Mantra was a great find as we cycled past it on the protected bike lane and could smell the spices…read more When we arrived, the nicest server ever greeted us and we enjoyed a laugh when a robot brought our naan on its tray! We ordered Rogan Josh lamb in a perfect med hot spiced sauce and my hubby had the tandoori chicken, expertly done! Everywhere in Victoria is serving mint chutney as a yogurt now? (it's ok,.. but I miss regular mint chutney of the past.) Naan is really good here too. I liked the decor/ambiance and really nice waitress! A great stop on the way back from the art gallery!

We ordered delivery for dinner and it did not disappoint! We ordered a lot of vegan food - all…read moresuper yummy Kachumber Salad Gobhi Garlic Garlic Naan Onion Bhajia Papdi Chaat Navratan Korma Vegetable Coconut Curry Everything was the perfect spice level! Now we are very full with some leftovers too.

We really liked this place. Our food was wonderful and servings were generous. It's a very good…read morelooking restaurant. Service was slow and that probably is a kitchen problem. They weren't very busy on Sunday evening but only one server was working and she had to bus the tables also. Apparently they don't answer the phone. We had butter sauce with chicken, navratan korma and naan. The charge was C $46 plus tax and tip. That's about US $33.54. Street parking only.

We wanted to try some Indian food while in Victoria. We love the spices and found Sizzling Tandoor…read moreon Yelp. Mostly five star reviews so we decided to give it a go. We had a high bar because we had just gone to an Indian restaurant in Chicago that was over the top good. Sizzling Tandoor met that bar. It was just as good as Chicago. Many reviews mentioned the Rogan Josh Lamb so we ordered that and balanced it off with Chicken Tikka Masala. We each ate half of each entree. A side of plain Naan completed the meal. We like hot food and we're going to order hot, but our server, Muskan, convinced us to get medium hot. It was perfect. Muskan was attentive but didn't hover. She engaged us in a nice convo after our meal and was very pleasant. The most difficult part was deciding which we liked better. The lamb won, but only by a small margin. Both were excellent.

What an absolutely wonderful and delicious adventure…read more My wife and I were visiting Victoria on Holiday and we were looking for somewhere to have lunch. We love Indian cuisine so we decided to try Indian Aroma. First of all the restaurant itself is clean and very well decorated with genuine Indian decor, it's beautiful. We were seated immediately and our waiter was so helpful. I wish I caught his name to thank him here as well...if you are reading this, thank you! Okay, on to what you're waiting for, the food! My wife ordered chicken biryani and I order the chicken vindaloo extra hot! They were both so so so dang good. I finished my entire dish and have no regrets. Lol! If we come back to Victoria we will make it a point to eat here again. If you're on the fence, just give it a try.

Chole bhatura was very good. Rest of the food was also decent and tasty. Above average food and can…read morecome back.

Mother's Day's dinner 2026. Amazing service from Miquela. Ask for her…read more 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.

It was the highlight of our BC Bites & Sights tour. I wish we could have stayed longer to try more…read moreof 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!

Some of the best Indian food we have ever had! Butter chicken medium spicy was the perfect choice…read more It was a creamy tomato base with huge chucks of chicken! You get your money's worth at this place. Also, I appreciated that our food came out piping hot and continued to stay hot throughout the course of our meal. My husband got the same dish but "Indian spicy" and he was dripping beads of sweat, just how he likes it! Lol. 10/10 would come back if we were in the area again. *Hard to see off the main street but follow the signs by the stairs and you should find your way.

A James Bay neighborhood place tucked in a building housing a number of different businesses, this…read morewas Indian food a bit different than we usually find in U.S. The mint chutney served alongside the tamarind one, for your pakora and samosa appetizers, was creamy - coconut milk, maybe? But still gave a welcome zing to the food we put it on. Vegetarian spouse was intrigues and charmed by the soy protein option, don't remember what it was called, but he adored it in the tikka masala sauce, which was like a spicy, chunky marinara. The fish in the dish I had was tender and lovely, but the breaded coating was a bit too salty for my taste. This was a nice respite from the moure touristy vive of downtown Victoria.

The ambience of the restaurant adds another layer to the overall experience. The environment…read morestrikes a perfect balance between elegance and comfort. Whether you're visiting for a casual meal or a special occasion, the setting adapts beautifully to both. The lighting, decor, and overall vibe create a relaxing and inviting atmosphere where you can sit back, enjoy your meal, and spend quality time with your friends or family. It's the kind of place where conversations flow easily, and you never feel rushed. Of course, no review would be complete without talking about the food--and it never disappoints. The dishes are consistently flavorful, fresh, and prepared with great attention to detail. Each visit reaffirms the quality and authenticity that the restaurant prides itself on. Whether you're trying something new or sticking to your usual favorites, there's always a sense of satisfaction with every bite. The menu offers a great variety, ensuring there's something for everyone, and the consistency in taste is something that keeps bringing people back.

Great food and service. We had the tandoori fish which I was skeptical of, but it was cooked to…read moreperfection, not overcooked, but soft and velvety and so flavorful! My sister had the house curry with chicken and it was excellent. I would highly recommend this place. The garlic naan and pampadoms were the best!

This was our first time to Namaste Indian Cuisine during our visit from Sagle, Idaho. I am a…read moreprivate chef so I'm pretty picky when it comes to good Indian food. We dined on a Friday night. Service was excellent and the food was superior. We had Butter chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Vegetable Korma and Garlic cilantro Naan. Everything was so tasty! Cooked properly, served hot and fast service! We will definitely be back on our next visit to Victoria, B.C.

Good and Service are great! I love the Indian flag of Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice, Naan and saag…read morePaneer! Every thing is fresh

We came all the way from Texas after reading the wonderful reviews on yelp and this place surely…read moredid not disappoint. It is very well run and the service was very fast . We had the vindaloo mussels dish , which was pure heaven in taste. We also had the biryani salmon which was so fresh and flavorful . The portions were also very generous . I wish we were in Victoria longer to eat there another time

French Indian fusion spot in Victoria. Pretty solid spot - it wasn't busy when I went Sunday around…read more4:30pm but I can imagine it being quite busy on a Friday or Saturday evening as the space is quite small. I did call to make a reservation just in case but in the end was not needed - I believe that is the only way to reserve to ensure you don't need to wait for a table. I got the fishhook chowder and the squimp toast. Fishhook chowder was decent - felt a bit watered down as I was expecting a stronger spice at minimum, but also not too salty. A bit watery than I expected. But I can still taste notes of the coconut milk and herbs so it could've been a bit better. The squimp toast is amazing - this is a must get. It's a combo of Humboldt squid and shrimp, both of which carried the flavors forward in the toast. And it is quite crispy. It's a fairly substantial dish at a relatively good price so this is actually a lot better than the fishhook chowder that people keep hyping about. Service is good as water refills are apparent. It feels more a fast casual than a more formal sit down, but prices are great and reflective as such.

Nice little Indian eatery in the heart of downtown Victoria. The restaurant serves both vegetarian…read moreand non-vegetarian dishes. There is street parking available. The restaurant is tastefully decorated. Excellent design and comfortable sitting. We ordered the vegetable samosa. It was amazing as was the chutney. We also had some Amritsari Kulcha. The Kulcha was not quite as tender as expected, but it had been overcooked, and the Chana (chickpeas) had not been properly cooked, since they nevertheless remained tough. We would, however, give this restaurant another shot. The service could also be improved. There was only one waitress that were looking after three other tables. Great ambiance as they played some Indian Bollywood songs on tv, which was enjoyable. If I had to select one drawback, it would be that the restrooms require some attention, and that they be kept clean because they were unclean!

We happened upon this restaurant by surprise and what a treat it turned out to be. the wait staff…read morewas top notch only to be outdone by the delicious food. The only disappointment is that we are tourists and will not have an opportunity to come back.