Katy RosserDid you know that in the diverse community of Auckland, the Indian community stands tall, making up a delightful 10% of the city’s diverse population? With such a rich cultural influence, it’s no wonder that Auckland is home to some incredible Indian culinary gems.
Join us on a flavorful journey as we explore the best Indian restaurants in the city, where aromatic spices, diverse flavors, and warm hospitality await.
Whether you’re a curry enthusiast or seeking a culinary adventure, this list is your passport to Auckland’s Indian gastronomic delights. Ready to spice up your dining experience? Let’s dive into the aromatic world of Auckland’s top Indian eateries!
1947 Eatery
Address: 60 Federal Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 377 0033
Hours:
- Open from Monday to Thursday from 5 pm to 9 pm
- Open from Friday to Sunday from 12 pm to 11 pm
1947 Eatery presents itself as the go to place to enjoy food that’s a combination of Indian food and elements from other cuisines. It was started by its Indian immigrant owner who wanted to share his food culture with the locals of Auckland.
The menu ranges from popular street food you would typically find in Bombay to elevated versions of biryanis served in the Palaces of Nizam for royalty.
You can enjoy the extra spicy dishes from the Tandoor Part of the menu like chicken seekh kabab, malai chicken, lamb chops, and charcoal paneer.
| Pro Tip: If you’re new to Indian food and you need some guidance in choosing what to try first, we suggest going for their The Journey Set Menu. You get Pani Puri, a small starter, a tandoor dish, and a main (deccan chicken, paneer, lamb, or eggplant baingan). |
Bawarchi Indian Restaurant
Address: 519 Sandringham Road, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 845 5525
Hours: Open everyday from 11 am to 10 pm
For a lesser known subset of Indian food, we suggest heading over to the Bawarchi Indian Restaurant. They serve dishes that stem from 500 year old recipes from the Mughal empire in India and more modern food from Hyderabad.
Popular dishes that you can expect here are kebabs, chicken tikka, chicken 65, lamb korma, chicken masala, Tandoori chicken, and chicken Manchuria.
But, the main star is the Hyderabadi Biryani which you can choose to feature either chicken, mutton, vegetable, or seafood. Seafood lovers can try their Tandoori Fish, Bengali fish masala or the Manchurian fish dish.
| Pro Tip: They accommodate special dietary needs like if you don’t like rice, you can opt to switch it out from dishes in exchange for the naan bread which comes plain, buttered, or covered in garlic sauce. |
Cassia
Address: 90 Federal Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 379 9702
Hours:
- Open from Tuesday to Wednesday from 5 pm to 9:30 pm
- Open from Thursday from Friday from 12 pm to 2:30 pm and 5 pm to 9:30 pm
- Open on Saturday from 5 pm to 9:30 pm
Wanting to take your friend out to try Indian food, but they like more luxurious places? Cassia in Sky City Auckland is just the spot you’re looking for. This restaurant has received numerous awards thanks to the leadership of Chef Sod Sahrawat.
They pride themselves with modern Indian dishes that have roots in traditional flavors and spices. To ensure you get a taste of the best, they have pre-set menus that you can choose from depending on the day and time you go.
Dishes to expect are Tandoori chicken tacos, Te Matuku Oyster Pakora, Paneer and Gunpowder kulcha, markt fish in Bengali sauce, and charred eggplant with kokum.
| Pro Tip: Try their desserts before you end your meal. They hit the spot for sweets cravings but they’re also extra rich with savory flavors. We especially enjoyed the yogurt semifreddo with mandarin and elderflower. |
KOL
Address: 23 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1011, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 21 379 700
Hours:
- Open from Tuesday to Thursday from 5 pm to 9:30 pm
- Open from Friday to Saturday from 12 pm to 9:30 pm
KOL is perfect if you’re looking for a place to spend your Friday nights where you can get drinks and some Indian bar snacks. Most of the menu here features tandoor-style dishes cooked over fire.
You can try the spiced lamb kathi roll, chicken saffron with burnt onion, and the goat cheese and porcini truffle kulcha from the tandoor menu. Other small plates to try are the crumbed halloumi skewer and the amritsari prawn toast.
For a hassle free experience, you can go for their lunch set. For $58, you get 2 snacks, a choice between saffron chicken and charred market fish, and a dessert.
| Pro Tip: The drinks at KOL are must-tries. They have a whole menu dedicated to their unique cocktails. The most popular one is the green chili margarita. They also have beer, cider, mocktails, and wine. |
Mumbaiwala
Address: 252 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 21 648 785
Hours:
- Open from Monday to Thursday from 5 pm to 9:30 pm
- Open from Friday to Sunday from 12 pm to 2 pm and from 5 pm to 9:30 pm
If you’re not a fan of stuffy coarse meals and you’ve always preferred local eats, then you’ll have a great time at Mumbaiwala. They drew inspiration from the stalls that line the streets of Mumbai that serve simple but great tasting food.
The Chana Dal Chaat is a spinach dish served with apple and chana dal lentils that is a refreshing starter. From the mains, the Murgh Markhani or chicken stewed in silk sauce and sundried fenugreek is our top pick.
Don’t forget to get some items from their side dishes too like the Boondi Raita or yogurt dip and the fragrant basmati rice.
| Pro Tip: If you’re celebrating an event or just out dining with friends, we highly suggest going for their Dawat Banquet. This gives you a selection of Sev Puri, Vada Pav or Mumbai chicken. Then murgh tikka, sali boti, murgh makhani, rice, naan, and dessert. |
Oh Calcutta
Address: 151 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland 1052, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 377 9090
Hours:
- Open from Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 10:30 pm
- Open from Saturday to Sunday from 5 pm to 10:30 pm
With over 20 decades of experience under their belt, Oh Calcutta has perfected their menu by utilizing traditional Indian ingredients but still staying modern with new dishes and influences.
We particularly like their prawn thokku which is stewed in a South Indian tomato curry and the Beef Madras from premium eye filet cooked in coconut and chili. The Punjabi Saag Ghost 32 is lamb slow cooked in cumin, coriander, fenugreek and garam masala.
| Pro Tip: Oh Calcutta is one of the few places that we know of who offer authentic Indian beers. They have a Kingfisher extra strong beer from India on tap as well as some local ones if those are more your thing. |
Paradise
– Media Credit: eatlitfood
Address: 581 Sandringham Road, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 845 1144
Hours: Open everyday from 11:30 am to 12 pm
We first came across Paradise when they were the ones our company called for to cater for our office party. The food they served was of better quality than what you would have expected from heated dishes in pans.
When we found out that they also had an actual restaurant, we decided to try the food fresh and we weren’t disappointed. They execute the classics like Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, seekh kebab, and paneer tikka well.
But, we especially enjoyed the Indo Chinese dishes like Chicken Manchurian and Haranhara Chicken.
| Pro Tip: If you have friends that are vegan or a vegetarian, don’t be afraid to bring them. They have a whole line of food items that don’t have animal or meat products in them. The Bagarey Baingan or spicy aubergines in tamarind gravy were extra good! |
Rajdarbar Restaurant
Address: 5/190 Stoddard Road, Wesley, Auckland 1041, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 274 794 949
Hours:
- Open on Monday and from Thursday to Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm
- Open on Tuesday from 4 pm to 10 pm
- Open on Wednesday from 1 pm to 10 pm
- Open on Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm
For Indian food with a low price tag, we suggest you head on over to Rajdarbar Restaurant. For around $15 to $20, you can already get one of their mains like the chicken tikka biryani or the vegetable malai momos.
Their appetizers go for around $5 to $10, and their naan and roti are made fresh everyday. We also liked the samosa, bread pakora, poori and aalloo sabji, and the pani puri.
Their selection of vegetarian, chicken, and lamb curry has 50 options, so you won’t run out of new things to try.
| Pro Tip: Rajdarbar Restaurant is one of the few places in the city that serves great versions of traditional Indian drinks. The lassi comes in 4 different flavors like mango, ruhafza, punjabi sweet, and salted jira lassi. |
Saravanaa Bhavan
Address: 51E Hobson Street, CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 218 8012
Hours:
- Open from Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 10 pm
- Open from Friday to Sunday from 9 am to 10:30 pm
If you’re a strict vegetarian, but you still enjoy deep flavors only unique to Indian cuisines, then you’ve probably heard of Saravanaa Bhavan.
This restaurant chain has been in business since 1981 and started in India itself. But, they now have branches worldwide. We always start our meal with their Dosa platter with 4 different kinds like cheese, mysore masala, milagai podi, and plain ones.
When we first saw the Ghee Pongal on the menu, we were hesitant, but the steamed raw rice with paper jeera dal, ghee, and cashew nuts has become a solid favorite.
Other must try items are the uthappams which is thich rice and lentil pancakes.
| Pro Tip: Saravanaa Bhavan even does their desserts well with classics like the Gulab Jamun which are dough balls made from khoya, milk, and butter which are then fried and soaked in sugar syrup. |
Shubh Restaurant
Address: 520-524 Sandringham Road, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 845 4318
Hours: Open everyday from 10 am to 9 pm
For dishes originating from Punjabi, not a lot of Indian eateries do it better than Shubh. The best thing about it is, everything here is vegetarian friendly without compromising on taste and flavor. They emphasize quality and source everything from local farmers.
Popular items include fenugreek and potatoes, spinach and mustard, peas and paneer, bitter melon, smoked eggplant, and yoghurt curry. For more variety, you can also opt for their samosas, pakora, or bhalla from the snacks menu.
The Shubh Restaurant has one of the most extensive dessert menus we’ve come across with over 25 kinds of traditional desserts from Jalebi and Amarti to Pinni.
| Pro Tip: Their menu has an array of bread to choose from like roti and methi which you can use to dip into the many curry dishes they have ready for you. They also have aloo and plain paratha, as well as wholemeal and paneer stuffed kulchas. |
Southern Spice Manukau
Address: 7/53 Cavendish Drive, Manukau City Centre, Auckland 2104, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 263 6300
Hours: Open everyday from 12 pm to 10 pm
Southern Spice is known for serving South Indian Food with a special focus on authentic Hyderabadi dishes. What put them on the map is their Hyderabadi Biryani which comes with different proteins from chicken, lamb, vegetables, and prawns.
Unique dishes you can try here that you won’t commonly find in other Indian restaurants in the city is their Lamb Saag Wala which has spinach and lamb chunks stewed in cumin and served with cream and ginger.
But, they also have classic dishes from kebabs, tandoori chicken, paneer tikka, and pathar ka gosht.
| Pro Tip: If you’re dining with friends and family, we suggest getting the special family pack of their Hyderabadi Biryani. This is good for 5 to 6 people for $50, compared to the single orders which range from $14 to $18. |
Taste of India
Address: 407 Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland 1024, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 21 870 546
Hours:
- Open from Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and from 5 pm to 11 pm
- Open on Saturday from 3 pm to 11:30 pm
- Open on Sunday from 3 pm to 10 pm
You can try the food at the Taste of India in 2 branches in Auckland, one in Mt. Eden and another along K Road with the same menu and experience.
Their fried food choices like the vegetable samosa, vegetable pakoras, and onion bhaji are not greasy and always served crunchy. If fried food isn’t your thing, then their Tandoori Paneer, chicken malai kebab, and seekh kebabs are grilled to perfection.
Stewed dishes are also good here including the vegetable manchurian, chana masala, butter chicken, mutton curry. If you’re more of a rice person, then their biryani dishes from chicken, beef, and lamb are great choices too.
| Pro Tip: If you’re bringing your kids with you and they’re still pretty picky with food, there are dishes at the Taste of India that they’ll still enjoy. The vegetable spring roll, grilled prawns, and chicken lollipops are all kid friendly with a hint of Indian spices. |
Times Of India
Address: 21 Graham Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 300 7144
Hours:
- Open from Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 2 pm and from 5 pm to 9:30 pm
- Open on Saturday from 5 pm to 10 pm
- Open on Sunday from 5 pm to 9 pm
Times of India is probably one of our favorite places to go when we’re craving Indian food. The spicy corn stewed in Manchurian sauce always sets up the butter chicken and lamb korma in the best way.
Other mains we get are the vegetable kofta in creamy curry sauce and the garlic malai chicken. We also add some small dishes like their chole kulcha or soft bread and a chickpea curry with butter and the honey chili sticky wings.
The tandoori style dishes are also worth a try, especially the French lamb cutlets covered in dark spices and served with jhol and pickled onions.
| Pro Tip: The food here is mostly spicy so if you need something to cool off your tastebuds, we recommend getting the Kachumber salad in between bites. Better yet, end the meal with a satisfying serving of the mango kulfi with raspberry sauce and pistachios. |
V. T. Station
Address: 73 Davis Crescent, Newmarket, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
Phone Number: +64 9 218 5269
Hours:
- Open on Monday from 5 pm to 10 pm
- Open from Tuesday to Thursday from 4 pm to 10 pm
- Open on Friday from 12 pm to 11 pm
- Open on Saturday from 11:30 am to 11 pm
- Open on Sunday from 11:30 am to 10 pm
The food at the V.T. Station stems from the dishes from Bombay Irani cafes in Mumbai. Even the setting has that old world feel to it that’s similar to the original ones in India. The food itself is also authentic with iconic dishes like pani puri and paneer kulcha.
The best seller among their mains is the nawabi masala which is chicken cooked in tomato sauce and fresh spices. The lamb biryani which is stewed lamb in paya stock and yogurt served over saffron basmati rice is also a staple on our order list.
For seafood lovers, the Koliwada prawns with pickled onion and mint chutney is a winner, while vegetarians should try the vegetable galouti kabab.
| Pro Tip: Don’t leave the restaurant without trying their Gajar Ka Halwa or carrot pudding with white chocolate, macadamia ice cream, and pomegranate sauce. The Gulab Jamun here is served with coconut coffee cream and is a great ender for your meal too! |
