Buffet Maharani — Restaurant in Montreal

Very few places earn a five star rating, Maharani does, easily.

We recently discovered this place, we were actually headed to another Indian place we'd been to in the past. We're so happy we went to Maharani, instead.

The first thing you notice is that the interior is clean, modern and comfortable with plenty of seating. The second thing is the menu.

We're very familiar with the cuisine but the pictures are very helpful. The variety is also exceptional, a big plus is the inclusion of beef dishes, the vindaloo is especially nice.

On one occasion, we ordered off the menu, the naan, samosas and our mains were fantastic. You could immediately tell that everything was super fresh, without exception. The staff seem to enjoy making any modifications, I personally ask for everything to be extra hot and had fun with the server trying out various spices and sauces.

The portions were ample and for less than $30, a hungry family of 3 left very stuffed.

On our most recent visit, we did the buffet. In most places, a buffet can be risky business, typically getting days old leftovers, that was not the case here. In fact, everything we ordered was made fresh and served hot.

Again, the portions were perfect. What's so nice is that on the buffet cart, portions are smaller, allowing you to sample many dishes. I personally had 9 of these sampler dishes and everything was absolutely fantastic. Naan, samosas and a lovely dessert topped everything off.

Without exception, every dish was exceptional and different from the others, whereas most buffets are bland, the variety was well thought out.

In an area saturated with East Indian fare, Maharani stands far above the crowd in delivering truly exceptional dishes in a pleasant setting at teriffic prices.

I can't think of anything here that could be improved. The wait staff were so nice and friendly that we wanted the to join us at our table! We will be back and if you enjoy Indian food, this will soon be your favorite spot. This is among the best Indian...

As much as I used to love coming here, today will probably be the last time. I brought my wife for her 1st time and drove from Ottawa to eat here and the owner was very rude. Everything started off perfect and the food was great. I ordered 1 samosa and 2 pakoras, so then the owner brought me 1 samosa and 1 plate of pakoras with 8 pieces. I told him I only asked for 2 pakoras. He told me that I should have known that writing 2 means 2×3 pieces for a total of 6 pakoras as if I'm supposed to be a mind reader. The spinach was extremely salty and I didn't like it and all the meat ordered was cooked in thick sauce. I ate the meat but half my plate was filled with sauce. I was surprised when I asked for the bill, not only the owner was rude and embarrassed me and my wife in front of everyone, but he was going to charge me extra for not finishing the sauce and the excess pakoras I didn't ask for as well as the salty disgusting spinach, as if I'm not allowed to dislike something when it's all you can eat. He charges you extra for not finishing and then proceeds to dump the food in the garbage. This is extremely cheap stingy behavior and on top of that the owner didn't put the air conditioner on when it was 30 degrees outside. He also tipped himself 3% and the bill came to approximately $40/person, which is ridiculous. What I hate the most is an owner who is rude and stingy with their customers and the fear of eating and being charged extra at an "all you can eat" buffet....

tonight my friend and I decided to try the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet at Maharani (advertised at ≈ $26). We were told we’d have 17–19 dishes plus naan and rice, which sounded great. Unfortunately, the reality fell far short:

Dishes lacked basic seasoning. We ordered chana masala, matar paneer, veg korma, and mushroom bhuna. Except for the chana masala (passable) and the veg korma (just okay), everything was bland. The mushroom bhuna was so watery it tasted like mushroom soup, and we had to add salt and the fresh green chilies we requested just to get some flavor. Quality over quantity? Not here. We left six or seven half-full bowls on the table because nothing was worth finishing. We each managed only one naan and a little rice, then skipped dessert altogether. No response from staff. When we explained the problems to the person at the front desk, there was zero engagement—no apology, no offer to adjust or replace dishes, no curiosity about what went wrong. Unexpected bill. Despite paying cash, we were charged $31 each after tax (total $62). I’m used to cash payments still including tax, but at this price point the value simply wasn’t there—especially given the quality we received. We left hungry and disappointed, and $62 poorer. With so many excellent, affordable Indian restaurants around, I can’t recommend Maharani’s dinner buffet. Save your appetite—and your money—for a place that delivers real flavor and...