India Rosa Griffintown — Restaurant in Montreal

On November 2nd, at 8:30pm, for a party of 5, my friends and I came to celebrate my best friend’s birthday at India Rosa. It was recommended to us by a local friend and we loved that we could get a taste of home here in Montreal, despite us being hours away from Toronto (where home is for us). Nonetheless, we told the host when we arrived that we brought a custom $70 cake and wanted it brought out with the candles we provided, at the same time as the bill, as a surprise. Simple right? Just wait.

To begin, our server told me his name was "Mareux" or "Marco", but when I went to confirm his name after the incident, he refused to spell it for me. I do not speak French well, so I asked politely for clarification, to where he just stared at me and declined. So I went to the host at the door, described him (about 5’10, white male, short blonde hair, and blue eyes), and she told me three separate times that his name was "Valtine". I’m including this because I genuinely do not know what this man’s real name is and his refusal to simply state it says enough about the accountability here.

We ordered: tikka masala, butter chicken, chicken biryani, lamb, garlic naan, mussels, pani puri, and drinks. And to be fair, the food was genuinely amazing, full credit to the kitchen.

However, what happened afterward completely ruined our night.

When it was time for the cake, instead of following the instructions we clearly gave at the start, and again when I asked for the bill, the server brought the cake out:

Too early With sparklers we did NOT ask for WITHOUT the two candles we brought

And the worst part: they had already cut our cake into pieces.

Because the cake was pre-cut, and before our table even got to see it, the custom birthday message we paid extra for was completely cracked and destroyed. The cake was no longer whole. The presentation was ruined. The surprise was ruined. The moment we traveled here to create was taken away from us.

To make matters worse, when I had spoken to the server earlier about bringing the cake out while we were taking pictures, we were told that they would make it special. What followed you ask? No staff. No song. No moment. Just us realizing in real time that what we were being handed was not the cake we gave them.

When I calmly told the server this was unacceptable, he argued back, did not apologize, and tried to make it seem like we requested this. He was also being cussed out by the table beside us, which tells me our experience was not unique.

Afterwards, the manager, Gabriel, came over, after I had called and waited for him, and made the situation significantly worse. Instead of listening, he asked me to repeat word-for-word what the server said, as if the issue was whether I could recall dialogue and not that the restaurant destroyed the centrepiece of our birthday celebration.

When I expressed my frustration firmly (not yelling, not insulting, not being disrespectful), Gabriel raised his hands at me and told me to “calm down”. I am a Black Muslim man speaking on behalf of my table. Being told to “calm down” while I was already calm is a clear micro-aggression.

When I explained that to him, he responded with: “What does race have to do with this?”

Let me remind everyone, this is a white man managing an Indian restaurant, serving the food and culture of racialized people, claiming to value tradition and community, yet demonstrating zero cultural awareness, equity training, emotional intelligence, or respect.

After wasting another 30 minutes, they offered:

50% off the food Birthday girl’s meal comped Cake fee waived

But the moment was already gone. You cannot discount back a ruined celebration.

To anyone reading this: If you are celebrating something meaningful: do not come here. If you bring a cake: tell them explicitly NOT to touch it. And avoid the server who calls himself “Mareux / Marco / Valtine.” He should not be working in hospitality.

If I had to put this shortly; the kitchen is talented but he management, and the service, need a complete cultural and...

I recently paid my third visit to India Rosa Griffintown, optimistically hoping to experience an improvement on my previous two unsatisfactory dining experiences. It was not meant to be.

Our visit started with us arriving at 7:30 PM, and we promptly ordered a pair of appetizers and main courses within 20 minutes of our arrival. The appetizers arrived punctually by 8:00 PM, although marred by an unfortunate mishap involving a broken water glass which resulted in a minor injury to my thumb. The server handled the situation with grace and provided a replacement immediately.

As the night wore on, however, the two main courses we waited for never made their appearance. Despite our patience extending to two hours till 10 PM, and the observation of subsequent tables receiving their orders, our dishes remained absent. Finally, we were compelled to request the check, having resolved to seek nourishment elsewhere.

The server's response to our understandable frustration was, in a word, lackluster. A consultation with the manager was deemed necessary to cancel the non-existent items from our bill. When our server returned, he delivered the "good news" that we would not be charged for the dishes we never received. While one might reasonably expect our appetizers to be comped as a gesture of goodwill or a sincere apology from the management, neither occurred, leaving us further disappointed.

Our experience prompts a reflection on the inefficiencies observed during our visit. Notably, the staff appeared to be significantly understaffed - one server was responsible for the entire outside terrace, and only three servers attended the interior. Moreover, the management seems to lack the necessary competence or experience to handle such situations, raising questions about the restaurant's training and organizational structure.

In conclusion, my thrice-repeated disappointment at India Rosa Griffintown prompts me to dissuade potential folks from a potentially unsatisfactory dining experience. The establishment would benefit significantly from an operational review, a managerial upgrade, and a more robust staff training program to enhance its service delivery. However, until such improvements are evident, my recommendation would be to explore other culinary options...

IR finally opened in Griffin Town after months of teasing with their windows covered. Every time I walked by, I wished they would open so that I could just pop in for my favourite cuisine... Indian. Last night, 4 of us were finally able to visit IR for a highly anticipated delicious meal. I'd love to say it was amazing... but it wasn't. Decor/Ambiance: Simple decor with crowded tables with music that prevented conversation between the 4 of us. Maybe a good thing because it forced us to focus on food? A very well stocked bar offering a great photo opportunity for the IG crowd. Staff: The hostesses welcoming us into the restaurant had the perfect snarl and snooty attitude. Our server was kind and very patient. She did a great job explaining everything. Thank you. Food: Menu selection is the typical Indian menu. Small font and poor lighting made it difficult to read the menu. It's an a la carte menu (rice, naan separately which is the norm for most Indian restaurants). The food looked great, pretty dishes and presentation but be aware the portions are VERY SMALL if you intend to share dishes. The 3 others shared dishes but I prefer my own meal/dish. I ordered a SAAG but I had to return the saag paneer because it was truly inedible (I love a good saag paneer and the last time I ordered the saag at their MR location, I threw it out. I thought they simply didn't rinse the pan after cleaning it - tasted like cleaning product - this version also had the same weird chemical flavour ). They replaced it with another veggie dish which tasted MUCH better. I am not a drinker and had a mango lhassi. I get tired of the sparkling water and I would have loved a ginger kombucha as it pairs well with the type of food they serve. Final Bill: We were ALL shocked that the bill came out to almost $400...$100 a head? In our opinion and experience, it was NOT worth it. Inflation, high rent, atmosphere, salaries... I get it. We have no issues with a $400 meal but THIS WAS NOT A $400 MEAL. Quick summary: big bucks for "meh" food and absolutely DO NOT order the saag paneer. I won’t go back and DO NOT recommend India Rosa Griffintown. PS... Indian father/French Canadian mother/I know me a...