Thali Restaurant

Tasting menus at this downtown Ottawa restaurant feature Indian dishes that, together, offer all six flavours—sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy.

With its huge windows, long communal tables, white walls and sleek pendant lamps, Thali doesn’t look like a traditional Indian restaurant. But it’s not just the décor that makes this lively Centretown spot stand out; the cuisine is also far from typical.

While you can order à la carte, you may want to choose a “thali” instead. The word means both a round platter and the selection of tiny dishes arranged on it. Served on gleaming copperware, your thali will be an artful selection of Indian specialties, such as dhals, curries, vegetables and soup, served with rice, breads, pickles, chutneys and other accompaniments. All you need to do is pick your protein (fish, poultry, meat, vegan and vegetarian options are available), and award-winning chef Joe Thottungal and his team will do the rest.