Review Coconut Lagoon - Ottawa

Indian restaurant, Kerala based food Delicious food, must try Beautiful ambiance

Bland. NOT great Indian food. Tiny servings. Massive prices. $24 for small bowl of shrimp curry?! No garnish. On any dish. Very average flavour. Crab cakes are made of canned crab. Pretty uninspired overall, and crab cakes were also soggy - no crisp edges or much flavour at all. In any dish. I think people who don’t get out much rate this place high, and any 3star review is from a client with Tastebuds. 5 star review could only be from someone who knows nothing about Indian cuisine. $12 for only two 5cm crab cakes. Yikes. Save your money and go to Amaya for a $8 fast food lunch. Better flavours and much more accessible. I don’t know what the fuss is about. Decor: The seating is covered with brown paper - like a gritty pub. Half of the walls are bare. If overall rating is flavour/ambience/value/service and food, food, food, this is definitely max 3 stars. Nothing special.

Very average Keralan cuisine. Nothing authentic about it. Flavors are very bland as compared to the food I tasted in Kerala. The bill for just two of us came to over $80 but I feel like I ate for $15 maximum. We ordered fried beef, crab cakes, mango shrimp, lassi and a tiny tapioca dessert. I am not sure that I would return to this restaurant. We did not enjoy any of the dishes as much as I expected to, based on the overly-inflated reviews. The onion fritters were terribly tasteless that we had to return it - dont order it! The crab cakes tasted like canned seafood blend and the breading was crumbling and soggy. Overall, I am not impressed but giving them the benefit of the doubt. Three stars may be slightly generous. All that being said, its funny how some people made complaints that they don't serve naan or tandoori chicken!! - this is south Indian cuisine, not Punjabi or Gujarati! Based on the majority of the reviews, to be on the safe side, I would go for their buffet or order one of the thali dishes - most people appear to be satisfied with those options.

Friendly attentive staff. The dining room is laid out to accommodate a lot of people in a smallish space. Cozy and comfortable. Drinks and appetizers were on the table very quickly and were hot and tasty. Main dishes were portioned just right. Completely delicious. We had Aloo and Palak Tikki which was very good. The Beef Koorka Masala was good too but I don't recall the Chinese Potato. For dessert we shared warm Gulab Jumun with coconut icecream. Delicious!

Mother's Day in quarantine. I pre-ordered this dinner a few days before Mother's Day and the restaurant went out of their way to reach out and offer suggestions for a more diverse meal. We spoke 3 times via email and twice over the phone (just from the restaurant reaching out) because they wanted to ensure our meal was the best it could be. We love this restaurant, and being able to enjoy our favorite dishes on a special day gave us something to look forward too. Thank you to the staff and kitchen crew for all of your handwork and commitment; Ottawa is grateful for your services.

Great Indian food. Looked like a very busy place and it's better to make a reservation if you are planning to go there during the weekend. Good potions for a good price. Price could be little expensive when compared with other places but it's worth it.

My new favourite Indian restaurant! We tried the Tandoori Lamb Chops as an appetizer, and.they have now converted me, it was something I would highly recommend! I also never imagined a mint spicy sauce, and it's great on lamb! We had the Beef and Chicken Thali, it's a true sampling dish you can combine so many flavours. The staff was great as well, very helpful with suggestions for newbies... I have to go back in the future for the Beef Vindaloo and the Butter Chicken...a true gem that is an adventure!

This is a really high quality Indian buffet. The food is SO delicious and they have a really large selection of meat and vegetarian options. I’ve eaten here for non buffet dinner as well but found the serving sizes small and expensive.

Wow this place is incredible I had heard go things about this place gave it a shot oh man this was the best choice. Was greeted ipon arriving the waiter was excellent service was amazing and the food is really fresh the taste was wow you have to go and try this place. The ambiance is great and had some nice soft music playing in the background. I will be back for sure one of the best Indian food to eat in Ottawa.��

Coconut Lagoon as been our favorite place to go eat for a while now for many reasons sarting with the friendly owners and kind staff that welcome you the minute you walk in, but not only do they greet you but they actually recognise you and make an effort to welcome you even if they are busy. Especially the owners and regular staff. The food is amazing, and service as always been perfect. They really go out of their way to make sure your experience there is a pleasant one. I recommend you to try it, it is no problem if you have never eaten this kind of food. They will help you decide on what to eat. You will not be disappointed. And you will be back. Enjoy.

The service was superb the Ebb and flow of this restaurant is incredible, service is fast, friendly, knowledgeable - the dishes are mouth watering delicious!!! Pricing is along the lines of those that are higher end so be prepared for a little spending but well worth the dollars spent...!!

The best place in Ottawa for South Indian food! Coconut Lagoon's buffet is absolutly a must try for anyone who likes Indian food.

Food is incredible! My only complaint would be the noise in the restaurant from the too many happy customers! Service is top notch and food is so good it just melts in your mouth. Not too spicy and yet a hit to every taste bud!!!!

Will have to go on a regular basis! We were a group of 6 with reservations - we were seated in the back room - out of the hustle and bustle in the front of the restaurant which I thought was so accommodating!!!! The staff was so polite and respectful! Now for the food - like I mentioned before a total tongue experience!!! We all ordered something different and the way our plates were served, it was so easy to try everything! Real authentic Indian food! Nothing bad to say about this place!!! Just can't wait for the Renos to be done!!!

Excellent! Service was impeccable, food was great. The only thing I would have to say is that the price was a little bit to high for the portion.

As a long-time loyal client who has introduced your restaurant to dozens of people over the years, I was terribly disappointed with how one of the owners treated my 3 colleagues and I at lunch today. We made a reservation, and 45 minutes after sitting down, we had just finished our meal, when we were quite rudely interrupted by the co-owner telling us that nobody would bring us our bill, so we should go and pay. A little stunned by this lack of tact, we looked to see if anyone was waiting at the door - nobody. Still, we got up to pay at the counter. While my colleagues were paying, I used the restroom. As I approached the counter to pay, I overheard the same man accusingly tell my colleague that I hadn't paid - clearly insinuating that I intended to rip him off! He made no apology to me, and I was too stunned to even deny him a tip. I will no longer promote your restaurant, and will certainly not come back to be treated so poorly. Host India is nearby, and they've always served us respectfully on top of having great food. So disappointing.

Very good food, excellent service, I recommend this place to everyone who like Indian cuisine

The Crab cakes app where some of the best I've ever had. As first timers we played safe with butter chicken and beef curry. The beef curry is really addictive with perfect heat... needed a second beer :-).

The only two things better than the service were the flavour and presentation. Amazing! Please go. Either for the incredible dinner menu or the lunch buffet. This place is a real favourite for anyone I have been there with.

I was there Sunday with my family.1st time trying Indian food and I loved it. Everything was delicious the service was excellent and I love the calm friendly family atmosphere.

I enjoyed the lunch buffet today. It was INCREDIBLE! The selection was fantastic and the food was hot and fresh. The place was filled with satisfied diners and the service was amazing. The cost was reasonable ($36 + tip for two diners) and I'll definitely be back!

The server was so rude! Food was not nice! There was no taste of a proper South Indian food!

Absolutely terrible customer service . Did not honor reservation just because 10 minutes past the reservation time of 8 PM (parking was full at premises and no parking was available nearby on adjoining street ) . Manager on duty was unprofessional and ignorant. Owner did not call back even after 24 hours to address the matter. Ruined a perfectly planned evening

Atmosphere was a bit loud and cramped but service was good and fast! Great selection of foods on the menu and the food was delicious! Definitely a great place to go on a date night.

With its many rave reviews in news outlets and social media, Coconut Lagoon has long been on my list of must-try restaurants in the city. However, I found myself underwhelmed after my first visit. <br/><br/>While the food was decent (we ordered Naddan Kohzi Curry and Butter Chicken), the flavours seemed almost identical to those found at other Indian restaurants. I will concede that perhaps I don't understand the nuances of Indian food; however, that, coupled with the relatively small quantities and steep prices, makes it hard to justify going back again. The things they do differently, like serving Porathas over naan bread, are interesting but aren't enough to entice me to return (I prefer my porathas more buttery). <br/><br/>The one dish we were impressed by was the Tandoori Lamb Chops (regrettably, I forgot to take a picture). Although they were delicious - well-seasoned, juicy, and tender - it doesn't seem worth the price ($14 for literally 2 RIBS of lamb or $7 per rib).<br/><br/>Located in Vanier, the restaurant is modest in size but more modern in design than its counterparts. While the ambience was that of a fine-dining restaurant, our interactions with the waiters left something to be desired. The waiter who took our orders seemed impersonal and distracted, seeming to barely care. That is, until he began to pressure us to order more - first, an appetizer, then, drinks. While this interaction didn't make a big impact on our experience, it certainly didn't add to it. <br/><br/>All things considered, I think Coconut Lagoon will be a one-time thing for me.

A great arrangement of options at what I would say is a great price. The place is extremely intimate/small in a sense. However it’s placed in a very modern building and truly because of the size I found it inviting/homey. Although the amount of food they have is a limited amount the flavours are incredible. They have some great vegetarian options there! My friends and I went there for the lunch buffet and we did believe it was worth it! I do highly recommend!!

Close to Rideau High School on St. laurent Boulevard, the Coconut Lagoon is a cozy restaurant with friendly service and of course great food such as the pictured South Indian Veg Thali.  Delicious!

Average food and pathetic staff behavior - two reasons enough for me to cross this place off. After a tiring day, South Indian food is what makes my day, but in this case, it worsened it. <br/><br/>Food:<br/><br/>We went for Vada-Sambhar, Rasam, Madras Eggplant Masala and Chapathi. To begin with, Sambhar was okay. Vada wasn't soft - when I compare it with what I have had everywhere else. I did like the Rasam though - nice flavors and very appetizing. Even though a side dish, we went for Madras Eggplant Masala since we didn't want to stuff ourselves (and we were right). The curry was quite well made but not that spicy. The portion was good enough for two people unless you are planning to stuff yourself. Chapati, to our fortune, did come out fresh from tawa and quite hot. Where I felt the issue was that the dough wasn't fresh because the chapati started turning hard soon. <br/><br/>Staff:<br/><br/>Now, here's where the greatest problem we encountered. The gentleman attending us was a little uptight, giving a disgusted look on a couple of occasions. First is when I asked if the vada is dipped in the sambhar or served separately - not sure how it was a horrible question. Again, when ordering Madras Eggplant Masala, we asked about the portion size, to which, he weirdly responded, "We'll see". Well, those two words made a good dip in his tip. And the final nail in the coffin hit when they served the Madras Eggplant Masala, with some meat dish and placed it right next to my face for me to take a smell of it. <br/><br/>Ambiance:<br/><br/>It is quite a cramped place with dark settings. They have a good seating capacity, especially for the large families. However, the reception is all the way down the restaurant which made it a little weird to just stand as you enter and wait for someone to notice you - a setting not very unique in Canadian restaurants though. <br/><br/>Definitely give a pass!

What a great place! The service was extremely good. We ordered the Chicken Thali and it was a very awesome dish with many sides. This became our new “go-to” place for Indian Cuisine.

Came here for the lunch buffet. Arrived around noon, and there was about a 45 minute wait. I ended up joining a couple in line ahead of me and we sat together at a table for 4. <br/><br/>There was a good selection of food, and everything I tried was tasty. The service was slow, but understandable given it was incredibly busy, they were overwhelmed.<br/><br/>Overall, this was a great option if you're in the east end, I'd highly recommend it.

This place is definitely over rated. The food was bland and they don’t have naan bread and the bread they do have is not good at all it’s doughy and chewy. Not only is the food not that great but it is extremely overpriced and the portions are very small. Little India cafe on Carling or Kochin in the market are much better options.

So delicious! Love this place. Busy all the time. This place was recommended to me by someone that lives in South India. The cuisine is spot and I will be going back. Price is decent. Only downfall, they need MORE PARKING.

Excellent lunch buffet and friendly service. A definite win! I don't even know what I was eating half the time but it was delicious! Restaurant itself was beautiful and modern.

We've been twice for lunch and the food is superb, I especially like the Pepper Lamb.  Service is very friendly and attentive.  It would be a good idea to make reservations as the restaurant does fill up quickly over the lunch hour.

The new interior and exterior renovations look amazing. I love the South Indian dishes and was excited to try Chef Joe Thottungal food as he won silver in the Canadian Culinary Championships 2017 and Gold Medal Plates Culinary Competition 2016. While there I tried the lamb Thali which came with a huge variety of side dishes which was outstanding as I got to sample a variety of foods.

Went for lunch with a client it was a buffet the food was excellent and well prepared . Ingrédients were fresh. Staff was very efficient but they could use a little more smiling

Simply the best South Indian food you're likely to be able to get outside of Kerala. For that matter, Chef Joe's cooking could be an inspiration and challenge to many chefs in Kerala. If your experience of Indian cuisine has been limited to the rather mediocre array of N. Indian restaurants in Ottawa, you owe it to yourself to discover the delights of the cuisine of India's south.

Expensive but worth the money. Even the person taking your order will remind you that you are dining at Ottawa's best South Indian restaurant.<br/>Food definitely deserves 5 stars but I am giving it 4 due to the overpriced dishes.

I was at coconut lagoon today for dinner .There is a lot a hype around the city stating it has the best South Indian food so thought of giving it a try. I ordered vada and uttapam to start off. Vada was just 'ok' and sent back the uttapam cause I felt they didn't cook it properly cause it crispy and a little burnt on the top but inside was almost doughy. However server was nice enough to get me another one as soon as I told him. The second one was better but low on seasoning burnt in few places no seasoning on paneer which makes it bland to eat. So far the experience wasn't good I still thought it is my bad that didn't get good food. So ordered lamb biryani. Firstly, a biryani without basmati rice is sad to look at. Rice was sticky. Taste was fine but the look of it is not appetizing. However , to my experience food at coconut lagoon is overhyped and way too over priced. Not going back for sure.

Frankly, I was almost sure never to find a good South Indian restaurant in any of my trips. Coconut Lagoon is an absolute contraindication of that. This modest place boasts mighty food. Definitely, a wonderful place for Indians who also need a break from the typical westernised Indian food (North Indian). The buffet is worth the money you pay here.

First timer..awesome cuisine..first time I've tried a tomatoes based butter chicken ....relaxed atmosphere..definitely a fav to bring friends and family...🍴🍷🍽

Amazing! You need a reservation if you go on the weekend. Really great food, awesome customer service.

There are not very many good Indian restaurants in Ottawa, this is is<br/>Definitely one of the best. Coconut lagoon specializes in South Indian cuisine which differs substantially from the far more prevalent Punjabi fair that most Ottawans are used to. While popular dishes such as butter chicken and tandoori chicken are available, they are not recommended. Instead, ask the waiter to help you choose South Indian dishes. Shrimp malabar, egg mapas, red fish curry, and masala dosa are some of my favourite. Make sure to order some parotha, South Indian flat bread that's pulled apart layer by layer. It's served hot and fresh and is a fantastic tool for grabbing food with your hands one bite at a time. So good! Definitely go here if you're looking for an authentic taste of southern India.

First and foremost, IF you are going on weekends, please make a reservation.<br/>Rest assured best Indian food I have tasted in Ottawa.<br/>Giving it one start less because of the wait.<br/>We ordered Masala Dosa , Mango Lassi , Butter chicken , Spicy chicken, Naan and some other side dishes.<br/>Service was quick, waiters were friendly and very good ambience.<br/>I always prefer this place if I have craving for Indian food.

First time. Incredibly tasty south Indian food. The flavours are bright, fresh and well developed. I ordered the Salmon curry and I am still thinking about it - we were there 5 days ago. We have decided to return this weekend for the lunch buffet.

I had heard very good reviews about this place and decided to visit it.  I am a vegetarian so consider this review if you are veg. <br/><br/>I visited this place on Mother day when they were pretty much book so might be my experience was not good at all. <br/><br/>Let me start with some good things their Vada and Mango Kheer was good.  <br/><br/>They sambhar was very thin might be they were not expecting many people and running short of it so might have added too much water. Tiny idle were not up to the mark.  They were preparing live dosa on a very small pan with masala without any spies. <br/><br/>In short i can only say it was a disaster.

You can smell the food from down the street, it's amazing. If you love spicy food, or Indian food in general, this is the place for you. It does not skimp on flavour and is truly authentic South Indian cuisine (verified by a coworker of mine who used to live in Malaysia, where there is a large population of Southern Indians). Get the Thali for a unique sharing experience. Small side dishes to share in a group paired with a fragant rice/yogurt dish and porathas. We sampled a lot, but everything was honestly amazing. I am already excited to come back for more.

I rarely give restaurants a 5 star rating. This time I have to.<br/><br/>Being an Indian I have always been disappointed with the misrepresentation of Indian food in Toronto. However in my last trip to Ottawa I visited this restaurant and it was an amazing experience. <br/><br/>A true ambassador of a coastal cuisine from south of india; the food from this restaurant has excellent originality, rich flavours and excellent representation. Great food, excellent service and beautiful ambience; I would recommend this restaurant to all.<br/><br/>It's as close as it can get to a culinary experience amongst the sun and sand on the west coast of south India.

I was terribly dissapointed with this place. Hoping to have some of my native food, I bought all my friends to this place. Certainly not the best food or the best service. Kochin Kitchen in the Byward Market area, in my opinion, is actually authentic.

Amazing Indian food. This place and the Host are the best in town. Love the parathas. Addicted to this place! You have to check it out if you love Indian food.

My husband and I went here last night because I was craving Indian and I had heard great things. My husband is not a big fan of Indian but decided to try it out. The menu had good selection but they didn't have naan which I found strange-until we were to by the server that they specialize in southern Indian cuisine which is quite different from typical Indian. Well-the food was amazing! We ordered the fried onions (similar to onion badji) and the chicken pakoras to start. Each came with its own flavorful dipping sauce and the chicken was so tender and had a nice layer of spice beneath the soft breading. For the main course I had the shrimp moilee and my husband had the Lamb kurma. Neither were spicy (which was good for us) and each came with rice or porathas (southern-style naan which is soooo good!). Usually Indian food doesn't come with the rice so I found that a bonus. We both really enjoyed our main course. All in all, a great experience and I will definitely be coming back here! (And so will my husband, which is a true testament since he doesn't usually like Indian.)

Best Indian food I have ever had. The service is always good and the restaurant always clean. The Sunday brunch is amazing. Highly recommended.

Delicious food disappointed in staff. We went for lunch to today. It was very busy but they got us a spot pretty quickly. The food was delicious. Unfortunately two things turned us off this restaurant. First an older lady dropped the soup lid on the floor. An employee walked by and picked it up and put it back on the soup. He did not even rinse the lid and finally when I was eating my dessert I found a piece of plastic wrap in the syrup. I immediately told the manager and he indicated that it was from wrapping the lid. He didn't remove the dessert just quickly looked into it to see if he saw any more. I agree this is likely what happened but regardless I almost swallowed it. I was very friendly as was he but when I went up to pay I really think he could have given us a discount due to this situation. Anyways we won't be back.

Don't bother making a reservation. Booked a table for 10 for a business lunch. Got confirmation our table was booked the day before. Showed up 15 mins early, our table was given away. No room for us. <br/><br/>I think they don't understand the basic premise of a reservation.

Nothing comes close. These guys really know how to run a restaurant. it really shows when the caring owners are onsite. everything is perfect. the best South Indian food on this continent in my opinion.

I love Indian and one of my all-time favourite places is Little India Café. Unfortunately, it’s not in my end of town, so I don’t get there often. This place definitely rivals if not surpasses Little India Café. The two are in a league of their own food wise, but Coconut Lagoon is a larger place, it has bit more selection and its more modern which gives it a bit of an edge of the smaller Little India Café. You don’t feel as cramped and there was no wait for a table when we went. <br/><br/>The food here is hands down some of the best Indian in town. The quality and care taken in preparing is obvious. The tender morsels of curried lamb, the mouth-watering Butter Chicken and the buttered Naan were just a few of the standouts. Everyone one at our table was extremely satisfied and there were a lot of, “Did you try this” I could go on, but I’ll let the food speak for itself.<br/><br/>Service was professional and attentive.<br/><br/>Like the Little India Café, it’s not in my necks of the woods, but I will go out of my way to go back.

The service is impeccable, the maître D's people skill amazingly soft and warm. The food heavenly delicious. The lamb was so tender and the spices complimented the meat. An absolute must return soon!

Best Buffet in Town. The selection is fresh, clean and lengthy. I have been several times and it always makes me think how much better this place is than any other. Their Buffet is honestly better than every other Indian full service. Fresh, flavourful and healthy dishes separates this Indian house from all others. Truly a great venue. The mango drink is exceptional.

Not what we were expecting for. It was our first time and we had invited friends. We were also very exciting to go with all of the great reviews we had read. We found that the service was efficient, but very pushy. We had said to our waiter that it was our first time. Would have been nice to walk us through the menu and make suggestions, but it was not done. As soon as we said that we were not going to have desserts, they gave us the bill 15 seconds later without asking if we would like a tea, which we would have taken actually. The food was not at all what we were expecting for. We had the fish thali and I had some of the dishes were the portion was half of the one of my partner or without veggies were they should have been. Nobody came to ask us if everything was to our liking. We won't go back and won't recommend.

Best Indian resto in Ottawa. Fresh and delicious, hands down the best indian cuisine in the city! The thali platter is amazing and will fill you to the gills. Good service and a decent alcohol menu as well.

I have only had their lunch time buffet but the food is delicious!!<br/>Flavours are fantastic and selection is good! Staff is very friendly and knowledgable about food allergens

Reliable quality. So many restaurants seem to have good days and not so good. I've never been disappointed at the Coconut Lagoon.

Lunch Buffet. There lunch buffet is probably some of the best value for your dollar in Ottawa. The food is so tastey, the price is reasonable, and you'll definitely leave there having eaten enough to keep you satisfied for days!

Went for dinner with friends, it was my first time and I heard nothing but good things about it. I split an order of vegetable samosas, butter chicken and vegetable kurma with rice and parathas bread with a friend and it was all delicious. I will admit the portions are a little small for the price, but filling. I found myself wanting a little bit more when I was done, perhaps not share next time, but then it's getting pricy. I've heard they have a lunch buffet too, I would definitely go back to try that. Overall good experience.

Wonderful curries and flavourful dishes. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone since Coconut Lagoon has dishes on their menu that you cannot find in most mainstream Indian restaurants. The waiters are always ready to offer great suggestions to try.

Went for dinner. Had the butter chicken which was good but not as creamy as the ones I'm used to eating. Very good nonetheless. Comes with rice or porathas bread. Bread is amazing. The portion is pretty small for $17, but enough for one person (for this price, you get double the portion at other places). Also sampled some of the dishes in the veggie signature thali and liked what I tried.<br/>Noticed that the waiter only flipped the tablecloth over after some clients left, which has me question the cleanliness...

Used to go here all the time. Went back just recently and it has clearly gone downhill. The portions of curry were smaller, the sauce was watery, and the meat was stingy and less tender than it used to be. Still good Indian food, but it used to be great. The service that was previously so attentive was slow and the server seemed confused. All in all it was a disappointment to return.

Very good indian buffet. Tried their lunch buffet and was really impressed. Will definitely go back and recommend to others.

Horrible Service.

Very pleased with my experience at Coconut Lagoon! The food selection in buffet standards may seem limited, but the quality was outstanding and service was great. Very friendly and quick on refills and check-ins. The food was delicious. Definitely recommend.

Upon arriving to the coconut lagoon we found that it was so busy that the parking lot was full (only around 7 spots) We walked in to found a gorgeous ethnic hole in the wall. The lack of selection in the buffet was made up by the shear quality of the food. I myself can handle quite spicy and the food was perfectly spiced and delicious. The best ethnic restaurant I have even been to.

A Very Good Choice. Myself and a friend went to dinner last night. The greeting was very pleasant from the Chef and Staff. The service was excellent and the food delicious. The only two issues I had was it was slightly overpriced for the portion size and the Server had on way too much cologne. Great food, friendly staff, good service. I will certainly be back.<br/><br/>Note to the four middle aged people dining at 5:30PM on Friday, November 22. The multiple ring tones your new phone can produce are perhaps interesting to you but not to the other guests.

The food is luscious, rich and flavorful! We have been going there since it first opened - never a bad meal. Staff is attentive, helpful and friendly. This is our go-to place for indian food.

We love this place. My husband and I love their lunch buffet. They have added a sweet cardamom sauce to their dessert choices and it is heavenly. The staff who waited on us at our most recent visit was different and seemed much friendlier. To us, the buffet is not pricey as the quality of the food is outstanding. The lunch buffet is a great place to start if you are new to Indian food.

Lousy mannerism. The staff were impolite, arrogant and displayed attitude unbecoming of a food service industry. I will encourage them to be equally friendly to Indians.<br/>I will never go to the Ottawa outlet.

Best I've had in Ottawa so far. I'll start by stating that I am no expert on what authentic Indian food is supposed to taste like, but I am an expert on what my taste buds like and they LOVED this place. <br/><br/>My boyfriend was moaning over his Chicken Biryani and I thoroughly enjoyed every flavour the Thali offered. The Butter Chicken was the way I personally like it, with a hint of sweetness and spiciness that gradually builds with every bite.<br/><br/>What I found most memorable was the Aloo Tikki: soft silky mashed potatoes with a pleasant, slightly spicy filling in the middle and a crispy thin shell on the outside. This would be a very comforting snack on a cold winter night.<br/><br/>The indian chai was very pleasant and the Madras coffee very good. <br/>This is my new favourite indian restaurant for sure!

Good, but expensive. The food was delicious but the prices are high and the portions are small. Unfortunately, the food wasn't good enough for me to go back considering the price and portion size. I love Indian food, and there's other places in the city that give you more for your money and taste just as good.<br/><br/>THe wait staff were very attentive and nice.

Not so good. Maybe I just caught them on a bad day - but I'd been excited to try them for a while since they're not too far to go for take out.<br/><br/>Orders 2-3x more food then I needed just to try a variety of items. The fried items were dripping with grease and oil. The other items tasted like they'd been drizzled with the same oil for sport. Nothing in the entire order of 6 or 7 dishes was edible - we actually tossed it all and ordered a pizza instead. <br/><br/>They always seem busy so I assume lots of customers are happy with them, but I'd rather go to any of the other excellent Indian places within 5 minutes.

Outstanding service and food.

Good food and service. The food is great. This is a SOUTH Indian restaurant, so many people may not be accustomed to the new flavours. They have the regular butter chicken and what not, but their specialty is South Indian food! May be why some people have complaints.<br/><br/>The malabar shrimp is super tasty and full of flavour. Whatever dish you get, you have to try the parathas!!! These kill naan anyday of the week!<br/><br/>You may want to try the buffet as it is best bang for the buck, and you can try what you like/dislike first.<br/><br/>Service is great and they do a great job of explaining the dishes.

Went for the weekend buffet. Out of ~10 dishes, my husband and I only enjoyed 3: salmon curry, butter chicken, and peppered lamb. The rest of the dishes were subpar to mediocre. It's great to try once but I won't be returning. On another note, service was very prompt.

Dissappointed. I went to this restaurant looking at all the reviews. The prices were double the price I ever paid at other restaurants. It has a nice ambience but the guy who served kept on bugging us if were ready to order without even giving us enough time to decide. I liked the presentation of the food, but not the authenticity in taste (I am an Indian and I know what taste to expect from an Indian restaurant). If you want to have food which tastes good but not authentic you might try this place. After serving us, he never showed up to see if we want anything else.

BEST Indian. There is no other place to go for Indian but here. My favourite is the beef curry with the bread! But EVERYTHING is worth a try! This should be the only Indian restaurant that comes to mind when your craving it!

WHAT A GEM!!. I went there with my wife last year and oh man was it gooood! VERY nice dining experience!! We had some sort of variety sampler dish and wowee. Not overly spicy, very tasty and colourful, didn’t feel like garbage after all that food like you would at McDonalds. Friendly, clean, fast service and the place was packed. I cant wait to go back!!!!

The Best!. Urbanspoon was the key to finding this gem. Hard to find better Indian food. Excellent service. But terrible location for parking. Going back as often as I can.

Excellent!. I am always extremely impressed with the Coconut Lagoon. Not only is the food fantastic, but the service is consistently great, especially considering how busy they are. While the food may be a little pricey considering the portion sizes, the quality of the food makes it absolutely worthwhile. I highly recommend trying the shrimp moilee and the onion fritters.

I love Coconut Lagoon. I don't really understand the negative reviews. I live near this restaurant and go frequently with friends and fam and have never been disappointed! The only risk is losing self-control and over-indulging because it is so, so good.

Always Excellent. This is our favourite restaurant in Ottawa. We have been there many times, and we always love the food. We had dinner there tonight - appetizers, parathas, Nilgiri Chicken, Beef Vindaloo, Naddan Kohzi Curry, and Butter Chicken. All excellent dishes. Great service. We love it!

Food Excellent, Server A Bit Off. Went there on a weeknight for dinner, three in the party; one of whom had been to India a few times, travelled there quite a bit and was really looking forward to some southern Indian food. The food was excellent, the service okay but our server (at the beginning of the meal) had the nerve to lean over the table, take some sauce from one of our bowls and poured it directly over one of my companions food and said that it would be really good this way. What the heck! Don`t know what got into him but his manners and table grace were clearly lacking. If he was trying to be funny, he was not. He came across rather arrogant and his behaviour was absolutely inappropriate.<br/><br/>On the food side, everything was delicious but this stupid act really put a damper on our meal as he became an intruder, not a server. We have all been to this restaurant before but it will be a long, long time before we return - if at all.

Can't wait to come back!!. Being a person who grew up eating indian food a lot with my family, I was very impressed with this restaurant. This place was recommended to me and I really enjoyed it. I have been there twice for both buffet and regular service and was always impressed. The staff are hardworking and care for their customers. Defenitely a must try for all you indian food lovers.

Solid lunch buffet. I went here for a lunch buffet. It was very tasty, and had all the south-Indian standards. Curried veggies, butter chicken, some lamb, tasty rice options, dosa bread, tandoori-type chicken (this was the lowlight), a variety of cold veggie salad type stuff. If you like Indian food, you'll like this.<br/><br/>Special nod to the deserts; the gulab jamun was delicious, some of the best I've ever had, and I liked the pudding as well.

This restaurant has the BEST Indian food in the city!...hands down!<br/>Try the chicken Thali if you're unfamiliar with this type of cuisine. That way you'll get a bit of everything!<br/>Enjoy! You won't regret it!

I really enjoyed my first visit to coconut lagoon. I am not familiar with Indian food so I was relieved when the staff were friendly and helpful. I had read that the service wasn't that great in other reviews, but on the Thursday evening I went, I've never seen a staff so concerned with making sure every table was tended to promptly. We will definitely be going again.

Very good lunch buffet. My husband and I have had lunch at the Coconut Lagoon on several occasions. We were never disappointed Always fresh and always good. We will visit many more times for sure.

Excellent quality, but does everything need coconut?. The unmistakable smell signalling fresh and proper food preparation, along with spicing greeted me as I arrived at Coconut Lagoon for Sunday Brunch. The decor was welcoming, along with the staff. The dishes I tried were indeed delicious, but left me with one question: does everything require coconut milk? Perhaps a silly question, given the restaurant's name, but I honestly did feel that staple dishes such as chana masala did not need to include coconut, given that there was already an ample selection of specialty dishes with the ingredient, including the curried eggs. After all, coconut has the power to take over most other spicing. Given the quality of this restaurant's food, I hope that they will seriously consider that they can expand their market among those who regularly eat Indian by ensuring they also offer dishes without coconut milk.

Good food. Pretty tasty and decent price!

Elcellent s th only word

Delicious and not your cookie cutter indian restaurant! Great, fast service even though the place was packed on a Saturday night. The thali is big enough to share and offers great sampling. The best dish : pumpkin cocnut curry!

I came here because I read the reviews. It seemed that this was the place to go to if you love indian food. Although I'm not Indian I think I may have been in a past life. Indian food is my achiles heel and I will travel far and wide to eat it. I use to live in Toronto and frequent Gerrard St. for some of the best Dosas I've ever had. Since moving to Ottawa I missed the local restaurants that I could go to. So I read some reviews and gave this place a shot. <br/><br/>I ordered the Masala Dosa, mango lassis, spicy pancake, and rasmali. The spicy pancake lacked flavor, was dry and felt as if it was hastily put together. The Masala Dosa was the worst I have ever had. It didn't have the kick or flare that I'm use to and the dosa was soggy (as if it was just sitting there for a while before coming to the table). The mago lassis and rasmali saved the evening. Both were very good and I would come back just to order these two items. The service was there but lacked any personality or effort. Very disappointed to say the least. <br/><br/>Looks like I'll be eating Indian only when I visit Toronto.

Wonderful. This place is great. It serves a nice version of south indian food. Had a great thali with red rice and paratha. Great vadas, great coconut chutney. Ridiculous eggplant and mushroom dishes. Win.

Tied for First. As someone who has grown up eating Indian food their whole life, I can tell you that there is only two worthwhile Indian restaurants in Ottawa -- Coconut Lagoon and Ceylonta (Bells Corners). In terms of quality of food, I would give the edge to Coconut Lagoon. The chef is highly trained, and it shows in the quality of the food. It also shows in the quality of the service, in that the two owners often expect their customers to appreciate the food on its own merits. They are generally nice guys, but when the food sells itself, why go over the top in terms of customer service? For a bit of a different taste, I definitely also recommend Ceylonta in Bells Corners. Great food (menu only, NEVER the buffet) and great service. My two cents anyway....

It might be too good..!. Went for dinner one night and was so impressed we had to go back to sample the buffet a few days later. My only complaint was the food was SO delicious I ate way too much.<br/><br/>Buffet had some really unique and interesting curries-one with hard boiled eggs and a mushroom curry is what I remember.. Everything was FABULOUS.

Best. Indian. In. Ottawa.. The food here is incredible. It has the Indian fare we've come to expect in the west - including unbelieveably good butter chicken - but also south Indian specialites that you shouldn't miss. And, oh, those onion fritters. Really. Order extra of those, you'll want them.

A Bone to Pick. I have mixed feelings about my experience at the Coconut Lagoon.<br/>First off I started with the Steamed Mussels in Spicy Exotic Sauce. They tasted great, the sauce was good and spicy but not so much so that it took away from the flavor. Normally I would like a dry bread to soak up the sauce with but the parathas did a surprisingly good job of it. It also helps that parathas and naan are my favorites breads.<br/>For the main course I had the lamb anise. The lamb was tender and tasted great. It would break apart at the slightest touch. I went with medium spice and found it to be perfect. The flavor still came through and I was sweating bullets, what more can you ask for. Again I had the parathas with my main.<br/>So were did things go wrong? First the staff really came across as emotionless robots. Not a smile to be seen, they just went through well memorized movements and lines. Not trying to be mean but it did really leave me feeling unwelcome. The bus boy really tended to hover quite a bit as well making me feel like I was being watched. Lastly, although the lamb tasted great, I kept biting into small pieces of bone. The constant picking bones out of my mouth as I was trying to chew really took away from the experience.<br/>So the big question is, would I go back again? Yes. The food tasted that good. Everyone has their off days, even a chef. I might not be back soon but I will be back.

Fabulous restaurant. Coconut Lagoon is located in the middle of nowhere (and somewhat hard to find after dark on account of the lack of a lighted sign). However, once we started eating, all our anxiety about having driven up and down St. Laurent several times evaporated.<br/><br/>We ordered a vegetarian sampler platter and a butter chicken, and they were both delectable and plenty of food for my wife and I. The butter chicken was not as oily/buttery as North Indian butter chicken, which I loved.<br/><br/>Service was impeccable and friendly. Even at 8 p.m. the restaurant was packed and every patron seemed to be enjoying themselves. I'd recommend Coconut Lagoon to anyone looking for a great place to have dinner around Bayshore Mall.

Great restaurant, love their mango lassie drink & chicken pakoras-batter fried chicken filets with chili lime aioli

Outstanding. I've been several times to Kerala and love its cuisine. Coconut Lagoon gives consistently delicious access to the region's food. Most Indian restaurants in this city (and elsewhere) tend to feature North Indian food. The South favours a different range of spices, includes a lot of coconut, and, because Kerala is coastal, a good deal of seafood. If you're vegetarian, however -- no problem. The veg thali, to name just one dish, will leave you smiling. Joe, his brother, and staff are the best!<br/><br/><br/>-----02 Aug, 2009-----<br/><br/>Outstanding example of food from Kerala in the SW of India. Tired of the usual array of North Indian cuisine? Try this. Authentic and delicious.

One of the best Indian restaurants in Ottawa!. I went here for my birthday with my family. It was recommended by an Indian friend of mine who recently moved here. It was definitely one of the best Indian meals I have ever had! We got recommendations from the server for different kinds of dishes and they were all delicious! Highly recommended!

Without a doubt, one of the better Indian restaurants in Ottawa. Maybe the best in terms of deliciousness

Although this restaurant was also full, the host/manager assured us that they could make space for us in the back room and that although the wait for our main course might be longer than usual, he would rush through our order for any starter to tide us ov