Chad W.

In town and came here for lunch today. Not sure if dinner menu is different but I really enjoyed my lunch. I am an Indian food fanatic and love thali as it gives you a chance to try several things. I had the lamb thali. I wish it did give you 2 meat dishes in your thali instead of 1 and rest being veggie. I have to say the veggie mango curry was absolutely amazing! So delicious! Loved the roti that came with as well. Would like to experience more here. Flavors are all there. Nothing was bland at all.

Jerry L.

The restaurant is location adjacent to a residential neighborhood. It has a small parking lot. We parked in the neighborhood and had a short walk. Upon entering I noticed it was full. We arrived and did not have reservations, however as packed as it was , they gave us a table upstairs. not as open as downstairs but a quaint area. It's modern inside , restrooms are clean. We had a very attentive waiter. Took about 35-40 before we received our food. I had the Salmon Curry which was the best salmon curry I've experienced, she had a lamb dish which was very good. The food was very good.

Theresa M.

The service was exceptional and the visual ambiance was wonderful. The restaurant is so nice that it feels intimate, but the place was full of people and conversation which did make it difficult to hear each other. I appreciated the sound absorbers on the walls as they did help to dampen the overall noise of conversations from other tables. I wonder if more sound absorbers around table barriers would help as well. Food was very good. We ordered the kfc appetizer as well as the pappadum, and for dinners, we ordered the chef special (lamb shank), mushroom curry, beef & potato curry, and chicken biryani. Everything tasted very fresh, not heavy, and very unique! How could I forget -- we also ordered parotta (naan). The parotta was the BEST we have ever had anywhere. I would go back just for this. The chicken and the beef were a bit overcooked in our opinion, but maybe that is the kerala style? We felt the meat could have been a little more tender if cooked a bit less. The lamp shank could actually have used a bit more cooking to help it fall off the bone more. The mushroom curry was spot on. Overall, the place deserves 5 stars. Everyone in the party was very happy and we will all come back again when we can.

Stephanie T.

Weekend lunch buffet was very tasty, but on the pricier side. On the weekend I was there, the restaurant filled up quickly after 11 am. Limited parking is available in front and beside the restaurant, and this was already filling up shortly after 11 am as well. However, further down there is street parking available. For $22 before tax and tip, you have full access to their lunch buffet. They have buffets for lunchtime only. From left to right, they have desserts, curries, rice, carbs, and the salad bar. Not the most intuitive order, but it isn't the hugest selection so it works. Favourites were the butter chicken and pepper lamb. The egg curry was also very tasty. It was my first time having poratta over naan, and I liked it. I was not as much of a fan of the vada, which were like bready donuts. The pappadum was delicious as well. The chutneys available in the salad bar were also super tasty. Dosas are made to order, and they bring them to you as fast as the kitchen can make them. In terms of vegetable dishes, they had a veggie curry, a cooked cabbage dish, and a cabbage salad. I preferred the cabbage salad over the cooked one. I think if items were labelled in the salad section (like the sauces) it would have been more helpful. That day they had 2 soups - 1 that was made to be eaten with the dosa, and another that was like a butternut squash ginger soup (didn't taste very Indian). Both were tasty. I didn't like the fried donut dessert (way too sweet), but the mango sago dessert was alright. I would come back again, but perhaps as a treat as it does come to almost $25 before tip. For lunch, I find this a bit much, but again it is buffet. For a buffet, the quality is good.

Jay M.

Average food and pathetic staff behavior - two reasons enough for me to cross this place off. After a tiring day, South Indian food is what makes my day, but in this case, it worsened it. Food: We went for Vada-Sambhar, Rasam, Madras Eggplant Masala and Chapathi. To begin with, Sambhar was okay. Vada wasn't soft - when I compare it with what I have had everywhere else. I did like the Rasam though - nice flavors and very appetizing. Even though a side dish, we went for Madras Eggplant Masala since we didn't want to stuff ourselves (and we were right). The curry was quite well made but not that spicy. The portion was good enough for two people unless you are planning to stuff yourself. Chapati, to our fortune, did come out fresh from tawa and quite hot. Where I felt the issue was that the dough wasn't fresh because the chapati started turning hard soon. Staff: Now, here's where the greatest problem we encountered. The gentleman attending us was a little uptight, giving a disgusted look on a couple of occasions. First is when I asked if the vada is dipped in the sambhar or served separately - not sure how it was a horrible question. Again, when ordering Madras Eggplant Masala, we asked about the portion size, to which, he weirdly responded, "We'll see". Well, those two words made a good dip in his tip. And the final nail in the coffin hit when they served the Madras Eggplant Masala, with some meat dish and placed it right next to my face for me to take a smell of it. Ambiance: It is quite a cramped place with dark settings. They have a good seating capacity, especially for the large families. However, the reception is all the way down the restaurant which made it a little weird to just stand as you enter and wait for someone to notice you - a setting not very unique in Canadian restaurants though. Definitely give a pass!

Violetta S.

Why this place got rave reviews in the past is beyond me. The food is nothing special. My husband is Indian and we were both disappointed. We came with a group of 5 and two babies. First off, we got one high chair which was filthy. I had to use about 10 baby wipes to clean it to a somewhat acceptable level. The wipes were black with dirt. Staff saw me cleaning it myself and they didn't even offer to help. Seriously? The floors were also super gross. I hate to think what the kitchen must look like??? Then there was the food. We ordered the fish, coconut chicken, and lamb biryani with some raita. Lamb was not tender and full of fatty bits. The fish was just ok. The chicken was your standard coconut chicken curry. I really couldn't taste anything out of the ordinary. Raita tasted watered down. We also got mango lassis which tasted like old mangos from a can with almost no yogurt. I've had better at the mall! On top of everything, we all had major stomach pains later that evening. Like I said, I hate to think what the kitchen looked like but there was likely some cross contamination with the food no doubt. I definitely won't be going back and won't recommend this place if you want truly good Indian food. Way overpriced and ordinary. Move on if you know what authentic flavourful Indian food should be like and don't want to be disappointed.

Charlotte S.

With its many rave reviews in news outlets and social media, Coconut Lagoon has long been on my list of must-try restaurants in the city. However, I found myself underwhelmed after my first visit. While the food was decent (we ordered Naddan Kohzi Curry and Butter Chicken), the flavours seemed almost identical to those found at other Indian restaurants. I will concede that perhaps I don't understand the nuances of Indian food; however, that, coupled with the relatively small quantities and steep prices, makes it hard to justify going back again. The things they do differently, like serving Porathas over naan bread, are interesting but aren't enough to entice me to return (I prefer my porathas more buttery). The one dish we were impressed by was the Tandoori Lamb Chops (regrettably, I forgot to take a picture). Although they were delicious - well-seasoned, juicy, and tender - it doesn't seem worth the price ($14 for literally 2 RIBS of lamb or $7 per rib). Located in Vanier, the restaurant is modest in size but more modern in design than its counterparts. While the ambience was that of a fine-dining restaurant, our interactions with the waiters left something to be desired. The waiter who took our orders seemed impersonal and distracted, seeming to barely care. That is, until he began to pressure us to order more - first, an appetizer, then, drinks. While this interaction didn't make a big impact on our experience, it certainly didn't add to it. All things considered, I think Coconut Lagoon will be a one-time thing for me.

Anshita S.

One of the best South Indian restaurant I have been to recently. We stumbled upon the restaurant while we were in Ottawa for a 5 day trip. Ate here for Sunday buffet and boy oh boy, it was soooo good. The options are pretty good for both veggie and meat lovers and most of the dishes were very authentic. Most of the dishes are from the Indian state of Kerala. We had such a great experience that we ate here again on a week night. The prices are on the higher side and portions are a little small, so the buffet is definitely a good value for money. The service was phenomenal both the times. Some dishes that are must try: Kerala Porotta, Lentil Doughnuts(Vada), Tandoori Lamb Chops, Paneer & Pea Makhanwala and Moota(Egg) curry. The dining area is a little tight, so if you are going with a big group, I recommend making reservations.

Bernie C.

You know what? We did not like this place very much. You know why? The food was bland. It was actually difficult to eat. We got the chicken thali. Chicken was dry, and the vegetarian dishes were just not good. It felt like when you're a kid, dragged to your aunts house, and just don't like anything on your plate. You know what else? It came to the table cold. And we didn't even bother to ask them to warm it up, because we knew that wouldn't help. Not to mention, the service was kinda smug and the whole menu is overpriced! We'll never come back, and suggest you don't bother either. Unless you want mango lassi, because that was actually quite delicious. Considering there are so many positive reviews, they're clearly written by people that really have no idea what even average Indian food should taste like. Pass.

Katie B.

This is one of the best restaurants in Ottawa, and THE BEST South Indian cuisine. The flavours are rich, bright, and complex, always leaving you wanting another bite. Since I'm a big believer that reviews should be based on individual dishes, I'll review each of the dishes we ordered. Pan Sautéed Crab Cakes - absolutely spectacular. Crispy outside, moist inside. Just PACKED with crab with not much filler. The Chili Lime Aioli is one of the best sauces I've ever tasted, and I'm a sauce fiend. I wish they bottled the stuff up and sold it. Tandoori Lamb Chops - this is the third time we've had these, and they never disappoint. Honestly, they are SO jam-packed with flavour. You can tell before your first bite because the outside is just caked in a lovely paste of wonderful, dark spices. Cooked perfectly with a little bit of char on the outside and tender on the inside. The mint sauce, again, is amazing! I wish I could eat these every day. So, needless to say, the appetizers were 5-star, for sure! However, I must admit that although the main's curry sauce components were mostly awesome, the meat was a little bit of a let-down: Kuttanadu Duck - The taste of the curry sauce was absolutely spectacular. It's a dark green sauce just jam-packed with flavor. Extremely rich with the perfect balance of acid. However, unfortunately, the duck was quite overdone. I know that duck is definitely denser than chicken, but we have prepared duck breast at home that was much more tender. It was pretty tough to cut through. Lobster Masala - Again, the taste of the curry sauce was great, but not as good as the duck dish. I personally found it too acidic for my liking, and I generally add acid to any meal I prepare (and even ask for lemon slices at restaurants if dishes are missing acid... don't worry, I pretend it's for the water). But yeah, too acidic. Also, like the duck, the lobster was definitely overdone. Another little detail was that the lobster was served still in the tail, covered in sauce, which made fishing out the lobster morsels a little difficult. I understand if this is the way the dish is supposed to be made, but I wonder if it would have been easier to get the lobster out of the tail if it was more tender? As for the sides - absolutely wonderful! Porathas: So tender, stretchy, and so perfect for scooping up curry! Rice: I forget the name of the type we got, but it was so great! Perfectly cooked and not over-seasoned to not overpower the curry flavours. The service was great - polite and fast, but nothing to rave about. It was pretty standard, but to tell you the truth, we were there for the food, so the loss of a star has nothing to do with the service.

Mimi J.

I was having a really strong craving for spicy, flavorful curry so I decided to come here on Sunday for their lunch buffet! I was really impressed with the mix of unique flavours in each of the dishes. My favourite was the butter chicken and the pepper curry. The meats in both were tender, and the sauce fully permeated the meat so it was flavorful. The lamb was probably more well spiced; the chicken pieces were quite large and the insides were slightly dry. I definitely preferred the meat curries compared to the vegetable ones. There was also an interesting yellow salmon curry which was lighter in taste. I also loved the sauce for the egg curry which was yellow and had many long strings of onion in it. Service was really attentive and they always filled up your water glasses before it got empty! For the dosas, you have to request them; I got the masala version and LOVED it. My second plate of food was mostly the curry sauce so I could dip pieces of the dosa inside...delicious. The outside of the dosa was ever slightly crispy, and filled with potato masala stuffing. I could eat many of them, but they fill you up. The atmosphere was really comfortable and clean; they just finished renovations 1.5 months ago so it was super modern and atypical of an indian restaurant. It made you want to stay longer and keep filling up on curry ;) One area they could improve on is desserts; there was only gulab jamun and mango tapioca. Some burfi would be nice as well! Maybe even some masala chai tea. Also, price is a bit high at $21 for lunch buffet but you are paying for quality. My other favourite buffet is East India's dinner buffet which I believe is $18.

Jessica G.

My friend and I ventured into Coconut Lagoon for a little catch-up girls dinner date since we had heard many good things about this restaurant. We both ordered a main dish to share - Chicken Biryani and Lamb Korma (with rice). Our Chicken Biryani was beautifully displayed in their rose gold bowls and some cilantro delicately placed on top. The pieces of chicken were big chunks mixed into the rice and I have to say, the biryani was very flavourful. There was a mixture of spices that blended together well in the rice dish. The Lamb Korma came with rice and riata. The rice was sprinkled with so many colours like a rainbow from the spices they mixed into it. The lamb korma was delicious and it was just spicy enough for my taste buds. The server asked if we wanted to make it spicier, so that is definitely an option. We can't have a meal without trying the mango lassi. My friend and I both got the sweet version and it was super creamy. I really loved how they put in ice cubes to make sure the lassi stayed cold. The food was overall very tasty and flavourful. I really enjoyed the mango lassi but it definitely made me very full. The portion were a good size (one main meal for one person) and we had leftovers afterwards. The only downside of this restaurant was that it is a little pricier than expected. Overall a delicious restaurant if you're looking for indian food.

Felix W.

My girlfriend and I decided to come here on Saturday for the lunch buffet. I had been once previously but she had never been so we gave it a shot. Both of us are fans of "East India Company" downtown, so this would have been a good comparison. We made reservations for 12:30 and got there a little bit late due to traffic and finding parking, but our table was still available for us at 12:40! I was happy about that since there was a bit of a line at the time. We were seated, and our server told us that there was a chef making a crepe on the side and that our table would get one shortly. Off to the buffet we went. There was a good amount of choices, including a tray of tasty naan bread. My favourites were the mushroom curry and the pepper lamb. The food isn't too spicy overall, but definitely has more of a kick than other Indian restaurants I've been to. We both enjoyed the food a lot. I also ordered a mango lassi to drink. Parking is a bit trickier here. There is a series of spots in front of the restaurant, but they will fill up during busy hours. Thankfully, there are a lot of small residential streets behind the restaurant and parking is available there on weekends.