I think this restaurant is really good in a lot of ways but could be great if they made a few changes to some of their food. There is a lot of salt in the samosas- I suspect they are brought in frozen and wow they taste like it too , if the chef uses the same creative mind that created the tiki wrap I'm sure he can come up with a fantastic fresh baked vegetable samosa showcasing local fresh... more

We had the Mulligatawny soup, Saag Panner and Eggplant & Mushroom Torkari. We really liked the soup and the eggpant dish. The saag panner however wasn't quite as creamy as I like and the paneer was really dry and hard.

The dishes felt like they were laced with MSG, lots of it, even the rice was likely cooked with bouillon cubes.

The price was fairly reasonable and the service, very friendly.

When you first walk in the store is not that great. However it is not that bad. The first dish we had was the chicken biryani , which was about 3/5 stars. Wasn't that strong or have that nice biryani taste. The second dish was the butter chicken and the curry chicken was good 3.5/5. The naan was also fine .

Okay for groups , paid parking ,

Overall a solid 3 to 3.5 stars out of 5.

At first glance it has a poor appeal, but the food was decent and we enjoyed the friendly service.

I think many of the reviews here have already commented on all the food items that are problematic. I would just add that I seem to get really sick in stomach every time I go here and that primarily due to their use of "Shan Masala". Shan is a boxed spice product coming from India/Pakistan and is very commonly used in south Asian cuisine.

On a positive note the ambiance and service are decent... more

Ok. Where to begin...

Ordered from here for the first time and got the chicken madras and an order of steamed basmati rice.

The curry was sub par and didn't have any flavors that distinguished it as a madras curry. Very tomato-y , watery and has chunks of tomato and bell peppers in it. Name me one Indian dish that has bell peppers in it. Seriously.
In their defense they do advertise to add... more

The food is sometimes delicious, sometimes not. I had wonderful butter chicken here the first time I ordered - the second and third time, my butter chicken was mostly sauce without much flavour, super watery, and maybe had six pieces of chicken in it. For something that expensive (price doesn't include rice) it felt like a rip-off, and I was very disappointed.

The naan is always very good,... more

Delicious Indian food, cute restaurant. Quiet, but good service. Lots of food on a platter.

Humm. I had kept in mind an averse impression of this place, but no where near 1 star worth. The staff was polite though not engaging. Our meal was presented to us with minimal decorum, meaning no coriander of herbs atop. I don't believe we would come back but the business deserves more than it's current rating.

The samosas was dripping of oil. Absolutely a health hasard. The salad was WORM!, the lamb was dry like the desert, and the sauce on top of my dry uncooked rice was few drops. I thru the food away after 3 bites.

Wonderful food, wonderful service

Great tasting stuff, very decent prices, friendly staff, pretty quick service. A good-sized menu. Naan is a bit pricey, but everything else is very well priced.
Very good quality!
Date attended is approximate.

Staff friendly but food was very poor.This was my first Indian in Ottawa and I was not impressed.Ordered a rogan josh and a vindaloo beef both sauces were watery and just was not up to scratch.The chapatti and naan was not good as well.the meal cost me $32 and I would say I felt I just threw money away.Never going to try it again!

The ad tagline says innovative and it's true--in an old-fashioned way

Humans have been mixing it up with food traditions for thousands of years, but recently we've become a little precious about it.
In my book on world food themes, called the No Nonsense Guide to World Food, I call this tradition fusion. Some know this as a new trend by gourmet chefs but it's really a product of people migrating... more

Fair taste at good price

Dinner for two. Dahl is excellent. Butter chicken is fair but not totally authentic flavour. Very good eggplant and mushroom dish. Fast food-type decor but you're not buying the place but their food. Meets fair expectation.

Ugh... I never had such bad indian or Pakistani food in my life. Order butter chicken but I don't know what I received(chicken without any taste and curry basically tamoto pure with out any spices). Biryani, as we say Allah Jane what was that(is it carrot rice or tamoto rice). In delivry they didn't even give Raitha for biryani... I strongly suggest to not go there... more

The staff is very friendly. The chicken biryani is delicious. However, the butter chicken and naan bread didn't taste good. The naan was very doughy and the butter chicken was too sweet. The prices are reasonable.

Love this spot

This is a great spot -- you know that because all the taxi drivers in the city come here for a hot, reasonably priced meal. Love it, kind service. Thanks Nazril!

The food is so awesome here everyone should try this place.
The soups are great !!!!
The Pizza is amazing ...
The biriyani is yummy!!!

Very quick delivery..

I don't understand the negative reviews. I've been eating here since it opened and I've never had a fatty piece of chicken. Their authentic tandoori ovens give excellent flavour to their delicious chicken and also make lovely naan. The price is very good. I love their house salad dressing. Nothing has ever been bland. Very tasty affordable food. It is also relaxing to sit in there to eat. Try... more

Amazing authentic Indian food

"""Amazing authentic Indian food. In the summer, Have been here many times, and have never been disappointed. If you can't handle spicy do not order the Vindaloo...it is EXTREMELY spicy...but super delicious! My advice is The greatest biryani of my life i had"""

Guys, please avoid

This IS NOT an Indian restaurant. Run by Bangladeshis, who do not even have the sense to search for Indian recipes over the internet, instead of using their brains and ruining the dishes in the process. Atrocious service on top of that. Please avoid visiting.

Great taste and affordable

I have been to Basmati over the past 3 years and introduced some friends to the place. We started with the butter chicken plate and never looked back. As students, we found the prices affordable compared to the rest of Indian restos. As well, there is a unique flavour to their butter chicken- rich and delish. I always get their... more

Great food and friendly staff

This is my favourite place to pick up a Tikka sandwich and for approx. 8 dollars, you get the most amazing meal wrapped in a freshly made naan bread! I ask for him to add chick peas and cilantro to it and it is perrrfect!!! I could eat this every day! The couple who own it are lovely and friendly!... more

I so wanted to like this place because it's one of the more reasonably priced Indian restaurants and pretty much the only place that delivers for orders under $25. However, after much anticipation I was very disappointed and won't ever order from them again.

I will say, delivery was super speedy and very friendly. That's where the positives ended. The butter chicken was fatty and the sauce was... more

We ordered food from there

The food looked okay and was okay to eat, but it was far from the quality we have been used from other Indian restaurants around the world. So we hate our dinner, but I won't order from there on my next trip.
Although the menu, web site and the person who took my order on the phone confirm they accept... more

Excellent food! Great service! Very friendly. Good décor

This started as a "Hey why not try this one?" type thing as we were walking by. We went in and chose to stay because of the friendliness and the inviting photos of the various menu offerings. Prices are very fair and the Daal (lentil) soup is an absolute must have!! 1 Naan bread is plenty for 2 people and... more

lovely food

The food was lovely and fresh but very suited to anglo saxon tastes in that it was very mild as if for children. My six year old son loved the food, We just enjoyed the freshness and flavors but no spices.

My wife had a craving for biryani so we searched. Found this colorful little take out place and ordered. Food came fast and in the end was delicious. Tasted like it was made at home and worth the search. Best Indian food I have had and I live near Brampton!!

Did not expect it to be so good but when it happens its great. First glance will fool you because it looks dated and fast food but the... more

I ordered delivery from this place so I can only comment on food and delivery service.

Even though they don't have a delivery charge, they chose an arbitrary minimum value of $80 to deliver to Kanata. I think that's acceptable considering the distance. I just wish they would make it standard by distance rather than arbitrary. The food is nothing to write home about. Generic Indian food with... more

Great Indian food and cheap if you order right

I have been now twice and very good. I am not normally a big indian (north) food fan but I have enjoyed the dishes here both times. Shrimp masala and something else. Combo plates are good value but things add up if you order a bunch of different things. Yum!

Good value. Tasty food

Really enjoy the food here, though the layout is better suited to take out than eating in. Has some unique westernized options and lots of tasty traditional options. Good value for not a lot of money!

Eh, pretty average

The serving sizes were HUGE. I couldn't finish half even without breakfast. I asked for a little spice but I couldn't taste any. The appetizers were nasty, even though my friends enjoyed them. The chicken tasted frozen and prepackaged. The sauces were good as well as the rice, but overall the service was lacking. We couldn't get his attention even... more

Just awful. I was looking forward to Indian delivery one night and ordered butter chicken and samosas. Butter chicken was way too sweet and there wasn`t a lot of it for what I paid, the samosa was clearly microwaved.

I do like to try things twice however, and one time I had a huge craving for some Indian food as I was at Hartmans across the street. I went in and got a little combination place,... more

Worst Indian food I've ever tasted

Saw the basmati while driving around, stopped in to try it, should have listened to the gut instinct and left when I saw the decor, ordered from a very sparse menu, Prakora was soggy, limp, and tsted terrible as if something was missing, poppadums were great as they should be (hard to mess them up) though no spicy red onions,... more

it wasn't my first choice but I am glad I tried it

The place was a little disorganized when we arrived but it was a Friday night and it was busy. When our food arrived, after a slow start, we were more than pleased with the taste. The waiter/head cook even brought extra chicken, at no charge, for us to enjoy, saying that he had cooked a little extra. And when we... more

Delicious food

I live in the neighbourhood and have often see Basmati, and I tried it for the first time today. The food was great, and not too expensive. Great value! It's a small restaurant with basic furniture, but you feel that the owners put more value into customer service and food than fancy bling. Will definitely go back!
PS: 100% halal... more

Ugh. My first takeout experience in Ottawa and it did not impress me one bit. The place is pretty outside with the mosaic sign and the promise of delicious Indian fare, but on the inside it looked more like an 80s cafeteria, complete with fluorescent signage with pictures of the menu. I really should have known the food would be terrible when I saw the promise of "Indian Pizza."

We placed our... more

I waited far too long to go to Basmati. My experience here was exceptional in the cost and quality of service and food. It's a very casual establishment, but the owner makes you feel like he's catering just to you. He went out of his way to suggest meals he could put together for me and apparently they'll also tailor the spiciness of their food to an individual's taste. I decided to take him up... more

My wife and I were taking a walk along the Promenade district of Bank Street when we noticed the most stunning doorway we had seen in Ottawa. It was for Basmati, a sort of fast food Indian place. Basmati is just as colourful inside as the doorway. And the food is a new twist on an old favourite. They have wrap versions of your favourite Indian dishes, like Chicken Tikka and even offer a Tikka... more