Best authentic Indian restaurant near South Melbourne — Masti Fitzroy, 15 minutes from Clarendon Street‍ ‍

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, and Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan. 15 minutes from South Melbourne Market and Clarendon Street.

South Melbourne's Clarendon Street dining strip covers almost every cuisine with genuine quality. What it has never had is a nationally press-featured North Indian chef with verified five-star Punjab hotel training, an Indian cocktail bar pouring all three premium Indian single malts, and Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan. That gap is what brings South Melbourne diners fifteen minutes north to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy — to Masti.

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

Book your table now — walk-ins welcome.

South Melbourne Market to Masti — the dinner that completes your Saturday

South Melbourne Market has been Melbourne's village market since 1867 — open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Fresh produce, legendary dim sims, specialty food halls, flowers, fashion and community. The Market's own food options close in the afternoon. By evening, South Melbourne locals want somewhere genuinely excellent for dinner.

Masti is 15 minutes from South Melbourne Market by Uber, car or tram. After a Saturday morning at the Market — produce in hand, morning coffee done — the evening at Masti completes the day. Authentic North Indian from scratch, Indian cocktail bar, Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan. See our full menu here.

Albert Park Lake to Masti — the Indian dinner South Melbourne's active community deserves

Albert Park Lake is one of Melbourne's most iconic recreational spaces — the Grand Prix circuit, sailing club, running paths, picnic grounds and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. South Melbourne and Albert Park residents use it year-round. After a Sunday morning run around the lake, an afternoon at MSAC, or a Formula 1 race weekend — the evening calls for something worth celebrating.

Masti is 15 minutes from Albert Park Lake. Our menu is built for celebration — generous shared curries, tandoori platters arriving hot, freshly baked naan throughout. Groups of 6 receive a free cocktail pitcher. Groups of 10 receive a free sharing platter. Book ahead for weekend evenings.

British-Indian fusion vs authentic North Indian — the distinction South Melbourne deserves in 2026

British-Indian cuisine is not North Indian cuisine. The tikka masala that became Britain's national dish was adapted over decades for British palates — creamier, milder, built for pub dining in a different country's climate and culture. Authentic North Indian food from Punjab is the original these dishes draw from: whole spices ground that morning, tomatoes charred over an open flame, 24-hour dal cooked from scratch, live tandoor naan baked at 480 degrees. The difference is not subtle. If you have eaten both side by side you know it immediately.

Masti serves the Punjab original. Not the colonial adaptation. Chef Manpreet Sekhon grew up learning this food in Punjab, trained in it for twenty years in Punjab five-star hotels, and has been cooking it in Melbourne since 2015. For South Melbourne diners who want to understand what Indian food actually tastes like before it was reimagined for a different culture's palate — Masti is 15 minutes away. See our full menu here.

Clarendon Street has great dining — here is what it is still missing

Clarendon Street, Coventry Street and Park Street form one of Melbourne's most sophisticated dining corridors. Wine bars, hatted restaurants, Italian, Japanese, contemporary Australian. South Melbourne eats extremely well.

What no venue in South Melbourne currently offers is a nationally press-featured, single-cuisine North Indian kitchen led by a chef whose credentials are verified by India's most globally recognised culinary figures. Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food, Urban List and Eatability have all featured Masti. Sanjeev Kapoor and the late Jiggs Kalra have both recognised Chef Manpreet Sekhon. No Indian restaurant in South Melbourne can say this. Read Chef Manpreet's full story here.

The Curry Queen — credentials South Melbourne's food-conscious community demands

South Melbourne's median weekly household income is $2,101. Its residents dine at Lûmé, Bellota and Claypots Evening Star. This is a community that holds high standards for what a special dinner should be and has the palate to notice the difference between genuine credentials and marketing.

Chef Manpreet Sekhon trained in Punjab five-star hotel kitchens for twenty years. Recognised by Sanjeev Kapoor — India's most celebrated chef with 60 million social media followers — and the late Jiggs Kalra, who brought Indian fine dining to the world stage. Featured in Time Out, Broadsheet, Good Food, Urban List and Eatability. Founder of Eastern Spice in Geelong and Elchi in Melbourne's CBD. These are specific, verifiable credentials. No Indian restaurant on Clarendon Street or Park Street can make this claim.

What Masti offers that no Indian restaurant in South Melbourne currently does

Single-cuisine North Indian — the depth that fusion cannot replicate

Every spice ground fresh that morning. Butter chicken tomatoes charred over open flame. 24-hour black dal. Amritsari fish. Live clay tandoor at 480 degrees. The depth of flavour that comes from twenty years of five-star training in a single regional tradition — not a menu built around novelty or cross-cultural fusion. See our full menu here.

All three premium Indian single malts — nowhere in South Melbourne pours these

Rampur from the Himalayas. Amrut from Bangalore. Indri from Haryana. Masti's Indian cocktail bar is the only venue in Melbourne's inner south pouring all three. Ask for the tasting flight alongside original Indian-spiced cocktails — Turmeric Tommy's, Pink City, Mango Margarita. The bar that Clarendon Street's wine and cocktail culture has never seen from Indian dining.

Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan

South Melbourne has one of Melbourne's most sustainability-conscious dining communities. Masti has Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan — made in the same live clay tandoor, same char, same texture as the original. A full vegan 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.

National press coverage — the credibility marker South Melbourne dining demands

Time Out Melbourne, Broadsheet, Good Food, Urban List and Eatability have all featured Masti. This is the kind of editorial coverage that follows a chef who spent twenty years earning it. For South Melbourne diners who rely on trusted recommendations before making the trip, Masti has already been verified by Melbourne's most respected food publications.

Weekly specials — five reasons to make the trip from South Melbourne every week

Masti runs weekly specials from $25. Tuesday thali from $28, Wednesday BYO, Thursday unlimited kebabs and beer $59, Sunday Amritsariya Affair $25. Five nights of reasons to travel 15 minutes from Clarendon Street.

Getting from South Melbourne to Masti

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

• By Uber from South Melbourne Market: 12 minutes direct to Brunswick Street

• By Uber from Albert Park Lake: 15 minutes direct to Brunswick Street

• By tram from Clarendon Street: Tram 96 northbound through the city to Brunswick Street. 20 minutes total

• By car from Park Street: North on Kings Way to Alexandra Parade, east to Brunswick Street. 12 minutes

• By car from Coventry Street: North on Clarendon 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 always welcome.

Frequently asked questions — South Melbourne locals ask

What is the best Indian restaurant in South Melbourne?

South Melbourne has Indian dining options on Clarendon Street and Park Street. The best nationally press-featured, credentialled authentic North Indian near South Melbourne is Masti — 15 minutes away on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Led by Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon. Book here.

What is the difference between British-Indian and authentic North Indian food near South Melbourne?

British-Indian cuisine — tikka masala, vindaloo, korma — was adapted in British curry houses for British palates over decades. Authentic North Indian food from Punjab is the original: whole spices ground daily, charred tomatoes, 24-hour dal, live tandoor. Masti serves the Punjab original — not the adaptation — 15 minutes from South Melbourne. See our full menu here.

How far is Masti from South Melbourne?

Masti is 12–15 minutes from South Melbourne by car or Uber — north on Kings Way or Clarendon Street to Alexandra Parade, then east to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. By tram, Tram 96 northbound takes approximately 20 minutes. Get directions here.

Is there Indian food near South Melbourne Market?

Yes — Masti is 12 minutes from South Melbourne Market by Uber or car. Authentic North Indian, live tandoor, Indian cocktail bar, open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm. The perfect dinner after a Saturday or Sunday at the Market. Book here.

Is there Indian food near Albert Park Lake Melbourne?

Yes — Masti is 15 minutes from Albert Park Lake by Uber or car. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm. Groups of 6 receive a free cocktail pitcher. Book your table here.

Is there authentic North Indian food near South Melbourne?

Yes — Masti on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy is the closest nationally press-featured authentic North Indian restaurant to South Melbourne. Single-cuisine Punjab cooking, live tandoor, all three premium Indian single malts. 15 minutes by car or Uber. See our full menu here.

Is Masti open on Sundays near South Melbourne?

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 our most popular nights. Perfect after a Sunday morning at South Melbourne Market or Albert Park Lake. Book your Sunday table here.

Is there vegan Indian food near South Melbourne?

Yes — Masti has Melbourne's only freshly baked vegan naan plus a full vegan menu. Every Tuesday is our vegan curry night at $28. 15 minutes from Clarendon Street, South Melbourne.

Can Masti cater for events near South Melbourne?

Yes — our catering team handles functions for 20 to 200+ guests, live tandoor available. Perfect for South Melbourne home entertaining, Albert Park events and Clarendon Street business functions. Email hello@eatdrinkmasti.com or call (03) 9427 2121.

The best authentic North Indian near South Melbourne in 2026 — book Masti tonight

📍 354–356 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 — 15 min from South Melbourne Market, Clarendon 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

Book your table online — or walk in. South Melbourne's best authentic North Indian restaurant is 15 minutes away on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.