Best authentic Indian restaurant near Melbourne CBD — Masti, the real alternative when the city goes fusion

Melbourne CBD has excellent Indian restaurants. It also has a problem. The most celebrated ones — the ones in every round-up, every press feature, every Instagram story — have deliberately moved away from authentic Indian food. Some of Melbourne CBD's most celebrated Indian restaurants have deliberately moved away from authentic Indian food. Some call themselves unauthentic by design. Some are Indian fusion with European influences. Some are pan-Indian or regionally rotating. Some are Indian-inspired bar food rather than a proper Indian kitchen.

These are talented chefs making interesting food. But if you want authentic Indian cuisine — the real thing, made the way it is made in Punjab, by a chef trained for two decades in five-star hotel kitchens — the CBD orbit has one answer. Masti. Fifteen minutes from Little Bourke Street. Led by Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon — the same chef behind Elchi at 72 Flinders Street, Melbourne CBD.

No fusion. No shortcuts. No paste from a jar. Every spice ground fresh every morning. Every sauce made from scratch. Every dish cooked the way Manpreet learned it in Punjab — and the way Jiggs Kalra, the Czar of Indian Cuisine, recognised it when he tasted her food.

📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 — 15 minutes from Melbourne CBD
⏱ 10 min by tram from Flinders Street Station · 8 min from Little Bourke Street by car
📞 (03) 9427 2121
🕔 Tue–Thu 5pm–9:30pm · Fri–Sat 5pm–10pm · Sun 5pm–9:30pm · Mon closed

Book your table now — or walk in. We'll seat you.

The Curry Queen's two Melbourne restaurants — Elchi and Masti

Chef Manpreet Sekhon is the only Indian chef in Melbourne running two acclaimed restaurants simultaneously — and the only one whose credentials were built in Punjab five-star hotel kitchens before she ever opened a restaurant in Australia.

Elchi is at 72 Flinders Street, in the heart of Melbourne CBD. Leather booths, gold ceiling lights, the 24-carat gold chicken mussalam, a $95pp degustation menu. Elchi is Manpreet's fine dining flagship — featured in Urban List, Time Out, Eatability and OpenTable as one of Melbourne's best Indian restaurants.It is the CBD's authentic Indian answer to Indian fusion restaurants.

Masti is at 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy — 15 minutes from the CBD. Same Curry Queen. Same authentic North Indian cooking. Same whole spices ground fresh daily. Same live tandoor. But with weekly specials from $28, a full Indian cocktail bar, walk-ins welcome, and no minimum spend. Masti is Elchi's accessible companion — for every night that isn't a special occasion.

Both restaurants are recognised by the same credentials: Sanjeev Kapoor, India's most celebrated chef with 60 million social media followers. And Jiggs Kalra — the man who put Indian cuisine on the world stage. Read Manpreet's full story here.

Authentic Indian vs Melbourne CBD's fusion scene — why it matters

Melbourne CBD diners in 2026 have more Indian restaurant options than ever. Most of them are excellent in their own way. But almost none of them are serving food that reflects what people actually eat in India.

What most Melbourne CBD Indian restaurants offer

Fusion: Indian flavours with European technique and wine lists

"Unauthentic": Australian-Indian bar food, naan pizza, beef tartare

Pan-Indian: Bengali and regional rotating menus

Street food: Chaat, dosas, wraps, budget canteen

Chain: South Indian vegetarian, dosa specialists

What Masti offers — and nobody else near CBD does

Pure Indian: traditional, no fusion, no shortcuts

Fresh-ground spices: Every morning, whole spices only — never pastes

Live tandoor: 480°C clay oven, naan baked while you watch

Vegan naan: Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan

Indian single malts: Rampur, Amrut, Indri — the only bar near CBD pouring all three

This is not a critique of fusion or innovation. It is a statement of fact: if you want a butter chicken made the way it is made in Punjab — with tomatoes charred over an open flame, whole spices ground that morning, sauce cooked until the fat separates — Masti is 15 minutes from the CBD and nowhere in the city comes close. Read the story of our butter chicken here.

Manpreet Sekhon — the most credentialled Indian chef near Melbourne CBD

Every Indian restaurant in Melbourne has a chef. One has the Curry Queen.

Manpreet Sekhon trained in five-star hotel kitchens across Punjab for two decades. She founded Eastern Spice in Geelong — one of regional Victoria's most acclaimed restaurants — before bringing her cooking to Melbourne with Elchi in the CBD and Masti in Fitzroy. Her credentials are unique in the Australian Indian restaurant landscape:

• Recognised by Sanjeev Kapoor — India's most celebrated chef, 60 million+ social media followers, known globally as the face of Indian cuisine

• Recognised by the late Jiggs Kalra — the Czar of Indian Cuisine, the man credited with bringing Indian dining to the world stage

• Featured in Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food, Urban List, Eatability and Concrete Playground

• Two Melbourne restaurants — Elchi (CBD) and Masti (Fitzroy) — both built on the same authentic Indian foundation

No other Indian chef near Melbourne CBD has this combination of traditional credentials, press recognition and dual-restaurant presence. When Melbourne diners want the real story of Indian cuisine, they find Manpreet. Book your table at Masti here.

Melbourne CBD office workers — the best Indian dinner after work

Melbourne CBD employs hundreds of thousands of workers across finance, law, consulting, government and technology. Many of them finish work between 6 and 8pm and want a dinner that matches the quality of the day they've just had. Masti is 15 minutes from most CBD offices — by tram, by car, or by a short Uber.

Our dinner menu is built for after-work dining: dishes designed to share, a cocktail bar that keeps pace with any conversation, and a kitchen that fires from 5pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Our weekly specials give CBD regulars a reason to visit any night:

• Tuesday Thali night — veg or vegan thali from $28. The best value dinner 15 minutes from the CBD

• Wednesday BYO — bring your own wine, beer or scotch. Our bar is fully stocked every other night

• Thursday unlimited kebabs + beer — $59pp, 90 minutes, live tandoor. The best Thursday after-work dinner near the CBD

• Friday and Saturday — open until 10pm. The full Masti experience: cocktails, fresh-ground spice curries, live tandoor naan, Indian single malts

• Sunday Amritsariya Affair — Chole Bhature + unlimited lassi $25.

For corporate dinners, client entertaining and team events near the CBD, our catering team handles the full event — live tandoor included. Call (03) 9427 2121 or email hello@eatdrinkmasti.com.

The Indian cocktail bar Melbourne CBD is missing

Melbourne CBD has some of the world's best bars. What it doesn't have — anywhere, in any of its celebrated Indian restaurants — is a bar that pours all three premium Indian single malts alongside a full menu of Indian-spiced cocktails.

Masti's cocktail bar is one of the most unique drinks experiences in Melbourne's orbit. Rampur from the Himalayas, Amrut from Bangalore, Indri from Haryana — ask for the tasting flight and our sommelier will walk you through all three. Alongside them: Turmeric Tommy's, the Pink City, Mango Margarita, Tea-Groni — every cocktail built around Indian flavours by mixologists who understand the cuisine as well as they understand the spirit.

Masti has Indian single malts and Indian spiced cocktails. If you know your whisky — or you want to discover a category that most Melbourne bars have never heard of — come to Masti.

Getting from Melbourne CBD to Masti

• By tram from Flinders Street Station: Tram 11 runs directly along Brunswick Street and stops at our door. 12 minutes from the CBD

• By tram from Little Bourke Street / Chinatown: Walk to Elizabeth Street, tram 19 north to Alexandra Parade, then Tram 11 east to Brunswick Street. 15 minutes total

• By car from Melbourne CBD: Head north on Swanston Street or Elizabeth Street, across Alexandra Parade onto Brunswick Street. 8–10 minutes. Street parking available on Brunswick Street and side streets

• By Uber / rideshare: 10–12 minutes from the CBD depending on traffic. Drop-off directly at 354 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

• From Collins Street / financial district: 10 minutes by car via Spring Street to Victoria Parade to Brunswick Street

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

Frequently asked questions — Melbourne CBD diners ask

What is the best authentic Indian restaurant near Melbourne CBD?

Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy — 15 minutes from the CBD — is led by Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon, the same chef behind Elchi at 72 Flinders Street. Authentic Indian cuisine, fresh-ground spices daily, live tandoor, Indian cocktail bar and Indian single malts. Featured in Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food and Urban List. Book your table here.

How is Masti different from the other Indian restaurants near Melbourne CBD?

Most Indian restaurants near Melbourne CBD position themselves as fusion, modern, pan-Indian or proudly unauthentic. Masti serves authentic Indian cuisine — no fusion, no shortcuts, whole spices ground fresh every morning. Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon trained in Punjab five-star hotels for 20 years. The food tastes different because the cooking is different.

Is Elchi related to Masti?

Yes — both Elchi (72 Flinders Street, Melbourne CBD) and Masti (354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy) are led by the same chef: Curry Queen Manpreet Sekhon. Elchi is her fine dining CBD restaurant. Masti is her family friendly restaurant in Fitzroy — same authentic Indian cooking, weekly specials from $28, walk-ins welcome. Read Manpreet's full story.

Does Masti serve Indian whisky near Melbourne CBD?

Yes — Masti is one of the only venues in Melbourne pouring all three premium Indian single malts: Rampur (Himalayas), Amrut (Bangalore) and Indri (Haryana). Ask for the tasting flight. No other Indian restaurant near Melbourne CBD offers this. See our full drinks menu.

Can Masti cater for corporate events and client dinners near the CBD?

Yes — Masti's catering team handles corporate functions, client dinners and team events for 20 to 200+ guests. Live tandoor available. Fully customised menus with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal-sourced options. Email hello@eatdrinkmasti.com or call (03) 9427 2121.

Is there vegan Indian food near Melbourne CBD?

Yes — Masti has Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan plus a full vegan menu including Soya Chaap, Honey Chilli Cauliflower, Chickpea Vindaloo and Dal Tadka. Every Tuesday is our vegan curry night — $28 for a rotating selection of plant-based curries with vegan naan. 15 minutes from the CBD.

The authentic Indian restaurant Melbourne CBD has been waiting for — book Masti tonight

📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
⏱ 15 minutes from Melbourne CBD · 12 minutes from Flinders Street Station by tram
📞 (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. We cook the real thing, every night.