only place that has this curry in Ottawa. That's too bad. So I got a whole bunch of samosas, they were soggy and looked like they were reheated and the sauce that came with them tastes like sweet and sour. Quite unappetizing. I then got phaal of course, which had a nice, extremely spicy sauce however the quality of the meat was incredibly poor. If you've ever read any of my other reviews you'll know my biggest pet peeve is low quality meat, which Light of India uses. Lots of gristle and tendons found throughout my food, not one piece of white meat either, the rest was all fat. I picked the chicken chunks out and ate the sauce. I'd be willing to try a vegetable dish because as mentioned the sauce is quite delicious. If you're looking for a place with good quality meat AND flavorful, rich sauces. I highly recommend either Host India on Montreal Rd (don't do the buffet), or Coconut Lagoon on St. Laurent. Also worth mentioning this place was far from cheap. It was 30 something for 2 orders of samosas, and a phaal, no rice. read more

One of my favourite Indian restaurants in Ottawa. Portions are reasonable, service is formal without being snooty, prices are good. It's a family business so you may encounter several generations in a single visit. One of the sons who works there is very chatty and great at helping you pick out menu choices based on your food preferences - he will also customize dishes so everybody leaves happy. read more

The food wasn't great. Very salty and added chemical taste. (msg?) the service was good but the quality of the food was far from excellent. This was recommended as being highly rated, but my date and I weren't really impressed with the quality of the food. Quite touristy. Pleasant though. read more

Light of India Restaurant - Lamb madras and shrimp curry. Bland, boring not good. Saucy goop. - Indian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I went with my sister to the lunch buffet so this rating is based on that alone. The place is a bit on the eclectic side as far as decorations are concerned- it reminded me of being in a time warp to the days when Indian food was totally exotic and unknown in the west. At least where I grew up. Overall the buffet offers a great selection. The food was hot and there were some surprises. I don't know if it's just this place or a Canadian thing but having samosas on the buffet is a joyous occasion as I don't think I have ever seen that in the states. They also had papdum as well so that had me super excited. The entrees were all good and there was a huge variety. Price is not bad either. I would definitely suggest this as a good lunch spot in a very cute/trendy neighborhood that offers a lot of street shopping nearby. read more

Some classic Indian food with a very nice small atmosphere, sure the tables are close together but that is because the food is so good people do not mind eating close together, it's not like you are on top of the other tables. beef Dansak is just the right hot, butter chicken is always a good dish, the best hands down samosa in the city, onion bagie is a nice app. Try the Cobra beer.. They have the best Indian beer selection We order here 1-2 times per month read more

One of the absolute best restaurants in Ottawa! I moved to Boston years ago and still think about this lovely restaurant and all the wonderful people there all the time. It is the best Indian food I have ever had and I must say I miss it and think of it often. My personal favorites were the korma and ragan josh - unbelievable. When I next visit Ottawa this will be my first stop! read more

Small, quaint Indian restaurant with prompt, friendly, and helpful service. The food was delicious and the affordable. We appreciated the little touches like the small bowl of fruit at the end of the meal, the warm, moist toilettes and the ovation chocolates. The entire family enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend read more

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We just ordered three dishes from Light of India (Matar Paneer, "Spicy" Butter Chicken, and Tandoori Lamb Masala). All three very extremely underwhelming and as someone who enjoys the spice, texture and complexity of authentic India food, I can tell you this is not it. The Matar Paneer was mushy peas and strips of paneer floating in thin tomato broth that tasted like Alphabet Soup with the letters strained out. The lamb masala and butter chicken had identical looking and tasting sauces. The only dish that had any flavour at all was the "spicy" butter chicken and this was because it had a faint hint of Frank's Red Hot, but absolutely no identifiable Indian spices. This was by far the worst Indian food I've ever had and the long wait for the delivery and moderately expensive nature of the dishes did not help to make up for this utter waste of money. read more

I really liked most of the food we had there. There was a beef curry that was not great, but nice soup, fantastic naan, excellent eggplant bhajji, delicious tandoori chicken... The buffet at lunch is also ok, but perhaps not quite as good as the evening dishes. I didn't have any impression of reheated stuff. It all tasted quite fresh. Itś not the best restaurant in town but for now I don't know any better indian ones (mind you I don't know all that many). read more

This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Ottawa. Huge portions, moderately priced Indian in a simple, unassuming, but clean atmosphere. It's never sold-out, but there are always people there for dinner. Comes with complementary papadums to start and pineapple + grapes + After 8 mint to finish. Butter chicken is creamy and sweet, with lots of almonds and raisins. Naan is perfect: crispy yet fluffy and buttery. Vegetable Korma is so good. The spicy dishes are really spicy. Love the onion bhaji but make sure to ask for the raita that only sometimes comes with it. read more

Best Indian food in Ottawa. Variety of options from mild to extremely hot dishes - my friend tried their vindaloo and he was drenched in sweat after his meal. It was honestly quite disgusting (not the curry, my friend is disgusting). Very generous portions for what you pay for, which is what I look for in a restaurant. It did take a while for the food to come out, but we were a group of 7 so it was understandable. I got the vegetable biryani and it was half my body size (I am 5'1 and 100 lbs). All the food we got was very yummy and I would definitely come again. read more

Great food and great service. I've been visiting this restaurant for over 15 years and I've always left happy and satisfied. I have family and friends that visit from out of town that insist a visit to Light of India during their time in Ottawa. Servers will recommend dishes that will suit your tastes if you're looking to try something new. Lots of vegetable dishes that are amazing such as Begun Bhaji and Bhindi Bhaji. Chicken Dhansak is a favourite too. read more

This family run Indian restaurant is one of my favorites. They remember their regulars and are very welcoming to new patrons. I can only review lunch here as this is the only time we are in the area. Its set up as a buffet. Everything is always warm. The butter chicken is delicious and i can't seem to get enough of the fried cauliflower! Mmmm read more

love this lunch buffet. Been there a few times I didn't know I would enjoy Indian food so much.. there was a selection of about 20 items. and the buffet price is great. I always gain 10 lbs when I go there. It's a cozy little spot you can bring a date but the tables are close together so you may hear other peoples convos.. You won't be disappointed during the lunch buffet.. I have not been there any other times but my experience was a definite 5 stars. The owner is friendly and it was not too crowded when I went. Am going there again soon.. read more

Very good food, you can ask for spicy and guess what? It will be. I love the begun bhaji. Service very friendly. Closed at 21:30, 22:00, not an after theater place. read more

This review is based on one visit, but there will be follow-up research. The food we had was tarkha daal and the intriguingly-named "motor paneer." (It wasn't a small-block.) The tarkha daal was a real switch-up from the various daals I've tried elsewhere, and I'd order it again. The motor paneer would have had too many peas, had the peas been mealy horrid frozen articles, but they were crunchy and fresh tasting, so it was quite nice. The naan was also unique. I appreciated the size of them, and they were certainly substantial. I was also thrilled that they were not drenched in butter or whatever, which too often is the case if you forget to specify. The flavour was a little different, but good. Throughout the meal we had appropriate, congenial service from three friendly servers. We were not hurried, but we did not have to wait either. At meal's end, we got a small fruit salad and an ovation (!) each. The microwaved hot towels are overkill but in total the service was great. The only sour note was the fracking mess left all around my seat by the child who'd sat there afore me. The chair was even wet. I couldn't understand why we were seated there. But I apparently didn't care because they noticed the appalled look on my face, offered to move us, and I declined. Sometimes you have to endure to build character. The best part: the meal was not greasy, its flavours were balanced and not overbearing, and at no time later did I regret eating it. I didn't have to live with aftertaste for a day afterword. That is scientifical proof that it wasn't chock full of oil. read more

I absolutely love Light of India. When my boyfriend and I go for dinner, we always order three dishes so we have leftovers. The lamb Korma is sweet and delicious and when we get the very spicy dishes, trust me, it's almost painfully spicy (but oh so yummy). The only downside is the pre-meal bread; I didn't care for it. read more

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa! I absolutely LOVE the food here! There is always so much food that we have some to bring home for leftovers. The lunch buffet is good as well. The decor is very kitschy and kinda like you stepped into a time warp or something but it adds to the feel of the place and it is part of the charm. The staff are beyond wonderful! Super friendly and really get to know you on a personal level. I have been going there for over 12 years and they know my whole family. The only downside, and why they got four stars, is you cannot be in a rush when you are going there. It is a lengthy evening from the moment you sit down until the time you pay your bill. They are a very busy spot on weekends and this can make your visit even slower; with take out orders happening in addition to dinning room guests. Make sure you take into account that you will be there for several hours if it is a busy night. But the food and the staff make it all worth while! I've been going back for 12 years, that should say something! Love this place!! read more

I've given this restaurant a poor rating because I've eaten at multiple Indian restaurants and this was horrible. The taste of the food was non existent. It was bland, cold (not even warm), took too long to be served. I've tasted better hospital food to be frank. I would never recommend or go back to this restaurant. I'll give to them the 1 star for smiles and cleanliness. read more

Very tasty meals. The Ragan Josh beef was the best dish. Generous portions. Service is a bit slow when they are busy, but overall very good. read more

I decided to try light of india again. The first time there was a huge hair in my food. I decided to give them a second chance tonight. After waiting over an hour for my delivery, they forgot to include one of the main component of the order. Now I'm waiting for another delivery so i don't have to drink curry out of a cup. If I could give lower then a one star I would. read more

We frequent here to enjoy Indian food. I especially like the variety of hotness offered with your choices of entrees. Great place to go for Indian food. Service was great each time we went. Highly recommend it! read more

This tiny restaurant has a really nice decor and great mellow atmosphere. I have been here for their buffet once and more recently for a friend's birthday. I had high expectations on both occasions based on the reviews but I must say I was really disappointed. The options in the buffet were okay and food was alright. But for a lunch buffet, I don't have a lot of expectations. My big disappointment was dinner party. The service was good but the food took forever to arrive and there was way too much confusion when the food was being served. The butter chicken was sweet and had too much of a tomato flavour for me. i tried some of the other curries and the flavours were very similar. I wonder if they use a standard curry base during preparation and just add a few other spices depending on the dish. I was also surprised with the portions especially knowing how much the dish cost. Overall a very disappointing experience. read more

This is a friend's favorite Indian restaurant. I do not understand why. the lunch buffet is not that great and my husband and i went for dinner only to find the service lacking. the food is ok not great and the tables are very close together. not my favorite. read more

Solid buffet with a good selection. I have only been for lunch, but have always left very full and satisfied. One of my favourite Indian spots in Ottawa read more

Best Indian food in the city! Have been going for over 10 years - SO good - Wonderful staff, very friendly!

My wife and I ate at the Light of India on March 26. We eat here once a year or so and have always enjoyed the food. Not this time. We ordered the Light of India Special Platter. The mixed dish consisted of tandoori chicken, lamb tikka, shrimp tikka and sheek kebab. It was served with nan, peas polao rice, green salad and mint sauce. All of the food was overcooked and so very dry. We came away with the impression that the food had been precooked and then put into a microwave. The serving of rice was skimpy. At least the nan was good. It also took a while for the food to be served. In contrast the restaurant was quite busy with take out orders. So much so we wondered if dining-in eaters had been forgotten. read more