Review I Village At Victoria - Auckland Central

Came here for my colleague’s farewell lunch. Interesting menu with quite many varieties to choose from entree to main/drink, etc. I love garlic and butter naan…so nice when serving hot & go really well with curry gravy dipping

Amazing food, waiters were super attentive and making everything was good. Amazing food and they ask how spicy you want food to be. Highly recommend to go there if you want authentic Indian foods. And if you order too much it's no hassle to take stuff home :)

I had an excellent dining experience at i Village! The food was not only delicious but also beautifully presented. The flavors were outstanding, and the service was top-notch. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for good and tasty food. and it made my special day even more memorable.

Was my first time here at this beautiful restaurant. The service was amazing. The staff were very lovely and friendly. The items we tried were really yummy and mouth watering. Coupled with nice interiors, the place delivers a perfect fine dine experience. Every dish that we ordered exceeded expectations and the quality of the food was very impressive. Will surely be back to try more items!

Was my first rime here at this beautiful restaurant. The service was amazing. The staff were very lovely and friendly. They recommended good wines to go with the food. Lady owner also introduced the items and ingredients which is outstanding, especially I cannot handle spices, so she pretty much gave me the heads up. The items we tried were really yummy and mouth watering. Unfortunately we didn’t get to try the mains as we were full with entree and one bottle of wine lol The parking is a nightmare $14 per hour! and the sitting inside was bit dark and gloomy hence the four star but food and service is definitely 5 stars! Thank you

I recently had an event at Park Hyatt Auckland and i village did the buffet catering for my party . I met Dimple for the first time few weeks back to discuss the catering she was amazing she assured me not to stress and i village will do an amazing catering and sure they did was outstanding her staff were so professional and food was so delish my guest really enjoyed the food and the service Thank you so much to Dinple and her team 😍

We went to iVillage a few weeks back as a recommendation by a random truck driver who saw one of us eating takeaway Indian food. He said iVillage is possibly the best Indian restaurant in Auckland. After going, we all agree with him. This was one of the best dining experience we have had, and is the best Indian food we have tried yet in Auckland. Our host happened to be the owner, and she was fabulous. She made us feel very welcome, made recommendations of food to try, was overall very friendly and professional, while also providing good banter. The atmosphere in iVillage was very pleasant. The restaurant itself is so well set up, with a lot to look at and enjoy while you wait. The food itself was fantastic. Generally when we go to a restaurant and order a bunch of dishes, it would be rare to find a place where we thought every dish was good. We had that experience at iVillage. We will definitely be back soon. Thanks for the great experience.

A must visit while in Auckland if you’re thinking of Indian food. Whilst you will certainly come back for the food one thing that really sets this apart is the personal attention that the owner Ms Dimple pays to each guest. She is superb at what she does and her passion shows in her guest interactions. Kudos to you, Dimple, for setting up such an amazing restaurant far away from home to make people like us feel at home! The staff is sweet, humble and super quick on your needs. Go try this place today!

Authentic Indian food, pleasing ambience, and exemplary service! What more can one expect for a dining experience and take along dear friends and family for an enjoyable evening! Certainly worth going again and again.

Tried here for Friday lunch, and absolutely loved it. Tasty food with friendly staff recommending food options when both of my initial choices were not really available (main was too big for two people and the smaller dish was out of stock). Both dishes they recommended instead of my initial choices were fantastic. Will visit again next time!

5 aug 2020 one of the worst dinner experience at CBD Ivillage. I had waited for more than one hour for food and they forgot to serve the drinks. Also, food was not delicious at all. I will never recommend this place to anyone. On leaving time, one of the staff member came and invited us for special lunch/dinner in order to correct their mistakes and no-one contacted us until now. I wish i could write review without giving them a single star.

A very upscale Indian restaurant that serves traditional flavours~ Mocktail and cocktails was lovely~ Food broad range of menu choices, so you don't have to go for the standard butter chicken (that was not me...) If you want, you can have a Tandoori Trio as your main, plenty of meat, so tender~ Love the cosy ambience~ How can I not know this place all this time??? A place that I will comeback~

Great place to go, a hidden gem for sure!

We were 6 people. Honestly we didn't order much but the bill turned out to bc $376.<br/>We asked for some onions for which we were charged $8 which was ridiculous<br/>

We were a group of 14 with 9 Adults and 5 Kids. We booked a table a day in advance for 7.30 PM. On the day of booking we received a call and was advised to that they have too many booking so either we get their Banquet which is $60 Per Person or move time. We moved the time to 8.00 PM. We were aware that there might be little delay in getting our orders. We ordered some drinks for the group and placed order for starters and mains all together to give them time to prepare. We order 3 different type starters, we were served 2 starter at half an hour apart. 3rd Starter wasn't served till 9.30 PM, I initially went up and spoke to the waiter who is a nice and polite person to find out whats happening with our starters and than i was going to back to my table when i was stopped by Owner Smit and was told that we warned the person who did booking that there might be delay so you shouldn't complain about it. The tone and behavior was very Rude and instead of being empathetic about it he was behaving very rudely. People who came to restaurant after us where getting their food served while were still waiting. I understand sometimes restaurants get overwhelmed by patrons but that doesn't mean you got be rude to your customer. So I told him to tone down his Attitude and walked back to my table. It wasn't enough that he followed me to our table started telling me off rudely in front of my friends. At that time we as a group decided we will not eat here and walk out after paying for what we have already consumed. At this time he comes back to table and tell us your food is ready and will be here in 5 mins. We still walked out and when we went to pay up for the items we have consumed he gave us the Bill for all the items we have ordered including the starter and mains which wasn't served. After few arguments he just told us i don't want to charge you anything that too very very rudely. We will never be back again and would definitely spread the word about the service of this restaurant. They are premium restaurant with premium prices but the Customer Service of the Owner is definitely not premium.

Food was ok but the service was really bad, it needs improvements. It took a while for food to arrive.

Amazing Food

Have heard about this place from few people.<br/>Decided to go there for dinner.<br/><br/>Friendly Staff 👍<br/><br/>But whatever food we ordered taste was below average.<br/>According to their prices food should be delicious but sad to say that you can find many other delicious food place in Auckland and half price compare to this place .<br/><br/>If you are indian Food Lover<br/>Then this is not a place for you.

We really liked the ambiance and decoration of this restaurant. It was easy to find car park during the weekend. It was very crowded which is a good thing. We really liked their mocktails. Food was good but we find it a bit bland although we ordered hot. Overall good experience.

We really enjoyed the food and ambience at the I village specially Satnam took us on board very well and provided the top notch hospitality. We would definitely going to be visit soon as we still have other dishes on the Bucket list.<br/>Thanks again the team of I village

I came here on Friday with a bunch of friends, and despite the beautiful interior and atmosphere provided, I was disappointed. I found that while some staff were well trained, experienced and really great, it was clear others were not so well done by and the amount of faux pas made were odd (elbows in the face pouring water constantly, clanging the plates on the table really loudly, taking a long time to take our order, not offering a refill on our drinks, checking in with other customers rather than the host.) Considering more than half the table had years of hospo experience, we were a little disappointed. I ordered the shahi paneer kofta with some coconut rice for my main, and while the kofta pieces were nice, I felt that they were very light on the dried fruits that were meant to be in them. The sauce was nice enough and perfectly medium, but it lacked] depth of flavour and it felt like it was missing something. That being said, my understanding of the dish might be off, and I ate an enjoyed it all the same. However, the drink prices were astonishingly expensive. Even for a basic house vodka and soda, you should expect to pay $14. Even the cheapest wine was between $14-$15.It must be said that despite not having the most amazing time, all the staff were lovely and kind and very hospitable; it just feels like there's a fair few little things that could be worked on.

This was seriously expensive for the amount of food we received, and the rum and coke was $16 which was rather steep. The staff were pleasant, but there was one staff member that kept wanting to clear the table, and after we'd asked her 3 times to leave the dishes, she brought the check. Not impressed with the place.

The tasting platter @ $70 per person is a rip-off. We were four guys and still felt we wanted more after the food was eaten. The food was good, but won’t recommend due to price point. Won’t go back in a hurry.

This is not the first time I have been to I Village.<br/>But, I felt to write a comment now.<br/>Genuine service from everyone that works here<br/>If one wants to eat good food and also in expectancy of good service, then this would be one's choice.<br/>Food quality may change in any food environment due to multiple factors. But the service provided by the staff would never change.<br/>I believe, If the employee is working well with a bright smile on the face, then the employer should be appreciated as they took care of the employees well.<br/>Here, i do really appreciate the employer for running such a beautiful place with constant good food and better service than anyone else...<br/>I truly am happy to write this and would encourage anyone who read this to try I village for personalized experience<br/><br/>Thank you I Village team

When I first heard of this place I never knew what they offer or what they look like, I was not expecting much. The name just doesn’t make it for me, I feel it’s like an Apple product like iPhone, iPad, etc but after I paid this place a visit, it was a total opposite to what I expected, while I knew it was an Indian restaurant, I never knew it would be as nice as what it is.

You know the food is going to be good from the moment you walk in the place. Your greeted well and recognized instantly.<br/><br/>The wait staff are on point, they really work hard for this place and it's noticable.<br/><br/>The food is amazing. A little on the pricey end but what do you expect for good service and good food for Auckland CBD!!

Came here to see what the hype was about with the pani puri (gol goppa) and when I got there. The outside setting was sooo beautiful that we ended up staying for dinner. This place is a little on the expensive end but it was a great spot for date night and service was amazing. I would come here again!

Always a good time at I Village. We used to come here for work lunches before we moved offices. On this visit we had the prawn malabari and lamb saagwala. We also ordered their chilli garlic naan which is delicious.

Family dinner out. Great restaurant with beautiful Indian authentic decorations in an European style setting in Victoria park area of Auckland. Food was great and authentic. And one of the best Indian food I’ve tried in NZ. It’s fresh, diverse with various options of food from different parts of India. The service was great and staff were friendly and attentive. If anything, for improvement I just wasn’t happy about the waiter at the end clearing up the table while I was still dining which wasn’t polite though my family had finished eating, as usually you would expect the table to be cleared after everyone’s finished eating. Overall we had a great time and would definitely go back again snd recommend to others.

Great food, great service. One of the best Indian restaurants in town. Can’t complain about anything. Definitely recommend the cocktails. The masala sours is a must have.

Not the same place it used to be. Was served spicy chicken curry even after asking for mild curry 10 times. Anyways asked for yougurt so that food does not feel spicy. Was served with raita to nullify spices. To my surprise, we were even charged for raita. Lol<br/>Never coming back and not recommend. Nice ambiance though.

Best place for having india cusine . Amazing hospitality, rustic decor . Owner ( Ms Dimple ) herself looks into Service, food . Highly recommended

I have recently visited this place for my birthday dinner. And guess what? I had best chicken curry here. Their chicken makhanwala is really good. We started with I bullets and chicken trio then we ordered paneer meri Pasand , murg makhanwala. Everything was really great. On our next visit we ordered murg makhanwala again as I loved it and Daal maharani which was average but other that everything was good.

Great place for dinner, Specially nice and in cool weather. Ambience allow you to sit and eat. Owner was helpful. Nice staff. Would go again.

Celebrated friends birthday here. The place was absolutely packed. The service was great and the servers were polite. The ambience was fantastic. For starters we ordered chicken trio and chicken lollipops which were delecious. We ordered 2 main chicken dishes which were chicken la-jawab and chicken vindaloo. They were both palatable. Was surely a step up from other restraunts I've been. Will be back to try new food.

Ambience is good. Service is ok. We ordered tandoori chicken it was like pan tossed not at all tastes like “Bhatti ka moorg” as they mention in menu. For mains we asked for iVillage spl n it tastes like normal curry that too not that good. But roti was good we really liked that. In the end we were hoping biryani will be good but got disappointed. I think they barely used any spices in biryani it was more like pulao. Really disappointing experience.

Finally had a taste of authentic Indian cuisine. Such a shame as the actual food was amazing, entrees and mains was so good but the customer service was appalling. Very rude staff rolling their eyes as they clear up our plates and just shouting ‘excuse me’, in a rude mean way. It’s not difficult to say please and saying excuse me in a nice way without shouting. Especially this one lady, it’s like she hates her job so much it’s reflecting on how she treats the customers. And the same lady shouted to one of my colleague when we were waiting at the till about to pay. It was a shocking experience to say the least. We were really happy with the food and would have recommended it to all of our friends, but after that I don’t think we will.

While the food was generally enjoyable, the service was in no way acceptable.<br/><br/>I ordered a biryani, which was presented in a bowl with a naan on top. The positives stop there, however, as the flavour was drab at best. The only flavour profile I could identify was spicy.<br/><br/>However, there is no positive I can offer for the quality of the service. Generally apathetic waiters, who were slow to provide menus and take orders, very trying of our patience. They wanted one person to pay the entire bill, despite us being in a group of four.<br/><br/>I would like to give less of a rating, but unfortunately Zomato does not allow for such a rating. The restaurant was highly recommended, but I suspect that we were deliberately sent there as a practical joke.

Super bad service. The attitude of the of the people running the place is pathetic. Food is also not worth it. Super expensive. Charging 4 nzd for green chutney and 6 nzd for onions. How can you loot money from people you should learn from owner of this restaurant. My food came in 50 minutes. I'm not sure how can they manage this place in future. I'm sure this will close down sooner rather than later. They will question the ordered items which are on their own freaking menu and then they will cancel the item after 30 minutes. Can't get any poor than this restaurant. Total rip off and waste of time and money.

Wonderful place, nice and warm atmosphere. Staff are very friendly. Food had some really unique flavours. Must try the Tandoori Trio. Highly recommend this place. Upmarket restaurant.

The food is really good and we always enjoy every dish and meals. The prawn malabari and the butter chicken are outstanding dishes. But the wait time this time around is super long for some reason, even though it was not too busy. The staff should have told us that it would be 1.5hr wait when we booked the table, and we didn't appreciate being told by the waitress  that we'll be served once the bigger table has been served! Service needs improvement, shame as the food is really fantastic. I've had good experience any other time so will revise this review next time we go back.

We booked the table at IVillage and when we reached there they gave us a table next to the toilet, I told them that I dont want to sit near to the toilet and if they can give us another table. They said that the other table would be ready in 10 minutes. After waiting for 10 minutes and watching them give a table to a group of 5 people who came after us, we asked them if our table was ready. The waitress said the table would take another 5 minutes to get ready, if we want we can take the table which was next to the toilet. <br/>India in the comments below is right about the wait for the table. <br/>Thought we would try it for a change, never going back there.<br/>Going to our regular favourite Indian Lounge Mt Eden, best service and food.

First time and iVillage and I was not at all disappointed. The ambience and the lighting creates a warm space. Staff are friendly, however our waitress seemed to be on her first day so they got a couple of our orders wrong. Aside from that, food and cocktails are awesome! If you love Indian food, I highly recommend this place. Portion sizes are quite generous and it’s great for a night out.

Amazing food! Very tasty and excellent ambience and service. Loved the i-bullets and the naan and indo-chinese fried rice. The fish curry wasn't great but overall enjoyed the meal a lot. The restaurant does not have much parking nearby. Good location. Food is quite pricey so be prepared.

This is a late post.. probably a month later after dining here, but i still remember the amazing taste of authentic Indian dishes. It gets pretty busy on a weekend, which may cause delay in the service, but I would say its worth the wait. all the preparations were outstanding.. and something that leaves a lasting effect on the taste buds.. The cocktail menu was quite tempting,I tried the Thandai Ghol, which was alright. I quite enjoyed the special chutney that they served with iBullet! Almost slurped it off of the plate. .. so all in all, this is place wont disappoint you when it comes to food... however, I feel there arent much options for the dessert. I strongly believe that its audacious to finish Indian dinner without a dessert, so I ordered for Paan Kulfi with Meetha Paan, I felt a little let down honestly because i found it more icy than creamy. My recommendation would be to go here for starters and main course and can skip the dessert.A special mention of the Fabric frames on the ceiling and open brick work interiors, adding to the rustic feel and great vibes this place exudes.

Amazing Indian Food. Loved the ambience, the service could have been a little better but overall, it's worth every penny. Wow experience and must go place for everyone.

Worse customer service especially by this person named Raj , such a rude staff in the counter , ivillage will you not train your staff to be humble and modest . Moreover they had added an extra item to the bill , there might be some issues in parting the bill , but you can’t humiliate customer for that then think of the time u had taken to serve us u took around 3 hours to serve 6 people ? <br/>Will Never recommend this place to anyone !

We have been there today <br/>We had lamb shanks curry and snapper tandoori <br/>Just loved the food <br/>Excellent service and great ambience <br/>Will be visiting again definitely :)<br/><br/>

The service and the food are really good although the food usually takes some time to arrive. The butter chicken and prawn malabari are my favourites and for dessert the gulan jamun.

Amazing traditional food. Service is personal, warm and welcoming. They go out of their way to cater for everyone! I’d suggest to try this at least once and you’ll be hooked!

Arrived and we were told a table would be ready in 15 minutes, however we waited over 30 minutes and when we asked - they continued to tell us the table would be ready "soon". If they had been honest, we would have gone somewhere else. We ordered immediately, but still waited over 40 minutes to be served food. The food is overpriced for what you receive, a small bowl of rice is $5. Staff and servers were rude, not helpful and often ignored our table completely, despite us trying politely to ask for their help. Overall, an expensive and disappointing meal and an experience I will not repeat.

I have been here couple of times and never ever felt like ‘Shit! Why did i come over here!’. <br/>The food served is just amazing. My favourite one in the starters is the ‘IVillage’ special ‘Ibullets’ and ‘Bhindi Masala’ in the mains.<br/>If your nearby, you can came over and enjoy the food with your family. :)

Need to improve on service. Found the staff rude and unhelpful. Food was average. We waited around after dinner hoping staff would provide us with dessert menus but no one came around. Dishes are quite overpriced for what they are. Ambience was good.Wouldn’t recommend.

I have been at I village for dinner. it was busy restaurant. I ordered pander shahi kofta garlic naan mango lasso and cumin rice. the food was delicious tasty and presented well. dedicate going to come back here with my friend and family.

Worst Ever experience I ever had. Visited I village on a very special occasion. Brought me wrong dish which was way too spice. And at the end charges me for incorrect dish which was $7.5 expensive what I ordered. I couldn't even finish quarter of the dish. Never visiting this place again. After complaining, they refunded $7.5 extra charges, but didn't compensate anything about the spicy dish and spoiling my dinner.

Went here last Saturday Night honestly the best Indian food I have tried in New Zealand have nothing bad to say about the food every dish we had tasted amazing especially the fish entree tasted exactly as it would in India and also the service is amazing and fast and the waiters have been trained really well and also have knowledge about the menu and also the drinks and what goes well with what 100% would recommend and also definitely would be going back.

Food is good. Service is warm. Atmosphere is not bad. The only problem is too slow! We are waiting for over 30 mins, and there are only a few tables.

Went here for dinner. Ambience was too good. We’ve ordered handi paneer, Manchuria, naans, coconut rice,mojo to’ and beers. Everything was good except handi paneer which wasn’t cooked properly. Service was fantastic, welcoming and friendly. A must visit Indian restaurant in Auckland.

Finally, a decent Indian restaurant in Auckland. I came here with a group of five after hearing excellent things about the food. First of all, the decor is lovely. Usually when I see saris hanging from the ceiling edges of Indian restaurants, I want to wrap it around my neck and hang myself - not a single sari to be found at iVillage! The decorative cart at the entrance adds a nice touch, and everything from the lighting, to the stained glass on the toilet door shows how much effort has been placed.<br/><br/>For drinks, we ordered mojitos and ginger beers. For our main course, we ordered Paneer Meri Pasand, Gujarat Bhindi Masala, Yellow Tadkewali Dal, Himalayan Hariyali, Vegetable Biryani, and rotis, garlic naans.<br/><br/>None of of the main dishes we selected were overly rich or creamy, which was a pleasant surprise. The owner said she doesn't like paneer, but created Paneer Meri Pasand which she does like, so we went with her advice. This was quite nice, it had the classic Indian base flavours of tomato, onion, garlic and ginger, and a mix of various spices. Gujarat Bhindi Masala was just okay - not a bad dish, but nothing different to what you'd make at home, just a little more Masala overall. Himalayan Hariyali was different, never had Paneer and Mushrooms in the same dish. This dish I felt could've done with something a little bit extra. The yellow dal was quite simple and average. Lastly, the vegetable Biryani was quite simple tasting too, but when they bring you a little karahi and cut the top off table side, that amplifies it.<br/><br/>For dessert, we ordered kheer, mango and saffron kulfi, paan kulfi, and gulab jaamun. Everything was good except for the gulab jamun which was a little underdone.<br/><br/>Overall, iVillage is a little on the expensive side, but the ambience, and the attentiveness of the staff and owner make up for it. The owner was friendly and an excellent host. This is the kind of place you can bring friends or guests to without having to justify the sudden change (reduction) in the quality. These guys are well established, they know what they're doing, and I wish them well.

Hi it’s 2 much expensive as compared to food and quantity is very less and we didn’t enjoy the food it’s not actual Indian food but service was alright but this was very bad experience for me and waste my time.

Wowsers. Ordered take out from here. Amazing flavour with incredible heat. We ordered the tandoori trio, bullets. handi chicken and lamb rogan josh. Beware: we order mild to medium heat - EPIC. It was just right. Staff were very friendly, will definitely be going back!

One of the best Indian restaurants in Auckland situated across the road from Victoria Park.<br/><br/>The place has great ambiance to it with very friendly staff who are always ready to help and make recommendations on the menu. Dishes tend to be on the spicy side (medium spicy dishes would be considered quite hot by people who are not usually into spicy food), but you can always let the staff know your preferences before ordering.<br/><br/>For entrees, Poppadom Platter is a fantastic dish to share and a great way to start dinner. One of the great sides that comes with it is mix pickle (if you're into spicy things), and it can also be ordered separately with mains.<br/><br/>Speaking of these, favourites are Rogan Josh, Balti Dum Goat (delicious goat meat), Lamb Saagwala and Aloo Gobi (great vegetarian dish with cauliflower). Naan bread servings are very hearty and coriander rice is great too.<br/><br/>Keep in mind the dishes are very filling and it's very easy to over-order (yep, have done that a few times). However, staff are always happy to deliver takeaway containers for you.<br/><br/>Wait times vary depending on how busy the place is, obviously, but the service is usually quite prompt.<br/><br/>Very interesting decor and the restaurant is quite spacious.<br/><br/>Keep coming back there regularly, definitely one of the favourite places in Auckland.

Went here for lunch and it was surprisingly quiet. The service was very slow that I have to approach the staff to get the menu to order and another 20 minutes to get our food. This is not the ideal lunch if you are working around the area as most likely you will be late to get back to work after lunch. Although their Gohst Dum Biryani was delicious, the slowness of service put me off.

Went here for a birthday dinner. <br/>All I can say is that everything went very well. Starting with the ambience, its really warm and welcoming. Service was really great, the lady gave a slice of cake at the end of the night and they even played a birthday song . They will go all the way to give guest a good experience which is a PLUS PLUS. Staff we’re all really nice and friendly. And also the foods were awesome., was a bit<br/>Too much for us so we ended up doing a take away. 😁 we will be back again😁

Had best indian food ever in auckland! Delicious food and great customer service by staff!<br/>Nice authentic royal indian feeling. Must try Rumali Roti.👌

Definitely the best Indian food I've had in a long time. Friendly staff, a little nervous but good service. I would definitely recommend making a booking before going and to have a small snack before you go. I understand it's fine dining and the food comes out slow but I was ready to leave without dinner and go to the nearest pizza place because they took so long. <br/>

Had gone for dinner at I Village on Saturday, 12th August and didn't have the best of experience. Ordered 2 starters and they came 20 minutes apart. Considering the small size of starter portions this was not the most ideal outcome. Also, asked for mint chutney and they didn't serve it but was surprised to see they charged us $3.50 for that!! Possibly the only Indian restaurant in Auckland that charges for such things. The dishes are also way more expensive that other places.

Authentic Indian foods, good ambience and very friendly service. The place is a bit hard to find for first time diner like me but it's all worth it once you arrive. Really recommended!

Fancy Indian cuisine at an affordable price. Great menu with a fantastic variety to choose from.<br/><br/>Curries were thick and saucy. Food was plated up nicely. The decor and furniture was modern with a vintage twist.

Had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Came here tonight for my brother's birthday dinner and the service here is hands down a 5/5. The staff are friendly and welcoming and not to mention very attentive towards the needs of others. The staff offered cushions to my grandparents for extra comfort. <br/>The food here not only looks absolutely beautiful but tastes so AMAZING. We ordered the tandoori trio, gilafi seekh kabab and the kabab platter to start off and it was so beautifully presented and delicious! The meat was full of flavour and cooked to perfection! For mains we ordered the tandoori murg makhanwala (butter chicken), murg jalfrezi, handi chicken, Balti dum goat and kassa gosht (lamb curry). All were seriously so good !<br/>I also couldn't miss trying their popular masala sour cocktail. I was abit sceptical about it because i've never tried a cocktail with spices in it but when I tasted it was pretty good. <br/>I definitely reccomened this Indian joint. One of the best restaurants I've been to 😍

I have eaten Indian food in many places in India and around the world. This place has the best Indian food that I know of in Auckland....... Went here for the first time and will return soon, unique taste, quality of the food and value for the money.

Tasty, Authentic Indian Food!<br/>Great Indian restaurant in the heart of Auckland. Traditional North Indian dishes served fresh and hot. The Naan bread was delicious. We ordered an all vegetarian dinner and were not disappointed. Fast, friendly service.

Other than the ambience I didn't really like anything there. Naan was slightly burnt. Food took 30mins+ to come. We had to ask three times for our drinks. Meat was slightly tough, and the spinach curry was abit too lumpy.

Came here after a long time, hoping for some improvements. Came as no shock when starters took minimum 30-40mins to come out, then over an hour wait for mains. The restaurant wasn't even that busy (maybe 4 other tables max) yet it still took forever for everything to come out. At any other Indian restaurant, the amount of food we ordered and time to eat would maybe be approx 1hr for ordering, food to arrive and to eat. This place it took over 3hours. By the time the mains came out, we were hardly hungry due to such a long wait. Food wasn't even that stand out for it to have taken so long in the first place. Don't think we'll be returning here again.

One of the best experiences we have had. Ambience, music, food, presentation, service, all were on point. We ordered the raan, probably one of the best meat dishes we have had at any Indian place. The staff came to our table and carved the raan for us and served it, highly impressed with the involvement of the team in our meal.

One of the finest Dinner I have ever had in any Indian restaurant. From Ambiance to Service to food everything was implacable. we will surely be back.

Delicious food from a great selection of dishes. Each dish was flavourful and wonderfully cooked. Nice element seeing the kitchen. Such lovely and genuine staff with a warm welcome making it a great atmosphere- suggestions on what to order and to what heat it should be enjoyed. Best pakoras I have had since India itself. Brilliant music to compliment a brilliant dinner. All the other diners seemed to be enjoying themselves too! Reasonable prices..

This restaurant I recommend to all who want to enjoy great food. it is worth. The food was perfectly cooked. It is a perfect restaurant in Auckland.

The service was excellent. The staff were very friendly. The meals were really delicious. Cosy atmosphere. All in all, this restaurant achieves the highest standards of quality.

Amazing, incredible, every curry has a unique test. Great service & amazing food - one of the best Indian curries we have ever had.<br/>Must try.

Me and my friend were waiting to visit this restaurant for a long long time, and finally today we got the time to visit "ivillage" for dinner. First of all a very important tip: if you are in a rush then please don't visit this place. It is meant for a laid back lazy lunch or dinner to spend some time with family or friends. So, for a quick bite please don't test your patience by coming here :)<br/><br/>This place has a lovely ambience, and you feel very warm and cozy inside. It is quite traditionally decorated with Indian theme and perfectly lit to set a romantic mood. This place is perfect for couples for a candle light dinner date. Even though you have people sitting on the nearby tables, you don't feel your privacy being interrupted. So 10/10 for the ambience and decor....!!! The staff here are really friendly and humble.....you can even ask them for recommendations and for the most popular dishes. They have equal choices for vegetarian, chicken, lamb or seafood lovers. So after all the asking and discussions we ordered Chicken Trio as starters (which was told to be the most popular dish), Badshahi Murg (again a staff recommendation), Butter Naan and Lachha Paratha for our mains. For drinks we ordered Mango Lassi and Thandai Gola (this was a pleasant surprise.....it's a coconut drink made up of coconut ice-cream, coconut rum, topped with roasted coconut flakes....I totally recommend it). The food took a while to come. The starters had a interesting presentation.....it came in a pot....sizzling and steaming hot. It was quite amusing and was good to taste (but not enough for two people). After our starters we were served with our drinks (which I thought should have been given with the starters....but it didn't make much of a difference anyways). Then our mains arrived....which was quite good on portion and pleasantly smooth on the taste buds. the breads were also good. The highlight of the whole meal were the starters and the drinks.....!!!<br/><br/>Over all it was a good experience and definitely a one time try for all. The money you pay is absolutely worth for the ambience, service and the drinks.....food was just average but presented with very high quality. So all the people out there who want to woo your partners with a great dinner where you can sit and enjoy the drinks and each others company then I totally recommend this place :)

For me, this is the best Indian restaurant in Auckland. The owner here, who is also a chef, is very passionate about the food and this is clearly seen in the service, ambience and the food. I've been here multiple times for many occasions but this review is about the time when a family member had certain dietary requirements (no oil, no masalas, no salt 😐). Not only was the restaurant accommodating but the owner herself made sure she cooked it.. my family member was served the most delicious chicken saag with pulav rice. I was blown away by the taste as it didn't seem it lacked oil, masalas or salt.. very impressive. I really recommend this restaurant.

Unpleasant experience - asked for nut free options, told us that the handi chicken can be made nut free, so when we got the curry, it tasted like it mostly consisted of tomatoes and onions, they could have let us know it would have tasted worse off, but nothing. Had also ordered a lamb biryani, and asked if it's nut free, got told yes, and that the almond sprinkled on top would be avoided. When received, the biryani had almonds sprinkled on top, and when asked about the nuts, I got told there is cashew in the biryani masala aswell. Either way, my friend with the nut allergy did not get to enjoy the biryani, and didn't enjoy the curry - it tasted like something basic that can be whipped up at home, also the naan ordered was too oily. Tl;dr will not go back. Friendly staff though.

Was here yesterday for lunch and had the 2 course lunch menu for $25.00. Lovely kebab followed by lamb rogan josh, rice and naan all for the price.

For me, it is a hidden gem.. This market is a peaceful hidden corner in one of the busiest surroundings. The feel of the place is itself great and the food at ivillage adds to it. The aroma of spices attracted me to try this place and I m happy for I did that. <br/>Dal maharani had the charcoal's smoky flavour which I was dying to find here in Auckland. Cheese naan had enough amount of cheese to make a good filling but not extra enough to stuff your tummy with over dosage. <br/>Vegetarians can try paneer malai kofta which is really fulfilling and flavorful. <br/>Though I wanted to try hara naan but I went with garlic naan and the amount of garlic was just right in it. <br/>Actually, the flavour of curries was so strong that the taste of naan was nullified. If you go for carlsberg tap beer, you won't be disappointed. It was really smooth. <br/>Don't forget to try masala sour cocktail which is an amazing blend of spices with a hint of vodka. <br/>The service is really good and the staff is really friendly. <br/>My overall experience is not just satisfied but really happy.

Visited the place on a for a team lunch.<br/>The place is nice, ambiance is good. Even the service was good and served witjin 13-20mins of ordering.<br/>I ordered Rogan Josh- all time fabourite and ot was not upto the mark. All the lamp pieces were mot well cooked. Even the gravy was tasting of raw spices. Spices were not cooked well.<br/>My fried ordered veg munchirian which was good.

Although the food is decent and the ambience good, a lack of good parking and authentic taste makes one wonder if this place is great value for money.!

Great place to go for dinner. The Indian food is traditional and excellent. Good atmosphere and good staff. The pricing can be on the expensive side but no different to others in the area.

Ambience was amazing.The food quality and quantity both were just amazing. The service was quick and food was delicious. Worth the money spent.

Food is a bit better than your standard Indian fare. Briyani was good but could be more flavoursome, the goat curry was exceptional. Was not as impressed with the Manchurian chicken definitely not as good as the goat curry. Service throughout lunch was good although when we went to pay they could not split payment because they were too busy. Yes, we were 8 ppl but there were only 3 tables and a few wait staff so that kind of annoyed me and took off one point.

What a disappointing night. Went for dinner with very high expectations. Have read lots of reviews on Zomato but I m generous to give 1 star. Except ambiance rest of the components of our dinner were extremely disappointing. The service was very slow, food was tasteless and very blend. We had palak paneer and butter chicken in mains and they were so blend. We asked for hot and I think it was so mild that we can only taste salt. When we were ask about the food at the counter we did made a comment about tasteless butter chicken and the guy at the counter didn't charged us for it. I would never ever go back for food at this place..

Went there for a work lunch and ordered the chicken biryani. It comes as picturesmd inside a bread. It is surely not short on flavour, quantity of chicken was reasonable and so was the overall quantity of the meal. The yoghurt was a bit sweet though, not to my liking.

Went for office lunch with my manager and few colleagues.First impressions , very good decor and gives you good indian restaurent feel .Ordered Entree veg platter , Mahi fish , tandoori prawns, chilli paneer, Sabzi kadhai and chicken biryani .<br/><br/>Food presentation was very impressive. <br/><br/>Fish was dry and not huge portion size , dry and no flavours <br/>Entree veg platter was very average with 2 samosas and we pieces of paneer.<br/>Chilli paneer was not exactly the way it should be little over sour.<br/>Prawns were very good, full of flavour .<br/>Kadhai veg was average with not great flavour.<br/>Chicken biryani - very impresses with dum and roti covered however was very blant with no flavour.<br/><br/><br/>Over all food lacked flavour and they took quite a bit of time to bring the food on table .Might not visit again .

This place has all the charm of India without being tacky or garish.<br/>Wine list is very well written, menu offerings are simple, not too many options and a great selection for individual tastes. <br/>We shared lamb and chicken and throughly enjoyed it, heaps of food very well priced and left feeling like we couldn't eat another morsel- would have preferred the waitstaff to have been a little more engaging - the guy with the ponytail seemed about as interested in having a conversation with us as we were in sharing a dessert.<br/>

It was a fantastic experience, quality was bit less compared to price however it was worth it . Friendly staff with smiles, butter chicken and goat curry was fantastic, seek kabab were amazing, it was a good experience. Will visit again

Total disappointment ! I have heard that this restaurant is run by a well known chef ( dont know the name ) we ordered entrees but were not upto the mark ! It tasted like it was cooked again and again so it gave the chewiness to the dish. ( it should be soft and fresh ) Curry quantity was good but the taste was just not right ! I told myself 'better luck next ' . We paid 50$ for three people which was good !

Lovely decor, great ambience and exceptionally good food. The staff and the owners were very friendly (especially Sahil and Jai) and gave personal attention to every table. I would personally recommend everyone to go here atleast once and enjoy a nice evening meal.

Amazing food very tasty we loved it. The ambiance is perfect to celebrate your special day. Staff also very professional. We enjoyed our first time experience with them

I am appalled by the fact that they charged me more and after repeated contact with them they haven't refunded me the extra amount. I regularly organise group lunches (min 10 people) and when I told them that on Friday they charged me for an extra set meal and also a drink they kept telling me they haven't done anything wrong. At least do the calculations before you tell that to a customer. I showed them where they went wrong and they said they haven't had time (in 4 days) to do the calculations. But the lady there still assured me she will refund the correct amount and hasn't done it yet. Will I ever go to ivillage- NO<br/>Will I ever recommend anyone there- not after this poor experience. But I'll make sure anyone I know are aware what service they really give when it comes to issues like this.

planned a night out for Birthday party. were greeted well but afterwards it started with a drastic downfall.<br/><br/>It all started with delayed service from starters. had to wait long for starters. then ordered for mains. while the mains were being served we were standing outside and instead of eating over there we started planning to go home and eating khichdi.( Rice with lentils), it was so delayed that our hunger was over,<br/><br/>then the classic part was took our own cake and just set it up on the table we were charged $12.00 extra and 1.50 per person after arguements it ws finaaly removed<br/><br/>then asked for bowl for dhal maharani but we were not given. we were finished then the biryani arrives and coke arrives. had to request for water and that  used to come after a while. the service and time taken spoiled our night out.<br/><br/>the lady served as well but she was not keeping a diary to write orders and there she made mistake. Lamb Shank ordered was too sour, chefs kindly appreciated for replacement but looking at the time taken to serve food we declined the orders.<br/><br/>so we can say they only had their starters and sharing food from us.<br/><br/>Biryani came when some of our friends went to washroom to wash their hands and thats when it got served. what the use then.<br/><br/>Funny part was they mentioned the service time is 25 minutes but we kept asking and they kept saying its coming, its coming in two minutes. please b honest<br/><br/>from next time as the customers come in should mentioned it will take 20 minutes for starters to arrive and more then half and hour for main meals to arrive so customers can make a option to eat mcdonalds instead of waiting over their.<br/><br/>the price of food is over rated, so expensive but not worth of their service.<br/><br/>thanks

Nice place. Good food though food was served late after an hour. Still worth the time and money spent .! Will recommend the achari panner and even chicken kadhai dish

Dinner at iVillage last night was very satisfying! The staff were very friendly and attentive to our groups' needs. As a group of 10 we were well looked after.<br/><br/>In terms of food the staff made really good suggestions such as ordering the manchurian chicken instead of chilli chicken. Well worth it!! The saucy gravy was spot and it was the by far everyone's favourite. We also tried handi chicken, paneer and butter chicken chole, malai kofta. The spices used in Handi chicken was the most spiciest and the gravy for paneer dish was super tasty and it was presented with cheese grated on top!

We had a work team dinner at this place a week back and hence have tried out most of the dishes on i-Villages menu. <br/><br/>The ambience here is amazing with a very tidy vintage look to the restaurant. Classy doors, curtains and neat searing arrangements makes it a very nice place for a perfect evening. <br/><br/>The starters are delicious with a vegetarian dish named i-bullet turning out to be a popular one within our group. We ended up ordering about 10 i-bullets as my colleagues loved it. Other starters were tasty too. <br/><br/>Talking about the mains - we were not very happy about the dishes we ordered. Biritani's, curries etc were mediocre. I've had a similar experience when I had visited I Village previously where the starters have been fabulous but the Curries have been not very impressive. <br/><br/>Will I go back to I Village? - Yes .. But only for the ambience and the munchies.

They say its the best Indian restaurant in auckland but i think(being non vegetarian) paradise is the best. The ambience is better than paradise but quantity is very less<br/>Must try: prawns zhinga. Chicken curry and kheer

Lol... don't try starters...lal mirch ka paneer 3 pieces with one red chilli for 12 dollars.. Come on.. Not fair. Biryani was good.... Try once

Wow!! If you're looking for some excellent Indian food, I village is the place to be. <br/>We had gone for our honeymoon to new zealand and towards the end of our trip we went to Auckland and craving for Indian food. That's when I discovered I village. <br/>The ambience is very nice. <br/>The food took a while to come but when it did our mouth didn't stop watering. The chilly paneer is a must must have there. It's mind blowing. So is the black the dal. <br/>The owner is very helpful and they make everything fresh as per order, hence it takes time. But overall everything on the menu there is finger licking, lip smackingly delicious.

Had heard way too much about this place. Its not an out of the box place. Probably for the starters. They were good taste wise. The portion of the chicken starter was fine. The fish portion was way smaller than what it should have been. 3 extremely tiny pieces of fish on a huge platter. The mains that we had were very generic. Chicken handi and goat curry. Nothing that felt i never had before. The breads again were monotonous. I was not very impressed. <br/><br/>Would I recommend them; probably not. <br/>Pricewise: in the lines of fine dining, so expect to shell out about $70 for 2. Without drinks. <br/>

So I previously wrote that Paradise in Sandringham does the best Indian food in Auckland. How wrong was I !?!?!?!<br/><br/>I used to work on Fanshawe St, each evening I would walk past this restaurant on my way home and smell the amazing aromas creeping out of the kitchen, I always knew I'd try it out eventually, kind of gutted I waited so long.<br/><br/>It was a very late dinner after a few wines, we arrived just about 9pm, the staff were still very welcoming at this hour. We were seated in the courtyard out the back right where the tall Vic Park chimney is. At night time the chimney is lit up and creates quite a romantic setting.<br/><br/>For starters we ordered the Tandoori trio, this comes out as a skewer with 3 Tandoori chicken pieces on it, the skewer sits atop a metal chimney that has a burning ember from the tandoor oven inside, the chickens juice would drip down the chimney onto the ember, sizzling and smouldering and creating a smokey effect, such a cool gimmick!<br/><br/>The other starter was the Padpi Chaat, a fusion of chickpeas, potato, yoghurt and tamarind served on waker like crackers, this blew us both away, I don't think I've ever had a vegetarian dish that packed so much punch. I could have eaten 30 of these.<br/><br/>For curries we ordered the Butter Chicken and the Teen Masaley ka Gosht, a lamb cutlet curry. Both of these made me want to run into the kitchen and hug the chefs.<br/><br/>It's dangerous that I live so close to this place .......

This is my favourite restaurant ,I m always enjoy a Gud food and service at here ,one of the best Auckland Indian food restaurant ,staff is Gud and food is just incredible

Had heard a lot about this up-market Indian restaurant so it was definitely on my bucket list (yeah, while people around the world make meaningful bucket lists hopeless foodies like me have only restaurants on mine)..the decor of the place is simple and elegant and the ambience is warm and welcoming rather than dark and gloomy found at some Indian restaurants here..it also speaks of the good taste of the owners and she was there to welcome all the guests and help them with suggestions..the serving staff is also of a high quality and not those part time students you find working at most restaurants.. No offenses but serving and waiting on tables is not easy and does not come to everyone naturally.. A good staff enhances the whole experience of eating out..<br/>We were five people and ordered I bullets, balti dum goat, Himalayan haryali and chicken jalfrezi..breads ordered were garlic naans, rumaali rotis and lamb mince..all dishes were made to perfection and were authentic in taste..the rumali rotis were just awesome, soft and layered with desi ghee.. Yum yum..first time in six months ifelt as if I was actually eating at an Indian restaurant..dont forget to taste the mouth freshner at the end of your meal..its full of flavor and something really different..in the earlier review I had incorrectly mentioned that cakeage of 5 dollars per person was charged. My apologies for that. The Cakeage was 1.5 dollars per person and not 5.

I'm astounded I haven't been to ivillage before! Amazing indian food, with a great concept all around, and the staff were amazing. Come with a group, it'll make it all worth it.

We always been looking for great Indian resturant and finally we found one. First time we went, we liked the food so much that we went back next week itself. As a chef Incan say Menu is designed with great effort and I'm sure no 2 dishes will have same flavours. Ambience is also very good compared to other Indian resturant standard in Auckland. Service is awesome, again only place so far were decent service staff is hired. <br/>I'm not the one who gives 5 out of 5 but this restaurant stand aside from rest. <br/>Best of luck guys and I hope We get same standard of food and service next time we come in!

Had a terrible experience at the place. Called them beforehand to make a table reservation which they did. Reached there on time and was told that i had to wait another 40 minutes. Staff is rude and talk to you as if they do you a great fricking favour to let you in their amazing place.<br/><br/>However, we sat down a good 50 minutes later and the food was , well, nothing at all special. I believe this is one of those places that take so much pride in themselves that they forget to serve good food. The breads were not well cooked even though i asked for them to be crispy. The quantity of the curries was too less and its not as though they made up for it with the taste.<br/><br/>Overall, this place is overrated as heck.

Very friendly staff and authentic food , we had the chicken trio and stuffed chicken which was delicious , would recommend the goat curry and jalfrezi as we had them in the past too . The local I village i-beer washes down the curry well too so highly recommended ! Also the ambience is great with high ceiling and exposed brickwork around the restaurant

The 1 is only for the ambience and service...the food was absolutely Pathetic....what a waste of money..never coming back again.....😡😡😡😡

Pathetic management.....16/10/2015 timetable shows 10:30 pm closing time. Whereas me and my 4 friends checked in by 9:45 pm and kitchen was already closed.

Very elegant looking place <br/>The ambience is a 5/5<br/>The food was good I wouldn't say value for money but above expected quality than most indian restaurants <br/>The chicken tikka came in a nice cute tandoor clay pot <br/>The biryani was great<br/>Service was prompt and friendly<br/>Overall a great time

Went to I Village last night and what an experience! First of all this place is absolutely stunning inside and out! The service is incredible and the owner personally greets the diners. The food was delicious. We had the chaat papdri and lamb chop for starters and they were both full of flavour. Had the shahi paneer kofta and butter chicken for mains and I have to say it was the best I've ever tasted. Not like other restaurants where the butter chicken just tastes like tomatoes and cream. It was seasoned to perfection and the chicken was tender. <br/><br/>Would recommend this place to anyone who is wanting an authentic Indian dinner. Would definitely visit again!

Was here with a group of 7...Great décor, food average... service - not impressed..... young Indian servers...frankly speaking...did not wanted them to serve us as they had a nasty body odour..... specially the guy with coloured hair.....and all 7 of us could feel that... very unhygienic when you r in the food business... just puts everyone off...

Great location for an Indian restaurant that sounds exotic from the menu; however, the experience we had dining in as a group tonight was quite disappointing. All the waiters seemed quite lost. It would've been nice if we had the same waiter looking after us to avoid confusion and to save us some time. Had a few hiccups with the orders, extra entrees, an entree arriving after everyone was done with there's and missing sides...the waiters didn't seem to know what should be on the plate as per the menu and they seemed to rely a lot on their managers word for everything, including payment options...not trained perhaps? The service was really slow. The entrees and mains took almost an hour to arrive. We sat there watching people around us getting served before us, who came well after us 😐 Food was average, simply not worth the buck!

Dined in with a large group, impressed with the decor, but that's about where it ended. Service was slow, we had tables around us getting food before us whilst ordering before them. Waiter mixed up the orders. Quality of the food was average. overall not such a great experience.

Went with a group of 12. We received two extra serves of bullet(starters) that we didnt even order. After informing the waiter, it took him good ten mins or so to confirm with the person who took our order. No apologies given. Then we ordered mud cake ( in the menu it is served with ice cream). But we didnt receive any and after asking the waiter, he was surprised for us asking: eventually ice cream arrived. Also it was a interesting that they dont allow you to splitt payments among people: we asked the waiter n he said no but after asking the manager, she agreed..I guess unless u ask, u dont get. Overall service is ok...

Ivan Valladolid and I dined here tonight and received the best service. The atmosphere is great, quiet and relaxing. The food was authentic (not your $10 butter chicken from the local Indian place) and full of lovely herbs. The garlic naan bread was slightly darker than I would like but Krispy and full of flavour. We got the lamb sangwala and the tandoori butter chicken. We found the tandoori chicken curry a bit spicier than your typical mild curry but when we asked if the curry was actually mild the waiter asked if it was too spicy for our taste and happily made us a new curry (less hot). I know it's a bit shameful - finding the mild too spicy! The food was fresh and hot when delivered to our table. Our waiter was honestly the best. Very attentive and always smiley and very kind to offer a new curry for us. The food was not over priced and we enjoyed a lovely evening! Can't wait to be back.

Wished I could have given this a 5...a year ago maybe yes when it started... But at present the quality has just gone bad... Though the entrees are quite good in quality... The mains arr pretty average.. The quality of the food has deteriorated a lot.. Compared to a year ago... It's dismal... Hope the management gets back to getting the food back to the old days... The most positive about this place is its ambience... Beautiful decor and friendly staff...

This is the best Indian in Auckland without a doubt.. Stunning starters for Veg and NonVeg, and they are not the standard options you get in other Indian restaurants. The mains are very tasty and not overloaded with oil. Been here a few tomes not Loved it.. Recommend it!

The food, service and ambience is excellent.<br/><br/>We ordered some starters of chicken, lamb and spinach. It was presently beautifully and full of flavour.<br/><br/>The decor is amazing - apparently all from India. The service from the lady (owner) and staff was exceptional. The lady looked after minor details to make sure we are happy.<br/><br/>Great dining experience

We recieved exceptional service from some staff however not all. The Food was heaven and was worth the wait! It was the best indian food ive had in a while. The decorations were also gorgeous. Make sure you book prior.

Really nice authenticated Indian food! Great ambience.. A bit too spicy (for medium curries) but delicious! I liked the way they have named their dishes! A must visit..

If you are looking for an elegant indian restaurant, this would be the place! The staff is friendly, ambience is warm and serves up great indian food! Unlike other places, this restaurant will not leave your clothes smelling like curry.<br/><br/>If you're unsure of what the food is and how much to order, the staff is knowledgable about the food and honest about the portions.<br/><br/>Some of the must haves are: <br/>1) i Bullets (entree) - these are thin, long and deep fried. I've asked the waiter once what the ingredients were and apparently it is a secret recipe! But from what i can make out of it, it has coriander, spinach, chickpeas (maybe?) and whatever that tastes amazing!!!  <br/><br/>2) Chicken Tandoor (entree) - 3 pieces of tender tandoori chicken seasoned differently skewered and served in a copper vase/pot looking jug. Comes with a mint yoghurt dipping sauce. So good! <br/><br/>3) Curries?? From what I have tried, they were all good!! Get a range so that you can try them all. My experience would be 3 curries between 5 people was a good amount of curry as they leave you filling full!

Indian food with a fine dining twist .... <br/><br/>I have always known Indian food isn't just takeaway food as it is commonly assumed to be by many. Unfortunately, in most places, you are meant to feel so by the ambiance and quality of service.<br/><br/>I was pleased to see what Ivillage had to offer when i first looked through their menu. A good variety of dishes not common in NZ and pretty authentic.<br/><br/>Also, servers were extremely polite and really enhanced the dining experience.<br/><br/>It is more expensive than other indian restaurants but in my view, you get what you pay for.<br/><br/>We had the fish curry, balti goat, stuffed chicken and biryani. Enjoyed all of it except for the biryani which was a bit too dry for my taste.<br/><br/>Will definitely recommend to others and a great place to go to if you want to have indian food in a classy setting.

I went there with my family the food was ok. Different dishes the service was very nice. Beautiful atmosphere just what was missing in Auckland a proper Indian restaurant

I went here with a big group of people from work. The staff were very accommodating. Unfortunately I chose the wrong seat as it was directly behind a window and sun was shining. I could barely see because of the glare and I wish they had blinds on the window. <br/><br/>When I opened the menu, I was surprised at how different it was to majority of Indian restaurants I've been too. I couldn't recognise some of the dishes but they all sounded good. The prices vary too depending on the dish. <br/><br/>I got the Handi Chicken which also came with rice and naan. It was only $15.50 which was great value. I got it in mild but it tasted more of a medium. They did give our whole table yogurt to balance the spice. Majority of our group got the biryani which looked amazing. <br/><br/>The staff showed us how to eat the biryani. I've never seen it presented like that but it looked like a pie as the bowl had some pastry/bread on top and a knife in the middle. It was definitely interesting. <br/><br/>The staff were attentive and when they got one of our orders wrong (she got a medium and not mild) they gave her a free drink. The service was excellent and we were able to pay separately even if the menu said one bill per table.

I have been to this Indian restaurant several times and I keep seeing improvements in both the food and the service. Recently, I came and my meal, the butter chicken, was seasoned perfectly. I love the kulfi dessert. I am so pleased that they have gluten free food. The service was great as well. I am looking forwards to returning.

Amazing flavours really authentic great service. Really different menu to regular Indian dining ... Great service... Indian food with a fine dining twist. Was recommended a hot/really spicy curry that was apparently considered mild/medium by the waiter but all in all excellent food.

We went here on a Friday night without a booking (big mistake because it was a busy night!).  In spite of that, they took 6 of us in and 2 more friends joined us later for which the wait staff moved chairs around to accomodate us.  The waitress was super friendly and we felt right at home! Not only did the service exceed expectations, the food was delicious too.  Would definitely go again, but with a booking this time.  Not to mention their kindness in giving us complimentary dessert, because we managed to sit at a smaller table with a large group.  For Dessert, we were moved to a spacious table as the restaurant started clearing out.  I would definitely recommend this place!

Service 4.5<br/>Food 4<br/>Interior 4.5<br/>Price 3<br/>Nice place and friendly staff <br/>Best freemans bay India restaurant

this was one of the gem which was tucked into a not so busy street, we loved the food and the ambience, overall a good experience to remember, will certainly go back to try something else next time

I am not someone who craves for Indian curry (in spite of being an Indian). But I love the occasional ones and ivillage is one of my favorite. I have been here for lunch before, but first time for dinner. The service was really good. The waiter took special care to give us recommendations even though we are Indians.<br/>Must try : iBullets, Trio chicken<br/>Chilli chicken was good too. Romali roti something you wouldn't find in other Indian restaurants must be tried if you haven't.<br/>Tandoori snapper : I have had better ones in other Indian restaurants. 0.5 is deducted from the total score for that.<br/><br/>Kulfi selection will add the final touch.<br/>Verdict : One of the best Indian restaurants in Auckland. Definitely going back.

The food was excellent - you could smell the spices while walking past. Definitely enough to tempt a casual passer by. The staff were friendly with excellent recommendations ("do you want to try something new?") that worked out well. Only gripe was that the number of two-person tables was limited leaving us by the kitchen and front doors, despite many four-person tables free but supposedly booked. Hey ho, would recommend this place!

인도 식당중에 가장 괜찮았던 곳이다. 서비스 인테리어 스탭. 분위기 가격 까지 모두 만족스러운 곳이다. 빅토리아 마켓에서 가장 활발한 레스토랑중 한곳으로 꾸준히 손님들이 오고있다. 맛 또한 훌륭하다. 데이트 코스로 강력 추천 한다. 특히 브리야니가 맛있었다.

This is often one of the top picks for work lunch. Helpful, when I work in a place with a lot of people with dietary requirements. <br/>The staff are more than willing to adapt meals to remove meat, dairy, certain veg...it's great, especially as they make you feel like it is no trouble at all. <br/>The decor in iVilliage is great, it's really very well done, big points to whoever put it together. <br/><br/>On to the food itself. I've got no negatives about the food, it's tasty wholesome Indian food- decent size and great flavour.

Take long time to wait, but the foods were awesome and nice decorated . One of the best Indian food I've ever eaten. Will come back here again.

Went here 29/08/14, a Friday night, and the place was buzzing and completely full. We ordered the mango juice and it was delicious, tasting of real mangoes. We ordered the lamb cutlets which were amazing, with plenty of meat and gravy for the price. Coconut rice was a lovely compliment to the meal. Service was excellent and friendly. Meat is also halal. Definitely a place to return to.

Good food and great ambiance. I wish all Indian restaurants should learn from them. Try their Skewed Tandoori Chicken with iBeer (House beer). Nice experience.

I wish I could give this restaurant negetive stars!!...HORRIBLE Service and Mediocre food!...we were a group of 25 ppl and its not like we turned up un informed ..even after booking the table and intimating the restaurant of our pref in veg food they were totally unprepared!!...we were waiting for our food from 8:30 and were served the mains at 10:15 pm after such a long wait we had lost our apetite and on repeated enquiry the attitude and response of the staff was appaling!...A place that has a seating of 70 ppl should be able to cater to 25 ppl at a time at the least!...The hostess advised us to take the set menue so that it would be easier on her staff and service would be quick...if 2 hrs wait was quick i wonder what a-la-carte would take ...may be breakfast the next day!....the food was salt less or tooo hot and spicy...it was a total dissapointment in the end. The attitude of the hostess and rudeness was added insult!...its not like we were asking for free food or were waiting at a burger king for burgers!...its a sit down fine dining restaurant ...they need to go back to school to learn its defination !!...

Really enjoyed our first visit to this place. Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Waitress recommended a 'dry' curry for my husband and it was perfect- sorry cannot remember its name as it is not one usually on our local Indian menus but worth asking for the dry curry that comes on a plate rather than in a bucket of sauce. Great poppadoms with exceptionally good accompaniments- fab lime pickle! Unlike some previous reviews our portions were very substantial and we were supplied with a pot to take home leftovers.<br/>Yes a bit more expensive than some other places but beautiful setting and food is worth it.

Only ever had takeaways from here. I have had no issues (hubby think they could improve on the quality of fish used). Flavour of the food is awesome. Highly recommend their naans: some of the best I have had. (Along with the hot butter chicken). Check it out as they have a slightly different menu to most other indian restaurants. The place looks immaculate, pity we haven't had a chance to dine in yet.<br/>Mar -15: ok, we have dined in about 6 times since the review above and loved it every time. The owner is great and comes along for a lovely chat and recommendations. The waiters are quite friendly an a little cheeky. Food is always good, very tasty and the naans are the second best in town (first would be the naans at langham's 'eight'). There is also such a sense of theatre with their food, I.e order their kebabs for starters which come smoking on skewers in a copper pot, and the biryani which has a light naan lid which the waiter cuts through and folds aside for you. Fabulous!

We've been here twice. The first time was good except for the really small portions. In spite of seeing the number of people, the person taking the order does not make any suggestions or recommendations on the number of portions that will need to be ordered. <br/><br/>The second time was the worst experience where we had to place our order twice and it took more than1 hour for us to get our food. We reached the place at 8pm and left there only after 10pm.<br/><br/>Their lachcha parathas are to die for by the way - succelent and made with whole wheat flour.

Had chicken bhiriyani last night presentation was good but $19 for a dish that has more rice then 4 little cubes of chicken...dissapointing :-(..will not be reccommending this place

We visited iVillage for an early dinner last night after sampling their wares at the Taste festival and after reading great reviews across the board. Lovely (local) restaurant, great staff, prompt food and beverage delivery. The wrong salad arrived but it looked so good, I didn't mention it. Fabulous poppadom and dips entree, great drinks selection. I think the food is spiced with cayenne pepper which doesn't have much flavour, just heat, so other chillis would be good...but my problem with this restaurant is that they don't/won't give you a doggy bag/box to take home. The curry sizes are generous, which is great! But after doing my best last night and only being able to eat a third of my delicious curry, I was told I couldn't take it home. If the cost of a plastic takeaway container is an issue, I would've been more than happy to supply my own. Seems very wasteful when a life (a chicken) was taken for my meal. I dine out often (2-3 evenings a week) and this is the first time this has ever happened to me. Asking to take the leftovers home isn't particularly dignified but I didn't want this curry to end! The waitress seemed to agree with my feedback so hopefully iVillage take this on board and take the compliment that people want to take their food home..I<br/>l'l be back with a bigger appetite (or my own Tupperware..)

My partner and I had lunch for the first time in this (lil bit different) Indian restaurant. Ambience was exceptional, customer service was better than any other restaurant in city. As usual I ordered for a chicken dum biryani my own style of checking restaurant's food quality....was full of flavour and spices what a biryani should have. In short higly recommended but then I ordered for a mild one and it was a bit more than that. May be a lil bit more mild for me next time. But the raita served wt dat was the best raita ever. I would agree wt other reviews that owners were a bit arrogant but who cares.....

My wife and I along with our family and friends are a great fan of ivillage. From the minute you step into the restaurant to the time you leave you experience exceptional customer service and premium quality food.<br/><br/>I could safely say this is probably the only Indian restaurant where each curry has its unique flavour and taste. The owner and chef take so much care to ensure the curries are served with limited to no oil floating on top. This is truly remarkable! Not to mention the tastefully decorated interior where every piece of furniture and decorating items have been hand picked that gives a standout ambiance.<br/><br/>The staff are driven by the same passion that the owner demonstrates and this results is a pleasing and friendly experience. This is a restaurant where food quality and customer service compliment each other. You are sure to leave with a happy stomach and smiley face.<br/><br/>The restaurant thoroughly deserves the recently won Indian Restaurant of the Year award.<br/><br/>Thank you ivillage and the staff. You guys rock! Keep up the great work.

It is not offen that you find a standout Indian restaurant, but this one really does. From the time you walk in the door you are meet with great service and a fantastic dining environment.<br/><br/>Follow their recommendations when it comes to selecting dishes for the evening, but make sure it includes the Indo-Chinese bullets.<br/><br/>Well worth hunting out for a change to your local Indian.

Sorry to say once premium restaurant is now just another run of the mill restaurant, the staff is mediocre . The dinner plate had water on it and the beer glass was full of watermarks with the inside still smelling of old beer. Restaurant owners are full of attitude, which is really sad .. <br/><br/>Service: 3/10<br/>Food : 6/10<br/>Ambiance: 9/10<br/>

These guys had my absolute favourite dish at the Taste of Auckland food festival last weekend. It was the "Tandoori gulnar ziinga (prawn) - spiced plum infused prawns, cream cheese, yellow chilli powder, poppy seeds and garam masala".<br/><br/>Incredible flavours. Obviously we didn't actually go to their normal restaurant... but I see this dish is on their normal menu, so I will certainly be keen to visit Ivillage for a full meal.

Peak of ridiculous service by the restaurant .........<br/>We went to an Indian restaurant called iVillage on Victoria Street last night for my birthday. As we sat there and started to order the entrees, the lady owner came to us and asked if she could put the music on, because of a party going on. We happily agree on it. All of a sudden she increased the volume so much that we couldn't even hear each other and had a headache. We had to request them to decrease the volume. It took them 50 minutes to bring one platter of entrees even that was wrong non-veg instead of vegetarian. I think it's very normal for a person to get angry but still we bared with that. It took them another 20 minutes to replace the order. We had to ask them again n again for the order but there was not a single word of apology.... How would you feel... We felt the same way....then came the mains.... Served us the mains... Nobody came after to ask if we needed anything else. We had to go to the counter to order the food...where we thanked them about their great service.... The owner's son came to us, instead of apologising...he started an argument with us...that's what he said,"don't teach me my job, I know it better, if you guys hadn't have shown that attitude before, the service would have been better. He threatened one of us to stay quite just because he was the son of the owner. The Mum came to sort out the matter...but with the same proud attitude. As she was talking to us, the son kept telling her that there was no need to apologise to them. Even the owner himself came and took his wife away saying that this table is already ruined...other people are getting annoyed as well, don't ruin them. That was their plan for coping up with the stressful conditions. The worst thing any person can do to their customer, never ever seen in my life.... He said to us, "we accommodated you guys now you can entertain yourself as you want to. You have shown us the attitude now see ours."<br/>That was so heart breaking on a birthday night and I was so stressed and still can't forget those words... It's like a mental torture. we paid the full price of the food despite of poor service and average food which we weren't even able to finish because of their big drama............

After hearing good things about iVillage from friends and family living locally to it, we decided to take a drive from Papakura. Bit hesitant to drive to auckland cbd for a meal but it was worth it. We were greeted on arrival by their host and given us few options to decide best place to suit us. fab service which never seen in indian restaurants on many occasions. Wine menu was extraordinary with selection of good known range. E Guigal Cotes de Rhone, one of the best from Rhone district, france. It was a good recommendation from host to match our curries. Much appreciated. Food was awesome and so was the place with full of decors all brought from India as told by wait staff. It was overall a good combination of food, service and connecting Indian heritage to our victorian style. Surely coming back with more friends to try their live kitchen bar menu.

We chose this restaurant for our Saturday night out. Very good interior and outdoor seating's.<br/><br/>We booked table at 7.30 and on arrival we were taken to our table which had reserved sign, on request, they changed our table to nice cozy area where not many other tables were seating. On full restaurant, our table was attended immediately with food and drinks menu. Personally not in to wines but was amazed to see extensive wine range but that didn't change my mind and sticked with my beer. <br/><br/>We were advised for special of the evening, Lamb Shank Curry and baby snapper. we never seen lamb shank curry so order that as one of our main with other being Shrimp / Scallop Masala both medium in chili. Born and brought up in HK so have eaten hot food on lots of occasions but my partner only likes mild and medium food.<br/><br/>Entrees were arrived immediately from their bar menu being gillafi sik kebab which were delicious and tasty. Disappeared in few minutes. <br/><br/>Mojito was made to perfection wife said who had 2 of those, <br/><br/>We received our mains on time given by our wait staff who was friendly. Lamb Shank was served was huge in potion size as well as Shrimp scallop masala. We tried but couldn't finish our mains. Generous size and value for money ($ 25.00) for the one who loves shanks. <br/><br/>Shank curry was tasty and perfect in heat. It was totally different experience in Indian dining then usual locals around. <br/><br/>Having a live kitchen and bar menu will be attractive for regular drinks with mates on Fridays. <br/><br/>Can't wait to go back and try more of their specialities. <br/><br/>Bar tender was friendly and attentive with our drink orders throughout the evening. <br/><br/>Will definitely be back.

The atmosphere and decor at the iVillage is probably the best that I've seen in an Indian restaurant. However, the food underwhelmed for the price. Maybe that's because we had high standards with Indian food as we cook it a lot and have eaten at many Indian restaurants in the UK.<br/><br/>It may also have something to do with the start that the meal got off to. Their "gourmet" popadoms can only be described as a shambles or even an insult to Indian cookery. They are the worst thing that I've ever seen or eaten in an Indian restaurant and can't think why they are on the menu. Instead of the usual thin and crisp popadoms that are full of flavour they were these deep fried bubbley things that reminded me a little bit of UK crisps called Quavers but without any flavour and more greasy. It was a real shame as we consider popadoms to be a quintessential part of our Indian restaurant dining experience.<br/><br/>The mains were ok but nothing memorable. We had the Handi chicken and the lamb Rogan Josh. They didn't burst with flavour they way I'm used to and suggests that the sauces weren't particularly fresh.<br/><br/>Overall, we were disappointed and even though the atmosphere was nice we probably won't go back given how expensive that it is.

Wonderful atmosphere with the dimmed lights, candles and traditional decorations. We were warmly welcomed at the door by attentive staff. We booked a table for 7 people at 7pm and watched as all the empty chairs disappeared. This was great as they had only been opened 3 weeks and we had bought our good friends who are originally from India and were hoping to make a good impression. The food and beverage list were very good value with an extensive wine list as well. We ordered a range of dishes from goat, chicken, prawn, paneer and lamb. All were tender and flavourful and very authentic. We have been back since and will certainly go back in the near future.

One beautiful place tucked in middle of Victoria park market.<br/><br/>From its interior to food, owners of the restaurant have done a fabulous job. <br/><br/>Visited last week on quite evening with a friend who was visiting auckland from wellington. <br/><br/>went to restaurant around 6.30 with other 3 tables seating but restaurant got another 5-7 tables by the time we left. it was almost full with rusty decor told by Smith. <br/><br/>We have my favourite Rogan Josh and Eddy had Whole Snapper. <br/><br/>Rogan Josh was hot as wanted and perfect in heat. Snapper came in sizzling plater with salad on top and bottom. <br/><br/>Aroma of Whole snapper made few tables wonder and they were amazed. <br/><br/>Pretty unusual to see Snapper in Indian Restaurant so Eddy thought to give it a shoot. <br/><br/>Fish was cooked to perfection and eddy was happy with smith s recommendation. <br/><br/>Overall it was quite a unique experience and we look to go back again on eddy s return. <br/><br/>Highly recommended. <br/><br/>Catch of the evening, Ox Cart and panels on ceilings.

Indian food is not my usual cup of tea. I have trouble handling the heat and the oiliness has a tendency to give me an upset stomach. But I'm always willing to try new places and I was first introduced to iVillage at Victoria at the Taste of Auckland Festival back in November. Upon entering this charming restaurant at Victoria Park, I was immediately impressed with the decor. The large dining hall with rustic brick wall and high ceiling opens onto a courtyard, providing both indoor and outdoor seating.<br/><br/>We took our seats inside while we ponder over the menu. The menu at iVillage is extensive with over six pages of authentic tradition Indian cuisine. Slightly overwhelming if you're not a frequent eater of Indian food! My friend and I ordered the Tandoori Gulnar to share as our starter. The spiced plum infused prawns, mixed with cream cheese, chilli powder and poppy seeds were flavoured with masala and cooked in a clay oven. The huge succulent prawns were well seasoned and had just a slight kick that went very well with our cold beer. This was served with a small side of cucumber and tomato salad and chilli carrots.<br/><br/>For our mains, we ordered two curries to share, the first is a prawn malabari which is cooked in coconut cream with pieces of capsicum and onions. The light coconut curry is velvety and had ample prawns. Flavour wise, the taste of the coconut was slightly overwhelming which overpowered the spices used. Our second curry is the gluten-free shrimp and scallop masala, gently tossed with onion, tomato and tamarind masala. This curry incorporated lots of ingredients including pieces of fish and the flavours were wonderful. The tamarind masala spice mix created a subtle tangy flavour to the dish and the flavours were well-balanced. I ate my curry with a plain naan bread while my friend enjoyed hers with basmati rice infused with cumin seeds.<br/><br/>Overall, it was am enjoyable meal at iVillage. We were greeted and served by attentive staff but the food did take a while to arrive at our table, however, the food was of good standard.

The food is quite average. Chinese bullets is by far their best item on the menu. Just about every other item we tried seemed quite mediocre. The service is below par. Whilst the ambiance is fantastic, food does not deliver.

Disappointed with the food and some of the service that didn't match the well-decorated atmosphere and higher price. <br/>We came here with a big group of about 14, and we had to wait for ages (30min) for the food menu to come (after several time asking for them), and then there wasn't enough to go around and whilst waiting for more menu or having the menu passed around, they already started taking orders. Then it was another 45min wait before the food started to arrive, and they had no idea who ordered what and have to ask around the whole table and then not really placing the food near where the diners so we have to move it along the table ourselves... Then the rice came and have to wait for the spoon for the rice so we can actually start... Food: 4 of us shared the mixed sizzler and seafood sizzler platter - good selections of various items (but I wished it was noted on the menu) but the sizzler sorta make everything tasted similar. Then 3 of us shared the Balti Dum Goat, Seafood samundry tufan, and handi chicken. Unfortunately they all looked pretty similar, I quite liked the flavour of the goat, but enjoy the chicken pieces most, the seafood tasted good too but the fish in there slightly feels like it might have small bit of bone. We also had one stuffed mince and one garlic naan and they were delicious. Another friend had the tandoori prawn for main and it was too spicy for her which should probably have been pointed out on the menu. The medium spicy level and spicy level was pretty similar in the curries - I would say all about medium. Not sure if I'll be back soon... might be an ok place to go for the atmosphere. (Yes they said for a big group we would have needed to get a banquet but they should have at least told us that at the start?)