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Taj Mahal
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Thai Indian, Thai [Edit]
5175 South StHalifax, NS B3J 1A2
(902) 492-8251
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 10:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
12 reviews for Taj Mahal
12 reviews in English
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Review from Paul B.
1/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
There is nothing like lunch in the sunporch of the Taj on a cold sunny day in January. Unfortunately I am a bad one to judge this place as it is a standard where I regular find myself lunching with a friend with very little reflection.
At lunch it is rarely busy, the big open windows provide a great view of one of downtown Halifax's green spaces and the food has been consistent for years - even through the reno's following the fire in the block.
I get there so often that the servers know my face, they are always friendly - maybe a bit too friendly. A couple of times we sat down at the table just as our regular drinks arrived. Silly that I feel I should have to specifically order them myself.
As a person in search of hot food in Halifax, the lamb vindaloo can be requested to be extra spicey. When done properly it is the hotest food in town!
Will I go back - of course - it is one of the places that I go. That being said, there are a number of places that have been tried for lunch and been rejected. -
Review from Mimosa K.
South End, NS
4/13/2012
I'm going to be honest here, I am a snob when it comes to Indian food:
I grew up and studied in Toronto where I was completely spoiled with tasty, authentic Indian food (each and everyday). My roommate in university was of Indian decent and she guided me to the best places in town to fulfill my curry cravings. Her parents also owned an Indian restaurant in London (UK) which I hope to try out some day!
So, when I moved to Hfx from Toronto in '05, my cousin raved about the Taj and told me it was just like eating authentic cuisine from Little India (Gerrard street in TO). Eager to try out the place with an open mind, I was quickly dissapointed when I found out it was not a bit authentic.
The food at the Taj was very tasteless and completely westernized. The curry dishes tasted all the same (the menu was extensive, but too extensive as all variations used the same spice mix). Taj's tandoor items were dry and overpriced. The only thing I could taste from the tandoor "bbq" order was the splash of lemon juice the waiter topped the chicken and kebab with when presented on a sizzling plate. The dining room needed a serious overhaul - the "Indian" decor was too much & not the least bit appealing. Last but not least, the price of our meal (for my cousin and I) came to about a hundred bucks, with a glass of wine, a few dishes with a side or rice and naan. Ever since that experience, I made an oath to never return...
However...7 years later...
A couple of days ago, a few co-workers and I decided to meet at the Taj for lunch (I was outnumbered by vote: 4 to 1) - so I decided to give it one last chance (since my 2005 experience)...
I can honestly say nothing had changed: the staff was still unfriendly (one of the servers was very abrupt & kept on hounding us to order "chutneys" to go with our meal)... Our party of 5 started to get itritated when she asked us a third time.
Once again, the food was tasteless, overpriced, and the poor service turned me off (as well as my co-workers).
It wasn't the worst Indian food I've eaten, but it was definately nothing to write home about either. Needless to say, we were all dissapointed with our lunch choice that day.
In my opinion - when I hear people in Hfx like the Taj, two things come to mind:
1) People in Halifax have not tried, or have not been exposed to a wide variety of Indian cuisine
2) People who pay $20 for one curry dish must be under the impression the high price is because they are recieving a "high quality product" ....
... Sometimes being "fancy" doesn't necessarily mean "tasty"! -
Review from Brittney K.
Halifax, NS
11/24/2010
Oh, Halifax...is it really so hard to get a QUALITY Indian restaurant?? I realize the HRM demographic doesn't quite allow for the amount of Indian restos that I'd find in BC or Ontario- still, you'd think there would be at least ONE nice spot for Indian cuisine...
When my extended family visited from away, I brought them here as I had heard that this was Halifax's "Best Indian restaurant". Judging by the food and service we received here, if this is truly "the best", then Haligonian curry enthusiasts are outta luck-- truly terrible.
First, we had to wait 15 minutes just to be seated. We were on a bit of a deadline, so when the "hostess" (I use that term very loosely) finally came by, I asked if we could just cancel our reservation since the staff seemed to be running behind. She got very catty with us, and pretty much rushed us to our seats, which were dirty and ominously dark (there is virtually no natural light here, save for a couple small windows near storefront.)
It took another 45+ minutes for our food to show up, and it was unappetizing at best- cold, bland, like it'd been sitting around. Worst of all, my 81-year-old great aunt's plate had a spider crawling on it, which was disgusting to say the least, and has "health code violation" written all over it. None of us ate another bite after that.
And the bill for all that trouble was exorbitant, and not at all what the menu prices suggested. I wound up having to leave my family at the table to go and "speak" with management (ended up being more like a screaming match). Apparently at this place the customer is never right (even though we were); I paid the bill anyways out of desperation to just get out of the place.
Needless to say I am never returning here. Ever. I left feeling duped, and humiliated about bringing my family to such an atrocious "restaurant". -
Review from Maureen J.
Halifax, NS
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Taj Mahal a great place to go if you want to get flavorful, authentic Indian food - not if you are looking for a fantastic restaurant experience. The restaurant style needs a big overhaul but they do know what they are doing when it comes to the food. I've been on a number of occasions and have yet to have a complaint about the food. I've also always had friendly and fairly quick service.
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Review from Craig S.
5/14/2011
I had high hopes that were dashed! I've eaten here before and remember the food being better -- much better than this time (it was quite a few years ago). And admittedly, I've eaten fantastic Indian food in the past both homemade and restaurant made including in Indian, so, again I was really looking forward to this.
The good part was the Veggie Samosas were really quite good. A little skimpy on the two sauces though. After this it goes downhill...
We ordered: Lamb Briyani, Lamb Vindaloo, and Chicken Rogan Josh (garlic naan too). Briyani was okay, not what I'd have hoped for though. It was not fragrant like I thought it would be. More of a basmati with chicken not what I expect from Briyani.
For the Vindaloo and Rogan Josh, the taste was VERY similar. The major differences were the protein and spice level. The lamb was tough and not the treat it should've been. Seemed to be a poor cut/quality and over cooked. Vindaloo should be spicy hot. This had a slight heat to it but not the heat it should. In my mind great Indian should leave a warmth in your stomach for a decent time afterwards.
The Rogan Josh was okay. Forgettable. In fact, I only remembered it for this long so I could write the review. This will not be the place I have my next Indian feed! -
Review from Courtney M.
Halifax, NS
10/30/2009
The only reason Taj Mahal is retaining a third star from me is because the food actually tastes pretty darn good... if only the other related components of eating at this restaurant were a little more bearable.
First of all, the pricing at Taj Mahal is a little bizare. Good luck anticipating what your bill is going to be based on the fact that drinks (beer, wine) don't seem to have a discernible price/spot on the menu.
The ambience at Taj Mahal also leaves a lot to be desired. For some reason, this restaurant is located in a building with no windows. Unless you sit in the very front of the building, don't expect to see the light of day until you emerge several hours later. I personally find this a little disconcerting. Claustrophobics beware.
Overall, head to Curry Village or order from Gracious Indian if you are having a hankering for some indian food! -
Review from Ang M.
Halifax, NS
10/21/2009
It's not like you have a lot of choice if you want Indian food in Halifax. There's Curry Village and there's Taj Mahal, and a couple of little takeaways, I suppose. But even given that dearth of choices, I would not choose to come to Taj Mahal despite my love of a good butter chicken.
I've been, enough times to know that I won't go back. The service is always terrible. The wait for a table is generally interminable, even when the place is not full. After you're seated, expect to wait again for a good 45 minutes before anybody even brings you water. Expect not to get everything you order. Don't drink all your water because you'll probably never get another refill. You get the picture.
The food...meh. Unremarkable. I can make it better at home, and I have no idea what I'm doing.
And I won't mention the mouse I saw running around the dining room. -
Review from Jarrod P.
Halifax, NS
7/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great authentic, spicy, delicious Indian Food. Dinning room needs an overhaul, or else I would have given 5/5. Highly recommend.
-
Review from Rob O.
Bedford, NS
1/27/2011
Food tastes great, restarurant misses on style, cleanliness and services.
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Review from Bethany J.
Halifax, NS
3/11/2010
The Taj Mahal has an undeserved reputation of being one of Halifax's better Indian restaurants. Regrettably, there's not much competition.
We've eaten at the Taj Mahal exactly once and will never darken its doors again. The service was snooty and slow and the menu was difficult to navigate. Both my boyfriend's father and I ordered meat dishes that were delivered very simply - as they were. No rice, no naan - nothing other than meat. On a plate. Tasty meat, mind you, but hardly a dinner entrée. And when you're paying the prices that the Taj Mahal commands, you would hope to have a plate that reflected it.
But that's not what convinced us to stay away. My boyfriend ordered a chicken dish that was cooked in a clay oven. Did I say cooked? I meant seared. Lightly. Like, raw inside lightly. When we brought this potential health hazard to the attention of our waiter (which wasn't easy), he shrugged and answered that "sometimes" the chicken comes out like that. Only after a lengthy discussion did the manager agree to discount our bill (and he didn't comp the meal but applied a small discount).
Now, anyone can have a bad night. Poor quality control happens everywhere. The difference is in how the restaurant reacts when alerted to a problem. The attitudes we encountered at the Taj Mahal were such as though we should be ashamed to have even raised the issue.
That was our one and only visit. In fact, my boyfriend's father is so disgusted, he's loathe to try other Indian restaurants. I think we'll have to drag him kicking and screaming, though; I need Indian food and from what I've heard, Curry Village is the place you really want. -
Review from Rob v.
Halifax, NS
1/18/2009
I have a weakness for curry to begin with, so this place quickly became a favorite of ours. All their choices are excellent! But is is probably best to go with a group big enough that you can share various dishes depending on your taste. I hear they do have a lunch buffet which gives you a chance to sample a variety of dishes.
When in doubt, go with the Butter Curry chicken. -
Review from Anna H.
Halifax, NS
12/3/2009 1 photo
Taj Mahal is the only Indian restaurant where I've ever been asked, "Have you eaten Indian food before?" I suppose that says more about the population of Halifax than it does about the restaurant, but it still felt like they thought I was a preschooler. Our meal was delicious, but pricey. Again, high price is more about the Halifax Indian scene being slim pickings. Tasty food, but I hear there are better deals at other restaurants and nothing made me desperate to go back.
