Authentic Indian dining near Albert Park — Masti, 15 minutes from Bridport Street and Victoria Avenue

Masti is an authentic Indian restaurant at 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne VIC 3065. Led by Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon — trained in five-star hotel kitchens across Punjab for two decades, recognised by Sanjeev Kapoor and the late Jiggs Kalra, the Czar of Indian Cuisine. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm, serving authentic North Indian cuisine, an Indian cocktail bar pouring all three premium Indian single malts, and Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan.

Albert Park has Victoria Avenue. Albert Park has one of Melbourne's most celebrated Indian restaurants — hatted, genuinely extraordinary, deserving of every accolade it holds. Albert Park's dining culture is among the most sophisticated in the city. What Victoria Avenue does not yet offer is the other side of Indian dining: not modern fine dining with contemporary interpretations, but the cuisine as it actually exists in India — whole spices ground that morning, live clay tandoor, twenty years of five-star hotel training behind every dish. That is Masti. Fifteen minutes north on Brunswick Street.

📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 — 15 min from Victoria Avenue Albert Park
📞 (03) 9427 2121
🕔 Tue–Thu 5pm–9:30pm · Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm · Sun 5pm–9:30pm · Mon closed

Reserve your table — walk-ins welcome.

Two philosophies of Indian cuisine — and why Albert Park deserves both

There are two distinct approaches to Indian dining at the highest level. The first reimagines Indian cuisine through a contemporary lens — molecular techniques, seasonal produce, European plating sensibility, the familiar elevated into something new. Albert Park has this, and it is done exceptionally well.

The second approach asks a different question: what does this cuisine taste like when it is prepared exactly as it has been prepared in its home region for generations — with no adaptation, no reinterpretation, no compromise? Whole spices ground the morning of service. Tomatoes charred over an open flame before the sauce begins. Twenty-four hour dal that has been cooking since yesterday. Naan baked in a live clay tandoor at 480 degrees. This is Masti's philosophy. Chef Manpreet Sekhon did not train for twenty years in Punjab's five-star hotels to reimagine Indian food. She trained to master it — and then bring it to Melbourne exactly as it is.

Albert Park's dining culture is sophisticated enough to hold both. The fifteen-minute trip to Brunswick Street is for the nights when you want the original, not the interpretation. Explore our menu here.

After the Albert Park Lake circuit — where the village's active community dines in 2026

The 5km circuit around Albert Park Lake is one of Melbourne's great morning rituals — runners, cyclists, dog walkers, sailors launching from the club. St Vincent Gardens draws the weekend community for tennis, picnics and leisurely afternoons. Gasworks Arts Park brings a different crowd for theatre, gallery openings and the monthly farmers market on Canterbury Road.

After any of these — a morning run, an afternoon at MSAC, an evening at Gasworks — Masti is the Indian dining destination fifteen minutes away that matches the occasion. Our menu is built for sharing: generous curries, tandoori platters, naan arriving hot throughout, Indian cocktails that reward the trip from Bridport Street. Reserve your table here.

The Curry Queen — credentials Albert Park's discerning dining community understands

Albert Park's median weekly household income is $2,533. The suburb's residents dine at Victoria Avenue's finest and hold the highest standards for what exceptional cooking means. This is a community that distinguishes between a restaurant with a good story and a chef with a true body of work.

Chef Manpreet Sekhon trained in five-star hotel kitchens across Punjab for twenty years before opening a restaurant. Her cooking was recognised by Sanjeev Kapoor — India's most celebrated chef — and the late Jiggs Kalra, the custodian of Indian fine dining who brought the cuisine to the world stage. She founded Eastern Spice in Geelong before opening Elchi in Melbourne's CBD and Masti in Fitzroy in 2020. Featured in Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food, Urban List and Eatability.

These are not claims. They are a documented body of work. For Albert Park's dining community, the distinction matters.

What Masti offers that Victoria Avenue's Indian dining does not

The cuisine of Punjab — uninterpreted and uncompromised

Albert Park's celebrated Indian fine dining deliberately moves away from tradition toward contemporary innovation — and does so brilliantly. Masti moves in the opposite direction: deeper into tradition, closer to the source. Every spice ground whole that morning. Every sauce made from primary ingredients, nothing pre-mixed. The butter chicken's tomatoes were charred over an open flame before the sauce began. The black dal has been cooking since yesterday. This is the Punjab original, prepared by someone who spent twenty years learning it in its own five-star hotels. See our full menu here.

All three premium Indian single malts — a tasting experience Victoria Avenue cannot offer

Rampur from the Himalayas. Amrut from Bangalore. Indri from Haryana. Masti's Indian cocktail bar pours all three premium Indian single malts — a tasting experience unavailable anywhere else in Melbourne's inner south. Ask for the flight. Each whisky is paired with a note on its distillery, region and production method. Alongside them: original Indian-spiced cocktails crafted for the food they accompany.

Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan

The same live clay tandoor. The same char. The same blistered texture as the original. A full plant-based menu built with the same care as every other dish on the menu: Soya Chaap, Honey Chilli Cauliflower, Chickpea Vindaloo, Dal Tadka. Every Tuesday is our vegan curry night — $28 for rotating plant-based curries with vegan naan.

Weekly occasions worth the fifteen-minute journey

Masti runs weekly specials from $25. Tuesday thali from $28. Wednesday BYO corkage-free — bring the bottle from Bridport Street's wine merchants. Thursday unlimited kebabs and beer $59. Sunday Amritsariya Affair $25. The trip from Albert Park is fifteen minutes by Uber or Tram 1. It rewards the effort every time.

Getting from Albert Park to Masti

• By Uber from Victoria Avenue: 12–15 minutes direct to 354 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

• By Uber from Bridport Street: 15 minutes direct to Brunswick Street

• By tram from Victoria Avenue: Tram 1 northbound through the city to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. 20 minutes total

• By tram from Mills Street: Tram 12 northbound to Carlton, then east to Brunswick Street. 18 minutes total

• By car from Albert Park Lake: North on Kerferd Road or Queens Road to St Kilda Road, north to Alexandra Parade, east to Brunswick Street. 15 minutes

• By car from Bridport Street: North on Montague Street or Ferrars Street to City Road, north to Alexandra Parade, east to Brunswick Street. 12–15 minutes

We are at 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm. Walk-ins welcome.

Frequently asked questions — Albert Park locals ask

What is the best Indian restaurant near Albert Park Melbourne?

Albert Park has Victoria Avenue's celebrated hatted Indian fine dining. Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy is the authentic North Indian complement — 15 minutes away, led by Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon, featured in Time Out, Broadsheet and Good Food. The original Punjab cuisine, not the contemporary interpretation. Reserve here.

How far is Masti from Albert Park?

Masti is 12–15 minutes from Albert Park by Uber or car — north on Kerferd Road to St Kilda Road, then Alexandra Parade east to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. By tram, Tram 1 northbound from Victoria Avenue takes approximately 20 minutes. Get directions here.

What is the difference between modern Indian fine dining and authentic North Indian cuisine?

Modern Indian fine dining reimagines traditional dishes through contemporary techniques — seasonal ingredients, European plating, molecular methods. Authentic North Indian from Punjab serves the original: whole spices ground daily, live tandoor, 24-hour dal, charred tomatoes, techniques unchanged for generations. Both are extraordinary. They are simply different experiences. See Masti's authentic Punjab menu here.

Is there Indian food near Bridport Street Albert Park?

Yes — Masti is 15 minutes from Bridport Street by Uber or Tram 1. Authentic North Indian from Punjab, Indian single malt bar, live clay tandoor, open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm. Reserve your table here.

Is there Indian food near Albert Park Lake?

Yes — Masti is 15 minutes from Albert Park Lake by car or Uber. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm. Reserve here.

Is Masti open on Sundays near Albert Park?

Yes — Masti is open every Sunday from 5pm to 9:30pm. Our Sunday Amritsariya Affair — Chole Bhature with unlimited lassi for $25 — is one of the week's most popular evenings. Reserve your Sunday table here.

Is there vegan Indian dining near Albert Park?

Yes — Masti offers Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan alongside a full plant-based menu. Every Tuesday is our vegan curry night at $28. 15 minutes from Victoria Avenue.

Can Masti cater for private events near Albert Park?

Yes — our catering team handles private dinners and functions for 20 to 200+ guests, live tandoor available. Ideal for Albert Park home entertaining and St Vincent Gardens events. Email hello@eatdrinkmasti.com or call (03) 9427 2121.

Authentic North Indian near Albert Park in 2026 — reserve your table at Masti

📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 — 15 min from Victoria Avenue, Bridport Street and Albert Park Lake
📞 (03) 9427 2121
✉ hello@eatdrinkmasti.com
🕔 Tue–Thu 5pm–9:30pm · Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm · Sun 5pm–9:30pm · Mon closed

Reserve your table online — or walk in. Fifteen minutes from Albert Park. The authentic Indian original awaits.