Indian Restaurants — New Zealand 2026
Organized by city in itinerary order. Quality varies dramatically by region — Auckland, Wānaka, and Queenstown have strong options; smaller West Coast towns have one restaurant each.
Auckland — Day 1 (Sun Mar 22)
Cassia ⭐ top pick for a special dinner - 90 Federal St, Auckland Central (SkyCity) - Price: $$$$ (~$80–100/person) - Award-winning modern Indian by Chef Sid Sahrawat. Sophisticated, beautifully plated dishes pairing Indian spices with NZ produce. The benchmark for upscale Indian in New Zealand.
Oh Calcutta ⭐ best classic Indian - 149–155 Parnell Rd, Parnell - Price: $$–$$$ - Over 20 years in Auckland. Famous for prawn Malabari curry, Punjabi saag gosht, and their butter chicken. Consistent quality, beloved by locals.
Satya South Indian Restaurant ⭐ best South Indian - Multiple locations: 17 Great North Rd (Grey Lynn), 515 Sandringham Rd, 271 Karangahape Rd - Price: $–$$ - Specialises in South Indian — dosas, idli, vada, uthappam. Beloved by Auckland's Indian community for over two decades. BYO at some locations.
Hobson Indian Takeaway ⭐ best cheap/street food - Beach Rd, Auckland Central - Price: $ - Tiny hole-in-the-wall, widely cited by locals as Auckland's best Indian. Authentic street food, fast, cheap, excellent.
Hamilton — Day 2 (Mon Mar 23)
~30 min from Waitomo. Consider eating here before or after the caves.
Jaipur Indian Restaurant ⭐ top pick - 793 Victoria St, Hamilton - Price: $–$$ (curries from ~$12.50) - Operating 15+ years, consistently rated Hamilton's best. Authentic North Indian, excellent butter chicken, praised for freshness and service.
Curry on Grey - 396 Grey St, Hamilton East - Price: $$ - Fully licensed, great vegetarian dishes (paneer butter masala), customisable spice levels. Open lunch and dinner Tue–Sun.
Bala Kitchen ⭐ best South Indian - Hamilton Central - Price: $ - Go-to for South Indian in Hamilton — standout crispy dosas.
Christchurch — Day 3 (Tue Mar 24)
Brief stop in the city before driving to Tekapo. Good chance to eat a proper meal before the drive.
Coriander's ⭐ top pick, institution - 222 St Asaph St, Christchurch Central (also Bush Inn, Sumner, Rolleston) - Price: $$ (~$9–14/dish) - The bold Indian institution of Christchurch since 2006. Sizzling tandoor classics, rich curries, stunning colonial-style building. Open 7 days, lunch and dinner.
Bawarchi ⭐ best biryani - 231 Papanui Rd, Merivale - Price: $$ - Authentic Hyderabadi Mughlai cuisine. Famous for biryani. Halal certified.
Mumbaiwala - Christchurch Central - Price: $$ - Mumbai street food-inspired, fresh and vibrant menu.
Pepper Bridge - 300 Lincoln Rd, Addington - Price: $$ - North and South Indian dishes, spices freshly mixed daily.
Lake Tekapo — Day 3 evening (Tue Mar 24)
Fishtail Restaurant & Bar ⭐ only option, worth it - 16 Rapuwai Lane, Lake Tekapo Village - Phone: 03 680 6234 - Price: $$ - Authentic Indian & Nepalese with mountain views. Rich curries, tandoori specialties. Open 12pm–9pm daily. The primary Indian/Nepalese dining option in the entire Mackenzie region.
Twizel — Day 4 (Wed Mar 25)
Mt Cook Village has no Indian restaurants. Eat in Twizel (~50 min from Mt Cook) before or after.
Fishtail Restaurant & Bar — Twizel ⭐ - 12c Market Place, Twizel - Phone: 03 435 0323 - Price: $$ - Same Indian/Nepalese menu as Tekapo. Praised by travellers; standout dish is the venison curry using local NZ venison — unique to this location.
Wānaka — Day 5 (Thu Mar 26)
The Spice Room ⭐ top pick - 43 Helwick St, Wānaka - Phone: 03-443 1133 - Price: $$–$$$ - Modern Indian with emphasis on freshness, local produce, and Central Otago wine. Consistently one of the top-rated restaurants in Wānaka overall. Open 5pm–10pm nightly.
Bombay Palace Wanaka - 145 Ardmore St, Wānaka - Price: $$ - Fusion of Indian cooking styles with the best lake views in Wānaka. Extensive vegetarian options (dal makhani, matar paneer). Many dishes vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
Ashraf's ⭐ best value - 2 Brownston St, Wānaka - Price: $–$$ - Authentic Kashmiri cuisine. Very personal service from the owners. Generous portions, low prices, homey hospitality. Local favourite.
Queenstown — Days 5, 8, 9, 10 (Mar 26, 29, 30, 31)
The Taj Indian Kitchen ⭐ top pick for dinner - 75 Beach St, Queenstown (lakefront) - Price: $$$ - The most upscale Indian in Queenstown. Plush booths, lake views, extensive authentic menu. The go-to for a proper sit-down dinner on the waterfront.
Bombay Palace Queenstown ⭐ best value - 66 Shotover St, Queenstown - Phone: 03 441 2886 - Price: $$ (lunch $15–25, dinner $25–35) - Long-standing favourite for hearty curries, kebabs, naan. Excellent for takeaway after a long day. Open lunch and dinner daily.
Boliwood Restaurant - Shotover St, Queenstown (also Five Mile, Frankton) - Price: $$ - Casual, cosy booths, well regarded for chai and mid-priced Indian. Good family option.
Mantra ⭐ special occasion, Arrowtown (Day 10) - 50 Buckingham St, Arrowtown - Price: $$$ - Indian food meets fine dining on historic Arrowtown's main street. Beautifully presented, worth the 20-min drive from Queenstown on the Arrowtown day.
Te Anau — Days 6–8 (Mar 27–29)
Radha's Indian Restaurant & Takeaway — only option - 118 Town Centre, Te Anau - Price: $$ - The sole dedicated Indian restaurant in Te Anau. Aromatic biryanis, tandoori kebabs, creamy curries, fresh naan from a traditional tandoor. Halal certified. Dine-in and takeaway. 4.2/5 with 300+ reviews on TripAdvisor — reliable for a town this size.
Franz Josef — Day 12 (Thu Apr 2)
King Tiger Eastern Eating House & Bar — only option with Indian - 75–79 Cron St, Franz Josef Glacier - Price: $$ - Serves Indian, Thai, and Chinese. Indian options include butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, Bombay chicken tikka, garlic naan. Casual, good for groups. 4.1/5 with 1,000+ reviews. The only Indian-style food in Franz Josef — Fox Glacier has nothing.
Greymouth — Days 12–13 (Apr 2–3)
Priya Indian Restaurant — only option - 84 Tainui St, Greymouth - Price: $$ - The only dedicated Indian restaurant in Greymouth. Traditional North Indian, well-regarded by locals and travellers. Open daily: lunch 12pm–2:30pm, dinner 5pm–10pm. Dine-in and takeaway.
Hokitika — Day 13 (Fri Apr 3)
Priya Indian Restaurant — Hokitika — only option - 79 Revell St, Hokitika - Phone: 03 755 7225 - Price: $$ - Sister restaurant to Greymouth Priya. Close to the town centre and beach. Same reliable menu. Open Tue–Sun, lunch 12pm–2:30pm, dinner 5pm–10pm.
Quick Reference
| City | Best Pick | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Cassia / Oh Calcutta | 4+ strong |
| Hamilton (Waitomo day) | Jaipur Indian | 3–4 good |
| Christchurch | Coriander's | 4 good |
| Lake Tekapo | Fishtail | 1 only |
| Twizel (Mt Cook day) | Fishtail | 1 only |
| Mt Cook Village | — none — | Drive to Twizel |
| Wānaka | The Spice Room | 3 good |
| Queenstown | The Taj / Bombay Palace | 4 good |
| Te Anau | Radha's | 1 only |
| Franz Josef | King Tiger (mixed cuisine) | 1 only |
| Greymouth | Priya | 1 only |
| Hokitika | Priya | 1 only |