Mother's Day's dinner 2026. Amazing service from Miquela. Ask for her. Amazingly good food. So many flavors!! Our local friends adore this place. I can see why. Right by the harbor. Reservations recommended. Next level Indian food. Truly magical!! You must try it. read more

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I've been enjoying Indian dishes in NYC, London, Seattle over many decades and this was the best Indian food I've ever had. We were a group of eight and shared loads of dishes, all exceptional. The service was excellent, and the space was nicely designed. Will definitely return! read more

It was the highlight of our BC Bites & Sights tour. I wish we could have stayed longer to try more of their Malabar coastal cuisine. Our group arrived some time after 9pm on a Friday evening. I knew we were in for a treat as soon as we opened the door. There was an amazing aroma of spices that was waiting for us inside. The service was great! We were immediately sat at a large table near the entrance. We had a great view of the entire restaurant. Every table was taken, and I'm assuming it was their last dinner seating since it was past closing time. We were given samples of a pilsner from the local Hoyne Brewing Company as our guide was telling us about this unique restaurant with Kerala cuisine. It was so smooth and light. It actually pairs well with spicy food. The experience became magical after receiving this beautifully plated fish/rice ball. I love the presentation with the curry leaf on top. It's like a cross between an arancini and a fish curry. This was a flavor bomb. Absolutely delicious! It was crispy on the outside, and packed with a yummy filling of minced fish and curry spices on the inside. I've never had anything like it. I would go back to Victoria just to eat at this restaurant. It was that wonderful! I wish we had more time here. We were only in port for 3.5 hours. Fortunately, it was enough time to take this tour. I'm not sure we would have found it otherwise. I feel so fortunate that Cafe Malabar was one of the stops. The restaurant location is new to Mermaid Wharf. It was previously located in Victoria Public Market. I predict lots of good things happening for them in the future. The hype is real! read more

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Malabar is an absolute gem! If you're looking for bold, flavorful South Indian food in Victoria, this is the place. It's such a fantastic take on Kerala cuisine...every dish we tried was layered with spices and cooked to perfection. From start to finish, the meal was incredible. The flavors were deep, rich, and comforting in the way only South Indian food can be. You can really taste the care and authenticity in each dish. We also had both the chai and the coffee, and they were perfect...fragrant, strong, and exactly what you want to sip alongside all that spice. This was one of the most memorable meals we had in Victoria. Can't recommend it enough! read more

I heard about cafe Malabar's awards, chefs and unique cuisine. Went with high expectations . Had rasam puri, black Chana kadlaya, and appam. Rasam puri was ordinary. The way they serve was an interesting. But because they bring the puris with the stuffing their base becomes soft before you can get to them. Appam- I have eaten rarely so have no reference point. I liked them but would have loved to have them with ghee and podi on top. Black Chana Kadlaya was a let down. It was super hot (tasted like too much garam masala). There was a lot of something else (seems grated or sliced) compared to amount of black Chana. We got out table at 7:35 pm. Main course was not served until 8:40 pm. That is a long wait. Restaurant was packed and had good energy read more

Loved the prawn masala and the unique varieties of bread such as paratha Great view on the patio read more

This was a really great dining experience. Most North American Indian restaurants focus on north Indian food, and the only South Indian food I've previously tried were dosas. The waitstaff was incredibly kind and helpful. I'm vegetarian and my friend who was dining with me is gluten and dairy free. There were several vegetarian appetizers and curries available. Most of the menu was dairy free and about half of it was gluten free. Our waitress was incredibly knowledgeable about the food ingredients and cooking method, and was immediately able to tell my friend which items met their dietary restrictions, including which items had the risk of cross contamination with gluten, such as through being placed in a frier that was also used for items with gluten. I believe half the appetizers and all the curries were gluten free. I had the chaya (contains dairy) and it was some of the best chai I had throughout my whole vacation in British Columbia. It was very well spiced, rich, and not overly sweet. You could tell they make it in house. We got an egg hopper to start. It was very simple - an egg cooked in an appam, but very tasty. I had the vegetable ishtu with parottas for dinner. The curry had a coconut milk base and was very tasty. My friend had the fish pollichathu and appams. She said it was incredible. It had a bit of a spicy kick to it. For dessert, my friend had the coconut creme caramel, which they modified to be gluten free by not putting the crispy top layer on it. It was so good they ordered a second one to have as breakfast the next morning. read more

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This is on the pricier side, but service and the food truly make up for it. It tastes so good and fresh. They also give you a really nice rose tea with the meal which is so good. read more

Cafe Malabar - Coconut chicken - Indian Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

We've had a lot of Indian food but mostly North Indian. Cafe Malabar specializes in South Indian cuisine and the flavors were so powerful but well balanced. We ordered an assortment including the egg puff, tofu cutlet, chicken and spicy fish curries, both rice options, and some parathas. Oh, and a banana smoothie. What a treat. And the chef was so nice even though he was busy filling orders. Nice find inside Victoria Public Market. read more

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By far the best Indian food outside India and they have a good GF selection. I travel globally and always search out the local Indian restaurants wherever I am and this is by far the best!! If you're in Victoria and love Indian cuisine you'll not be disappointed. Service is excellent too. read more

It's not just that the food was 10/10, the kindness of the front staff was something we will cherish for years to come. When I first noticed that Victoria BC had a restaurant that specialized in food from Kerala my excitement knew no bounds. Several south Indian restaurants we have tried before while good in their own right lacked dishes that I grew up eating and craving. Not this one, from puttu to appams and Malabar biryani the menu boasted of everything I have wanted to eat for the last 10 years but haven't found. Our only mistake was assuming that we would find a table the same day. Little did we know that the restaurant would be pretty much booked for the entire weekend. After politely apologizing to us the front desk staff member went to check with the chef if they would make an exception for the evening take a pick up order for us, while we waited for our food to be prepared he brought us warm drinks to make the wait less painful while repeatedly apologizing for now being able to get us a table. When we got home at dived into the food it was everything I had hoped for and more, everything was delicious, the Kerala fried chicken, the egg puff, the appams and chicken varatharachathu and the Malabar biryani were pure perfection. This was clearly one of the best restaurant experiences we have had in a long time. read more

I decided to try Cafe Malabar. It serves classic South Indian food at the Victoria Public Market, and it was a fantastic experience! There are a lot of seatings at the public market. I have always enjoyed the ambiance at public food markets. The restaurants/foods are like hidden gems. Thanks to Chef Kiran's recommendation, I tried the Puttu + Kadala curry, and it exceeded my expectations. The flavours, spices, and textures in the dish were exceptional, especially the black chickpeas. I've never had Puttu before and it was interesting! If you're looking to explore authentic South Indian cuisine, this is the place to be! Chef Kiran's expertise and humbleness added to the overall great service. Highly recommend! read more

Cafe Malabar - Puttu + Kadala Curry - Indian Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

This spot was perfection. The wait staff and host were super attentive and helpful with the menu. Was the best meal we've had our trip to Victoria. We had the rock fish in banana leaf with dosa and poratta. 10/10. The curry for the fish was very well made and spice level was perfect for us. The poratta are must tries. We ended the meal with masala chai in the cutest tea cups. The decor of the restaurant is modern and simple. Works really well! Will be coming back if ever in Victoria! read more

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Delicious Indian food! Food from Kerala so perhaps not the Indian food you are used to. Flavorful, good portions, and new favors to our palate. Highly recommend. Hard to read menu but asked questions and got helpful feedback! read more

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The hosts here are like Gaitok at White Lotus: seemingly friendly but totally incompetent at their jobs. Was told different stories about wait times, never got on the list, had to leave. A lot of people waiting around for food and waitstaff looking frantic and unable to keep up. read more

Probably the best Indian food I've had. I'm not from India so I cannot comment on its authenticity but the flavors were manifold and the sauces delicious. I was able to find goat at an Indian restaurant in the Seattle area only once, so I was happy to see it on the menu at Malabar. My friends were mildly skeptical (a sharing meal we ordered out - BTW not Malabar's strong suit) but most of us agreed the goat dish was possibly the best. I look forward to dining here again (in house). read more

Delicious food--unexpected find in an unfamiliar town (to me). Friendly and casual service!

Cafe Malabar is the best South Indian food in BC (including Vancouver) with authentic flavours and food I have not eaten in years! The food is delicious but not hot and unpalatable, but unusual, different and delicious from the normal North Indian food. Every bite will take you to South India. The service is worth the wait! The ambience is that of any street stall in Asia and is unpretentious, but the food makes up for it! The Chefs and servers are humble and ever willing to explain the various items on the menu. So lucky to have such a restaurant hidden away in Victoria! read more