Melbourne has one of the most culturally diverse culinary scenes in the world, but you already know that and so do we. What you may not know though, is where to find the cream of the crop when it comes to Indian food—enter Urban List.
There are takeaways and dine in restaurants dotted all over Melbourne and our editors have been out there on the ground, doing the rounds coming up with the ultimate list. Now you can can discover your new best Indian restaurant Melbourne has on offer.
Do you want some suburban options, or do you want to ball out and have swanky tandoor? We're not here to judge, just to give you a steer in the right direction. Vegetarian, meat-heavy and ghee laden Punjabi cuisine? Whatever it is, let's dig in.
We want you to be the first in the know. Join Urban List Insiders, we’ll shoot you all Melbourne’s best things to eat, drink and do every week.
From dosa to curry, modern and traditional, follow the flavours to the best Indian restaurant near you in Melbourne for 2025:
Kolkata Cricket Club
8 Whiteman Street, Level 1 Casino, Crown Melbourne, Southbank
Image: Kolkata Cricket Club | Chege Mbuthi
Kolkata Cricket Club, the new venue by Toddy Shop’s Mischa Tropp is serving up what we’re calling the best butter chicken in Melbourne, alongside a stack of spicy cocktails and vibes for days. We can’t give away too much but the butter chicken has to be one of the best in Melbourne, delicately smoky and not too heavy, it’s perfect to mop up with some charred garlic naan. The okra, toothsome and topped with crunchy peanuts is an incredible contrast to the creaminess of the butter chicken. Urban List Melbourne editor Navarone Farrell says, “Hot tip, drinks wise jag yourself a Kolkata Colada, the pineapple and creaminess is perfect for the spicy curries. And perch up in one of those gorgeous red velour booths with a bunch of mates so you can try everything, including that okra, it’s so good.”
Elchi
72 Flinders Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Elchi | Supplied
Inside the former Press Club venue in the heart of Melbourne, the renowned curry queen Manpreet Sekhon has established Elchi, a contemporary frontrunner as one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne.
Inside the illustrious CBD diner of curved leather booths and striking gold ceiling lights is a collection of Sekhon's timeless Indian cuisine including the signature 24-Carat Gold Chicken Mussalam and the Kofta Korma which showcase both her master technique and proud heritage.
Horn Please
167 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North
Image credit: Horn Please | Supplied
Both the food and the decor are as colourful as Holi festival at Horn Please. The flavours are just as punchy with a generous selection of street eats and curries which you can share or feast on solo.
Tucked between shopfronts on St George's Road in Fitzroy North, Horn Please has amassed quite the cult following, with standout dishes like the coconut fish curry and slow-cooked lamb curry.
The outside facade reveals little of the colourful multi-sensory interior, with colourful artwork, projections and of course that unmistakable aroma—a clear contender for the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne.
Tandoori Den
261 Camberwell Road, Camberwell
A local institution in Melbourne’s east, Tandoori Den has been serving consistently brilliant and authentic North Indian food in Melbourne since opening 40 years ago, and in 2025 it still holds true.
The menu is packed with vegetarian options and there’s a whole page dedicated to tandoor bread which is made fresh in-house.
Masti
354 - 356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Image credit: Masti | Supplied
Part restaurant, part cocktail bar, Masti is the latest offering from restaurateur Manpreet Sekhon. She’s put together the ultimate sharing menu with loads of vegetarian and vegan items on there.
For those who like to play it safe, the butter chicken here is next level, while anyone venturing further down the menu will relish in the scallop coconut curry.
Aagaman
271 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Technically, the menu at Aagaman combines Indian and Nepalese flavours but we’ll let that technicality slide. It’s lentil as anything, with a team of chefs who specialise in vegan cooking, you can expect some seriously good veg. It’s some of the best vegan food in Melbourne and certainly some of the best Indian Melboune has to offer, but don’t take our word for it, go and try it for yourself.
You might also like:
Toddy Shop By Marthanden Hotel
191 Smith Street, Collingwood
Image credit: Toddy Shop | Ashley Ludkin
Chef Mischa Tropp’s Toddy Shop is face-meltingly good. You'll notice he appears twice on this list, and for good reason. Tropp took over the old Mono XO den and brought to life a humble abode for South Indian cuisine. The menu is everything you know from Tropp’s past residencies around town. If you’re not up for a feed at what is swiftly becoming one of Melbourne’s best Indian restaurants on the map, drop by a fan favourite mango margarita and enjoy a vinyl listening session of Indian disco tunes.
Enter Via Laundry
Nicholson Street, Carlton North
Intriguing, intimate and insatiably delicious, Enter Via Laundry is the 20-seat diner from chef Helly Raichura. Each night is a set menu with often more than a dozen dishes that showcase Raichura's expert craft in blending both regional Indian and modern flavours. Designed as a shared experience Enter Via Laundry isn't your standard Indian-influenced diner instead it's an inspirational journey through food, people and history. Best Indian restaurant in Melbourne? One of many.
Punjabi Curry Cafe
87 Johnston Street, Collinwood
Punjabi Curry Cafe is a family business serving up some damn good grub along Johnston Street. They’ve been in the business for fifteen years and their longevity is a testament to their food and their super friendly service. The list of entrees alone is enough to get your mouth watering, we’d recommend the vegetable platter for starters to cover all bases — it includes samosas, pakora, onion bahji and aloo tiki. We’re not drooling, you’re drooling.
Bhang
1/2A Mitchell Street, Brunswick
Image credit: Bhang | Supplied
If you’ve got dietaries—or if you don’t—then Bhang is the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne for you. The whole menu is coded with symbols for vegetarians, vegans, coeliacs and nut allergies—we know it’s a struggle dining out when your diet is restricted, we hear you. Bhang is the Indian venue that’s all about catering to you, and serving the best of modern Indian cuisine, fuelled by charcoal and cocktails. That’s right, they’ve got quite the booze list with all infusions and syrups made in-house.
Curry Cafe
Various Locations
Well-established Northcote institution, Curry Cafe is a low-fuss Indian diner right in the heartland of Westgarth on High Street. Its easy to navigate menu has a range of dishes straight from the charcoal tandoor; like the barbecued Tikka or Tandoori chicken which is served with spice yoghurt. The curries vary with specialities from regions all over Indian including several vegetarian options like the pumpkin masala as well as hearty slow-cooked lamb Rogan Josh or Pasanda. On Sundays between 6pm and 7pm they also do happy hour with $10 curries; be sure to order up the garlic rosemary Naan, it's an absolute revelation. They now also have a second location, Curry Cafe Canteen on Racecourse Road in Flemington.
Atta
159/161 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park
An Albert Park mainstay, Atta bridges the gap between 'fun' and 'fine' dining. Owners Harry and Brij bring their collective experience together here to create an Indian dining experience that nods to classic Indian dishes originally found in all corners of the country. The menu changes from time to time, but you'd be remiss to skip out on their pahadi bhed if it's on offer.
Tonka
20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne CBD
Modern Indian food doesn’t get much better than this as one of the leading Indian restaurants in Melbourne CBD. Tonka takes tried-and-tested recipes from Head Chef Chanon Boriharnvanakhet and fuses them into punchy plates fit for city dining. The kitchen includes two tandoori ovens cooking all your classic naan favourites, plus loads of small and large bites for sharing and grazing.
Calcutta Sweets & Indian Curry House
72b Foster Street, Dandenong
Calcutta Sweets & Indian Curry House is one of Dandenong’s best-kept secrets... sorry to all the locals for letting this one out. You can pick up a curry for $10 and try traditional Indian sweets from Calcutta for a couple of dollars. It’s a no-fuss take out joint that’s earned a stellar reputation for very, very good food. In fact, it's so legit, they don't even have a website. Good luck!
Babu Ji
4/6 Grey Street, St Kilda
Babu Ji has brought the intense aromas of classic Indian cuisine to St Kilda’s The George building on Fitzroy Street. The old-style building feels cool and fresh with its minimal fit-out and high white-washed walls adorned in various artworks. Experts when it comes to both classic and non-classic curries, the menu features a varied selection of regional dishes from beef Madras, mushroom Korma, to an outstanding butter chicken. They also do gluten-free naan bread, which really helps cement it as one of the best Indian restaurants in Melbourne. And the best part, $25 all-you can-eat vegan curries with rice on Tuesday nights.
Mukka
Various Locations
Image credit: Mukka | Supplied
If you've searched 'best Indian restaurant near me', you've come to the right place. Mukka is all about sharing. Sharing sides, sharing curries, sharing entrees—sharing the love, basically. Their tandoori mushroom skewers are tried and tested favourites, the pani puri is the ideal crispy snack and their samosas always hit the spot.
Roti Boti
513 Hampton Street, Hampton
Anyone who’s been to India knows that there are so many different regions, all with their own food and traditions. Roti Boti pays homage to India’s rich diversity, with specialty cuisine from places including Punjab, Goa and Calcutta. Head-chef and owner, Gypsy, designed the interior of this award-winning restaurant, making sure to include lots of traditional decor. There’s also an elephant out the front making it unmissable as you drive past. Arguably one of the best restaurants Melbourne’s southside has to offer in 2025. One of Melbourne’s best Indian restaurants in our opinion.
Cafe Saffron
238 Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe
Family-owned and operated for the past 15 years is just one reason why Ivanhoe's Cafe Saffron has become a local favourite. Here, the team focus on a menu inspired by Northern Indian dishes. Their 'straight from the tandoor' menu should be your first port of call, where the machli tandoor (tandoori fish) is just one star of the show. They also have an extensive vegetarian menu for the plant-curious and vegos out there.
Keen for more of Melbourne's best? This way:
- Melbourne's best restaurants
- Melbourne's best cafes
- Melbourne's best bars
- Melbourne's best breakfast
- Melbourne's best Italian
- Melbourne's best Japanese
The Best Restaurants In Melbourne In 2025
What is the best restaurant in Melbourne? Our fair city has hundreds of spots that could be considered the best. Good thing I've got my 20 favourite spots for you right here, with something for everyone.
The Best Greek Restaurants Melbourne Has To Offer In 2025
Following waves of immigration in the sixties and seventies, Greek food and culture has become a huge part of Melbourne’s culinary identity. We’ve got the largest Greek population outside of Athens, so it’s no surprise the city is brimming with Greek taverns and family-owned restaurants to suit all occasions and budgets. It’s a tough task, but we’ve pulled together the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne, with plenty of options for the souv-fans, seafood lovers, dairy queens and vegetarians out there.
The Best Beer Gardens In Melbourne, 2025 Edition
It's been a long, cold, winter, and not to mention a solid eight months or so since Melburnians were boozing around in some of Melbourne's best beer gardens. But like the sun will rise each morning, Melbourne's best beer gardens will be waiting for you as the warmer months return.