Review Empress Of India - Auckland Central

Tim Fitzpatrick

The price was lower than average - the quantity was larger than average. The curries and starters TASTED FANTASTIC! I've been coming here for many years, more recently the food seems to have got much better. The Honey Cauliflower was particularly delicious(better ordered in than takeaway). Highly recommended. (Two of the one star ratings are from me - completely by accident I clicked and submitted 1 star when I had intended to give 5 stars. Then i could not undo the mistake :-( Sorry)

Cam Kennedy

Absolutely great food - we visit here as often as we can. The Empress is able to boast not only the best curry I have tasted in Auckland, but also some of the beat prices - to top it off, their staff are incredibly friendly, always remembering our names and order. Thanks guys, will see you again soon!

Nikkole Lulu

The ambience could be better. But the food and the service were amazing! I forgot how good they were. And was humbly reminded when I went last night. My friend and I got the butter chicken, chicken fried rice, cheese and garlic naan, and normal galic naan. And all of them were top tier!

Jon

Great indian food consistently! Been here dozens of times ever since it opened and rave on about it to my friends and family. Delicious, good-portioned curries and huge naan!

Shane Cox

The food is always great and the service is friendly. Never been disappointed ordering from here. Best Indian takeaway I’ve had in Auckland by a long way and the price point is very reasonable too.

Isabelle Vincent

Love the food especially the Saagwala and the kids love the butter chicken and cheesy garlic naan. So well priced and decent size meals! Can be a long wait so call ahead and give enough time after ordering.

Pauline O'Keeffe

Table cloths could do with a clean and the restaurant a refurbishment but staff are really lovely. Really nice food with great menu selection. Really good portions of food and good value for money.

Taurus April

Very nice food always and the rice comes with the meal, not an extra charge like other places. Extra bonus of being just up the road from us.

Karren Dale

Delicious. Delicious. Delicious. Wasn't that hungry, ordered in and thought I'd save for weekly lunches. The vege pakora was crisp and so good. I ordered goat vurry, such a treat to see on a menu..and chicken Tikka masala. They were all so yummy I over ate. No regrets. I'll definitely have again. Next time I'll dine in. Yum

m2020

Friendly and welcoming service. Great selection of dishes especially vegetarian ones. Clean facilities and amenities. Carpark available, right on the corner of Surrey Cres and Gt North Road which can get pretty busy but view of the roads are clear.

Olivia Williams

The food was amazing! The most delicious prawn madras I have ever had and the butter chicken was pretty great too. The service was excellent too. Overall an enjoyable evening!

Shania Hussein

Amazing curries, lovely customer service. Highly recommended...

John Parker

Been coming here off and on for many years. Always good. But they have gone from good to amazing in the last few months. So so so delicious.

Angel Burnett-Ashwin

Not impressed, ordered food was told would arrive in 50minutes. 610 and hello 625 no food. Called and said should be there. Waited and called at 645 still no food and wanted to cancel order and get refund now 35 minutes. He said would call me back n still nothing so rang menulog. They rang restaurant and had me on hold for a few while getting in contact with restaurant. Food turned up one hour than given delivery time. When asked for refund no reply. Food turned up after my daughters bedtime. Driver said he only picked up food from restaurant at ten to 7. Person who answer phone second n last tkme lied both times. Food was cold. Will never eat from here again and will continue to slander this restaurant. No compensation or no apology at all from them. Disgusting service. What worse is my comment for review to rate arbice thru menulog, also didn't appear there either. Hmmm wonder why. Absolutely rubbish service.

Rory Naylor

The flatties and I go there every couple of weeks. Hands down the best curry in town! We love you guys!

Pravina Patel

Food was nice, but service was appalling. Have come here in the past and always had good experiences, but today was the worst service I have ever experienced in any restaurant/cafe ever!! Will not be returning, truly dissapointed.

Sam Whitehead

Perfect!! Best food in a long time, three choices of rice, I tried 4 different curries and all of them were excellent!

Bijay Singh Kushwaha

Bad customer service, not enough staff

Sonal Bhavsar-Joshi

Ruined our valentine's day dinner.. Waited exactly an hour and twenty three mins for our meals! And when it came we werent that hungry! Service was lower standard too. Asked for a freaking straw.. Got it after 27 mins and that too after i reminded someone about it it again!! We could've understood if it was crazy busy.. Buh it wasn't. I donno wht took them so long? In a nutshell neva coming back!

Deepika Bisht

I have so far loved everything I have tried at 'Empress of India' Clean and tidy restaurant Professional and friendly staff Dishes are very authentic Service is fast Good place to be with family and friends Special thanks to "Neha" who is one of the staff there. She always carries a big smile and always provide excellent service. I recommend this place to everyone.

Enilorac Rellim

BEST curry I have had in a very long time. I ordered a butter chicken (med) and a chicken jalfreize (med) and was not disappointed. So many flavours in both dishes with a good amount of heat and super enjoyable. The order was ready in around 20mins which was impresssive considering they were incredibly busy. We ordered take out so I can’t comment on service but the feel of the restaurant was nice & they had authentic Bollywood music playing which gave it a good atmosphere. They also offer lunch and dinner deals every day of the week :) The only critique I could give was that I ordered 2x garlic and cheese naans with extra cheese but I feel that there definitely was not enough cheese in there. Will try again next time!

Josh Ua

Had the Mango Chicken curry. Must say this is the first one I’ve had Mango Chicken curry that actually tasted like Mango. Didn’t take long as we pre-ordered before arriving. Great service. Only got $10 for lunch.

Simran Naicker

All time one and only favourite Indian restaurant, they provide the best customer service and delicious food! The staff are very welcoming and always smiling.

Alex Neilson

This place is ridiculous! I’m surprised it’s not rated higher. This is my favourite Indian place in central Auckland. A lot kitsch and constantly playing bollywood movies it’s a little odd inside to say the least. But the food is top notch! Even the slightly worrying “indo Chinese” menu had some stars! Try the chicken 65 (it’s hot) or the chilli chicken as sides. So yum! My favourite is the Chicken Khadai and Lamb Korma. They add good heat to their meals and if you ask for spicy... gunna be spicy which is refreshing! 🌶 They do a great takeaway deal during the week which is very reasonable and portions are huge! I always get two meals out of it and so does my boyfriend. Love this place and hope it stays just the way it is!!

Mohinder Sohal

Good food, reasonable prices and great ambience. Yummy starters specially achari chicken and veg manchurian. In mains goat curry and and chicken biryani are best in Auckland.

Minakshi Gupta

Husband always kept talking about this place. So we decided to have lunch here on this long weekend. It was my first time here. I liked the ambience. Warm, welcoming and simple! The girl who attended us was polite and friendly. We ordered Kadhai Paneer, Garlic Naan, Tandoori Roti and Onion Salad. It all arrived in about 20 minutes. I must say the gravy of Kadhai Paneer was too good and I could taste all the spices in it. The Naan and Roti were soft and tasted fresh. The only thing I found surprising was the price of the onion salad. I think it was too much 😀 Other than that, I enjoyed eating here. Will definitely come back to try some more from the menu.

Priya Dalvi-Bhoge

Today we went to Empress of India. As per the name ambience is very good and huge. For the food we had Goat curry, it was properly cooked and delicious. Recommended to eat goat curry. Tandoori rotis were very nice. Overall very good experience.

Paul Neville

Good flavours but a little bit salty - had a very dry mouth afterwards. Tasted like chicken powder or some enhancer had been added to the dish.

Briana

This place is yum, the food is pretty good and what you expect from most Indian food places but they are. so. slow. It's a minimum of 45 mins for an order, and that's even for only one curry, which is pretty unacceptable for a takeaway.

James Gilliland

Be sure to order at least 2 hours in advance for delivery, and ignore their estimated delivery time of 1 hour. Great food, but terrible customer service, and very slow. I suspect sometimes they don't notice online orders and only start cooking it when you turn up to pick it up, or call them to ask where it is.

Zohara

Service is the best what I loved at this place. The manager personally coming on a round checking on how the food was just makes more appealing. Amazing place for dine in and the best place compared to the other Indian restaurants around. Great ambiance. Indian food hitting strong right on the buds. The beef biriyani is definitely a must try here.

Hiran Mistry

Empress of India Grey Lynn is pretty decent, they have been around for a while now (couple of years). Butter Chicken with a side of Garlic Naan is always good. The "Lunch" and "Mon/Tue/Wed" specials they have going are definite value for money. If you are ever feeling like Indian food and going past Grey Lynn, this place is a must! to stop over and have a quick and tasty meal. In comparison to many other Indian restaurants around these days, Empress of India sits pretty high on my list as it is well balanced in quality of food/flavour, portion sizing and service.

Danny .u

Paneer Manchurian mouth watering..bit spicy but tender & delicious..Hara bhara kabab tasteful thogh bit undercook. Anyway .good ambience & responsive service..

Gastrophilist

One of the best if not the best value for money Indian eatery in Auckland. Loved their cheese chilli. All other dishes were good too. Paneer gravy (forgot which one exactly we ordered) was a bit on sweeter side which was a disappointment. Was very quite when we visited which was a good thing as we were catered well. Good ambiance and service. It didn't give us a big dent in our pocket which is the best part. Would definitely recommend to others.

Ravi

This is a great location for quality food . The environment is relaxing and cosy . Good for gatherings as well. It is must try if you love spicy food. There are lot of options to try from . Good customer service but not much in desserts .

Ethan Pakii

Food was really solid. Butter Chicken is fantastic. Tikka Masala was great as well. However the Paneer Pakora tasted a little off (A little like dishwashing soap). The service was lacking. Lacking knowledge and no sense of engagement. Good for a takeaway. Not so much for a restaurant.

Victoria Elizabeth Oldfield

The food is really good but such long wait times! Some friends and I had to wait an hour and a half for delivery to Herne bay. Really great if picking up takeaways but I would avoid the delivery option unless you're happy to order well in advance. Delicious food though, the cheese and garlic naan is perfection

Jagdeeptiwana0710

Delicious food from a great selection of dishes. Each dishes was flavourful and wonderful cooked. Such lovely and genuine staff with warm welcome ad making the great atmosphere -recommendations on what to order And to what heat it should be enjoyed. Best honey cauliflower I have had since Indian itself brilliant music compliment a brilliant order. All the orders seemed to be enjoying themselves too! Reasonable price

I Am Hungry

We have visited this place a few times now, food is hit and miss...however last night was a high miss..also there are 2 girl servers and a male servers and seriously they cant handle i it gets busy..one waitress is always unhappy and sad..possibly not happy to work there...our chances of returning are very low..parking is good

Richie Chewy

We were regulars in the past and thought we would come back tonight and give it a go but the food took over 45 mins to arrive and they got our drinks order wrong as well , it's a busy night granted but they/management should have got more staff to cater for the additional customers. We were about to leave half way in as we noticed other tables didn't have their food served as well. When the food arrived , full chicken tandori and curry chicken kadai, it was average where I requested for lemon but it didn't arrive and also the extra rice didn't make it. The curry was like chutney and after eating most of the tandoori chicken , the charcoal / black ash was under the vege which was a turn off and put us off eating any further . Doubt we will be heading back in any hurry and might give the take away a go instead in future with the poor service and long wait. Disappointed and not happy :-(

Jonathan

As a true curry-lover I've tried many many Indian restaurants. Empress of India stands out for its consistently delicious naans and curries (madras being my favourite). The staff are friendly as well.

SJ

Good location with lots of parking. Food is always good and the cheese and garlic naan is 👌🏾. Service is a little slow at times. All staff are very helpful, friendly and are the same bunch I've seen for many years of visiting. Great food!

Pravina Patel

We have come to Empress of India in Grey Lynn in the past on several occasions and have always had a good experience, however today I was highly dissapointed with the service. Our waitress 'Neha' was unfriendly and seemed to want to only do the bare minimum. We had booked for a table of 6 Adults and 6 Kids (2 in highchairs). Firstly one of the highchairs had broken straps that were unsafe for a child so would be great if the restaurant could look at getting a new one for the safety of their youngest patrons. Secondly the waitress was not very friendly at all and took some time before she even came by our table to take our orders. The restaurant was not busy at all with only 2 other smaller tables at the time. We ordered drinks of which she dropped a glass and only mopped up the liquid leaving the floor sticky behind us. One of us ordered a Ginger Beer which she did not advise was not available or ask us if we would like something else. The food was lovely as always, but we had an extra Butter Chicken which was not consumed so requested if we could take it away to which the waitress replied "I'll get you the container" and left it on our table for us to pack up ourselves. Such Dissapointing Service! Will not return on the account of such poor, unfriendly service.

Himani Shah

Great service and awesome food. We have been here a few times now - in group of 25 people as well as just hubby and me. The quality of service and the quality of food has always been consistent. The duty manager is friendly and always has a smile on his face.

Foodiewoodie

My husband I used to love eating here when we worked in the area about a year ago. We returned for takeaways and unfortunately the food just isn't the same anymore. We ordered a Palak paneer and Kadai Paneer thinking they would have the least cream and sugar in it. Both curries tasted exactly the same, flavours were bland and all we could taste was sugar and cream. Had we been eating in I would definitely have sent them back. Disappointing as I really liked this place 🙁

Britt Mann

Love this place, amazing range of vego options and being able to order online and pre pay too is wonderful. Staff always so nice and the food- so reasonably priced, particularly if you take advantage of 'deals'- is just incredible.

P

I've tried most of the menu over the years and have been thoroughly impressed. Even now as I think about their delicious pakora, naan and curries my mouth is watering! Exciting, bold flavours and they don't skimp on the chili either, so be warned you wimpy Kiwis!

Fiona M

We often get delivery from here. It's always hot, fresh and amazing. The butter chicken is beautiful, on the sweet side bit you can choose the heat level to tailor it. The Saags are delish and the samosas especially are divine. It gets busy so order in advance.

Honor Lock

This is our go-to Indian takeaway. Great portions, meat ratio and tasty naans. Would definitely recommend as an Indian takeaway - staff are reasonably friendly also.

Max John

12 group of friends went there on Sunday and this place was packed. Lovely service with lot of smiles . Food served well by a young Lady. Good ambience and atmosphere. The food is consistently excellent. I've recently became a fan of their madras which never really satisfies me anywhere else. I love empress curries Highly recommended. Service 10/10 Food 10/10 Atmosphere 10/10 :-) :-)

Taina Fox-Matamua

Never eaten in , but always get takeaway. Butter chicken is the best I've ever had! Very sweet and delicious. Naan always goes good on the side

Esther Esther Louie

Hands down the best naan bread and pakoras I have had. The naan was massive too, enough for two. The curry while edible was made with cheap cuts of meat and the sauce seemed watery jelly, still very flavourful hence my high rating because for 13.50 including curry, rice and a naan its worth trying and if you want a curry and are saving its still good

Pip

Butter chicken too sweet but semi enjoyable as we were starving. The Chicken Korma the worst I've had. The Naan bread was burnt on one side... and just really terrible Naan bread in general.

Sophie

love getting takeaways from empress! i recommned the kadhai paneer, v tasty. also get the coconut rice. plus the onion bhaji!

MBarry

Have always been impressed with the consistent standard of Empress meals. The selection of rice is always an extra treat too. Dined in this evening with the usual friendly service and, unusually for me, opted for a starter as well as the main and so glad I did. If you haven't tried the pepper chicken you really need to! I've enjoyed all my meals here but this dish was spectacular. Loads of parking, good menu and drinks list and meal options. Definitely give Empress a go!

Erica Gyde

Oh my golly gosh! Sunday - Tuesday the Empress of India has a dinner special of curry, rice and naan for $13.50.... And it's worth every one thousand three hundred and 50 cents. Their currys are fully of delicious spice and flavour and all very different from each other. Dry and hot and a little tart or coconutty with a delicately crafted medley of aromatic spices. The fish is firm but not fishy or stewed. The chicken is all cooked in the tandoor first and is moist and smokey and tastes likes a BBQ joint before its dragged through a bed of Indian sauce. Lamb is much the same. No tough wedges being lost in between teeth here. The naan is great with that elastic egg like flavour and the rice! It comes three ways! Coconut! Saffron! Or plan. Coconut adds a wonderful sweetness which helps to buffer out that brow beading vindy. This has to be the best curry in Auckland central by far!

Food 24/7

The restaurant was empty so we were seated quickly. The waitress was friendly in a weird robotic and awkward way. We were served room temperature tap water and surrounded by colonies of flies and mosquitos. Not very nice. Despite being first of 3 tables in the restaurant the food took a while to arrive. We had Tandoori Mix platter ($20) and Lamb Korma with rice and garlic naan ($18). The seasoning of the tandoori platter was tasty and chicken tender. Mixed feelings on the lamb korma as some were chewy and some immediately melted in my mouth . The star of the meal was the garlic naan!! Not one burnt part, it was soft and perfectly made with garlic and herbs spread evenly. Not my favourite Indian restaurant but one to fall back on.

Nelson Harper

Great food, great pricing, friendly quick service. I travel a bit further to go here rather than my local store and it's always worth it. Just Don't order medium and expect mild , and the hot is definitely HOT. Nice food tho

India Shores

A few friends and I came here on Monday night for a quick dinner. The restaurant has a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday dinner special where you get any curry choice + either saffron, coconut or plain rice with plain naan for $13.50 which I thought was excellent value for money. The portion sizes are huge, we all walked away feeling very satisfied and full! Plus the curry was very tasty, one of the best butter chickens I've ever had and I have had a lot of butter chicken in my lifetime. The service was friendly and fast, the waiter was always filling up our water which, in my opinion, is important in restaurants that serve spicy food. The only let down is the decor of the place, it just seems a bit dull and inauthentic. However it was a really great meal and hopefully I will be returning very soon!

Mohit Gupta

Yesterday i went to this restra with my friends. One of my friend recommended me this restra so we went there. We had ordered veg n non veg both cuisines. Every cuisine was delicious. we had a great time there. Nice1

Adline Shandil

Was lead in by a lovely gentleman to an isolated area. I thought the restaurant could do with a little more lighting. We placed our order in the first 3 minutes as we knew what we wanted to eat. My friend and i ordered our drinks with the food . 15 minutes after placing the order, the same guy came back to tell us they ran out of orange juice. Then we had to ask them for water as they had "forgotten" to serve us. 20 minutes after placing the order we finally got drinks. Unfortunatley i noticed a couple being served with food before us which i thought was wrong and unfair as they came in and placed the order after we did. Finally after a lot of patience we recieved our food 40 minutes after placing the order. I ordered prawn and it was great. Unfortunatley my friend ordered medium to hot butter chicken curry but she recieved it super hot. She was crying after the first bite. Good thing the staff were really nice and our server offered to change it and also offered us some complements. A few minor set backs but after finishing the food, i think even my friend was delighted. Thanks for the great food and keep up the good work with the food. Minor improvements in the service needed but overall you guys were great.

JayJay

If you want a good Indian curry with flavour and authenticity then you much check out Empress of India. The food is absolutely amazing and the staff are so friendly.

Alex Tjahjana

This is my 2nd visit, and 1st time wearing a very casual clothing; unfortunately, the service I got is the complete opposite of when I dressed up. No one greets me when I enter, and after being seated, I have to wait for at least 3 minutes despites there's only one other table there, me trying to make eye contacts to the 3 idle waiters who chooses to ignore me & chit-chat among themselves rather than giving me the menu & pour me a glass of water. Same thing happens when placing my order. No one come to my table despite me showing that I'm ready to place my order. When I came here dressed up, my order was taken in less than 5 mins, compared to 10-15 mins, now. I ordered Lamb Kadai + rice + naan for $15.99, and yes when you ask for hot, it's hot. The curry arrived quite fast, about 5 mins, though it looks like it has been stored for a while, in this case it's actually good because it'll ensure that the flavour & spices goes into the meat; which is quite tender. The basmati rice and the curry is yummy and tastes close to home made, although the naan will need some improvement to lift it up to the par. Despite the lack of service at the beginning, Harmony, the young waiter makes the experience much more enjoyable & pleasant; and just because of her good service, I increase my rating. In conclusion, if you want to eat at Empress of India, make sure you dress up, and if you can't stand hot spicy food, it's better to dial down the heat level.

Chris Buswell

Always go here for my curry. Monday - Wednesday is super cheap too. Awesome service and even more awesome food. A++++++++ definitely recommend!!

Louise MacNaughton

It's hard to give an accurate rating because I only ever eat butter chicken, but the empress of India does a great curry. The $15 special comes with a curry of your choice, rice and a naan bread and it is enough to share between two! They charge a small fee of $3 for delivery which is always super handy and they are always very friendly.

Tracy F

Another great grey lynn local. Really enjoyed the mixed entree on the hot sizzling plate. We shared a mixture of curries and different rices which was great . Nice decor and a relaxed atmosphere. very reasonably priced night out. Will be back

Taemoata Fong

Pretty decent location for a local restaurant (1 point). Wait times were average, but the food itself was authentic and tasty none the less (1 point) The surrounding's were very nice with dim lighting and the Bollywood movie playing in the background, was a nice touch. Only gripe I had was that none of the drinks came with ice. Not a game changer though.

Moodyfoodie

My first time dining in here and I was very happy with the food. We ordered the sampler entree and it was served in a hot sizzling plate which was a nice touch! Everything was well spiced and came with dipping sauces! Ordered the lamb korma for main and the lamb was very tender ! Three different flavoured rices were served which was also a nice touch and very tasty! The only thing was that there was a bit if a wait for the food but other than that the service was good too. Will maybe order 'hot' next time as the medium was not very hot at all 😀 the nan bread was warm, soft and yummo, ordered the cheese and garlic naan!!! Will definitely be back to try something else

Kenji

I had take away from this restaurant couple of times which has been amazing! The staff are really friendly and the service is quick. They are generous with the portion sizes and tend have have extra "gifts" with the mean like an extra nan bread. I would recommend this place to all, great for a night when you don't want to cook.

Sarah

I like Empress because its consistently good. The prices are reasonable and the food is always great. The wait staff are attentive and not pesky. The chefs are happy to change up what you order. For instance I told the waitress I was trying to reduce my dairy intake and she suggested eliminating the cream from the palak paneer I ordered. It still tasted fantastic. Great affordable Indian food.

Max Doubt

I have literally never been so devoted to a restaurant in my life. It ticks so many boxes. The meals are delicious, diverse, sizeable and very affordable. It's BYO, they do deliveries, the service is awesome and atmo is great. I love watching indian satellite TV while I wait. I went traveling around india and ate pretty much just curry the whole time, when I landed in Auckland the empress was the first place I went. I have been to many of Auckland's pricier indian restaurants and still haven't had a better malai kofta. In fact.. I might go get one now..

Katherine Simpson

Was disappointed with the curry, lacked flavour and had only a few pieces of tough meat. Lots of onion. Service was adequate. Ordered over the phone and was told it would be 10 minutes. Was not ready when I arrived nearly 15 minutes later.

Austin

I went to the Empress of India for lunch with one of my colleagues. We had the $10 lunch special which came with rice and naan bread. We added a kingfisher beer for $4.50 each. I had the chicken vindaloo- it was okay but fell well short on the balance between spice and heat. There was also a lot of sauce compared to the amount of chicken. The background music was terrible and the restaurant was cold. They don't offer coffee, so we had to go elsewhere for our caffeine hit.

Kelly

Value 3.5 Food 4.5 Atmosphere 4 Service 4 OMG!!!!! THE BUTTER CHICKEN IS AMAZING!!!BEST BUTTER CHICKEN IN AUCKLAND SO FAR.I checked up on the price in Zomato I thought it will be 15 dollars but because I went on Tuesday and they only charged me 12 for the butter chicken, then I ordered another garlic narn for extra. very delicious. the ambiance is just like typical Indian restaurant you know like the TV playing Indian songs and everyone else just dancing and stuffs, very authentic :) I will definitely go again!!! Love this place.

Katie Rae

Tasty curry with medium having a fair bit of kick. Was given complementary pappadums and salad. Service prompt and friendly. Only negative is the bollywood pop/club music blaring from the tv. An assult on your ears and just horrid. Hardly the music for a nice restaurant and totally ruined the atmosphere making it more like a night club. I was considering getting it take away last minute just to get away from the noise.

Alex James

Nice curry - quite like a English curry as opposed to a posh curry or a traditional curry. Nan breads very good too. Only criticism is the poperdoms are like shop bought ones instead of freshly made?

Kelly Kelly

Usually the best curry ever but this time it was not. I had the usual butter chicken which was yum. My partner had jalfrazie which we requested med but came super hot he could hardly eat it and did struggle. Usually it's to disguise something old. The next day he wasn't well. Won't be back for a while I think as it was really off putting

Sose Sofele

We ordered takeaways for the first time back in January and haven't stopped going back since. The butter chicken is a tad sweet, but still enjoyable. Plain naan is to die for.

Amy Tanabe

Just average. The butter chicken was nice in flavor, but a tad too sweet for my liking. The naan bread was nice, but the roti just seemed just like a dryer older naan. The saffron rice was too strongly flavored (and not with saffron). Some of the mains seem quite pricey and I probably wont order again.

Dennis T

I had some takeaway dishes from this place and my verdict of the dishes I had 'was 'average'. Neither 'curry out of a jar' nor 'tell you friends about it immediately'. The service was very good and easy. Staff on pick up very courteous. But the quality of the curries was a bit poor as there was very little goat in the 'goat curry, and very little veges in the 'vege korma' , also the bombay aloo tasted a little burnt. I will give this place another go as it might just have been the night I ordered .... but if a place is to succeed then the place must be up to scratch 'every' time you get a meal there. We'll see ...

Gary Bulog

Some of the best flavours I have experienced, and at a good price. We had a group of 9 persons and had a wonderful night. Service was great, entrees superb and kindly they gave us a wee break between entrees and mains. Nice touch the three different rice's served with the mains, coconut, saffron and plain rice. Verdict from a group, "a great place to eat."

Bob Sadler

First class. We are regular users along with other members of my family and friends. Great food, excellent service, inexpensive in great surroundings with tons of parking. The food and choices are excellent and the portions are more than adequate - even for a big eater. The staff are really professional and ensure that your food is right and that your evening is always most enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Murdoch Tarquin

We had been underwhelmed by quite a few Indian restaurants around Auckland so were keen to try Empress because it's relatively new in Grey Lynn. It was great. The dishes are tasty, hot, and good with their portions. The delivery service was prompt. Highly recommended.

True Foodie

My partner and I love Indian food, and once we found this place have never been anywhere else ! Food is always fresh and tasty. The staff are really nice too which is rare for most Indian restaurants, (the staff are generally arrogant and not interested) love the authentic options on the menu. Would highly recommend !

Beth Kline

I live close by and often get the $10 deal. Food is delicious. Generous servings. Attentive and friendly staff. Recommend it 100%

Catherine Moody

Beautiful chicken tikka masala from Empress Garden. I always drive by and the big restaurant isn't very full so I didn't have high hopes. But there were lots of people coming to pick up takeaways when I was there. Food was perfect spice, great portion size, only $12 (!) and full of chunks of fresh veges and chicken. Divine I will definitely be back.

Mikayla Andrews

Went here last night wanting to try the place as I had heard great things. There was only one other couple in the restaurant but as soon as we walked in the door, we were greeted and taken to a table. The waiters were absolutely adorable and waited on you hand and foot. Always topping up the water when it was empty, and checking to see if our food was up to standard. We ordered the mixed platter for two which was absolutely delicious. For our mains, we ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Madras. We had heard that their spiciness levels were a lot hotter than normal so we ordered ours mild-medium which was just right. Along with our mains, we ordered the saffron rice which was just beautiful and was really great to have a choice between plain, coconut or the saffron rice. I have never been given that choice before. We also ordered a garlic and cheese naan which was just beautiful. My boyfriend didn't think the flavours were that great in his Chicken Tikka Masala but I thought the Madras was just amazing. The portions were of a very generous size, so it was good to be able to take some home for lunch too. All in all, I totally recommend this place! The service was top notch, the food was great and the decor was up to standard too. How can you go wrong with the $10 meals Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights? Will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu :)

Myra Breunig

My mother and I eat here 2 times per week. We have had only the most positive experiences. They give you far more food than the cost- it is always piping hot and to the table within minutes. And the place is always very clean. The service is a+. We absolutely recommend it. Oh- and they deliver!

José Derraik

We purchased a voucher for a meal the Empress of India ("all you can eat curry, naan, roti and rice for two people"). But what we got was far from what we paid for! After over 10 minutes waiting, we were told we would not be able to eat a wide range of foods. We were only allowed one main curry each (no entrees), and that it excluded all seafood dishes (despite them being an option in the online menu associated with the voucher). So it turned out that the claimed "all you can eat" meant that we could only choose one main each, of which we were told we would be allowed to get endless “refills”. Unfortunately, whenever we requested a “refill”, we felt quite uncomfortable as the restaurant staff were clearly not pleased! The worst of all was that after we had four small dishes in total, the manager told us in a somewhat dry and non-apologetic manner that we weren't allowed to eat anymore! I felt extremely uncomfortable to be told that in front of other guests, as if we were a couple of greedy pigs. Very poor service. Only saving grace was one young waiter who was rather friendly and helpful. Needless to say, even though the food wasn’t too bad, we have no intentions of ever going there again, and would not recommend it in view of the poor manners of management staff.

Mel

Fantastic food! Best Butter Chicken was creamy, full of chicken perfectly hot not too spicy! And the Garlic Naan was so yum packed with flavor! service was great i felt very taken care of staff were very attentive and happy to help, great atmosphere, nice surroundings and decor i enjoyed my experience here a lot and will be coming back!

Charlie

Very good, one of the best Indian foods I've eaten around Auckland! At first glance you wouldn't think so but my god did the service and the even better food blow me away. Would definitely go here again

LucyJ

Delicious indian curries! Regularly get the Malai Kofta and Chicken Tikka Masala from here and always pleased with how tasty they both are. Best Malai Kofta I've had in Auckland. I often order this dish at indian restaurants but usually underwhelmed but have finally found this place which never disappoints. Nice, fluffy garlic naans too. Spicy levels slightly higher than most other Indian spots so keep that in mind when choosing your heat/spice level. Very reasonably priced and even do a $10 lunch special 7 days a week. Definitely worth a go.

Dee

We had the butter chicken and malai kofta both were very delicious, the samosas were also good and our naan bread full of garlic (which is just how we like it). We had the food delivered, the service was professional and friendly and the food arrived within the time advised. We can't wait to sample the other dishes on the menu.

Andy

Just popped in for a curry as we didn't want to cook and can walk to this place. Curry was delicious (ordered a butter chicken and lamb sargwala ) and the naan was good too. Also it was cheap - $10 per main on Mon Tues Wed was good enough for me!

Ricky

Pretty average. We thought we would try it being locals and ordered takeouts. The curry's are a lot hotter than I would have expected so be warned a medium is in my view closer to a hot than medium. The garlic naan was okay, but the peshwari naan was very light on fillings. While we didn't dine in be warned that the dining room is freezing as its got high ceilings and is all glass. They have parking under the building so that is a plus

Kristy Sorrell

A few years ago, Indian takeaway places (I'm pointing my finger at the mall ones here in particular) seemed to go through a bit of a decline in quality, and at the same time became more expensive. This is a restaurant that my partner and I now frequent precisely because it bucks the trend. The food is good quality: flavourful, fragrant, and the mild curries still have a bit of heat. I'm ashamed to admit that I usually order mild butter chicken, but it's delicious. I have, on the odd occasion, had the korma (incredibly sweet with bucketloads of cardamom) and the mango chicken (not as sweet as I'd expected and the only time I've ever wished for anything to be different- but I suspect I'd been accidentally given a medium). My partner always gets a hotter curry and a more savoury one: kadhai and jalfraizee are both fantastic here and the latter has converted him from a capsicum hater into a capsicum lover. We've never eaten in the restaurant itself, always opting to take-away, but the restaurant seems to have a lovely sophisticated ambiance. The takeaway orders (which we always phone in) are ready quickly, almost without exception they've been prepared before we arrive to collect them and the service is always polite. We're there every other week, and for good reason!

Peter John Ashford

terrific food, especially the mango kulfi!! The service is impeccable, and what I like about Mon or Tue is that mains are $10 each. The manager is very welcoming. Parking is also very easy, right outside, next to the grog shop. Also, Countdown is 100 metres away, with an excellent selection of wines, to take to the Empress.