The Best Indian Restaurants In Melbourne

Snacky street food, fiery curries and sweet, cooling desserts – Indian cuisine offers some of the most interactive, joyful dining experiences around.

Expand your horizons beyond butter chicken and naan with our roundup of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne, ranging from humble mom-and-pop cooking traditional recipes to snazzy joints doing contemporary fusion.

Whether you’re after a lavish banquet or a quick bite, these are the places that’ll have your taste buds dancing.

Toddy Shop

At Toddy Shop, co-owner Mischa Tropp brings the warmth of home-style Keralan cooking to Melbourne's dining scene. Inspired by the vibrant toddy shops of South India, this cosy 20-seat diner serves up delicious dishes on steel plates, including fiery fish nadan, a vibrant coconut and turmeric prawn moilee, and a comforting kadala chickpea curry. Each dish, crafted with love and tradition, pairs beautifully with inventive cocktails and crisp lagers, ensuring a memorable experience. Make sure to try the gloriously flaky and layered parota bread, too. 

With its dusty-pink walls and nostalgic decor, Toddy Shop invites you to savour the flavours of Kerala while feeling right at home. It’s a must-visit among the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. 

Rear/191A Smith Street, Fitzroy 

Bibi Ji

Bibi Ji has brought a lively burst of Indian flavours to Carlton’s Lygon Street, transforming the former Cafe Notturno site into a vibrant, wedding-themed space. Co-owner Amar Singh, known for Horn Please and Dhaba at the Mill, has designed a menu that blends traditional Indian snacks, like chutney platters and malai kofta, with modern takes on classic curries such as butter chicken and lamb vindaloo.

Don't miss the banana leaf thali, a tasting platter brimming with curries, chutneys, and rice. Pair your meal with inventive cocktails or a spiked mango lassi for a true taste of modern Indian cuisine.

179 Lygon Street, Carlton

Kahaani

Kahaani is an authentic Indian restaurant in Melbourne, where selected regions of India and their dishes take centre stage on a menu representative of each unique chapter in the country's culinary narrative.

Authentic flavours, traditional recipes and a passion for showcasing the hidden treasures of Indian cuisine are to be found here. It's the sort of venue where you can try more unique options and stray from butter chicken and rogan josh (as delicious as they are). We love their kale leaf chaat, the big and bold goat curry and the coconut King Prawn curry. 

262 Lygon Street, Carlton 

Bhang

Inside this trendy converted warehouse, Bhang buzzes with energy as diners dig into an explosion of Indian street food flavours. The menu takes you on a journey across India, offering everything from sizzling tandoor meats to aromatic curries, addictive snacks, and perfectly charred flatbreads.

Here’s the must-try dish: the crispy spinach chaat—seriously, it's life-changing. To wash it all down, Bhang’s creative cocktail and wine list delivers unique and refreshing pairings that elevate the dining experience. Get ready for an authentic yet modern Indian feast in a vibrant, communal atmosphere.

1/2A Mitchell Street, Brunswick

Elchi

Elchi beautifully reinvents the magic of Indian cuisine in a sleek and alluring space, right in the heart of the city. This is the spot for lovers of both traditional Indian dishes and modern interpretations.

Start with elegant share plates perfect for a light bite, then dive into flavour-packed mains like chicken mussalam, lamb shank, kofta korma, butter chicken, and kovalam fish curry. With its striking atmosphere and impressive culinary fusion, Elchi stands out as one of the most beautiful and unforgettable Indian restaurants in Melbourne.

72 Flinders Street, Melbourne

Enter Via Laundry

Not even Michelin-starred restaurants can boast thousands on their waitlist, but that's exactly what happened when Helly Raichura’s regional Indian cooking was featured on Masterchef. Originally a 10-person dinner club out of her own home, Enter Via Laundry has now found a new home in Carlton North.

Raichura hosts 20 guests each evening in an intimate, art-filled space, where she shares her bold, regionally focused dishes. With a regularly changing, flavour-packed menu, this unique supper club has become one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne and a must for any Melbourne dining bucket list.

507 Nicholson Street, Carlton North

Horn Please 

If the stylish, tropical-kitsch interiors of Horn Please haven’t already grabbed your attention, the irresistible aroma of fresh Indian cooking definitely will. The menu is a vibrant showcase of inventive street food dishes, paired with more traditional favourites, all made with locally sourced ingredients. Expect a riot of flavours and textures, from crispy dosa to fragrant curries.

To help balance the heat, there’s a stellar selection of 21 craft beers, perfect for washing down the spice-packed plates. Whether you're after something bold or comforting, this Indian restaurant in Melbourne offers a real feast with a contemporary twist.

167 Saint Georges Road, Fitzroy North

Tonka

Imaginative yet refined Indian cuisine is what you can expect from this stylish spot tucked off one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways. The white tablecloths won’t stay pristine for long as you devour Tonka’s glorious saucy and succulent dishes–the lamb curry with roasted coconut and black cardamom is a mainstay, while contemporary creations like burrata with coriander relish and vindaloo steak tartare will expand your culinary horizons. It's easily one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. 

20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne

Gaylord Indian Restaurant

With nearly 40 years of esteemed service, Gaylords stands as one of the pinnacle Indian restaurants in Melbourne. This vibrant curry house, featuring a tandoori clay oven, serves up classic dishes beneath an ornate mirrored ceiling. Since relocating to the Grand Hotel in 2021, it has welcomed new and returning diners into its elegantly adorned space. Expect flavourful delights like Highway goat curry, chicken tikka, and Bengali fish curry.

Sitchu Tip: Don’t miss their fun bottomless brunch for a lively experience!

Grand Hotel, 33 Spencer Street, Docklands 

Daughter in Law 

Bright and modern, Daughter in Law is steadfastly “inauthentic” India. Wearing the label as a badge of pride, this Indian restaurant in Melbourne's playful menu includes naan pizzas topped with tandoori chicken or masala paneer, beef tartare seasoned with green mango powder and their signature sweet and spicy General Tso’s cauliflower.

On the walls, you’ll see iconic ‘70s Bollywood films projected under Art Deco lights. Despite their nostalgic nod, the dusty pink palette, velvet booths and natural wine-heavy drinks list prove they’re switched onto today’s trends. 

37/41 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 

Atta

Atta in Albert Park is a standout among Melbourne's fine dining Indian restaurants, renowned for its exquisite plating and superb service. Each dish is a creative fusion that stays true to traditional flavours, making it a dining experience worth the journey. The chefs skillfully remix classic Indian recipes, incorporating innovative ingredients and techniques that showcase culinary traditions from across the country.

Housed in a stunning heritage-listed building, the restaurant offers a serene atmosphere with high ceilings and grand windows, making it an inviting setting for a memorable meal.

159/161 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park 

Chapati

Chapati’s bright purple shop front is your first hint of the bold, vibrant food being cooked up within. Named after the staple flatbread eaten throughout India, the menu includes dishes from regions across the country.

They do it all, and they do it all well, offering a gastronomic journey that has you chowing on plump and perfectly pleated Tibetan momos, sizzling pepper prawns, creamy Kerala-style barramundi stews and all manner of street eats and curries.

401 Rathdowne Street, Carlton 

120 Station Street, Fairfield

Mukka

Mukka is a beloved destination for those craving authentic Indian cuisine in a cosy setting. Each dish on the menu is rooted in cherished family recipes, bursting with fresh herbs and spices. Savour familiar favourites like chicken tikka masala and slow-cooked goat curry, perfect for warming up on chilly days. Be sure to try their standout smoky eggplant dosa. The bar also features an impressive cocktail list, including saffron-spiced spritzes and cardamom whiskey sours, adding an exciting twist to your dining experience.

365 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

16 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Piquancy

This roomy neighbourhood restaurant in Hawthorn specialises in Indian food that’s fresh, colourful and just a little untraditional. Expect artistic plating on dishes and a modern twist on the Indian cuisine you may be expecting. Of course, those looking for comfort food will be happy as a clam with familiar classics like lamb korma and butter chicken, best enjoyed with a cold one from Piquancy's grab-your-own beer fridge.

123 Auburn Road, Hawthorn

Masti

Playful, flashy and always delicious, Masti is one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. The menu is both snackable and shareable, stoking appetites with tangy bites and crunchy tikki before soothing them with earthy curries and fluffy naan from the tandoor.

The bar is shaking up equally enticing house cocktails, including a rum-spiked mango lassi, alongside classic tipples. With a buzzing ambience and spirited service, Masti is pitching to be your pick for everything from date nights to family get-togethers and after-work drinks.

354-356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 

Ish

As the name suggests, Fitzroy’s Ish is Indian-ish and modern-ish – upending traditions while paying homage to them. Chefs source well-trodden flavours and dishes from every corner of the subcontinent before shaking them up with foreign ingredients and techniques.

The results? Adventurous dishes and an atmosphere that is equally fun and fabulous, with the bar pouring several classic and Indian-inspired cocktails.

199 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Delhi Streets

This bright CBD eatery dishes up a serving of nostalgia with vintage Bollywood posters on the walls and addictive street food snacks that’ll transport you straight to a bustling Delhi market. 

Start with their signature pani puri – crispy lentil balls stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas and tamarind chutney – into which you pour spiced water before popping in your mouth for a burst of freshness.

From there, load up on fusion naan pizzas or veer traditional with dosas, biryani and tandoor cooked meats, enjoy all the flavours at one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne.

22 Katherine Place, Melbourne

Curry Cafe

Vibrant in both character and flavour, Curry Cafe has won many fans for its authentic cooking, vegetarian-friendly options and use of free range meat and produce.

There’s a surplus of choice spanning fish, chicken, lamb and veg curries, best paired with fluffy naan bread and fragrant basmati, coconut or brown rice, plus delish snacks and sides like chicken tikka, hot samosas and refreshing mango lassis. Yum!

73 High Street, Northcote

Base Camp

This unassuming Northcote gem is home to some of the best Indian food in Melbourne, in our humble opinion. Base Camp is a popular spot for takeaway, but you’ll want to snag a seat to enjoy fluffy naan fresh from the tandoor, dipped in their vibrant British-Indian style curries. Don't miss the delicious Himalayan momos, too! With generous hospitality and an extensive vegan menu, this eatery will change your perspective on meat-free dining. The legendary butter paneer pasanda makes it a must-visit for any Indian food lover.

102 High Street, Northcote

Chilli India

This snug pit stop is a much-loved Indian restaurant in the heart of Melbourne, offering comforting and familiar dishes, beer and cocktails in a space that's relaxed yet modern.

They've perfected the art of the biryani at Chilli India, but each dish on the menu is flavour-packed and fun - their spiced potato buns are a real crowd-pleaser. 

Shop GD086, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne

Made your way through the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne and ready to continue eating your way around Asia? Get started on your culinary journey with our picks for the most delicious Japanese restaurants, Korean BBQ and dumplings in town.