I've never been a huge fan of Indian food and have been put off from some horror stories of having…read morea funny belly for days. I've had to change my attitude, as now I can't say that due to Bala Da Dhaba being an exceptionally good restaurant. The food is truly amazing and I was surprised at how much I could eat. I don't know a lot about Indian cuisine but I was very impressed with the vegetarian dishes such as the Muttar Paneer and the Malai Kofta. The waiters are very friendly there where it is a great place to go with a few people to share some of the delectable dishes with a BYO beer or wine. My only criticism is that the setting is very formal and when I'm not in that mood I now get the food to go and head next door to the Lyrebird Lounge, where I can sit in the courtyard on a balmy night and listen to some live music. Either way, the food is where Bala is a winner and will most definitely satisfy the curry lovers but may turn a few, just like it did with me.

I'm a little sad that the old Bala Da Dhaba burned down. I had some good memories of that joint;…read moregood curry, good friends, awful Indian covers of old Eagles songs. But it's the same management and the same menu, so it's not like it's a total loss. And it's a good menu. Actually, it's a pretty average menu - standard Indian food, more or less. But it's done really well. Seriously, it's the best Indian I've had in Melbourne. Only complaint I can raise about them is that the in-house portions tend to be a bit smaller than the takeaway.

Excellent food, the naan and especially the aloo parata were very good. Highly recommend the…read morePistachio Kulfi, it was delicious.

Check my reviews 5 cahoonahs doesn't happen very often. But this has to get the top rating. In a…read moresmall strip of nondescript shops there is Indian tandoori delight awaiting. Staff attentive, staff check your order, staff let you know that one dish takes 5mins longer than the others but would you like them staggered or all together? It's a small thing but they add up.. The place is packed, not a spare seat on the house but they aren't moving you on so another can take your place, they are serving you in the here & now. Food - that's why we're here - stunning, succulent, rich, mild, medium, hot, however you like. My 11 year old had the mild chicken with a cheese naan bread and was licking his chops. I asked which of the 12 vegetable options were vegan & was given a massive choice. Wife went for the spinach, me the potato. And POW, fenugreek, cardamom, cumin, all authentic & all subtle. A delight. Saffron rice spot on, naan bread, yum & the vegetable pakoras- wow get there, chock full of chick peas, spinach... Gotta get the recipe. $84 for three people and that's three entrees & three main with sides. Bargain to boot. Get your booty here (but book methinks, the place was rocking at 7pm!!!)

Great place. Lovely service and some of the best Indian in Melbourne. I've ordered delivery a dozen…read moretimes then just visited last night. Never had a bad food item. Curries are so fresh and light you always feel good after. The place/decor is modern but quite basic, everything else easily makes up for that. Highly recommended.

Delicious! Had the butternut squash masala and palek paneer and both were absolutely delicious…read more Naan was also tasty. My only small complaint is the amount of chutney given with the pappadams and samosas is minuscule.

With it's modern twist on traditional Indian cuisine The Tifin Room will not disappoint!…read moreAmazing Indian flavours and spices mixed with a classic lamb shank, who wouldn't be impressed? They have a great wine list that will cater to anyones palate and if you're not into wine there is a brilliant selection of craft beers which are all reasonably priced. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to try something different.

You know take away is good when you will drive through potentially the worst railway crossing and…read moreessentially 2 suburbs to get to this resturant for some tasty tasty takeway. But this is what I do with Tandoori Den. From a takeaway perspective - It's always ready really quickly, super fresh and totally delicious and there never seems to be any left. Go to dish: Chicken jal frazi and nann. NOM NOM NOM.

Some might disagree, but feels like there's a touch more all-round class to Tandoori Den than at…read moremany other suburban Indian restaurants. The tables are set well, the service is very professional - everything just feels nice. (Perhaps catering to the Camberwellian upper crust?) The food is of a similar standard - great flavours and above-par quality of meat. You'll have a great all-round meal and evening here every-time, and at reasonable prices. Highly recommend.

and it's back!! the Hyderabad Biryani is back to the standards that it had set a long whole back…read more Had boycotted this joint since it changed owners. I had provided my 'polite' feedback since and it seems they have acted upon it!! the rice is now light, fluffy and not soaked in oil. The mutton was the right amount and very tasty! Spice was spot on! Not tamed for locals. Highly recommend if u r in the area. Also try the Chicken 65. It's AWESOME!! don't ask what the '65' means cus the owners don't know either. :)

Biryani so divine - even the Nizam of Hyderabad would die for!…read more Close to Swinburne college, "Spice Lounge" is a jewel that can be easily overlooked. This place is a well regarded secret. On our vacation from the States. by happenstance we tried their legendary biryani which I reiterate is "to-die-for" along with Chicken 65, Butter Chicken, Panner and Daal. The spices are done just right - alluring, yet not overwhelming. The food fits well with the varied yet distinct ethnic Indian and Australian palate. The masala aroma is compelling and it is so easy to overeat here. Try it once and you'll be hooked! We were in gastronomic heaven. Rumor has it Melbourne has the some of the best chefs in the world and Spice Lounge proves it. Would visit again just to taste the biryani once more!

One night, my friends and I stopped by desperate for something to eat. In retrospect, I would've…read moremuch preferred something else that night. Even a bag of crisps could have done the trick. Ambiance: A mid-sized Indian restaurant with beautiful decor (I couldn't help but admire the large picture of a woman dancing in traditional Indian clothing behind the counter) and busy with people even past 10 pm. Customer Service: Not very good. The lady insisted that we get something for takeaway instead because there were no more seats... when there were several open tables. I suppose they just didn't want to deal with any more customers, but still , a "We're closing soon" would've been much more honest and preferred than "no more seats" when there blatantly were. Food: Delicious! My friends and I ordered mounds of moderately priced food for takeaway - rice, butter chicken, a bit of lamb curries, etc. etc. I actually really enjoyed the food; everything was flavourful and they definitely didn't skimp on the spices. However, what I didn't enjoy was my food poisoning afterwards. My friend (who has an iron gut) had it as well. I'm not giving them a 1 star because the food was legitimately good and they probably just had a bad day. I'm willing to try it out again, but hopefully they could check the quality of their ingredients more thoroughly and consistently from now on.

Every time I come here, which is actually quite often, I can help but laugh at their knifes that…read morethey put on the table to use. Not that you really need a knife when it comes to curry but they look like they are the original piece of metal before it has been cut into the proper knife as we know it. Just as there knife are made in typical Indian style so is the food. Absolutely delicious, and so cheap. The menu might take you a little while to get through before you find that meal for you're after but I can assure you that you won't go wrong no matter what you order. If you have not tried one before, might I suggest getting a dosa before your meal. I don't want to ruin the wow factor and tell you what it is though so I will just say, enjoy your meal.

After eventually finding a park on this stretch of a busy road, we went inside, sat down and began…read moreto peruse the extensive menu that does offer a few different things than you'd normally find on a typical menu at an Indian restaurant. It is a shame, however, that the staff don't know what the items are, because when bringing out entrees, they gave the wrong items to the wrong people as a result, and they missed out on trying what they wanted (which could be problematic if you have an allergy or something). My samosas (which were SO GOOD) came out first and only after some questioning, the other items came out, but by that time I was done with them, because the wait was quite extensive. In spite of those hiccups, everyone loved their food. The mains were good. The food came out all at once this time, which was great, but there needed to be some juggling as the table sizes are small. The kitchen accomodated the few requests we had which was nice, and everything was delicious (except we just could not taste the garlic on the naan or see the chives, which makes me think they gave us plain naan instead). Basically, other than a few glitches with staff not being spot on that night, the food was great and the atmosphere was nice (along with nice, modern decor) and definitely worth trying again. Parking can be tricky, and so it might be best coming for an early sitting. Would I come back again? Yeah, if I'm in the area, for sure.

Piquancy is a new Indian restaurant in Auburn Road, Hawthorn VIC near Auburn station. It is a…read morefunky modern take on Indian with the decor terrific and the vibe great. Four of us went on a Saturday evening and it was vibrant and buzzing - having received a positive write up in the Herald Sun the previous week. The food was delicious (with most items being gluten free) and prices reasonable. Dishes were from various regions of India and some of the dishes included: Awadhi Lamb- Macedon lambroasted with spices and marsala Goan duck leg - - with a pumpkin cinammon sauce and lychee Prawns varuval - drenched in cocnut yoghurt with cumin fennel and cury leaes Matar ki Tikka - garlic infused peas and broccoli croquettes Butter chicken! with tomato fenugreek and cardomom Naan was great as well. Unusually we had desert that was also very nice: Gulab Jamun - indian donuts soaked in honey and saffron Wine list was also reasonably priced with a self serve beer fridge (there's a dangerous idea).

Definitely at the 'classier' end of the suburban Indian restaurant experience, Avatar is a welcome…read moreaddition to the Balwyn dining options, with enough great little twists on the old Indian favourites to make it stand out from the pack. Service is super attentive - they obviously pride themselves on this and rightly so - and most importantly the food was excellent across the board. Will be back. BYO wine only - they're fully stocked otherwise.

We had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of Avatar in Balwyn and our first visit far exceeded…read moreexpectations! While there are plenty of local Indian eats in the area, Avatar manages to offer a unique experience with it's attention to detail. The food was absolutely delicious and the friendly attentive service was a joy. Highly recommend the eggplant curry and the chilli baby corn dish. A wonderful evening.