ChaiShai Indian Restaurant

Stumbled upon this cute Indian restaurant today while walking, and what a gem! The interior is tastefully decorated and colourfully elegant, creating such a warm vibe. The service was amazing — friendly, helpful, and genuinely over the top in the best way. The girl taking my order went out of her way to help me choose based on my preferences and cravings, which I really appreciated. I ordered the masala chai, asked for it strong and hot, and it arrived piping hot and perfectly flavourful — exactly what I wanted. Then came the butter chicken poutine, which the chef personally brought out. At the suggestion of the girl taking my order, I had the portion halved so it wouldn’t be too much, and he made it spicy just the way I like. It was an absolute explosion of flavours and served steaming hot. Loved my experience and will definitely be returning!

Very nice service, and I love the cleanliness and decoration of the restaurant. The menu doesn’t have many options. I usually order lamb curry at Indian restaurants, but they don’t offer lamb curry or tandoori chicken leg here. I ordered a beef dish described as grilled—I expected something steak-like, but it was quite different. However, the dessert ball and mango yogurt drink were very tasty!

I recently ordered two pink teas for $12.50. While the price itself isn’t an issue, the portion size was disappointing. The tea was served in a very small cup, filled only about 70–75% of the way. To be fair, the pink tea tasted excellent. However, when a business charges a premium price, customers reasonably expect a corresponding portion. Offering such a small quantity at a high price leaves customers feeling undervalued. In the long run, it is far more important to retain customers through fairness and consistency than to make a quick profit at their expense. Even with great taste, customers may hesitate to return if they feel they aren’t receiving good value. For comparison, Chai Wala offers a more generous portion at a more reasonable price. I hope the business considers adjusting its portion sizes to better align with the pricing, as this would greatly enhance the overall customer experience.

Chaishai has a nice interior and the food was really good. The service was a bit slow, but overall it’s a nice spot to enjoy Indian food in Montreal.

When Maison Chaishai first opened a few years ago, I was genuinely excited about it. I visited on my own to try it, then brought friends and recommended it as a great new Indian street food spot. At the time, customer service felt like a priority. So when I won a “meal for two” Instagram giveaway in 2022, I was excited to return. There was no expiry date stated, and when I contacted the restaurant to ask how to redeem it, they replied asking when I could come — clearly acknowledging the prize. Due to major life changes and moving provinces, I didn’t follow up right away and admittedly forgot. When I returned to Montreal this past October and saw the restaurant running another giveaway, I reached out again via Instagram to redeem my original prize but received no response. Since I was nearby with my family, I went in person. I explained the situation clearly, fully aware the prize was for two people and more than willing to pay for additional items. The employee was kind but clearly new and said she’d need to speak with a manager. When I spoke with a member of the management/owner’s family, I was told nothing could be done and that I should contact the promoter. When I calmly explained that there was no expiry date, that the prize had been acknowledged, and that I had already tried contacting them with no reply, the conversation escalated unnecessarily. I was told I was wasting their time and that they were too busy to deal with this. Even if the restaurant chose not to honor the prize, the situation could have been handled with basic courtesy or a small gesture. Instead, the interaction was dismissive and unwelcoming, and I left feeling embarrassed, especially in front of my family. We decided to leave without eating anything and spent our money elsewhere. This wasn’t about the cost of a meal — it was about how a returning customer was treated. Honoring the giveaway or simply handling the situation kindly would have built goodwill. This experience did the opposite. I also felt bad for the employee, who seemed unsupported and undertrained. Disappointing experience, not because of the prize itself, but because of how it was handled.

I ate here with 4 other people and we all thought the dishes just tasted wonderful. Service was really great and the menu had a lot of interesting variations of classic indian dishes. The pani puri with the yogurt inside and also the samosa chaat were stand outs.

Not gonna lie the biryani was delicious. Unfortunately… I cannot believe the portion… $20 for a single box… and it wasn’t even full??? Was barely enough for 1 person… I’m extremely disappointed. There was a good amount of chicken but need more rice.

Stopped by for lunch (for takeaway). A most wonderful woman working the front of house helped me choose a delicious meal from what is an almost intimidating menu (for first time patrons like myself on this day)! The ambiance is relaxing and the food tasty—you can’t go wrong! I’ll be back.

So glad we popped in here. Very nice space, food and service were both 5 star. They obviously take pride in their business.

The previous reviews are all probably from friends and family as neither the presentation nor the taste deserves 5 stars. The tea came in paper cups! Poor presentation. The dal makhni (North Indian dish) tastes like sambar (South Indian dish)! Also tried aloo tikki sliders and samosa chat and both were underwhelming esp considering the owners are Indian. Very disappointed. Not coming back here again.

It's about time that Montreal gets its very own authentic Indian chai and chaat café. Located downtown, steps away from Metro Guy-Concordia, Maison ChaiShai offers something unique to all, despite being surrounded by various cafés and eateries. Since opening a month ago, it has already drawn in students and curious foodies by its zen and cozy interior and diversified menu. Being a fully family-run restaurant, we were given a lovely warm welcome and made to feel like we were at home. Speaking with the owners Samad and Nahid, this has been a dream of theirs for a long-time coming. Interior designer Nahid has curated the space beautifully to look like an extension of their own home, with gorgeous artwork and unique wooden pieces from Pakistan, silk curtains from India, and colourful lanterns from Turkey. Being an Indian 'fusion' restaurant, they would like everyone who steps into the space to feel welcome, relaxed, and at home. Though the name, Maison ChaiShai, might suggest a chai café or the likes, I was surprised to see that it is way more than that! From an extensive drink menu that boasts the Indian version of bubble-teas such as their litchi and pomegranate blasts to Indian snacks and street foods and complete à la carte main dishes. The menu, in which everything is 100% Halal, is still being developed to soon include Indian-style sandwiches, bowls and a high-tea menu! We ordered a variety of mouth-watering dishes to try and were blown away from the exotic flavours. Everything was beautifully presented, and portion sizes were great for sharing. The dahi puri and samosa chaats were exploding with flavour at every bite, the quality incomparable to other chaats that I have tried in the past. From the à la carte menu, we had the Hariyali Chicken, Seekh Kabab, Bihari Kabab and Butter Chicken. Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted exquisite. The kababs were perfectly moist and succulent, the hariyali 'green' chicken was tender and full flavour and the butter chicken definitely stole the show, being the BEST I have ever had! My MIL, an expert in Indian cooking, was also amazed and that's saying something! To sweeten our palate, we ended with an Indian-fusion dessert - a Gulab Jaman cheesecake. It was served magnificently with fragrant rose petals, drizzled with sweet cardamom syrup, and tasted heavenly! Of course, we could not enjoy this without a steaming hot cup of chai. I had the Kashmiri (pink) Chai and let me tell you - this was one of the freshest and most authentic Kashmiri chais that I have ever had, unlike the ones made with artificial syrups that are overly sweet. It was truly a hug in a mug, so comforting with just the right amount of pistachios. My husband devoured his masala chai which was perfectly spiced and great for uplifting the senses on a cold winter's day. Overall, I was truly impressed by my first visit to Maison ChaiShai. Everything from the quality of the food to the ambiance and service was exceptional. Highly recommend and a must to visit if ever in Montreal!

Hosts super nice and welcoming Self seated and scan QR code for menu Not the best Indian food, but definitely home feeling vibes Dahi Puri- so flavourful, full and delicious , would recommend Aloo Tikki Chaat- flavourful, a good portion for 2 people, a little messy but would recommend Butter chicken poutine - flavour was okay , sauce was great serving, barely to little cheese , masala fries a little too spicy for me but would recommend IF you want to try something different Kashmiri Chai- so good hot, would recommend

Hosts were very warm and cordial. Food tasted awesome!! Right amount of spice and true to its roots. Loved the dahi puri and kashmiri chai. The amount of the chicken tikka masala could be increased a little more, or a small salad with it would have been great. Overall a wholesome meal I will definitely visit again to try out the other street foods and snacks

If you're wanting to stay warm and grab a coffee or hot beverage in a rather unique café/resto, you have to check out @maisonchaishai. Located at the corner of Bishop & Maisonneuve, this beautiful café resto is decorated in Indian art, drapery and lamps. The menu stands out as featuring some of the best quality Indian food in town -hands down. I tried: samosa chana chaat- deconstructed samosas topped with onion, cucumber, tomatoes, pomegranate, coriander, green chili chutney. Definitely good for 1 or 2 ppl, packed with flavour. Dahi puri- fried hollow flour puffs filled with sweet yogurt, green chili chutney, tamarind sauce, fried sprinkles of dough, pomegranate. These guys are taking my number 1 spot in Montreal for this dish. My favourite ! These items are common street food items /apps in South Asian countries. Mains: beef seekh Kebab with garlic naan- a garlic, ginger, coriander, mint, marinated beef kebabs. the depth and richness of this dish is unexplainable in words. Really soft and tender beef, not too spicy and goes so well with the bread. butter paneer with rice , a cheese in tomato cream sauce. I absolutely loved this dish . But for me this is comfort food, this is what I order at every and any Indian restaurant and this place delivered satisfaction! -Kashmiri chai -can't explain it , try it -it will warm your heart . Staple chai signature. Served as a cold brew as well . No pic -gulab jamun cheesecake - I ate it all! So happy to have discovered this place. Hopefully one of many trips. I am so proud of this Montreal owned business !

Maison ChaiShai Montreal, Quebec Food: Samosa Butter chicken Dahi Puri Aloo Tikki Slider Overall Rating: 3.9 Family Friendly: Yes

Unbelievably good food at reasonable price, will be coming everyday during this vacation. Clean, perfect temp, music, great reception ..what else you ask for.

Thanks to my friend Nor Ine, we came to explore Maison ChaïShaï. It's a gem. A beautiful petite restaurant with vibrant decors gives you a good feeling. The service is top notch! A special mention to Nikita, who was beyond amazing, to check on us many times. We got into a great conversation with her about the restaurant, and it's astonishing decors. Most of the wooden furniture are Pakistani and designed by her mother. Getting into good now. Personally, I am a huge fan of chaat food, famous street food of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. I almost ordered everything from chaat menu. We had gol gappa, dahi puri, fish pakora and samosa chaat, with kadak chai and masala chai. Every single dish was beyond and awesomely delicious. Nikita, was very sweet, as her last customers for tonight, she gave us complimentary guava and mango refreshers. It was a nice touch after fried and mildly spicy food. I can't wait to come back, spoiler alert, the menu will expand, new dish will be arriving.

Small and quaint place with amazing food! The flavors were sooo good (have the Aloo Tilki Chaat, it' has the most amazing flavors in one dish). The owners have some non traditional Indian dishes from their mothers recipes. Very clean and comfortable! Owners are very friendly and accommodating and not only provided meal suggestions but also gave us a few taster items (Dahi Puri) on the house to try including the green chili chutney made by Dad. Highly recommend. We dug in so fast, only got one picture.

Loved this cute restaurant! Best Pakistani food and this is from a person coming from nyc (desi hub). Their service and their chai was spot on! Recommend this gem to everyone! Their chaats and kebabs are the best!

It is a delicious affair the place the food the decor. highly recommendable. The best in Montreal

The best Indian food I've had. Chicken tikka masala had perfectly cooked pieces of chicken. The spicing was delicious. The butter paneer was flavorful and creamy without being too heavy. Samosa Channa chat was a unique dish, with the samosa as base for a well seasoned chickpeas, veggies, and chutney combination. Overall the food was delicious and fresh tasting. The space was inviting and cheerful and the staff was friendly.