A taste of the homeland is never too far away in Ottawa.

We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to Indian food in Ottawa, but it wasn’t always this way. I remember arriving here in 2010 and struggling to find restaurants that served authentic North Indian fare.

That’s no longer the case.

One of the newest Indian restaurants serving up excellent food is Sona the Indian Kitchen, located in a strip mall near Bank Street and Hunt Club Road. Opened in 2023, the restaurant has already racked up hundreds of reviews on Google, boasting an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Moreover, several Eat the Strip readers reached out to us encouraging us to go check out the restaurant.

“For us, newly immigrated from the UK, it’s a lovely, lovely Indian restaurant,” Leigh Bogardis wrote to us last fall. “The thali is excellent value, the spice levels can be tailored to your tastes and it’s our go to restaurant for when friends visit.”

“The people there are lovely,” Leigh added.

We had to go check this place out, so we headed over last weekend and ordered several classic North Indian dishes, including dal tadka, jeera aloo, lamb rogan josh and chicken tikka.

While everything was delicious, the rogan josh and jeera aloo were immediate hits. Juicy chunks of lamb were cooked to perfection and went along perfectly with a side of green peas pulao. The jeera aloo was spiced well, salty and had a nice kick to it without being overwhelmingly spicy.

Though Sona is a tad more expensive that your usual strip mall joint—with several main course dishes priced between $20 and $25—it’s worth it. The food here is as authentic as it comes.

The space is large and colourful and the service was incredible. Not only was our server patient, she took the time to ensure all dishes met the dietary restrictions of our group. There were plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available and, as mentioned by Leigh, they can adjust spice levels according to preference.

We left satisfied and with a promise to return. Leigh was correct—Sona is a lovely restaurant that deserves all the praise it gets.