Our 1st choice was the AFGHAN restaurant on George St. Palmerston North, as it sported the HIGHEST google rating of 4.9 stars - sadly due to a no WINE rule ! yes, dining out in this town hasn't caught up to civilization as we know it - imagine an evening meal catered by phd quality chefs where a fine Martinborough Pinot Noir is UNWELCOME - the ownwe recommended his friend down the road : the quirkily named " Arranged Marriage" - custom has it that parents not actual COUPLES decide whom marries whom in Keraly state in India's south west corner - and it makes a clever name for a restaurant - hence - we found ourselves dining at ARRANGED MARRIAGE, 32 B The Square Palmerston North, Manawatu, NZ, N Island. A starter of DRY BEEF was okay - lacked punch, could have used a good dose of LIME JUICE maybe...and for that kind of price, a healthier serving? Two Mains: 1/ lamb curry coconut base best of evening's offering, chilly sauce served on the side, as one of us likes it spicy t'other mild - was pungent and fresh - good for dipping the KALLAPAM pancake, a regional coconut flour spongy side dish..... and the dish we were MOST looking forward to ...... 2/ DUCK Masala... as we brought along a special Martinborough Pinot Noir to accompany it.... AND earlier reviews sang it's praises.... we wanted THIS one to be special - okay - the sauce was piquant....and presentation on a leaf in a nice round dish was pretty. -accompanied by sweet white onion slices crispy - and a foil to the chili sweet red sticky MORISH sauce. BIG letdown was the limp duck leg cooked many hours earlier tough tiny serving of protein for a big price = instant loss of 2 stars. staff were students at local UNI stuck in country after lockdown, communication okay - lovely genuinely nice people. Unprofessional / unremarkable service at the price point. Decoration is functional fairly tidy. Value for $ 'average' at best' 36 bucks a head x 2 for smallish amounts of decent, but NOT cheffy quality food. 3.2 on the yelp meter. a 'qualified' thumbs up - okay - rating pics to follow in due course read more

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I came here with a friend in November while on vacation in NZ. It is, I dare say, the best Indian I've ever had...I'm no food connoisseur but I like Indian enough to try it in lots of different places. Flavors in the curries were incredible. The menu is diverse and interesting. The branding, name etc. has a cute lil back story/info to read. Good service. We waited a while for our food, only because the kitchen was slammed with a huge order from a big table of tattoo convention attendees. WELL WORTH the wait! Highly recommend! read more

A slightly different menu than I'm used to from a NZ Indian restaurant Totally impressed with the friendly staff , attention to detail and awesome food. The waiter engaged in conversation and made for a memorable evening. I would highly recommend you eat here. read more

More than just a great name! ! Great food! Great location and great ambience. Light open airy.

Very happy to have a good southern Indian restaurant in Palmerston North, of all places. Masala dosa is a great starter for two to split. The coconut sauce --omg. Manchurian cauliflower as a main has an indulgent texture and nice blend of spices. Beautifully decorated, upbeat atmosphere. Make reservations if you're going Fri or Sat night -- it's packed. read more

Arranged Marriage is one of the more 'Kiwi' adapted Indian restaurants that still holds traditional food. With things from Medu Vada to Masala Dosa, Arranged Marriage never fails to deliver. It does have some more interesting additions especially in its naan bread variety, but this all adds to the flavour. The entrees were excellent and the papad was to die for, but the icing on top was the gulab jamun (traditional warm Indian dessert) in vanilla ice cream - absolutely delectable, and would make me go back time and time again. read more

Yum! Great Southern Indian food. Good variety on the menu. Starters were great, I had masala dosa for my main - it was huge, but lacking a little in the flavour department. My husband had a delicious curry that was very flavoursome. Great service, can get a little loud when busy but overall a good atmosphere. Will be eating here again read more

Awesome food, good atmosphere. The dosa was especially good- perfectly crisp, flavorful, and I can't put my finger on why but the coconut sauce is addicting. If I were staying another night I would probably go back to try more of the menu. read more