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!

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.

Our server Balk (?) was very helpful, we are new to Indian cuisine, with how things would taste and…read morespiciness of the curries. The service was attentive without being a bother. Our food was delicious and the portions were generous. The atmosphere is lively and comfortable. I should have looked through the menu more thoroughly there were several items I would have tried if I had looked longer like coconut chicken wings, etc. I highly recommend this restaurant. Great location too!

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 were in Victoria for the day and knew we'd need to head back to the ferry soon, and so were…read morelooking around for a place we could get an early dinner. We realized we'd need to head out earlier than expected because of traffic anxiety, so pivoted to looking for takeout so we could eat either in the car or on the ferry. My wife found Fishhook and so we stopped in and placed our orders as we were heading out of town. I got the "Belly" sandwich, which was incredible. The sauerkraut, arugula, and pesto had a nice kick to it, the fish was flawless, and the bread was perfectly toasted. My wife has a lot of food issues (gluten-free, allium sensitivities, etc.), and they let her basically custom order a combination of salmon grilled with salt and pepper on a lightly dressed bed of romaine. They were super friendly about it as well. It was all SO GOOD! It took about 10 minutes after ordering to come out, and then we were on our way. Made the ferry with plenty of time to spare. Absolutely delicious, and we will absolutely be back.

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.

This place is lovely!! My local friend took me to Dosa Paragon where he and his wife love the dosa…read more I had not had southern Indian cuisine very much and only one dosa before. The food here is great! The dosas were lovely. Dosas are like thick crepes made from chickpea flour so it's great for gluten free people. We had the South India combo and the butter chicken dosa. Both were very nice. We also ordered the beef madras which was my favorite. I like a good curry and the ladder was very nice and not too hot at a medium spice level. We also had sukka coffee with a nice ginger flavor and tasted like a wee bit of sugar in it. My friend, fancies it and it was delicious. We had asked for that to come out before dinner and it came out about halfway through. But that takes a while to make and better ill-timed coffee than cold food. The food as it was was delicious and piping hot. The staff here is very sweet and helpful. Very kind with explanations of the meals and Indian geography and history. We got a little lesson, which we both loved. I would absolutely return to Dosa Paragon!

The amazingly large window with a view of the water is so nice, but you have to try hard to ignore…read morethe large streaks of bird poop that covers the whole thing. That should have been a warning, but we didn't take heed. First we got a dosa which was REALLY good! A spicy chutney with potatoes. We were off to great start. Wooohooo! Then came a curry with a delicious cashew sauce trying its very best to save the awful rubbery vegetables floating in it. Though the sauce made a valient effort, I am, in the end, absolutely convinced that those were frozen carrots and green beans...either that or they were actually rubber. Then, we hit rock bottom with the "green salad". Some badly chopped tasteless vegetables lined up like they are ready to be stir-fried and no dressing. I guess you were supposed to squeeze a lemon on them. Yum, yes please, I would love thick slices of raw onion with some lemon squeezed on it, who wouldn't? So take a dosa to go is my advice. Or go somewhere else. Fake flowers on the table, so maybe those carrots and green beans were made of rubber.

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.