Sébastien Roy
Google
Le Taj offers a beautifully warm and elegant atmosphere, with vintage Indian décor that creates an inviting and authentic setting. Service was professional and attentive, and the ambiance alone sets a high expectation for the dining experience.
We opted for the "feast" menu, which included a salad, appetizer, main with a vegetarian side, and dessert. The cucumber and tomato salad was refreshing, if a bit oversized. My fish appetizer was flat in flavor and oddly textured, though my partner’s papdi chaat was crisp, tangy, and truly excellent.
For mains, the butter chicken had perfectly cooked meat, but the sauce lacked the depth, spice, and balance expected from such a signature dish. My partner’s lamb vindaloo, however, was a standout - bold, rich, spicy, and deeply satisfying. On the side, the paneer masala had a beautifully balanced tomato-based sauce, while the saag paneer was watery and underseasoned. The naan was exceptional, and the basmati rice decent, though a bit soft.
Desserts were pleasant but unremarkable - gulab jamun was as expected, and a milk-based paneer dessert was unique but not particularly memorable.
The low point of the evening was unquestionably the cocktails. At $20 each, both the mango mojito and mango martini were disappointing - overly sweet, poorly balanced, and lacking noticeable alcohol & technique. They tasted more like juice than proper cocktails, which felt out of step with the overall experience and definitely a disappointment.
In summary, for the overall modest cost (about $120 per person), the experience was fair - beautiful ambiance, attentive service, and a few excellent dishes made it worthwhile. Still, based on its 4.2-star rating and reputation, we expected a bit more across the board. We've enjoyed more flavorful meals at lesser-known Indian restaurants, and with a few refinements - particularly in the cocktails and consistency of dishes - Le Taj could truly shine.
While the restaurant itself merits a solid 4 stars, the cocktails were disappointing enough to bring the overall experience down a notch to 3 stars. Fix the cocktails.