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.

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 converted former warehouse you'll find eager diners diving into street food delights from across the regions of India.

Bhang's menu traverses the country to bring together a diverse selection of tandoor meats, fragrant curries, snacks and flatbreads.

Heads up: you need to try the crispy spinach chaat; they're incredible. Meanwhile, the cocktail and wine list make for some seriously original and delicious drinking results. 

1/2A Mitchell Street, Brunswick

Elchi

Leave it to Elchi to reimagine the wonders of Indian fare in a sleek and alluring space — all within the heart of the city.  One of the most beautiful and best Indian restaurants in Melbourne for both its sophisticated setting and its impressive blend of both traditional Indian dishes and modern Indian cuisine.

The chefs are serving up elegant share plates perfect for a light meal, and flavour-filled signature mains including chicken mussalam, lamb shank, a kofta korma, butter chicken and kovalam fish curry.

A space so beautiful it feels as if you have stepped into a fine dining restaurant, this place is a must-try. 

72 Flinders Street, Melbourne

Enter Via Laundry

Not even Michelin-starred restaurants can lay claim to having thousands on their waitlist, but that’s exactly what happened when Helly Raichura showcased her regional Indian cooking on Masterchef a few years ago.

Back then she was operating a tiny 10-person dinner club out of her own home (hence the name) while juggling a day job. Now, Enter Via Laundry has its digs in Carlton North, with Raichura accepting 20 guests each night to share food and stories in a beautifully serene, art-filled space.

The bold, flavour-packed menu regularly changes, maintaining a sharp focus on a particular region at any one time. It's one of the most incredible supper clubs and best Indian restaurants in Melbourne, and one for your Melbourne dining bucket list.

Address available upon booking, Nicholson Street, Carlton North 

INDU 

A reimagined hidden gem and celebration of Southern Indian and Sri Lankan village culture, flavours and local hospitality, INDU captivates with its moody and atmospheric space and traditional fare with a modern twist.

Employing old family recipes with a few contemporary takes, you'll find real-deal, aromatic Sri Lankan curries and plenty of delicious hoppers and dosas (the mushroom dosa is a standout), but there's an element of fusion being plated up as well.

86A Collins Street, Melbourne

Horn Please 

If the stylish, tropical-kitsch interiors of Horn Please haven’t already caught your attention, then the mouth-watering scent of Indian cooking surely will.

Highlighting locally sourced ingredients, the menu is a colourful riot of inventive street food served alongside more traditional dishes. All of which is complemented by an impressive list of 21 beers to cut the heat.

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.

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 one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. 

20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne

Gaylord Indian Restaurant

The pinnacle of Indian restaurants in Melbourne, and with a lauded history spanning nearly 40 years, Gaylords is an essential dining experience.

A large, established curry house with a tandoori clay oven, it's dishing up familiar classics beneath a fancy mirrored ceiling. 

It's been ushering in new and old diners to its inviting dining space, all gold details, pink carpet and furniture adorned with traditional artwork, since relocating to the Grand Hotel in 2021. 

Dishes pack a flavoursome punch, with Highway goat curry, a slow-cooked spice-fused stew, chicken tikka, pani puri, and Bengali fish curry. They even offer a bottomless brunch. Fun!

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 one of Melbourne’s only fine dining Indian restaurants. Gorgeous plating, superb service and creative fusion that maintains integrity – this is a meal worth travelling for.

Chefs remix classic dishes with new ingredients and techniques to great effect, producing results that touch on cuisine from all corners of India.

The restaurant itself is quiet and inviting, housed within a heritage-listed building with high ceilings and grand windows.

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

This charming Fitzroy restaurant (and its spinoff in St Kilda) has become a go-to for those seeking authentic Indian cuisine in a comfy setting.

Every dish on Mukka's menu is derived from a treasured family recipe and uses fresh herbs and spices for an extra bright flavour profile.

You’ll find familiar favourites like chicken tikka masala and slow-cooked goat curry that are perfect for a chilly day, but don’t leave without trying house specialties including smoky eggplant dosa.

The bar shakes up an impressive list of cocktails too, with saffron-spiced spritzes and cardamom whiskey sours staying on theme.

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 steer traditional with dosas, biryani and tandoor cooked meats and enjoy the feast at one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne.

22 Katherine Place, Melbourne

Curry Café

Vibrant in both character and flavour, Curry Café 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 to pair 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 teensy, unassuming Northcote eatery is pumping out some of the best Indian food in Melbourne, in our humble opinion.

Base Camp does a roaring takeaway and delivery trade, but it’s worth nabbing one of the few seats inside, or out on the street when the sun is beating down, so you can tear into fluffy naan straight from the tandoor, dipped into their earthy and bright British-Indian style curries.

Himalayan specialties are also on the menu, including some very tasty momos. The space is unassuming, but warm with generous hospitality, while their extensive range of vegan and vegetarian dishes will have you seeing meat-free eating in a whole new light.

The butter paneer pasanda is the stuff of legend, and for that, we consider it one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. 

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.