Empress Of India — Restaurant in Waterloo

We're returning very satisfied customers. City of Waterloo has plenty of free parking after 5pm. The restaurant was very clean, great decor, authentic East Indian music, loved the fact that their menu is displayed outside by the sidewalk for review and thankfully had no Wi-Fi. We were greeted warmly and asked if we wanted a booth or table and were promptly seated. Server took our drink order quickly. The bar and menu has a very nice selection of drinks to choose from. They give a free appetizer, which was Papadam - a thin light crispy bread with two dips; tamarind chutney and cilantro and yoghurt dip. Both dips and Papadum were extremely flavourful. For appetizers we ordered Cauliflower Wings and vegetable Pakora. OMG they were absolutely delicious!!!! We told our server the Cauliflower Wing sause should be sold separately; this is a must try, you will love it! Entrees were Royal butter chicken and Goat Curry and we ordered garlic naan to have with our entrées. We were absolutely blown away with our entrées. The flavours were out of this world!!! I would definitely recommend these two dishes !!! The portions were very generous; we had enough for lunch the next day. The garlic naan bread was good but it did require some seasoning like salt. The naan did have large chunks of garlic, good butter and what is baked to perfection! Light and airy just the way it supposed to be. Recap: we will, again, be definitely returning to this restaurant and if you like East Indian food this is definitely the...

A rite of passage for every Indian UWaterloo student and their unsuspecting non-desi friends, Empress of India is more than just a restaurant. It’s a beloved local institution. With a menu that blends North Indian classics with Hakka gems, it's no wonder this spot has a near cult-like following. The interiors are elegant but cozy, perfect for dinner with friends, family outings, or celebrating those end-of-term wins.

The Chaat Papri was the perfect start: crunchy, tangy, and soothing all at once with its medley of chickpeas, potatoes, curd, and tamarind chutney. The cocktails didn’t disappoint either: the Sunrise was fruity and smooth, while the I’m Princess served in a martini glass, was just the right kind of sweet and refreshing.

The mains were packed with flavour. The Paneer Tikka Masala had that rich, spicy-tangy sauce that clings beautifully to naan, while the Chicken Lababdar came tender and coated in a mildly sweet onion-based gravy. The Garlic Naan was served hot, crispy, and just garlicky enough to make you want more.

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I recently visited this restaurant for lunch with colleagues. As someone who genuinely loves Indian cuisine and enjoys trying new dishes, I was excited to order something I had never had before, which was called Chicken Chetinad and vegetarian Tandoori Momos. The momos were delicious but unfortunately, the chicken dish I selected was extremely disappointing, and neither my colleagues nor I enjoyed it - it remained untouched.

What I found most concerning, was how the situation was handled by the restaurant staff. Despite the meal being untouched, I was forced to pay for it. I have never experienced such horrible customer service. It’s standard practice to remove a dish from the bill if it's clearly not eaten or enjoyed. This restaurant’s refusal to do is totally unacceptable.

While the food my colleagues shared with me was enjoyable, the rigid and unaccommodating response from the staff has left me with a very negative impression. I would not recommend this restaurant t to anyone, as customer service is just as important as the quality of food. - this experience fell short on both fronts. I...