The best Indian restaurants in Sydney

Derrel’s 

Best for: A late-night feed.
Must-try dish: Chip butty with butter chicken gravy.

This retro joint in Camperdown is open until 2am, so it’s the perfect place to refuel as your night is winding down. Derrel's Anglo-Indian menu features classic dishes like vindaloo and chicken tandoori, as well as chef Brendan King’s own modern spin on the cuisine, like Bombay burgers with deep-fried spiced potato patties. 

Derrel's, Camperdown - Credit: Michael Naumoff

Chatkazz

Best for: Street food favourites
Must-try dish: Pav bhaji – spicy mixed vegetables served with soft bread rolls.

India is famous for its street food and you can dine on authentic recreations right here in Sydney. Chatkazz in Harris Park (Sydney’s Little India) has over 200 dishes on the menu, blending flavours from both North and South India. Everything is vegetarian and it’s particularly famous for its sweet treats.  

Chatkazz, Harris Park

Flyover Fritterie 

Best for: Vegetarian delights.
Must-try dish: Dosa potato jaffles and crunchy pakora (fritters).

Flyover Fritterie in Redfern has a smaller menu but the same commitment to flavour, with a focus on vegetarian eats. Founded by artist Gunjan Aylawadi, she was inspired by the hardworking food vendors who set up underneath highway overpasses (or ‘flyovers’) in her native India. 

Flyover Fritterie & Chai Bar, Redfern - Credit: Alana Dimou

Abhi’s Indian Restaurant 

Best for: Another local institution.
Must-try dish: Masala dosa – rice flour pancake with spiced potato filling and lentil sambar.

In North Strathfield, Abhi’s has had the tandoor oven burning since 1990. It’s a favourite with locals as well as the Australian and Indian cricket teams, with many top players spotted dining here over the years. Their traditional menu is complex and flavourful without being heavy, and draws inspiration from northern, southern and Goan cuisine. 

 Abhi's, North Strathfield - Credit: Abhi's

Dosa Hut

Best for: Cheap (mains are around $20) and cheerful.
Must-try dish: Dosas, of course (there are more than 50 types).

With bragging rights as the 'most-reviewed restaurant in Australia' (according to Google over the past 20 years), it comes as no surprise Dosa Hut is one of the most popular Indian restaurants in Sydney. The menu is massive – think dozens of dosa types, flavour-packed biryanis and Indo-Chinese favourites – and all fiery and ful of flavour (just read those aforementioned reviews!).

Dosa Hut Harris Park, Harris Park - Credit: Dosa Hut Harris Park

Delhi ‘O’ Delhi

Best for: A neighbourhood legend.
Must-try dish: Shaan e raan – whole lamb leg infused with cinnamon oil and potli spices.

A good Indian restaurant can attain legendary status among the local community. Delhi ‘O’ Delhi in Newtown has done just that for almost 20 years. It’s a classic Indian flavours with white tablecloth dining experience, alongside an excellent wine list. If you’re dining in a group, the Feast menu will leave you suitably stuffed. 

Don’t Tell Aunty

Best for: Unauthentic Indian and fun decor.
Must-try dish: Kulfi – Indian ice cream.

Sometimes you want to have a little fun with your meal. Don’t Tell Aunty in Surry Hills promises unauthentic Indian, where classic dishes are given a quirky spin with unusual ingredients and influences from other cuisines. The décor inside is just as entertaining, with lots of peacock blue velvet, sherbet pink walls and oversized artwork. 

Curry Platter at Don't Tell Aunty, Surry Hills – Credit Don’t Tell Aunty

Pinky Ji 

Best for: Cocktails and vibes.
Must-try dish: Kingfish ceviche with jaggery coconut, finger limes and mini papadums.

In a York Street basement, Pinky Ji follows a similar theme (and was opened by the same chef). With neon lighting, red velvet furniture, floral garlands and Bollywood movie posters, it’s an over-the-top experience before you even sit down. The menu is divided into categories like snack, raw, street, wok and curry, and paired with colourful cocktails. 

Kolkata Social

Best for: Bengali eats.
Must-try dish: Dry chilli chicken.

Kolkata Social brings the bold and comforting flavors of Bengal to Sydney. Helmed by chef Ahana Dutt, who draws on her Kolkata roots to challenge the idea that Indian cuisine is just butter chicken and naan, expect fishes like mustard‑oil fried barramundi, banana‑leaf paturi and slow‑cooked goat curry.

Kolkata Social, Newtown - Credit: Proof of Dreams

Jewel on the Bay

Best for: Waterside views.
Must-try dish: Chicken chettinaad – Southern Indian curry with coconut, red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Grab one of the outside tables at Jewel on the Bay to admire the yachts bobbing at anchor in the calm waters of Rose Bay while you eat. An Eastern Suburbs institution for more than 20 years, the extensive menu includes street food snacks, meats from the tandoor oven, classic curries and a whole page of breads. 

Manjits Wharf

Best for: After-work snacks.
Must try dish: Bhara kebab – tandoori lamb cutlets.

Looking over the twinkling lights of Darling Harbour, Manjits is a sleek and stylish modern Indian restaurant on King Street Wharf. It’s a spin-off from the original Manjits, which opened in Balmain in 1984, and served the same fusion cuisine that brings together North and South India with Western cooking techniques. It’s a popular spot for after-work cocktails paired with tasty Indian snacks. 

Manjit's Wharf, Darling Harbour - Credit: Manjit's Wharf

Harshita’s Kitchen 

Best for: Homestyle classics.
Must-try dish: Raj kachori – crispy semolina shells with chickpeas, spiced yoghurt and chutney.

It’s no frills and all flavour at Harshita’s Kitchen in Waterloo. What started as a home delivery service for traditional Indian tiffin lunches has grown into a small homestyle restaurant. Harshita has been inspired by the women in her life and brings their same spirit of hospitality to every service.  

Foreign Return 

Best for: Edgy design.
Must-try dish: Raj kachori – crispy semolina shells with chickpeas, spiced yoghurt and chutney.

At Surry Hills’ Foreign Return, the rich navy walls, gold accents, fanciful murals, grandfather clocks and vintage telephones give the restaurant the feeling of a Wes Anderson movie. In the kitchen, the chefs recreate long-forgotten dishes that you won’t have seen in any other Indian restaurant in the city. The cocktails are excellent and there’s a whole menu dedicated to gin and tonics. 

Foreign Return, Surry Hills - Credit: Leigh Griffiths