Review The Indian Cafe Nelson - Nelson

The Indian Cafe is located in a lovely old villa. The food is fantastic. The dishes are full of flavor and a good size. The Nan bread is hot and soft without being too soggy. I highly recommend the tandoori platter for 2 as a starter, it’s enough food for 3 to 4 people. If you still have food for a dessert you should try the Gulab Jamun. The service was good, but there was an older member of staff training a new employee, she was very condescending to the new employee.

This was a great place for a family Indian meal. The food was good quality obviously and the absolute best onion baji I have ever tasted. The only factor not to my particular taste was the spices. We ordered medium and there was no heat at all in any of our dishes. Lovely place though, nice staff and a vibrant atmosphere. I'll go for hot next time for sure 🇮🇳

Best Indian Restaurant in Nelson by a long shot. Amazing prices, great friendly staff and awesome wine selection. Recommend the Original Banquet for an awesome journey for your taste buds. Vindaloo is a stand out.

The best Indian EVER!!!!! 18 years ago my parents and I went to Nelson for a night. We walked past a tiny little Indian takeaway place and decided to grab some curry and go back to our hotel. We all said THIS IS THE BEST INDIAN FOOD WE HAVE EVER TASTED. We left the next morning but always raved about how great that tiny little Indian takeaway was. My partner and i were In Nelson in April 2023 for a night and we walked past this Indian restaurant, both wanting a curry for dinner we walked in. Our curry came to the table and as soon a tried it I said to my partner “I think this is the same owner/cook as that one from 18 years ago”. I called the owner over and he explained that yes, they used to run out of a tiny little takeaway place but had moved into the restaurant where it’s now situated. I FOUND IT……18 years later I got to eat the best Indian food again, I am so happy to have found it and can now finally recommend the name and location to everyone passing through Nelson. Thankyou so much INDIAN CAFE. Your food and service is amazing and I won’t stop recommending this place.

Awesome Indian food! This place really does it well. A nice atmosphere in either the indoor or the outdoor dining experience. Staff were good, local beverages were very good and the food was great. All the breads were exceptionally well done - and the curries were amazing. A great place for families, friends and even couples to enjoy a nice night out (if you are a couple and want to be away from the crowds (or kids) then the booths outside, down the side, are perfect for that romantic date night curry.)

We were visiting Nelson and had Indian Cafe delivered to our unit. It was absolutely delicious. Some of the best Indian food I have had in NZ. Portion sizes generous too.

Delicious food, friendly staff! The Indian Cafe is an excellent place in a great location in Nelson, opposite the former church turned pub! We loved it and would return 😊

Fantastic flavours, portion sizes and value. Beautifully cooked food. Good range of vegetarian and vegan options. Highly recommended!

A friend at home in Wellington recommended. I am in Nelson for the day and decided to try. Lovely food, friendly staff. Will definitely be back.

I have the special, chicken biryani, The portion was too large mainly rice with little other ingredients, and the chicken was too dry.

Very authentic and delicious food, vast selection of dishes and very friendly service.

Great butter chicken! I asked for spicy and it had a kick but not too hot. Can’t complain about the food. The ambiance felt a bit too upscale for an Indian restaurant. I guess they have a reputation to live up to and it shows with there accomplishments written next to the sign of the restaurant. I recommend this place for anyone in the mood for Indian food in Nelson but the vibe in my opinion can be off putting.

Great value for great food. :) I got some Naan and loved it. The butter chicken was sublime. The wait staff was fantastic as well, very friendly and attentive. The owner seemed like a nice guy too. I could tell he runs a tight ship. Check it out.

Great Indian food at good prices, we went at lunch and made the most of the Lunch specials. All was cheap, delicious and with good portions. As with most food in NZ not as spicy as expected, but good flavour.

What a superb experience!! Went for a takeaway, took 3 menus (enough for 4 adults and 3 young kids). The smell in the car was a torture… made it to the hotel, not without temptation and difficulty to leave the bag intact (failed poorly). And we had one of the best butter chicken ever. Thank you for the experience.

Awesome food, awesome service. The beef bhuna and chicken do piyaza were to die for. Kingfishers just to keep the heat under control.

Absolutely loved this beautiful gem in Nelson. Such incredibly yummy authentic Indian food and the atmosphere was great also 😊 Lovely place to catch up with friends while in Nelson from Christchurch will be back again for sure!! Great work team ❤️

Nothing hits the spot like a Lamb Vindaloo from the Indian Cafe! Thanks for always being constant and delicious!

The Indian Cafe(town). Booked a table for four for 7pm and got to pick inside or out when we got there, awesome to have the option so we chose outside. Ordered drinks and entrees, service was excellent, attentive and polite; entrees came quickly and on clearing we were asked if we were ready for our mains. Mains came within 5mins, everything was excellent, large portions, lots of meats and sauces. Cannot fault food or service at all and it was pretty busy. We were in and out within an hour. Didn't feel rushed in any way. Not overpriced, four drinks, two entrees, four mains, just over $110. Shot Indian Cafe.

Unbelievably great traditional Indian food! Fast and professional wait staff. Would dine here every night if I had the chance!

The food was absolutely delicious � and all the staff were friendly!!

Great food and hospitality. Thanks Denise and staff!

It’s always delicious food and awesome service. I’m a happy costumer.

Lovely food with brilliance of chef...slow in service though.

Best Indian food I've had in NZ. Awesome. Great garlic naan.

Best Indian ever. Was super impressed , friendly staff great family meal

Quite a disappointment. The hostess was lovely and very friendly. The meat in the entree was tasty but almost burnt and very dried out. The rice was totally cold and the salad was "aged" with much brown around the edges.

Value for money with remarkable food. Will definitely go back again

I love coming here. Great food. Great service. One of my daughter's faves too.

Food was average. Order Chicken saagwala and Paneer Kadhai along with Veggie platter and Fish tikka as entrees. Veggie platter was way too oily. Fish(elephant fish) tikka was tasty. Chicken saagwala bland in taste and Paneer Kadhai had a blood bath( way too much red colour). The only best part was their plain rice which had ghee(clarified butter) added to it. I would not recommend this place again unless you have no choice and are desperate to eat indian food. Service is good and for the fish tikka together I give them 2 stars.

Amazing authentic Indian food. And I've eaten a lot of Indian food! The dishes taste just as though they do when you are in India itself. Full of flavour, good serving size, very reasonable prices, lovely outdoor dining (inside looks good too) and lovely staff. I probably won't be back in Nelson any time soon, but if I was a local I'd support this restaurant with frequent visits.

Very disappointing. I asked for hot curry for takeaway and they just tried to kill us by putting lots and lots of red chills. Every spoon of Curry had at least one chilli. Very rude lady at the counter too. Never going there again

Quite possibly the best Indian I've ever had. Food was sooo good and service was top notch 😊 Pity we live so far away as this would most definitely be our new go to Indian, every time!

Lunch was really bad.... The vegetarian korma was simply boiled veggies put in milk... No taste in fact it tastes quite bad. Also the naan had a weird taste to it... In all a really bad experience. Was not expecting food to be so bad

OK, they warned us that they service might be slow - and it was but it was still very personal.  Also the food was pretty good.  HOWEVER my wife paid the bill after looking at the till recieipt but didn't check the eftpos that they processed as it was accepted.  Half an hour later we get a calll theatening us with the POLICE.  What the....???  They had sig. underbilled us - unknown to us.  We are back in town in 2 weeks and said and said that we could pay them then or via Internet banking on Monday i.e. 2 days after we were there - as you cannot internet bank on a Sunday.  They said they wanted us to pay. NOW i.e tonight.  They threatened US with POLICE who they had already called.  Try billing correctly when customers leave - it's good business  practice.  You RUINED our night.  You owe us for ruining our night and holiday through this stress and  crap.  Thanks not.  We will pay you if and when you apologise to us.  You have our contact details. <br/>

We are on holiday from South Africa and had the pleasure of eating at this restaurant. Excellent food and service. We were warned about the wait but as all the food is freshly prepared it's worth the wait. Nan bread is so light not stodgy at all. I loved the old converted house. All in all a great experience, would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves good Indian food.

because this cafe is so busy I can understand why it can take awhile for service,esp fri or sat night. but if you go at any other time its not such a problem. esp lunch time (nelsons best kept secret).  it is a busy cafe because the food is divine I  have been a regular for years as have loads of others im sure.foods fantastic and generally speaking so is service

Quite simply the best curry I've had. In Nelson for work for a night and decided on the takeout option. Seekh Kebab is absolutely amazing, vindaloo does what it says on the box, I can't stand vindaloo without hit and this definitely has it. I was warned when ordering that it was the hottest menu option and they weren't wrong. Loved every mouthful! Well done Indian Cafe! Superb!!<br/>

Excellent Food, Value and Service - Possibly some of the best Indian food I've ever had. Highly recommend their Mango Chicken and Butter Chicken. Lunchtime platter is also good. Good selection of Naans. Great staff who remember who you are and treat you well.

We were at The Free House for a drink. They allow you to bring food from outside the establishment and eat it there. They even provide you with plates and cutlery - isn't that great? <br/><br/>We had been told the Indian Cafe - across the road - was very good. As a curry lover, and as I find it very difficult to find a curry that meets my expectations, it was a must try.<br/><br/>We ordered; Butter chicken (medium), Chicken tikka masala (hot), one Garlic naan and a side dish of Raita. The curries each came with rice.<br/><br/>I was told half an hour, and when I popped over to pick it up, it was ready. The building itself was a pleasant surprise. It's a converted house, with each room being used to seat people - had a nice feel to it. I almost wished we'd sat in. The staff were friendly and I manage to score some free popadums because I fixed their stapler - which was nice of them.<br/><br/>My partner had the Butter chicken and said it had a nice kick and was very tasty.<br/><br/>I ordered the Masala. I ordered it hot as medium never quite hits the mark for me usually. The hot was hot, almost too hot but I enjoyed the kick. The curry itself was like a British style Indian curry. Deep flavours, with chunks of onion and capsicum in a thick sauce... just how I like it. I was quite full but kept eating as it was so good to have a decent curry.<br/><br/>The garlic naan was substantial but light. Garlicy but not greasy. Not one of those thick stodgy ones that often get served. And the Raita was a nice addition to help cool my hot curry.<br/><br/>The dishes themselves were large and we could have shared one between us. Neither of us finished our mains, and we only ate one rice. - we hated disposing of the leftovers.<br/><br/>Butter chicken: $16.98<br/>Chicken tikka masala: $16.98<br/>Garlic bread: $3.48<br/>Raita: $2.98<br/><br/>All up it cost us $39.92 (which is 50c cheaper than the prices on the menu - don't know why)<br/><br/>I took a picture of my curry but it looked messy so I haven't included it.<br/><br/>If there is a curry house in Wellington that cooks curries like Indian Cafe, I want to find it!<br/><br/>I would definitely recommend the Indian Cafe if you want a decent curry.

Can't beat Indian Cafe for Indian food in Nelson. I am a regular diner, both eat in and take out and always enjoy their food. The curries are not too creamy and they always get the required spice level right. Fantastic range, including curries I haven't seen before. Can recommend the Lamb Do Pyaza - but really, everything is good.

The food was so amazing! Best Indian food ever. Only problem was the staff and the table. Might want to fix/get rid of that one person table you pass off as a table for two shoved up against the wall near the door, and maybe train your staff a bit better. They were very nice but forgot my drink order twice. Still, I would come back, but will sit outdoors next time.

Found this restaurant using my nose from the amazing fragrances emitted by their kitchen and have not looked back since. The only place in Nelson I would go to for Indian cuisine!<br/><br/>Food is delicious and great value for money lunch or dinner, cannot go past their lunch deal if you want to sample curries that you may not order yourself normally (three curries and rice for under $10).<br/><br/>As the curries are cooked to order, there is a bit of a wait for your food and it would be better if the wait-staff knew more about the food but they were friendly and as helpful as they could be.

Denise the Maître d' runs a tight ship. I've eaten here almost monthly for many years and am never disappointed with the quality of the meals and the friendly professional staff.<br/>They really know how to look after customers properly and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. Had a slight issue when we arrived of being seated close to an open door, and with it being a bit of a cold, windy night we found ourselves a bit cold but unsure as to whether we were allowed to ask that the door be closed due to waiters/waitresses constantly using it. Our food wait time was bit long but the restaurant was fairly crowded so it was understandable. Once the food arrived, the waitress was very friendly and helpful and we all found our meals DELICIOUS. As I am new to Indian cuisine, I was a bit unsure but I am now a newly found convert. I will be back again and will recommend to anyone!

The food was good here - but look slike its still suffering from service issues. We ordered the banquet which was all great but the timing was off. at least 45 mins between ordering and entrees, and another 45 minutes before mains, and naan bread arrived 15 minutes (after askign twice) after the mains. We did go after 7 on a saturday night but the place was not full. Its an old house so the layoutmay not be good for service. Good fodd but hope youre not in any form of a hurry

I miss the old smaller shop. Look , the food here is pretty good but take my advice and go early, before 7pm. Service has been good and woeful pending on the time visited. Go eargly and you will be happy.

very good im will come again

The most delicious indian food we have had!! We have been to the indian cafe many times, due to it's wonderful reputation it can be very busy. However, it's ambience is enjoyable, the staff very friendly and efficient, and the meal is definatly worth the wait!!

Tonight was our first experience at this restaurant which has a good reputation. We arrived at 7.05pm and the table service was quick with water and complimentary papadams. We ordered two drinks, two mains and a naan and additional papadams. One hour and ten minutes later we still do not have our meals. We enquired as to where our meals were 45 minutes into the evening and told they would be ready in 10 minutes. At 8.15 pm we left. Upon paying our account our drinks were complimentary for our inconvenience. The service was very disappointing. We will not return.

Although we only had a take-away from the Indian Cafe it was one of the better Indian take-aways we have had. There was a very generous amount of meat in the sauce which was a surprise as we are used to playing 'find the meat' with other Indian restaurant take-aways.<br/><br/>The staff were very busy when I went in to order but they were all very welcoming and helpful. Can't wait to return and dine-in next time.

By far the best indian cuisine we have ever had, tried lots of other indian resturants but Indian Cafe we will always return to to get that curry fix