This restaurant deserves all the love!!! We went here on a Saturday afternoon and the owner was such a sweetheart! She made sure we stayed hydrated because of the heat and was super hospitable! The restaurant was also decorated very nicely with aromatic spices in the air. We ordered the summerlicious menu for $34. The vegetable spring rolls were delicious and the finger paneers were the highlight! Super crispy, not too oily and delicious acidic dipping sauce. The palak paneer and yellow curry chicken were cooked to perfection paired nicely with a garlic naan, rice and salad. For dessert, the gulab jaman was perfect and rasmalai deliciously creamy and light. 10/10 would come back and recommend! read more

Matagali Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The best Indian food I've ever had and the service was amazing! Really an amazing hidden gem in Canada.

Hi. Today, June 21st, 2023, I went to Matagali with my wonderful friend, Gloria. I had the Chicken Cashew and Gloria had an Appetizer dish with a combination of different appetizers. Been many times. As usual, taste and presentation were perfect. Went for lunch. In the busy of Toronto, Matagali is a little touch of Heaven, peaceful and quiet atmosphere. Nathan, his wife Flo, their daughter and Aunt, all work together to provide a welcoming atmosphere for all their guests. Obviously, they are doing something perfect, as they have been looking after patrons since 1999. Cannot wait to go back again and again. Larry and Gloria. read more

This is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to and the people that run the place are so friendly. Cannot recommend it enough!

Good menu and the food was outstanding. The lamb jelfrezie was delicious. The server was friendly and attentive without hovering. The restaurant is located in the lower level of the building. Nice atmosphere with the traditional Indian and Thai motif. Family run. read more

Matagali Restaurant - a plate of meat and rice - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My wife and I had lunch here. The food so good. I had the chicken masala and my wife had the goa fish curry. read more

Omg the food here is absolutely amazing, I especially love the butter chicken. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone!!!

I'm updating this because the owner called me. I'm not sure how he got my number ?!! Yelp? I gave him an extra for customer service. Anyways, I like that he cares enough to call and is concerned with my less than average rating. He informed me he is still the original owner 15 years it's been. And of course the menu has changed but the navrattran korma which would also be the butter chicken that I had years ago (which was the BEST) is no longer. Disappointing yes..but the fixed price menu I keep reading about might be worth checking out.it is a great deal for $25 as I remember the restaurant had a higher price point but then I got better quality for it! Lol I feel I should try it again and try a few more dishes. And give them another chance read more

This place is just down the street from work so I'm here all the time. I was initially introduced to it from people at work who claim it's the best Indian food they've ever had, and I must say I have to agree with them! My favourites on the menu are the prawns goa curry and cashew chicken. Sooooooooo good. Definitely 5 star dishes. The spicy salad that comes with the lunch special is so good. I love the dressing. My co-worker and I were trying to figure out what's in it and we think they use flat sprite (the pop) and chili flakes. Sounds strange but it works!! Their mango juice is also very good, so are their samosas. And my vegan co-worker loves the basil tofu, just make sure ask for no fish sauce with it. Service is efficient and the woman who works there has gotten to know me over the years. The atmosphere is a little dark, but it's located underground so not much they can do about that. They've done their best with the space though. One tip: make sure you're not in a hurry if you're eating here. They're notorious for taking a long time for food since each dish is made from scratch, especially if you're with a large group, so plan your time accordingly. The only reason why I am not giving 5 stars is because, sadly, I can't afford to eat here every day!! They're a little on the pricey side...even for the lunch specials. read more

Three of us today for Summerlicious. We all ordered different appetizers. Veggie, chicken samosas with mild spicy tamarind sauce and spring rolls were delicious. I couldn't decide but finally ordered the Goa Pawns which were good but not as yummy as my favourite Butter Chicken! I also ordered a side of naan. My buddies enjoyed their meals of Butter Chicken and Madras Curry Fish with naan. I love the Thai salad that is included with the meals. Lastly we all ordered Rasmalai which balanced out the meal. We were all satisfied with bellies full. Awesome visit again ! read more

When we went, they had a special for butter chicken + channa masala ($19) and a prix fixe menu (2 each of 2 set appetizers, 3 dishes of your choice and a pair of gulab jamun for $25). We were quite satisfied with the butter chicken. My favourite was the lamb jalfrezi and the massaman kai curry. The fish curry we were not so hot on. Of course, there were enough portions to bring home for lunch the following day and they even gave us extra na'an. The garlic na'an is worth the $1 upgrade. For the entire meal, we were the only ones in the restaurant over dinnertime, which I thought was odd. Of course, that meant super attentive service by the waiter. WiFi password is mangolassi read more

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Enjoyed a delicious meal and wonderful hospitality. So important to support these types of small, family-run businesses, especially as so many are disappearing due to COVID-19 and massive redevelopments. Enjoyed the Palak Paneer and Eggplant Bhartha, both seasoned and spiced well. read more

"Indian or Thai? Which is it? The service was awkward and left a lot to be desired which can also be true of the food" So I had to come here from the aid kids hospital across the street. I thought having a closer to home cooked meal would make staying at sick kids a little easier. It was and it wasn't. It was in the sense that there was good, it wasn't in the sense that everything else was odd and not great. The atmosphere isn't bad. It's actually nice and cozy and quaint in a basement style entrance. Service This is whee my big gripe comes from in that the waitress had no idea what she was doing. It's like she was high. Didn't know the menu or the specials couldn't articulate anything or take an order properly. It was awkward. She misquoted the specials several times and had to keep coming back to our table to confirm things. She then did that with another couple who came in for a meal. The couple even said to her "let's start again, pretend we just got here, how does the special and menu work?" very awkward and kind of ruins the experience. Food Not bad. Not amazing, but not bad. It kinda tasted like it came out of a jar, but it was presented okay. They have a $25 special with small portions of 4 mains plus rice and a few Appetizers. The fried stuff was over fried and oily, but the subji or main courses were okay. Nothing to write home about and definitely something I'd ever crave or want again. Summary. It's not a bad ethnic option close to the hospital, but the best on centre and young street is just minutes away and is worth the extra walk. read more

Matagali Restaurant - The appetizer as part of the dinner special. Two samosas and two shrimp with some surprisingly tasty chutney - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here on a Friday night and it wasn't terribly busy (except for a birthday bash that was going on). It's located in the basement area, smell, but well-kept. Our waitress was fairly attentive and very sweet. The food didn't take too long and we were given complimentary papdum as an appetizer. Fairly decent, nothing to complain about when it comes to free food(ish). My date got the Lamb Vindaloo and I got the Fish Masala. The fish masala had enough sauce that it balanced out the fairly bland flavour of tilapia, but the lamb vindaloo was better. Though to be honest, I did find that the sauces were a little bit bland compared to what I've had before and maybe could've used a bit more salt. Portions are kind of small and I've paid less for way more (and better tasting). Naan was a-okay though! Would I come back? Eh, maybe... though probs not. If I do, I'd probably would order more well-known Indian staples next time and see. read more

Got the Chicken Masala for 14 dollars before taxes. Taste okay, services were friendly, but I basically got a small bowl of a few small pieces of chicken and some sauce for ~16 dollars after taxes (did not come with rice). Actual chicken portion size looked like it was for an infant. If I had paid 8 dollars for this at a food court, it still would have been too expensive. Quality:6/10. Service:8/10. Value: 1/10. Overall: 2.5/10 (not an average) read more

This is a cute hole in the wall Thai/Indian restaurant is definitely a must-go to when you're in this "hospital" area. Located near Sick Kids, this tiny restaurant serves a variety of traditional Indian dishes and some Thai food as well. My favourite dishes are the paneer and butter chicken. The service is always great and the chef always has a little treat for us, whether it be papadum or samosas. The paneer is actually cooked right and the cheese is a good texture. My boyfriend did order their pad thai once and unfortunately, we weren't a fan of that so we'll stick with Indian food here. Definitely a must-try for this local small business! read more

Quiet and cozy little place with a great Winterlicious menu. The chicken samosas were interesting, but tasty. Butter chicken was about 3/5 so certainly not the best in the city but still quite flavourful. Ras malai to finish was not too sweet and the milky sauce was very well done. read more

Matagali Restaurant - Winterlicious lunch 2015 - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went with my wife the week before the Labour Day weekend for an early dinner. Just a couple of other guests in the restaurant so our service was very fast and efficient. We started with the Prawns Pakora. Really liked the Mint Tamarind Chutney dipping sauce that came with it and even saved it to use for the main course. We both had the Butter Chicken. It was delicious with large chunks of moist chicken served in a creamy, buttery sauce that tasted great without the overdone curry flavour that seems to find its way into every dish in all of the cheap Indian places throughout Toronto whether you ordered a curry dish or not. The Basmati rice it came with was nice and light and that's where I used the Tamarind Chutney when the butter cream sauce was finished. It also came with a nice Thai salad which was incredibly fresh and crisp. So why can't some of the bigger, richer restaurants and chains in this city ensure that their salads are this good? The place is licensed so I had a Kingfisher beer and my wife had an apple Cider and they went very well with the meal. Some reviews complain about the service, but ours was quick and efficient. Our server was actually a little girl of 8 or 9 with an older lady behind her (grandmother?) to make sure she got it right and she did. A fresh, delicious Indian meal for an affordable price (around $50) in downtown Toronto was a real treat and we will definitely be back to try something else on the menu. read more

Again I'm super impressed with this place! I enjoyed their winterlicious menu. Their curries are delicious, and their pakora was some of the tastiest I've ever had (although they don't look like traditional pakora). Their gulab jamun was also perfect and not too sweet, as was their Mango lassi. The ambiance isn't anything special but I really really enjoyed the food here and will definitely be back. read more

This is definitely a great place to go if you want some butter chicken and know nothing about Indian or Thai food. I guess my expectations were too high. We order d the Fish Masala and the Dhal. They were both alright. You can tell that the ingredients weren't very fresh. The fish dish was definitely from frozen and thrown in at the end. The dhal was creamy, but not in a good way. The chicken kulcha that we ordered as an appetizer was pretty good though. The service was great though. The people who work there are extra nice, but I don't think it's enough for us to go back. read more

Steps down from street level take you to a small hidden gem of a restaurant. Good food and decent (not great) service. Ordered the lamb vindaloo and it was spicy but not extremely hot like some authentic indian restaurants will serve. read more

Nice people is the best thing about this place. Sadly the butter chicken was too sweet, the Lamb Roganjosh was spiced unlike any I have had before, and not in a good way. The eggplant dish was okay but very mushy like a dip. Naan was burnt and had an off herb taste. Rice was jasmine not basmati as ordered. Confetti candy that usually takes like black licorice ended up tasting like flowery soap. Will not be back. read more

Matagali is an easy-to-miss Indian restaurant, tucked into a basement in a rather undeveloped side street just off Bay. They apparently do a lot of business with the staffs of the big local institutions around, such as hospitals like Sick Kids and even the AGO. They used to be closed (inexplicably) for lunch, but the hours have improved, which is certainly good. Service was a bit on the slow side when I was last here, but once the food arrived, all was well. While Matagali does Thai food too, word is the Indian cuisine is better, and the Butter Chicken I had was quite tasty. read more

Matagali Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We were plumb exhausted by the time we got to our hotel and had to cancel a reservation across town in favor of something closer to our hotel. This was a good choice. The food was tasty although calling the place Indian and Thai is a bit of an exaggeration. The Indian food was quite predominant on the menu. The prawns pakora was a particularly interesting dish - more a breaded marinated shrimp dish than a pakora, there is a photo here http://paulalanlevy.blogspot.com/2012/10/flying-up-to-toronto-to-see-dc-united.html I also enjoyed the onion kulcha, fish masala and although I am no fan of eggplant, my wife liked her eggplant bharta read more

This establishment was recommended to me by several complete strangers, so one rainy evening three of us descended into Matagali. A few plates of various curries, rice and delicious garlic naan later we were full and very happy. The service was quick and pleasant and the price quite reasonable for a downtown joint, around 15 per person which included a cold beer each. What I liked best was the intimate setting, which was reminiscent of a similar Indian restaurant I used to frequent in Montreal. These downstairs locations, when done well, are just plain cozy. All in all, it's the best kind of place to hide out from the rain. read more

We came here after craving some Indian food and yelping for some restaurants nearby. The place is cute and quaint, down some steps right off Bay and Elm. Even though it was a Friday evening, it wasn't too busy, and we easily got a table. We ordered a delicious mango lassii to share, the garlic naan, which comes in a good portion (unlike some other places I've been to), some rice, the butter chicken and the lamb rogan josh. The lamb was okay, but not a favourite - just spicy with not too much interesting flavour. The butter chicken, however, was splendid. We did not try any of the Thai dishes. Would definitely recommend trying this little place - it might just hit the spot if you're craving some quick and not too pricey Indian food. read more

Since I have started to order more and more take out lately a friend of mine recommended Matagali here in Toronto. As it turns out I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I had ordered the butter chicken and can tell you it was one of the best one I ever had. The chicken was simply tender with full flavors without overpowering my palette, the naan bread seems to be home made and was really soft and well made. Next time I will try another dish and definitely order here again! read more

Had such a great meal at this little Indian restaurant! Although the description says Indian and Thai I would stick with the Indian dishes. We started with Pakoras, Samosas and and Spring Rolls - Pakoras were awesome and would definitely order again but would always pass on the spring rolls. As for mains, I ordered the Eggplant Bharta and Chana Masala with no added dairy since I'm intolerant. They were happy to make changes for allergies :) Both dishes were delicious with the plain basmati rice. The rest of my table ordered the Garlic Naan and really enjoyed it also. Service was slow but to be expected since they make each dish to order. Will be going back! read more

This is the second time I visited the restaurant. My friend and I went last year and were in the area again. The food and service were just as great as I had remembered the first time. We seemed to have arrived during a slump. They were switching servers and kitchen staff. Regardless our food was quick and flavourful. We ordered the dinner special for $25.00. It was enough to share amongst two people. It is also a great date night venue. Small and intimate. Will return in the future. read more

I walked by this place for many years before trying it because it seemed like a hole in the wall and I could never tell what the hours of operation were. The atmosphere may not win you over due to its dim basement location, but trust me, the food definitely will get your attention and keep you coming back. I do not often eat Indian food (due to lack of exposure to good places and too many buffet experiences), so I am no expert. However, I quite enjoy the food here. The naan is crispy and chewy, great accompaniment to the curries, which are appropriately thick and flavourful (they can do mild if you can't do spicy). The prawn pakora is crispy and perfectly paired with the mint chutney sauce that tastes amazing. The chicken tikka is moist without being mushy and goes great with the yoghurt sauce. I have tried the following mains (not all in one sitting): lamb vindaloo, madras fish curry, fish masala, prawns goa curry, lamb rogan josh, butter chicken, chicken masala and chicken tikka. All tasted good, hearty and delicious. Dessert-wise, I have tried the ras malai and the gulab jamun; both had balanced flavours without over sweetness. If you order the main items during lunch, the dishes come with a salad or you can substitute for naan. However, salad/naan is not included with the dinner items, you will have to order those separately. This place is a good deal for Summer/Winterlicious. My main problem with this place is that the business hours seem to change without any sort of reliable schedule (e.g. summer/winter hours?). Their menu states they are open Mon-Fri for lunch 11:30am-5pm and then dinner on Mon-Sat 5pm-10pm. However, when I called them on a Sat night to order takeout, their voicemail greeting said they are not open for dinner on Fri, Sat or Sun. I don't know if it is due to summer hours because the last time I called and got the voicemail greeting, they followed the menu hours. I wish they had a more obvious schedule so I won't be disappointed when I crave their food only to discover they are closed. Definitely call ahead to see if they are open before going. read more

Decided to stop by this place after looking for my Thai fix. I was very happy with the massaman kai and my boyfriend was equally happy with his pad thai - we both tried a bit of each other's dishes and shared the same sentiments. We were also given complimentary papadum which we had never tried before and it was very flavourful. The service was great, very attentive and sweet. The restaurant is located in a bit of a basement, but it really was great and we have no regrets with our visit. Definitely returning again. *Edit: forgot to mention how full we were at the end. I probably should cut back on the amount of rice I was eating with my massaman kai next time! read more

As far as Thai cuisine goes, Matagli is great, although I think most people come here for the ambience and clubby atmosphere. You're first greeted by the host who 9 out of 10 times will tell you there's a wait of 30 minutes or more so she kindly asks you to grab a drink at the hip and crowded bar. Good selection of cocktails (it'd be wise to just order Thai iced tea with dinner or just skip it altogether). Once your table is called, you're lucky if you get to sit by the huge Buddha statue, although any seat in the house is cool. The food is flavorful and the prices aren't too bad. read more

Matagali Restaurant - Soup that's spicy and tangy - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I went in to this little Asian cuisine with great excitement and expectation, but I kinda okay with their service and food. I went with my friends and had started with CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS, PRAN PAKORA then had CHICKEN MASALA with rice and green salad Starters were lovely, but the main course was honestly not good. Not so great compared to lots of other Asian cuisines around there. HTH, Thanks read more

EXTREMELY trans-phobic. I cannot remember the last time I was treated as rudely (by anyone!) as I was treated by the server last time I was at this restaurant. In downtown Toronto, no less... I asked the server to stop calling me (together with my friend) as "gentlemen" and he told me to stop telling him what to do and he will call me whatever the hell he feels like. When I told him that he was being ridiculously sexist he said that if I don't like it I am welcome not to come back. My jaw almost hit the floor. Needless to say, I won't be back. read more

This small place was quiet on a Thursday night. There's about 30 seats and only a few other people there besides myself. Service was quick but unrushed, and the food was great. There was some enjoyably mild tabla music playing softly in the background. I was brought something that resembles a crunchy Indian taco shell, which was mildly spicy and very light. I ordered a tofu dish with fried vegetables, some rice and some garlic naan. Add a ginger ale and tax and the price was just over $21. But the issue was not that the price was too high for a dinner for one, but I ordered too much food. I ended up not finishing some of the naan, and barely made it through my great tasting entree. The herbed naan was marvelous, I really wanted to eat it all. The entree was served so hot it almost burnt my tongue, which is how I like it. read more

Once again, we were extremely pleased with our experience at Matagali. The decor has been updated and looks great. The food, as mentioned in my previous review, remains top-notch. The $25 dinner special is still the best way to sample a variety of very fresh, flavorful cuisine. Of particular note was our new server, Michael, who provided us with some of the best service we've ever experienced - personable, humorous, and professional. It's clear that he enjoys what he does. Can't wait for our next visit! read more

Good service and accommodating to gluten-free diners, but I'm not quite sold on the majority of dishes here. I visited during Winterlicious and most of what we ordered was okay, but nothing was standout or exceptional. If you're in the area, it might be worth checking out, but I'm not sure it's a "destination" restaurant. I preferred the Indian dishes, but mostly because I didn't feel like mixing it up. read more

I'm from Chicago and this place beats anything I have in my neighborhood here. Ate here twice during SMX Toronto 2010 at night. Very chill, laid back service. Not a place to eat if you are in a hurry. But the food here is wonderful and highly flavorful! Great stuff. read more

cute place - sort of in a basement nook, nice romantic mood light, and not too crowded. vegetable samosa - awsome! chana masala with naan - pretty awesome as well. very flavorful and finger licking good. fish pakora - nope. the fish quality is good, big fresh pieces but it's not marinated or dressed properly. in other words, tasteless. it's like fish and chips, minus the chips and tartare sauce - weird stuff. may come and try something else. wont get fish pakora again tho. read more

I brought my friend here for her birthday 'cause she loves Indian food. We ordered the lamb rogan gosht and masala chicken for lunch. Ambience is very simple but also welcoming. Most importantly, the food was delicious and fresh tasting. The owner/chef (?) even sent over a complimentary dessert (guess he remembered we were celebrating a special birthday). The waitress was absolutely lovely - always coming by to refill our waters and ask us if everything was ok. Can't wait to come back to try other items on the menu. A special thank you for making our first visit to your restaurant a lovely experience read more