What makes the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne? It starts with the tandoor.
Melbourne has one of the most diverse Indian restaurant scenes outside India itself. From the inner north to the CBD to the inner south, there are dozens of options — casual neighbourhood curry houses, modern pan-Indian fine dining, street food-inspired venues, regional specialists. For a diner trying to find the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne, the choice is genuinely overwhelming.
After twenty years cooking in Punjab's five-star hotel kitchens and 12 years feeding Melbourne & Geelong, I have one answer to that question: start with the tandoor. Not as a gimmick. Not as a decoration. As a measure. The presence of a live clay tandoor — and the way a kitchen uses it — tells you almost everything you need to know about the Indian food you are about to eat.
This is not a ranking. It is an education. If you understand what a live clay tandoor is, what it does to food, and what it takes to cook on one properly, you will be able to walk into any Indian restaurant in Melbourne and know within minutes whether you are in the right place.
"This is where the best Indian food in Melbourne begins — and it is not negotiable."
What is a live clay tandoor — and why it is at the heart of authentic North Indian cooking
A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven, fired from the inside with wood or charcoal. The clay walls absorb heat over hours until the entire oven reaches temperatures between 400 and 480 degrees Celsius — far beyond what any conventional oven can sustain. At Masti, our tandoor is lit before service begins and runs through the entire evening. The clay walls glow. The heat inside is violent and immediate.
The tandoor originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent — the same region where Masti's cooking is rooted. For centuries, the communal tandoor was the centre of village life in Punjab. Bread was baked in it every morning. Meat was cooked on skewers lowered inside it. The flavour that results from cooking at this temperature, in contact with live fire and the porous clay walls, is not something that can be replicated with a gas oven, a grill, or a pizza oven. It is specific to this vessel, this material, this temperature, and this method.
Authentic North Indian cooking — the butter chicken, the seekh kebabs, the Amritsari fish, the naan — was built around the tandoor. These dishes were designed to be cooked this way. When they are cooked any other way, something fundamental changes. The char on the naan is absent. The crust on the chicken tikka is different. The smoke is missing entirely. The best Indian restaurants in Melbourne understand this. The tandoor is not a feature. It is the foundation.
“Every morning before service begins, the tandoor is lit and the spices are ground. This is not a process we can skip or shortcut — it is the foundation everything else is built on. The naan you eat at Masti has been in contact with live clay at 480 degrees. That is what authentic North Indian cooking actually is.”
What a live clay tandoor does to food that no other cooking method can replicate
At 480 degrees, food changes in ways that are chemical, not just culinary. The outside of a piece of chicken tikka placed on a skewer inside the tandoor hits that heat instantly — the surface chars, seals and caramelises within seconds while the inside continues cooking more gently in the radiant heat of the clay walls. The result is a crust with a specific texture, a specific smokiness, a specific depth that cannot be achieved by any other means.
Naan is the clearest demonstration of what the tandoor does. At Masti, our naan dough is pressed onto the inner clay wall of the live tandoor. The dough makes direct contact with the clay at 480 degrees. Within 90 seconds it blisters, chars in places, puffs dramatically as steam forms inside, and peels off the wall ready to serve. The exterior has a char. The interior is pillowy and steaming. The entire process takes less than two minutes and produces bread that has been in contact with live fire, clay and smoke simultaneously.
This is why the kitchens that take authenticity seriously invest in a live clay tandoor. The equipment is demanding. It requires expert management. It must be lit hours before service. It cannot be turned off and on between covers. It is a commitment to a specific way of cooking that shapes every decision the kitchen makes.
At Masti, we bake all our naan in the live clay tandoor — including Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan, made in the same oven, at the same temperature, with the same char and texture as the original. See our full menu here.
The spices — why grinding fresh that morning changes everything
The second measure of a great Indian restaurant in Melbourne is the spices. Specifically: when were they ground, and from what.
Indian cooking is built on whole spices — cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, black pepper, cloves, dried red chillies, fenugreek. When these spices are ground, the volatile oils that carry their flavour and aroma are released. Those oils begin to dissipate immediately. Pre-ground spice powder that has been sitting in a container for days or weeks has lost a significant portion of what makes it extraordinary. The heat is duller. The aroma is flatter. The depth is gone.
In Punjab's five-star hotel kitchens — where I trained for twenty years — the masalas were ground fresh every morning before service. The kitchen smelled different at 10am than it did at 6am because the spices were being ground, toasted and blended as the day began. This is not nostalgia. It is the single most impactful decision a kitchen can make about flavour.
At Masti, every spice is ground fresh on the day it is used. The butter chicken's tomato base is built from tomatoes charred over an open flame before the sauce begins. The black dal — our Dal Makhani — has been cooking since the previous evening, the spices bloomed in ghee before the lentils were added. These are not shortcuts. They are the practices that define authentic North Indian cooking.
When you are looking for the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne, ask whether the spices are ground fresh. It is one question that separates the serious kitchens from the rest.
The chef — why two decades of Punjab five-star hotel training is the foundation
The tandoor can be built. The spices can be sourced. But the knowledge of how to use them — what temperature, what timing, what combination, what sequence — comes only from years of training under demanding conditions.
Punjab's five-star hotel kitchens are the finishing schools of North Indian cooking. The produce is the finest. The standards are unforgiving. The training is immersive and cumulative — a young chef spends years watching, then assisting, then executing under close supervision, building a physical understanding of the cuisine that cannot be learned from a recipe or a culinary school curriculum. It is knowledge that lives in the hands as much as the mind.
I trained in these kitchens for twenty years before opening a restaurant in Melbourne. I was recognised during that time by Sanjeev Kapoor — India's most celebrated chef — and by the late Jiggs Kalra, who spent his life documenting and elevating Indian fine dining for the world. These recognitions were not given to me for speed or ambition. They were given for the quality and authenticity of the cooking.
When you choose an Indian restaurant in Melbourne, the chef's background matters. Not the restaurant's age, not the decor, not the number of dishes on the menu. Who trained the person cooking your food, where, and for how long. A chef who grew up learning this food in its home region, who spent decades in the kitchens where these techniques were developed, brings something to the plate that cannot be approximated. Read my full story here.
What to look for when choosing the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne in 2026
Based on everything above, here is a practical guide to evaluating any Indian restaurant in Melbourne before you book.
Ask about the tandoor
Is there a live clay tandoor? Is it fired with wood or charcoal? Is it lit for every service? A restaurant that is proud of its tandoor will tell you immediately and in detail.
Look at the naan
Naan from a live clay tandoor has a specific appearance — irregular shape, char marks on the surface from contact with the clay wall, a blistered texture. Order the naan first. It tells you everything about the kitchen behind it.
Ask about the spices
Are they ground fresh daily? Are they sourced whole? A kitchen that grinds fresh will know the answer instantly and with pride. This single question separates authentic North Indian cooking from a kitchen running on pre-mixed spice packets.
Read the chef's credentials, not just the restaurant's reviews
Who trained the chef? Where? For how long? In what tradition? Reviews tell you whether past customers were satisfied. The chef's background tells you whether the cooking has a foundation that will remain consistent over years of service.
Look for press coverage from sources you trust
Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food and Urban List send experienced food journalists to eat at restaurants before writing about them. An Indian restaurant in Melbourne that has been featured across multiple trusted publications over multiple years has been evaluated by people whose professional reputation depends on getting it right.
Check whether regional specificity exists
India is a continent-sized country with dozens of distinct regional cuisines. The best Indian restaurants in Melbourne tend to have a regional focus — North Indian, South Indian, Bengali, Keralan — and cook within that tradition with depth rather than covering everything with shallow breadth.
Authentic Indian food in Melbourne — Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Masti is an authentic Indian restaurant at 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Everything described in this post is how we cook, every service, every night of the week.
Our live clay tandoor runs from before service begins until the last naan is pulled. Every spice on the menu is ground fresh that morning. The butter chicken's tomatoes are charred over an open flame before the sauce begins. The Dal Makhani has been cooking since the previous evening. Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan is made in the same live clay tandoor as everything else — same temperature, same char, same method.
"Fantastic gluten free menu and GF roti — the naan is incredible, fresh from the tandoor. Northern is their specialty." — Verified Tripadvisor reviewer
Our Indian cocktail bar pours all three premium Indian single malts — Rampur from the Himalayas, Amrut from Bangalore, Indri from Haryana — alongside original Indian-spiced cocktails. Our weekly specials run from $25. We are open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm, with walk-ins always welcome.
If you are looking for the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne — one built on a live clay tandoor, fresh-ground spices and twenty years of Punjab five-star hotel training — we are on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Book your table here.
📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
📞 (03) 9427 2121
✉ hello@eatdrinkmasti.com
🕔 Tue–Thu 5pm–9:30pm · Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm · Sun 5pm–9:30pm · Mon closed
Book your table online — or walk in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Indian restaurant in Melbourne?
The best Indian restaurants in Melbourne are those built on a live clay tandoor, whole spices ground fresh daily, and a chef with deep regional training in the cuisine they serve. Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy is led by Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon — twenty years of Punjab five-star hotel training, recognised by Sanjeev Kapoor and the late Jiggs Kalra, featured in Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food and Urban List. Book here.
What is a live clay tandoor?
A live clay tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven fired from inside with wood or charcoal, reaching temperatures between 400 and 480 degrees Celsius. The clay walls absorb and radiate heat simultaneously, producing a cooking environment that chars, seals and smokes food in a way no conventional oven can replicate. It is the foundation of authentic North Indian cooking — used for naan, kebabs, tandoori meats and whole fish.
Is there a live clay tandoor in Melbourne?
Yes — Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy operates a live clay tandoor fired for every service. All naan, kebabs and tandoori dishes are cooked in it, including Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan. See our full menu here.
What is the difference between authentic Indian food and regular Indian food?
Authentic North Indian food from Punjab uses whole spices ground fresh daily, a live clay tandoor for naan and meats, and cooking methods developed over generations in the region where the cuisine originates. The difference is most clearly felt in the depth of flavour — charred tomatoes, bloomed whole spices, tandoor char — versus a kitchen using pre-ground spice mixes and conventional cooking equipment.
Why does the chef's background matter when choosing an Indian restaurant?
Indian cooking is a regional, technique-based cuisine that takes years of hands-on training to master. A chef who grew up learning this food in its home region and trained for decades in demanding professional kitchens brings a physical understanding of the cuisine — timing, temperature, spice combination, tandoor management — that cannot be approximated from a recipe alone.
Where is Masti Indian restaurant in Melbourne?
Masti is at 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 — in the heart of Melbourne's inner north. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm. Get directions here.
Is there vegan Indian food with tandoor naan in Melbourne?
Yes — Masti bakes Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan every day in our live clay tandoor, alongside a full plant-based menu. Every Tuesday is our vegan curry night — $28 for rotating plant-based curries with vegan naan.
What Indian single malts does Masti serve?
Masti's Indian cocktail bar pours all three premium Indian single malts — Rampur from the Himalayas, Amrut from Bangalore, and Indri from Haryana. Ask for the tasting flight alongside your meal.