Ceylonta

This is a pretty interesting place. I saw it on one of those lists for cool meals to try in Ottawa. I have to say the food was pretty good but things seemed off a bit. We somehow had two servers competing with each other. The first server basically told us what we were going to eat, even ordering a dish for us. The second server seemed annoyed that we weren’t ordering more. The music in the space was very eclectic to say the least. Either way, the coconut sambal was amazing and definitely worth the trip. I think I will have to explore other things on the menu before I make another recommendation. Either

I rarely write reviews, but our visit to this Sri Lankan restaurant was truly disappointing and frustrating. From the moment we stepped in, the owner’s attitude was extremely off-putting. Instead of letting us order what we wanted, he insisted we choose dishes he recommended, completely disregarding our preferences. When the food finally arrived, and to our shock, the food was absolutely terrible. It was bland, lacked flavor, had almost no salt, and overall tasted like it hadn’t been prepared with any care. We had to ask for salt just to make it somewhat edible. Even then, the taste didn’t improve. The portion size for the price was a complete rip off ridiculously small and nowhere near worth what we paid. To make things worse, the chicken dish we received was undercooked and rare. When we brought our conerns to the owner's attention, instead of apologizing or offering to fix it, he argued with us and claimed “this is how they make thier food and these are best dishes. We ended up not eating the food, yet he still made us pay in full about $35 for one inedible dish. On top of that, he was yelling at his staff for no reason, creating a very tense vibe. What concerned us most was the state of the kitchen. It was visibly dirty and disorganized. One of the staff opened a back door leading directly to the parking area, and the dust blowing into the kitchen was unbelievable. Yet, food was still being prepared in that environment, no hygiene standards whatsoever. Overall, this place was a complete disaster. Between the rude service, poor hygiene, bad food, and unprofessional behavior, I can honestly say I will never return. I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone. There are far better places in the city that serve authentic Sri Lankan food with proper hygiene and respect for customers.

Ceylonta Sri Lankan Restaurant – Ottawa As a food lover visiting Ottawa for the first time from Northern BC, I was thrilled to discover this authentic Sri Lankan restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious – from the perfectly spiced mutton rolls to the flavorful chicken kottu roti and rice & curry. It truly brought back the tropical, home-style Sri Lankan taste I’ve missed since moving to Canada. Chef Ranjan’s cooking was amazing! I highly recommend this family-run restaurant to anyone looking for great food and a warm South Asian vibe. All the best to the chef – I’ll definitely be back next time I’m in Ottawa!

Everything we were served was delicious, and the Thali was great to share. Service was okay, our order was taken twice and we would request items that our servers would forget several times, that was a bit confusing. Other than that, we enjoyed our time and time at this SriLankan restaurant !

Delicious Sri Lankan food! First time here and really enjoyed the dishes. The coconut sambal and Kottu Rotti were highlights. I’ll definitely be back!

THE WORST DINING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!! We wanted do have a great dining experience in Ottawa as this was our first time visiting the city and wanted to try some good authentic Sri Lankan dishes and instead we got the worst dining experience of our lives . To begin with the owner (Ranjan) didn’t let us order what we wanted and instead he claimed that we should at least spend $40 each to get the best out of all the dishes which was really unprofessional and rude (he disregarded our preferences ) which made us think that he was trying to push us the leftover items. The real nightmare began when we got the dishes , they were quite bland and completely lacked taste and to our disbelief the chicken we got was uncooked . When we brought this to attention of the owner he refused to acknowledge his fault and kept saying that’s how they make those dishes (not quite the gentleman ) and charged us the total amounts for all the dishes , overall I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant anyone looking for Sri Lankan cuisine or any type of cuisine lol , and if you’re looking to get diarrhea or sick this might be just the place for you .(i have attached the image of their kitchen to show how they serve their customers with a back door open to a parking lot filled with dust and dirt which raises huge hygienic concerns, ps: honestly I think they should close this place down )

It's a wonderful restaurant if you are looking for authentic Sri Lankan food in downtown ottawa. It was not open for dinning when we visited there last Saturday. However, they were so kind to offer us the meal we requested for. Friendly staff. Thank you Dayan for your superb service. 🤝

Serving staff were friendly and able to cater to both our dietary preferences. Notably were able to cater to my partner’s gluten free diet without any issues! Great atmosphere and welcoming environment. Recommend the thali and dosai dishes!

This restaurant that specializes in Sri Lankan cuisine was recommended by new friends I made in Ottawa, one of them happens to be vegetarian and loves the food here (they usually get the vegetable thali). This is a place where sharing dishes will give you a better experience. I dined in here twice. Food: I will never forget the coconut sambol (recommended by Tony, one of the wait staff) - if you want an appetizer, get it with some paratha! I usually don't find shredded toasted coconut interesting, but mixed with dried chilies, onion, salt, sugar, and lime - it's a dance in your mouth. The taste is new to me and works so well with the paratha as a vessel. This is a must-try! The chicken palandi, skin-on chicken marinated in chilies Sri Lankan chilies and smothered with the chef's special ginger and garlic sauce. My nose was getting runny so definitely order something non-spicy along with this dish to balance out the heat if you're like me. Other than that, this dish was delicious, highly recommend it if you can tolerate some heat! The roast beef, curried beef strips stir-fried with onions and red peppers, was tasty - it was highlighted in Google reviews and I get why most people liked it. I had it with the paratha and enjoyed it. The meat thali and chicken biryani were great too. The non-alcoholic drinks should not be slept on, each one is unique and tastes amazing! Service/atmosphere: The wait staff (especially Tony) brings energy and knows how to describe the dishes well. One of the wait staff shared how best to eat the thali and after applying his method, my friend enjoyed her food much more. Don't hesitate to ask them any questions. Plenty of seating for couples and large groups as well.

My wife and I went out on Family Day evening. There's ample seating, great decor, and a really pleasant atmosphere. We started off with a mango Lassi for me and tamarind ginger drink for my wife. Delicious. A thali with about a dozen different chutneys, was served and we also shared tandoori chicken (Sri Lankan style) and shrimp. We had white rice as an accompaniment and had no room for the myriad desserts offered on the menu. I totally recommend the Ceylonta Restaurant. By the way, the prices are reasonable and the street parking was a piece of cake.

We stopped in entirely based on the smells coming out of the restaurant. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. We ordered garlic nan plus 2 dishes and everything was very good. I just don't know why they would put the papadam on the steaming rice, it came out soggy rather than crunchy. The bartender made some amazing cocktails, maybe the best in the city. We'd come back just for drinks. Ambiance is nice as well. Will be back!

I have been hearing about ceylonta for years and was so excited to be finally trying it and it did not disappoint! The inside is really charming and welcoming and all the staff were incredible. Tony the juice man (how he introduced himself to us) made us some delicious hibiscus cocktails and then we were taken care of one of the long time staff who promptly recommended our entire order for us which was super helpful as the menu is extensive and none of us had been there before. Everything we had was super flavourful and came piping hot. The veggie dish was a sampling of different curries and prepared vegetables which was a really fun way to try a bit of everything! We had a great evening with friends and will definitely be going back to try other things on the menu. Thank you ceylonta!!

My new goto place when in Ottawa. Second time and it was as magnificent as the first. Food was amazing, service was something that all restaurants should aspire to!!!!!

Stopped in on our way through Ottawa. Friendly service and delicious food. Ordered a thali that had a delicious variety of savory and sweet curries. The ghee dhosa with coconut sambol was delightful. As was the chicken palandi which arrived sizzling on a cast iron skillet. A hibiscus juice drink and Ceylon coffee rounded out our meals. I wish I could say we'd be back, but not sure when we'll make it to Ottawa again! Definitely check it out if you're interested in Indian cuisine in the area.

My pictures are few but holy moly. This place is so good. I went twice in a span of 3 days. Once with a group of friends and then another time with my husband. I was visiting town, and my friends had recommended it. The service is a little slow, so come knowing that and either knowing what you want from the get-go or taking the time to chat with the company you go with.

I was really looking forward to trying this Sri Lanka restaurant in Ottawa, overall I'd say a 4/5 for food but 3/5 for service. When we arrived the place had lots of space and we were seated right away! While waiting the server asked if we wanted to try some roti while we wait and we said sure, but we were under the impression that it was on the house only to find the $8 addition on our bill at the end. That aside, the food itself was delicious and vegetarian friendly. I'd highly recommend if you are craving south Asian food but do ask for prices of items when they ask!

we ordered the Chicken Palandi, the Roast Beef, and the vegetable Thali. portion of ChIcken and beef was good, the taste not so much. we also did not like the Vegetable Thali. we usually love Indian food, but were disappointed by this one.

Wowww This is a as fantastic meal! The place looks so so , but you must go beyong that ! If you like Indian food, you will find this place... delectable

I hadn't been to Ceylonta in many years, and my last experiences were great, so I was very excited to go again last week for a team lunch. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed by the lunch buffet. There were no appetizers (one of the things I'd been most looking forward to - it seems to me they used to offer Kadalai Vadai and samosas with the delicious green coconut sauce on the buffet). The buffet itself was only ok, and many times they ran out of items and we had to stand around waiting for more. In terms of ambiance - the tables were pretty grimy, and we left the place smelling like we'd eaten in a restaurant kitchen - a smell that clings to clothing and hair! Not great when going back to the office for the afternoon. I want to go back to Ceylonta to give it another shot, but I'm just not sure when I'll prioritize going there again.

I really liked the food here. I got the vege thali and meat kottu Rotti for two people and it was so much food!!! Really worth the money and we ate it for 3 meals. The food was very flavourful. Great variety of things to order from. The Server (I think she was the owner) was very helpful in deciding what I should order. And I definitely will be returning.

I guess here, you really do get what you pay for. We ordered an appetizer that never arrived (and in all fairness, weren't charged for) and noted a food restriction/alergy that was not respected. We ordered biryani and were told to order naan; I suggested it may not be a good choice due to dairy allergy and our server advised it was safe - their naan was vegan. When the glossy looking bread arrived I asked if that glossy bit was butter. She proudly announced "yes". I said there was an allergy to dairy to which she responded butter? No, not butter; only fresh naan has butter and this is old. The other server confirmed it did actually contain dairy. My dinner companion ate; I came home and made food. Oh, and the women's toilets weren't working. I had heard good reviews, I don't concur. I won't be back. The end.

A text came in to meet at Ceylonta and I really wish I declined. I love Indian and Sri Lankan food but this place was far from good during this visit. The place is on Somerset on the bottom floor of an apartment/condo across from Hartman's on Somerset and beside Basmati. I arrived at 8pm and saw my friends had arrived a few minutes early and ordered some appetizers. I sat down for a few minutes and when our server come over a few minutes later we were told the kitchen would close in 15 minutes as they close at 9pm. We ordered the chicken palandi, string hopper kothu and kothu rotti. The chicken planandi was probably the best dish we ordered and didn't have great flavours. The other 2 dishes looked identical (with different colour) and I've had a lot better elsewhere. I wasn't the only person at our table who felt like the last 2 dishes tasted reheated. They tasted like food that was made a in large batch earlier in the day and reheated, then brought out during dinner service. We ordered naan and it was eerily similar to store bought naan and not like the in house naan a lot of the restaurants in Ottawa make. This review pains me to write as the staff are super friendly!

After avoiding this place for 6 months after my really, really disappointing experience last July (see previous review), I received a tearful apology from the server via my husband. Last week, a colleague arranged a lunch meeting here. I figured there would be little harm since it was a buffet. It turned out to be a good experience. The server didn't hover and brought drinks, including Chai, promptly (!). We had a nice time and the food was delicious. The day we were there some of my favourites were on offer: curried green beans and curried beef (too salty) and curried chicken (delicious). I tried the soup but it was also too salty. The naan was plentiful and cooked to perfection, and there was a nice array of desserts from which to choose.

Wow, I'm a huge fan! My wife and I were in the area and looked for a place to eat when we passed by this place. The sign said vegan options (my wife is a vegan) and she was super excited when she realized that 80-90% of the food options are vegan (hooray). For 15$ an all you can eat buffet of high quality perfectly spiced food is a great deal. The only downside of this place that after you eat you are so full you cant leave your seat. I MUST revisit soon :)

Love this place. The food is fresh, full of flavour and amazing. The people who run this restaurant are incredibly nice and attentive. Great for both take out and eat in.

So far my favorite indian restaurant! nice owner, their lunch buffet to go is a plus!! try the green bean curry, the best!

I've been here a few times for the dinner because its a very convenient place to take vegetarian/vegan friends and family. I find the food/service to be very hit or miss. Each time I've visited I've gotten the vegetable thali. For roughly $16, you get enough food to feed two people easily. The only problem is that sometimes the curries are piping hot, spicy, and delicious and other times, they have been cold and bland. I quite like the roti but my absolute favourite thing in the entire restaurant is the coconut sambol. If you aren't one of those people who hate coconuts and spicy food, give it a try. The service here, while friendly, is often quite slow so its probably not the place to go if you are in a rush.

OMG this was one of THE best suppers I've had in a long time! My friend and I shared the Kadal Vadai and Coconut Sambal as an appetizer then dug into the delicious Vegetarian Buryani and Vegetarian Kothu Rotti. Of course I had a nice glass of reisling/gewertz to go with that. We were both like whaaaaat. So so good. We can't wait to go back and we were deciding whether we were going to order the same thing or try something new...guess we'll see!

This is a charming, unique place that is a favourite amongst Vegetarian's and meat-eater's alike. Sri Lankan cuisine has a lot of similarities to Indian food, but has its own distinct features that makes it worth checking out. They take their time in preparing the food carefully, and go per location tradition of bringing all the dishes out together, so the wait can be long, but undoubtedly worth it. The servers are polite and friendly, and will even provide helpful informative instructions on how to eat the traditional Sri Lankan way! As for the menu, the Vegetable Thali is a must-have for vegetarians (and non vegetarians too); it consists of six separate scintilating vegetable dishes combined with basmati rice and pappadum. The curried chicken is a favourite of mine, as you can taste the spices such as coriander, cumin, and fennel that have been pre-roasted to a deep brown coffee colour, making it uniquely Sri Lankan. Cap off the night with a galub jamun dessert and Ceylonta's special tea, and you will have yourself a lovely evening!

Food here was flavourful and the owner was friendly and helped us wtih picking what to eat, we went here for the lunch buffet. I have never had Sri Lankan food before and I'm glad that I tried it out, I actually liked pretty much everything that I tried here. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options were available at this restaurant. We all had the chai here and it was amazing, probably the best tea I've had in a long long time. I would highly recommend trying this Sri Lankan - Indian Fusion mix restaurant to anyone who is in the mood of trying something new. I will definitely go here again, this is one of my new favourite restaurants for Ottawa.

I went here for the lunch buffet with a friend, because I'd heard so many good things about it. It was the worst Indian meal I'd ever had in my life. The quality of the food was awful. It was as if they reheated things out of a can, and served it up to customers, and then charged 15 dollars for it. Just ridiculous. At the most I would give it a 1.5, because the service was not terrible. When you go somewhere for the food, and it turns out like this, I would not recommend it to others.

I have eaten here for years and always love the food. I appreciate that they cook with coconut oil instead of cheap vegetable oil. My husband lived in Sri Lanka for a while and he claims the food is very authentic to the region. The staff are always so warm and friendly. The masala dosas are top notch! The chicken and lamb curries are wonderful. I also enjoy the simple cabbage dish. They make a great lentil dal.

This place should be renamed to something else as it doesn't deserve to bare a name with Ceylon in it. There was nothing Sri Lankan about the food we ate. It was subpar Indian food at best. If you're looking for authentic Sri Lankan food, this is not it. The buffet was extremely bland and over priced. Will never eat here again.

First things first, if you're the type of person to be put off by the location of a restaurant, you might want to steer clear of this one as it's nestled in the basement of a high-rise apartment building. As for the food and the service, the food was not spectacular and the service was great until we received our food, but as soon as that part of the dining experience was over, the wait staff wanted nothing to do with us. Trying to pay was a lesson in patience and culminated in one of us actually leaving our table to find someone to hand a credit card over to. And as a side note, the restaurant was oven-hot on a summer night and the lighting was much too dark, so it doesn't even get any ambiance points. I would try one of the many other Indian/Sri Lankan restaurants in town before heading back here again.

I'm not sure why I was so generous with my first review, probably because it was one of the first ones I ever made. Anyway, I've tried their curry chicken, their kothu roti and their devilled chicken. The curry chicken was so gross my dad and I sent it back, their excuse was at the end of the night the food quality can decline too. So apparently if you're coming at the end of the night expect your food to suck. The kothu roti was also disgusting. It was mushy and it was obviously reheated. I don't know if I just find the dish to be gross or if it's the way this restaurant makes it but I'd say it's probably one of the nastiest things I've eaten. I feel like I'm being so harsh, so I'll cushion the blow a bit... The devilled chicken is good, really good. Although I find the chicken kind of tough the sauce it comes in is mighty tasty, delicious on rice. Their samosas and vegetable rolls are also fantastic and I would recommend them. The service is also wonderful, so I feel bad giving them a bad review. They're so polite and are happy to explain what goes into the dishes. The decor is also pretty neat.

Great service, food was amazing. Only here for the night before I have to fly home or I would come here often. Highly recommended

After being asked by the proprietor many, many times to bring my family (and only doing so once) I was asked to stay away. I guess the buffet is a loss-leader to get nighttime customers and if you're not going to be a regular one of those, your lunchtime business isn't valued. I'll miss the place, but I don't like how I was treated. In retrospect, perhaps it would have been better for me to just be honest. "Sorry Ranjan, my family hated it." But now I won't be back either.

This is the only Sri Lanka and Indian buffet restaurant I could find in the area. With my girlfriend being Sri Lanka and me being Indian, it was nice to have a restaurant that catered to both of our cultures. The location isn't that great, it is not a fancy restaurant by any means. In fact, it does feel a little crowded especially where the food is kept at. The quality of the food was average but nothing out of the ordinary. The staff were friendly which is a nice plus. Overall, I would recommend this location to a friend.

One of my favorite places to eat in Ottawa. The Sri Lankan cuisine is very much like Indian with a fruit twist -- i.e. a lot of fruit sauces and garnishing, such as coconut and mango. Also, if you like hot, they have hot if you want. And you should definitely have to check out the lunch buffet. It's a great price and assortment.

We went to Ceylonta on Somerset tonight for the first time. We were a largish party with diverse needs; 1 gluten- free vegan, 2 regular vegans, 2 vegetarians, and 1 omnivore. The staff was amazingly accommodating. We weren't sure what to get staff suggested that he would bring a variety of dished served family style and said "if you don't like it, l pay and if you like it you pay." We all loved everything. The dishes were aromatic, complex, and flavourful. When they heard it was a birthday for one in our party, they brought out a vegan chocolate cake that was delicious. They willingly packed up take home bags for us, and for a parting gift, they gave me a baby plant to nurture and as a souvenir. The prices were moderate and the service was superb. Many thanks for making a special day memorable and we will be back.

I am going to take a friend here on Thursday. Read a couple of reviews that weren't good so decided I needed to write something. I lived in India for two years so know what is good Indian food. I've been here about 5 times and every time the food was wonderful, authentic and the service was great. Every one I have taken here loved the food. Much better value than a lot of the fancy Indian restaurants in town and much better food. The thing that makes Indian food good is that each dish has an entirely different set of spices for your taste buds.

This little restaurant is a really unique to eat. The Sri Lankan dishes they prepare here cannot be found anywhere else in Ottawa. The service may be a little slow, but they are friendly and the food is definitely worth the wait. If you're not familiar with Sri Lankan food some good dishes to try are the Kothu Rotti, the Dosa or the Thali. Kothu Rotti is a mix of vegetables and/or meat with small chewy cubes of bread. Dosa's are large half moons of crunchy dough with a variety of curry fillings. Finally, the real customer favorite is the Thali. A selection of 7 or 8 different curries, with rice and a pappadum. The curries change often but frequently include chick peas, sweet potato, lentils and even beets! It's not a vegetarian place though, most dishes can be orded with beef, chicken or lamb. If you're looking for something truly different to eat , try this place. You'll be coming back a lot! Mmmm.

Went to the lunch buffet. Pretty disappointed with the selection and quality of the food. None of the food seemed freshly made. The nan is not crispy at all. And our favorite butter chicken is not there... Even among Indian buffets the food is below average. Don't understand the good reviews this gets on yelp.

Excellent! What can I say, it was inexpensive, authentic and quick(did the lunch buffet)

The best Indian food I've ever had. In addition to the amazing food, the service was exceptional and the atmosphere was very comfortable. At the end of our meal, I asked for a doggy bag and our server went above and beyond and practically gave me a complete meal (more than what I left on my plate).

Vegetarian thali is good... I like 3 out of 5 curries and both subzi are good. Me and my wife are impressed with veg food as we were searching for about week...

Excellent food. The vegetarian thali is amazing. Be sure to add the Kuthu Roti and Stringhoppers to your order. They are both incredibly tasty and interesting dishes.

I had the lunch buffet, it wasn't very large but the food is very good and some of it had some wild heat, I will go back here for sure.

Great restaurant! I've been there twice in the last month, the food is amazing and freshly cooked. The service was good, it's a family run business so they aren't as quick as some other restaurants but friendly none the less and very accommodating. I wouldn't recommend if you don't like spicy food.

Not bad ... I had the devilled chicken, which was sweet and spicy - enough for a kick but not an incineration. Vegetable rolls were just OK, sort of mushy on the inside. Cheetah beer was sweet and light, a good match.

Ceylonta could not be more nondescript if it were camouflaged. It took some psyching-up to enter a Sri Lankan restaurant in the sunken ground floor of an apartment building that to outward appearances is deserted. But we did and were relieved to see that, if only they would raise the blinds on occasion, many happy diners could be seen inside the cozy dining room. Cutting to the chase, the food was good, but not great. The chickpea patty appetizer was different, rock hard discs with chunks of chili hiding throughout and a mild chutney along side. The veg thali is essentially a sampler of different veg, ranging from the excellent spicy beans, to the creamy butternut squash, to the sad potato chunk and the disappointing creamed spinach. Six small dishes in all that, even with some rice and a papadum, did not look like enough for two, but it was (with added naan). But as the grease settled on our bellies in the form of that heavy, slippery feeling you get from fast food, I realized that this was one of the oiliest South Asian meals I've ever had. The rice was not fresh, the lone papadum was too... lonely and communion-wafer-ish. Redeeming the experience was the excellent and cheerful service, and the general cleanliness of this modest little room. Worth a try.

One of the best Sri Lankan (with South Indian slant) food I have had. I was visiting Ottawa on business and ended up having food here multiple times. My personal favorites were Kothuroti, Deviled chicken and Kothu string hoppa. If you can take some spice request the spicy version. I preferred Goat in my "kothu". Wish Ceylonta was in my home town.

There were 4 of us that went together and got a whack load of food to share on a Saturday night. Absolutely fantastic. The food was delicious! Thanks guys. See you again soon.

The dishes were not bad. We ordered dishes that were not available at typical Indian restaurants and we enjoyed them enough. It would have been a 4-star had it not been for the appetizers. We ordered 2 types of appetizers. We had the samosas as soon as they arrived on our table, but the samosas were still f r o z e n in the center!!!! It was rather yucky. Very disappointing. Were they bought from Walmart or something? Service is adequate. Neither fast nor slow.

Food was OK. Service is crazy slow and crap. No one listens to you or is there to serve u. We waiting at leat 45 min just to order drinks and that's cause we complained. By the time we got our food we were sitting for 2+ hours. Ending up having meals for free. Some of the food was so dry and hard couldn't eat it. Customer service really lacks there. Wouldn't go back since I'm sure there better food and service else where, somewhere where I won't have to tell the waitresses 5 times I need a fork! Skip this place .... Not worth it!

good nice reception. Sadly the food did not arrived. One of our party ended up with no meal due to kitchen problems. bill was still the same. A poor overall experience despite the warmth of the owner. I would not recommend.