Note that the 4 stars here is for the food only…read more We've come to love and laugh at Cafe Spice's other 'quirks' but they might put off many others: The place is nothing to look at and void of any atmosphere (often empty), the kitchen where you pick up your take-away from doesn't look the cleanest (with hardly-enticing tubs of what I assume is pre-made gravies sitting around), and the main fella who runs this place is a bit of an odd-bod who thinks nothing of butting in on your meal at any time with weird non-sequiturs - ends of stories he didn't start telling you - like a senile grandparent, and grumbling a little under his breath as he stalks the room. BUT -- I don't care one bit about any of that, because the Beef Madras is so f***ing good. I don't even think it appears on the takeaway menu but they still make it when asked, and make it good. Great tender beef chunks and perfectly balance spices. My sig-other is crazy about her Butter Chicken and swears it's also up there with the best she's had. If a potentially quirky night dining in isn't your thing then perhaps stick to take-away, but we will put up with a lot more than just the above for our favourite dishes.

Best Indian in Melbourne. Service is unique and the owner Sanjeev is so friendly. He will sit down…read moreand have chat with you. The taste of food dances on your tongue. I travel from Westmeadows and only eat here. Kids are welcome and bookings can be made. You won't be disappointed .

Machan is AMAZING! wouldn't want to try Indian food anywhere…read moreelse! The staff is super friendly, always greeted with a genuine smile, very consistent with service and attending tables. Food is delish! Pakoras ($7) Chicken Tikka ($14) Garlic Naan- super tasty ($3.50) always go for the Butter Chicken- it melts in your mouth ($16.50) & must have the Gulab Jamun for dessert ($6.50). Ohhhh and they have Mango Lassi- perfect and thick with mango ($4.50). I always leave here amazed by the friendliness, and the mouth watering food leaves you eager to enjoy again!

Look no further. Always delicious, friendly and clean. We have been loyal customers for many years…read moreand have never been disappointed. If you are looking for mouthwatering Indian cuisine backed with great service this is the place. Cheers!

A staple. The best Indian food in the area. Butter chicken is incredible. So is their palak paneer…read more Naans are also really very good! Friendly service, engaging waitress who remembers repeat customers and our orders. This is a place I go that I know what I want to order before I even sit down. Must try!

I've visited this place about 5 times now. Food is good, but I found some hair in the naans the…read morelast time I went. Briyani is decent but too oily. Sundays are a hit and miss - once they said hey couldn't serve me coz there was a table with a big order!

Really good Indian food on the main drag in Heidelberg. You can tell a lot of thought is put into…read morethe cooking here -- they obviously take pride in the dishes they create. The flavours are incredible -- just the right blend of exotic spices. Everything tastes unique and very high-quality. This is not your typical cheap-tasting mass-produced Indian food, that's for sure. They have plenty of vegetarian options here (for both entrees and mains) and they can tell you which options are spicy, which options contain dairy, etc. The vegan options for the mains include the aloo gobhi (cauliflower and potato), channa masala (chickpeas and tomato), and vegetable jalfrezi (sautéed veggies). I had the aloo gobhi and it was delicious, although admittedly a little dry. (It says on the menu it's dry-cooked, but I guess I was still surprised that there was no sauce at ALL.) I really felt like I needed something liquid-y or oily to dip it in so it wouldn't be as dry, but that's just me. My boyfriend had the vegetarian Kashmiri korma (veggies, cream, cottage cheese, almonds, and cashews) and he LOVED his dish. We also shared some rice with peas, which was yum. The menu here is pretty extensive, with heaps of options, and even includes an "Indo Chinese" section. With such a large menu, you have to wonder if the food is just hit or miss here, and we just so happened to order two of their better dishes -- but somehow I don't think so. The flavours in our dishes were sophisticated, and I think most of their food would be just as good. Prices here are good, with mains in the $11-15 range and filling (especially when you order one of their many rice dishes to share). Service was a little curt, but not unfriendly. Atmosphere-wise, the place is a little cheesy-looking with checkered floors, heavy decor, and mustard-yellow walls, but you can always grab a window seat and people-watch through the wide windows instead. I'll definitely be back to try their other vegan options. Yum.

Some of the best indian outside of India. The spices are fresh and the mango lassi is the best I've…read morehad since being in India. The Order might take a while but it's well worth the wait. This isn't a indian restaurant/takeaway that mass produces there curry and microwaves them. Aroma, and spice taste fresh. If your after an authentic Indian experience food wise this place is to die for, and should be added to any foodies bucket list

Ginger Garlic's cosy dining room, dominated by large Mogul Court paintings and the elephant headed…read moregod Ganesh, might be lost in a mini arcade off Eltham's Dudley Street, but locals have been trooping here since 1992" "Ginger Garlic - Champagne food and service! If you look up the word delicious in the dictionary there is a picture of Ginger Garlic as the definition! Absolutely magnificent and hubby n wife team hosts Ashok and Ritu are really nice people! Ashok has a very dry sense of humor and lightning fast wit so beware! If I had a dollar for every meal I've eaten here I reckon I could retire! In a suburb better known for its mud-brick houses than a haven for foodies, Ginger Garlic is an Eltham Institution." "Ginger Garlic has been delighting Eltham locals for 28 years as well as drawing customers from much afar. A swag of local business awards and accolades from food critics are just the start. I can't think of another restaurant that takes its regulars on a food tour of India Ginger Garlic is a local institution well known all over the country for their fine cuisine. Ginger garlic blends their flavoursome spices to create mouth watering dishes of the highest quality. I highly recommend allowing Ashok and Ritu to create an order for your table so you can share the food and get the most out of the visit. I have yet to find anything too hot on their menu. If you want heat, ask, and they will bring you a small bowl you can add yourself. I recommend the lamb shank, the meat drips off the bone and is a table favourite. The moment you walk in, you'll be hit by the aroma of fried cumin and the sounds of sizzling from the kitchen. You will be shown to your table and handed a bewildering menu that seems to have been put together at random. Please don't worry - everything in it is delicious. The owners are charming and run annual trips to India for their customers. Apparently they come back with their favourite recipes from each trip to add to the Ginger Garlic menu. Ginger Garlic is very affordable, allows byo wine, and serves top class food. What's not to like? We travelled all the way from St. Kilda for the best Indian food in Melbourne, what an asset to Eltham always so good! Yousay

Alleged to have discriminated against a former soldier, now in a wheelchair who tried to make a…read morebooking and was refused due to his wheelchair taking up too much space. If this is true it is disgraceful.

Visiting Cafe Saffron for a weekday lunch is an odd experience…read more For starters the restaurant is located in what looks like an industrial estate. The restaurant itself does little to dispel that image. It is pretty much a warehouse decked out in Indian decorator stylings. That being said it would be a fantastic location for parties, wedding or any celebration and i suspect functions are their specialty. As a lunch venue it didn't quite work. We were the only group in the large hall and when the number of staff outnumber the customers it is a little worrying. That said we spent the afternoon sampling the banquet which was as tasty and high quality as their sister restaurant in Ivanhoe. Fresh Indian poppadom's soaked up spicy curries and korma. The dishes were all well made and authentically presented. The service was attentive (as you would expect in a deserted restaurant) and friendly. I would definitely head to the Ivanhoe restaurant rather then this location due to the ambiance. Although I hope to get an invitation to a function at the South Morang location soon!

Indian food has become my late-night-going-out-to-eat-but-most-places-are-closing go to. I gotta…read moresay, Flavours you let me down. The Butter Chicken ordered had too much of a creamy cashew sauce versus the normal thick buttery tomato taste. I was suspicious and put two and two together, it tasted like they tossed chicken into their Creme Chicken sauce. The Chana Masala was another disappointment, it was so uncooked, like chick peas straight from a can and into some warm curry. The texture of the chick peas were entirely wrong, because from my 'chick pea experience' (sure that can be a thing) I'm convinced that these weren't properly cooked. It was another eyebrow raise that once the order was placed, it was in (not lying) 2 minutes brought to our table. If the food wasn't up to par, I'd hope that at least the service would be good. But again, we were only met with someone who didn't seem content with life and was unhelpful and just cold. Maybe they were having a bad day? With the amount of Indian places around, I'm surprised this one exists. I'd have much rather gone to another local one for a better dining experience. They just came across as lazy.

From the owner: good food,dosa varitesread more