Gateway to India Restaurant — Restaurant in Nanaimo

Bad management. Standards have severely gone down over the years. And this will be the last time I eat here. The Worst Indian food in Nanaimo, bland, and expensive. They also didn’t have several of the wines or soft drinks that they advertise on their menu so our sons only non-alcoholic option was water. There was hair in my curry. Their ice cream was DISGUSTING and Freezerburnt with a thick rubbery skin on it. We ordered 3 of them and they were literally small pucks made in cupcake moulds that you could not break with a spoon. The“ice cream” had a thick rubbery freezerburnt skin and was filled with chunks of ice crystals. It was very unappealing. I have had this pistachio desert at other restaurants and this was not correct. If you want traditional Indian food with good service do not eat here. We politely spoke to the waitress about the problem with our desert. The manager would not speak to us. And sent the waitress back out to tell us that there was nothing wrong with the ice cream. The waitress said that she would refund a different less expensive $3 item that we had ordered instead but would not refund the actual item that was of very bad quality “because the item of bad quality was more expensive” her own words. I have never heard of such! The manager rudely refused to even...

Simply outstanding. Do not be distracted by the dingy exterior and lifeless surroundings. Go inside and you will experience exquisite dining and ambience. I've worked as a restaurant cook, and I have cooked Indian food for over 30 years. This restaurant is among the best I have ever dined in. I learned that they have been here for 25 years, and I'm not surprised. When the garlic naan arrived, I knew at once that we were in for something special - they have an actual clay tandoor in the kitchen. The naan were massive, light, and delicious. The basmati rice was done in the classic and fancy way, cardamon pods and all, and the rice grains were completely separate and fluffy. This is a small but crucial detail, and it shows that the chef knows how to pre-soak the rice. The Shahi paneer was excellent. The butter chicken comes in either yellow (classic Indian), or red (western) versions. I tasted the yellow version and I was very pleased. The portions are huge, no doubt in part thanks to the large takeout business they do with the nearby university crowd. Oh how I wish this establishment were located down the block from me. I would be there weekly. I hate to admit that they make better Indian food than I do, but they...

Our business is located just south of Nanaimo, so we don't have many restaurant choices around us. We love to bring in lunch for our staff, and continuously find that Gateway is one of our top choices from our team, so we always make the effort to drive into town to pick it up because of how delicious it is.

The staff/owners of Gateway to India have always been incredible to us when ordering. We order a large amount of items and have never had an issue with receiving an incorrect order. The staff always greet us with a warm smile upon picking everything up and help us out to our car. The last time we were there we had to wait a few extra minutes for the delicious pakoras (worth the wait!) and the lovely woman helping us brought us samosas to try and a little treat for our dog who was waiting in the car. We were blown away by the nice gesture which furthered our love for this restaurant.

Thank you for providing consistently amazing dishes, a great selection of authentic food, and impeccable customer service whenever we dine with you. We love to support local businesses, and will always make the trip to support you...