Leela Indian Food Bar (Gerrard) - Best Indian Restaurant In Toronto

The food here was amazing! The portions sizes are great for 2-3 people and each bite was flavourful. We got the garlic naan, pakora, palak paneer, chicken korma and rice. Everything had a great balance of spice and savouriness.

December 27, 2024 on Google

In a strip of somewhat old styled Indo-Pakistani restaurants and clothing boutiques, Leela’s stands out as a somewhat more modern entry. It’s bold and brash from the outside and continues on inside. It has elements of a bar nightclub and may appeal to a younger demographic. It is a refreshing change though I would suggest a more muted neon as it does detract from the presentation of the food. Nothing in here looks the right colour. A candle at the table could help with that I suppose. I do like to see the true colour of the things I’m eating! But when all is said and done it does come down to the taste. And Leela doesn’t disappoint. The service is very friendly and very fast. The restaurant is clean and funky and the food is presented nicely in simple dishes but with an effort to look visually appealing. I would recommend a visit to this place as it is a great spot in a local strip and is infusing the area with good vibes, good food and a continued cultural influence. We had the Lasooni cauliflower signature appetizer and it was quite good. But the level of sweetness was a bit overwhelming by the 3rd bite. It was well prepared and I couldn’t help but feel that the dish would have a more sophisticated presentation on the palate if the sugar was cut by at least half. With the amount of sweet and spicy sauce it had elements of American Chinese chicken balls with sweet and sour sauce. That may be unfair as the cauliflower was much better than that but could be so much better still by cutting the sugar. Trust me, it would still be sweet. And if there was more fresh cilantro on it, that would carry this dish further still. That said, we were hungry and went to work. We also ordered the chicken Madras curry and the Palak Paneer (a personal favourite of mine). Both of these were really quite good. I think like many Indian restaurants serving North Americans, they tend to make the dishes so rich and creamy that it really is heavy. That said, the portions are really generous and you can add extra rice so the dishes aren’t so heavy. I think I always make the mistake of not cutting the richness by adding more rice. Both the Madras Chicken and the Palak Paneer were decent choices with the Palak Paneer winning out for me in terms flavour and balance. Not too salty. Great with rice and Naan. The Naan was very good. Looking about the room, there were other dishes that looked interesting and I think one should definitely make this a food stop on their list for Indian food on Gerrard st east. Lastly, the music was modern and refreshingly so. But I like music to take me places as much as I like food to take me places. And the modern mix of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry didn’t work for me. I would suggest modern ethereal like ‘Dead Can Dance’, Delerium or ‘United Future Organization’. Yes those ain’t so modern anymore but they work. And there is likely something that could fit. Bottom line: It’s a great place and I recommend a visit.

December 15, 2024 on Google

Came here for my birthday on a Saturday night with friends. Had an early reservation and was super happy with the service, recommendations / food and atmosphere. We will definitely be back. After discussing the lack of Old Monk rum on the menu we settled for Kingfisher's. For starters we got the puri puri, which were a treat to put together and very tasty. We also ordered the chaat papri which were even better and highly recommended. We added the lasooni cauliflower which is by far the best cauliflower I've ever had. A little spicy but also sweet and the texture was amazing. We paired this with the Afghani malai chicken tikki which helped cool us down and was mslt in your mouth yummy. For the main course our table shared the butter chicken, shrimp malai curry, palak paneer and the lamb korma. We also got garlic Naan and rice. All of these dishes were top notch with meat that was flavourful and cooked perfectly. Nothing but glowing reviews from our whole party. A truly great dinner!!

December 8, 2024 on Google

My young nephew Oliver just couldn't stop eating. My brother David quietly enjoyed the whole event and atmosphere. His wife Lorraine smiled through the entire dinner. My daughter Carmen laughed and had a fun time. Her husband Joey seemed to handle the spice level just fine. My wife Beth said we should go back again. As the photo shows, I ended up with lots of great leftovers for a late night snack.

December 1, 2024 on Google

Had my birthday lunch here. Loved the delicious food. Amazing atmosphere loved the decor. Amazing service. Highly recommend this place. We will definitely come back again

November 10, 2024 on Google

It was such a pleasant suprise to see this restaurant on our adventure for the night as we were supposed to go to another restaurant but decided to check this place out instead. I've personally been to Gerrard Street numerous times in the past and have never tried this place out so it was definitely an amazing choice for the night. The service was fast paced, everyone was friendly and accommodating, and our server provided honest feedback on the menu as we were undecided as to what to order. The drinks were amazing, food was out of this world, and the dessert was divine! The atmosphere was perfect with the mural painting, sitting area was clean and comfy, music was mesmerizing, decor was beautiful with cute quotes and the overall vibe was fun! Definitely a warm and welcoming spot and a 10/10 - we will be coming again! Thank you for a lovely night!

October 14, 2024 on Google

This place came highly recommended by a passerby on the street. It did not disappoint!! Such a great cool vibe and decor, quiet patio, amazing food and ALL the wait staff were absolutely warm and so friendly!! All restaurants should be like this. Our personal waiter was Deed. And he was topnotch inDEED ;) he went above and beyond in making sure we were well taken care of. We will most definitely come back and have already spread the word about this stylish gem on Gerard St.

September 25, 2024 on Google

Leela is a very authentic Indian meal with a modern ambience and great staff. Our server, Raj, was very attentive, never let us feel rushed and walked us through all our questions in detail. The food is SO tasty, and the patio is a great place to eat/drink and enjoy the lovely music they are likely playing. Leela is definitely on our go-to list when looking for a comforting meal, cocktails or celebrating with family and friends. We can't wait to come back soon! Thanks again.

August 26, 2024 on Google