Best Indian and South Asian Food in Auckland
Auckland's best Indian and South Asian food clusters in the south, from a Mysore masala dosa at Roop's to chaat at Mumbai Chaat, tandoori prawns at Shor Bazaar and a dabeli at Apna Adda. It is some of the best value eating in the city.
Where is the best Indian food in Auckland?
The southern suburbs are the heartland. Auckland's South Asian communities are strongest in the south, and so is the food, with dosa houses, chaat counters and curry kitchens that locals rate above anything in the centre. Sandringham Road closer in is the other well-known strip. For the real thing at honest prices, head south.
Dosa, chaat and street snacks
The South Indian and street-food end is where it shines. The Mysore masala dosa at Roop's Vegetarian Sweets & Snacks is a benchmark, a crisp fermented crepe with a spiced potato filling. Mumbai Chaat does papri bhalla chaat, the tangle of crisp, yoghurt, chutney and spice that defines good chaat. Apna Adda's dabeli, a spiced potato bun from Gujarat, is another cheap southern standout.
Curries, tandoor and more
For a fuller meal, the kitchens deliver. Shor Bazaar Indian Kitchen & Bar does tandoori prawns with proper char and spice, a step up from the everyday curry house. The breadth of regional cooking across the southern spots, from Gujarati snacks to South Indian dosa to North Indian tandoor, is what makes Auckland's Indian scene more than just butter chicken.
A note on value
This is some of the best-value eating in Auckland. Much of the South Asian food, especially the vegetarian dosa and chaat, comes in cheap and generous, often well under what a cafe main costs. Even the sit-down tandoor spots are reasonable for what you get. If you are eating on a budget and want flavour, the southern Indian strip is hard to beat.
Find the dosa and the chaat
Kai AKL maps Auckland's best Indian and South Asian dishes to the spots that make them, mostly in the south. Works offline.
Explore Kai AKLRelated: Best cheap eats in Auckland.