Melbourne’s Best Indian Restaurants

There are currently 376 Indian restaurants in Melbourne.
Melbourne is a very multicultural city, drawing in migrants from all over the world, including many people from India. Since 2011, the Indian-born population of Melbourne has more than tripled. One of the many great benefits for Melbourne is the ever-expanding number of Indian restaurants in the city.

In this blog, we will talk about eight of our favourite Indian restaurants in Melbourne. We think by the end, you’ll be a bit more informed, and a lot hungrier.

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Tonka

A regular on such lists, Tonka simply has to make an appearance in ours. This popular restaurant is located right in the city, and describes itself as an “inspired interpretation of Indian cuisine, influenced by contemporary techniques and Australian produce”.

You’ll see a wild range of menu options, from the chargrilled Fremantle octopus with badam puree and chilli pickled grapes, all the way to Tonka’s butter chicken, which is extremely popular. This seems to be their secret: a menu of delightful traditional dishes, as well as Indian-inspired versions of Australian dishes. Nonetheless, we highly recommend the lamb rogan josh. You can thank us later.

Tonka was started back in 2013, and has quickly set an unlikely trend of upmarket Indian restaurants around Melbourne. Fairly reasonably priced considering the taste, Tonka needs to be part of your culinary journey across Melbourne.

Daughter in law

This snazzy restaurant, located in Little Bourke Street, gives itself the unique title of being an “Unauthentic Australian Indian Bar & Restaurant”. They have put together a menu of Australia-inspired dishes, but with a very Indian spin. You should definitely try their naan pizza. Or maybe you’re more interested in some “Unauthentic Butter Chicken”, containing marinated chicken, tomatoes and fenugreek curry. We would recommend trying some IFC (Indian Fried Chicken) with pickles and tempered mustard mayonnaise.

The restaurant building itself is very vibrant and spacious. You can even enjoy 70s Bollywood music as you eat, or a few cheeky cocktails. You’ll have an absolute blast.

Mukka

Now located in both St Kilda and Fitzroy, Mukka has added a serious South Indian flavour to Fitzroy’s Indian restaurant scene. We recommend trying the bharta or dal tadka for those looking for a healthy but tasty meal. The vegetable, chicken and lamb biryani are all very reasonably priced, and very much worth ordering.

The actual restaurants have a vibe wonderfully suited to the areas they’re located in. The Fitzroy restaurant is artsy and relaxed, while the St Kilda version is set out like a diner, but with Indian decor. These are the perfect settings to enjoy such a tasty meal. Even better, Mukka is noted for its fantastic hospitality, so you’ll have a great experience all around.

Enter via laundry

The air of secrecy around Enter via Laundry makes it all the more appealing. The location is hidden, until you book. You would assume you get in via the laundry, wherever that is, but this is no longer the case.

You have the option of both private and communal dining, and the restaurant has a set menu that they decide on, which has gone at least as high as 16 courses. Their website explains that they are on a “search to bring you lesser known dishes”.

The menu depends entirely on when you go, but Enter via Laundry has a serious reputation preceding it. Sometimes they might have Kashmir cuisine on the menu, or at other times, it might be seafood-oriented. Either way, the food and experience is always of high quality. Reviewers talk endlessly about the communal table and conversations, as well as the “delectable” food.

They can even do vegetarian, gluten free, nut free and pescatarian!

Chilli India

One of the most appropriately named Indian restaurants in Melbourne, the words ‘chilli’ and ‘India’ just go together so nicely. They now have many restaurants at a number of different locations across Melbourne, so if you’re in the CBD, Chadstone or Epping, you’re in luck!

The menu caters both to those who love spice and those who can’t handle it. It’s also quite cheap. But the truly great thing about Chilli India is the unbelievably extensive menu. They have 20 different dosa varieties and a range of uthappams. There are multiple biryani options, endless chicken dishes, tasty naan bread varieties, vegetarian, and basically anything else you can think of.

This is a very popular lunch destination, as they have all kinds of lunch specials. There are too many dishes to recommend here, so we’ll simply recommend you try something, anything, at Chilli India.

Elchi

Another magnificent dining experience from the “Curry Queen” Manpreet Sekhon – who was also responsible for Masti and Eastern Spice – Elchi is an upscale dining experience in the centre of Melbourne, on Flinders Street.

We emphasise fine-dining. The portions are small, making it quite a different experience to many other Indian restaurants. You’ll also have to book in advance. The lovely food and chic setting make it a very appealing night out.

This is perfect for a date or formal special occasion. As their website says: they “have carefully crafted an ambiance that is serene, sophisticated, and conducive to relaxation and meaningful conversations”.

The menu rotates seasonally through a number of different Indian regions, but their dishes are fancy. We recommend the dum nalli from the signature menu, or the chickpea vindaloo from the classics menu. They also have a wonderful range of naan breads, including chill naan and onion seed naan. Wash it all down with one of the many wine options, and you’ve officially had the perfect night out.

Curry Cafe

Curry Cafe, as you might imagine, puts a lot of emphasis on spice. They don’t mess around with pre-made mixes either, they roast fresh spices in-house every week. This gives their curries the extra authenticity and kick that set them apart. For those who particularly love the heat, you should try the martaban – a very spicy curry cooked in pickling sauce for a full 48 hours. Thankfully they’ve got a lot of beverages to cool you down, with red and white wines, as well as a vast range of beer options.

This one is located in Northcote, but if that’s slightly out of your way, it could still be worth the trip. On a Sunday evening they offer $10 happy hour curries, which seems like the perfect way to wind down your weekend. They have a large menu, with curries from all over India on offer. This is a very versatile, quite cheap, and extremely tasty Indian restaurant.

Desinental

Now to finish with something quite different.

Desinental – located in Prahran, is an Indian fried chicken and burger bar. This is such a natural mix that it’s hard to work out why there aren’t thousands of them in Melbourne.

Even better, their burgers are very cheap by modern standards. We feel their most appealing burger is the desi masala beef chopped cheeseburger, which they describe as “Our take on the iconic New York chopped cheese sandwich”. They also offer the “Spicy lamb mince sloppy joe style” lamb keema karara burger. Hungry yet?

This restaurant is a good option for families, as they have a kids menu, and you can all finish off your meal with some kulfi. What a perfect meal.

Conclusion

We know this is very far from an exhaustive list. With so much Indian migration to Australia in modern times, we all benefit from the culture and the food. You can read more about India on our blog page or send money to India using your e-Pocket account.