Review Masala Cafe & Bar - Wellington

Best Indian in Wellington. Onion bhaji is second to none. The food is so good and the host is brilliant! Best Indian and fantastic if you’re looking for a BYO!

Had an amazing time here my partner and I were told this was the best indian food in town and they were right! Delicious food, great service, awesome decor, warm atmosphere and all around a great experience!!! This is our second time coming to masala and definitely won’t be our last. 100% recommend the mushroom tandoori and special naan entrees!

Loved eating at Masala a couple of times during my visit to NZ recently. The chef certainly knows his flavours and the owner Monty was always inviting and friendly. Loved the loaded poppadums as an entrepreneur with a Kingfisher. Miss it already.

My favourite restaurant in Welly, hands down! this place has the best Indian cuisine I've had since staying with my 'auntie' from Chennai. My partner and I have date night here once a month and haven't even made a dent into the full menu yet, but everything we've had is divine. the serving sizes appear small at first, but halfway through your meal you'll realize that they're huge - we usually end up bringing some home. the crockery is really cute and authentic, and the serving dish will match the food style. the owner is a jolly man who loves a bit of friendly banter, and his daughters that work as servers are great. seriously, I can't recommend this place enough. the food, drinks, and decor are all top class. see you there soon!

Among the most comprehensive menus I've ever encountered at an Indian restaurant, including Manchurian Chicken, & a few items I'd never even seen before! They also had an impressive drinks menu for a restaurant, including a good selection of Craft, Imported & Domestic beers, not to mention wine & spirits. The wife & I had Onion Bhaji as entree, followed by Lamb Korma with Cheese & Garlic Naan (& of course rice). All were delicious, & the serving sizes were generous. The heat rating system however, was a little different to what I'm accustomed. Mild, Med, Hot, Kiwi Hot, & Indian Hot, where I'm used to seeing around 8-12 heat levels. I ordered the 'Hot' to play it safe, but personally found it to be quite mild, so if you like it hot, you'd best look to at least the Kiwi Hot or Indian Hot. (To be fair, as I was taken a little off-guard by this system, I didn't think to ask if they offered varying levels of Indian Hot, so probably my own fault.) The service was great. I attended with a party of 14, arriving only half hour before they were planning to close kitchen, yet they were very accommodating & patient. Both drinks & food were served promptly & with a smile. We ran out of rice, but they were happy to bring us more as required. Overall, highly recommended. If you visit Windy Welli & enjoy Punjabi food, look no further, this place is for you. Unfortunately, as I was with a large group I didn't take any photos of the food, so took some of the restaurant interior as we were all leaving.

My friend and I arrived for lunch today with a window table available. Promptly was asked if we required drinks and ordered a wine and tea. The Chicken Korma was the star! Rich warm curry and moist tender chicken. Great service, great atmosphere and star performing Chicken Korma - I will be back for more!

Beautiful butter chicken, the best I have had. Wonderful owner operated business. Perfect lunch time! Delicious Garlic Nann…yum!

what a great surprise, food was outstanding. lovely family service and temperature on curries bang on. recommended

10/10 recommend Masala Wellington. Hands down the best service with the loveliest and most entertaining staff ever. Delicious food, good music and vibes perfect for our friends BYO night we will be back!!

Good atmosphere, friendly service, tasty food. It's really central. Carpark can be a little issue especially if you're visiting Friday night or weekends, so be prepared

Visited with my mum a few days ago and had an amazing experience. The man that served us was so kind and accommodating and our food was delicious. Best food we had while visiting in wellington.

Best Indian restaurant in Wellington. Me and my wife come here alot. Food was amazing as always. Service outstanding and always with a smile. Highly recommend to one and all

Went here for a stag do. Staff was very friendly and helpful and even joined in conversation. The food was delicious, and it was served hot and fresh. Nothing was a problem . Good range of wines and beers

We LOVED Masala. We had a BYO dinner and the owner Monty was so accomodating and lovely. He even provided some great chats which really entertained the evening. The food was delicious and came out promptly. Highly recommend you go to Masala if you are after some great Indian cuisine and amazing service. Can't wait to go back. Woohoo

Best Indian food I have had in a long long time. Super tasty, authentic and lovely guys that work there. Definitely reccommend 😊

Best Indian in Wellington! Really good quality and decent portion sizes. You have to try the vegetable Manchurian I haven’t had anything like it before! Really friendly service as well.

Ordered veg biryani... portion size great, however it’s so so spicy couldn’t eat more than 1 spoonful and also ordered carrot halwa...portion size wasn’t enough and when tasted it turned out to be tasteless and smelled bad. Won’t be ordering again unfortunately!!!

Good taste but somewhat disappointing serving size; middle of the road value for money. Slightly disappointing service too, purely for the fact that they let the paper in the loo run very low and should pay more attention to that kind of thing. Otherwise fine.

Excellent!<br/>One of the best Indian restaurant in Wellington.<br/>Tasty food, friendly service, interesting posters and nice Hindi songs in background.<br/>That is perfect place to have my lunch every other day.<br/>Recommendation: Chicken Adrakhi

SO YUM!!! I will definitely recommend to all my friends and family and will be back myself again! Very fast and pleasant service and great place to dine with friends.

Love this place! So far the only Indian place I have found that I like in Wellington. We travel here from Porirua probably once a week for a take away curry. Delicious

Best indian curry in wellington. Love their tandoori dishes very much. Its my routine now to eat at masala. Definitely recommend for lovely indian food.

This was our first time at the restaurant the service was excellent the stuff was really lovely however we didn't enjoy the food too much coz the food was really oily so it was really off-putting.

Best indian in Wellington. Staff is super friendly. Food is absolutely delicious. Good prices, great deal if you order takeaway too. Definitely one of my favorite restaurant in Wellington.

First time here. I find in business it is important to satisfy a customer as best as possible. We asked for the main menu instead of the lunch menu and it seemed that at first the waitress was surprised as to why we would want that, or just did not understand. I personally find lunch menus very basic and fair enough too, but I prefer to see my full options. Anyway not being here before and knowing I have a liking for a particular common dish in most Indian restaurants I asked if this was available (also knowing it wouldn't be on the lunch menu if it was, and asking for the main menu) our waitress said no we do not serve that here. That was fine we would opt for something else. I would however expected the waitress to suggest an alternative to my desired request but it seemed there was no interest in that. I did not see a smile or welcoming demeanour from her also. This is nothing personal but just an observation towards our experience. The waiter who bought our food to us seemed more pleasant however. He quickly realised we did not have cutlery at our table which maybe an oversight from the previous waitress in preparing us when she gave our menus. <br/><br/>The food came out and I must say in no delay. I assume it was mostly already prepared. The naans were good. Not too doughy, not too thick, not tough snd burnt. They were a good temperature so I suppose in Goldilocks words they were "just right" The portions were small however but we are small eaters so for us it was fine. I am thinking for anyone else it may not be enough. The two dishes we had were something different which have never tasted before and it was actually fine. Now this maybe because it was new to us. But now 5 hours after our meal the after tastes are rather strong. An increase in thirst is also noted and feeling bloated. I wonder if they use baking soda in the dishes to fill people up. In saying that it was a tasty meal. <br/><br/>Although our expectations are high, we will go back to experience the dinner menu. <br/><br/>

My whole family visited the place recommended by my friend. I have heard a lot from my friend and he was right. I been trying different indian restaurant but I missed Masala until now coz I live in different part of Wellington. We had few starters and mains with Naan bread. All came out super quick and all the dishes was outstanding. I like their punch line on the footpath sign outside 'Best curries in Wellington' and I must say it is correct. Perfect spice,heat and so yummy. We went on Saturday and it was $1 BYO perfect to enjoy our wine. I will definetly see you next week again with my friend with BYO. Keep the good work up.

Reasonably priced place. especially good deal for the set menu. The place was huge and maybe because it's cheap price, there were two big tables of young people on the night and it was extremely noisy. A good quick bite- yes, a nice night out for two? Maybe not.

We have been here for lunch time and the food was super delicious. I often go to other Indian place near my home but Masala was just WOW excellent. The plave is huge and bar also. Very good price for lunch time with free rice abd naan. Highly recommended.

I wasn't a regular Indian cuisine visitor but from the recommendation from colleague of mine, loved the taste of every dish.<br/><br/>Ordered lamb vindaloo spicy level at hot.<br/>The sensation i got after stressful day at work, was mind blowing.<br/><br/>Every dish were freshly cooked and Nan were amazingly tasteful.<br/><br/>I would strongly recommend Masala to anybody that would consider visiting Indian restaurant.

Been here once and never go back<br/>Reason!!!!!!!!<br/>2 black hairs in my plate<br/>Yuukkkkkkkk. <br/>Couldnt even tell them about it .<br/>

It was busy lunch day and they managed with good friendly service. Ordered chicken 2 payaz and tamato chicken, the dishes were delucious and pretty good naan bread taste. Must visit place. Also good interior with nice seatings.

Team lunch and we decided on Masala.<br/><br/>It was pretty empty, due to a weekday lunchtime, and the ambiance was a bit canteen like.<br/><br/>I ordered an aloo gobi and a garlic naan.<br/><br/>It arrived in good time and was delicious. The Aloo Gobi was flavoursome, very tasty.<br/><br/>The garlic naan stole the show. It was superb, just how I like it. Light with plenty of garlic and buttery. One of the better ones I've had in a Wellington Indian.<br/><br/>I was pleasantly surprised by Masala. will go again.

Went here for dinner last night and was not a very good experience. Food was nice but the waitstaffs were not friendly at all and it wasn't even busy. Also, the beer that I ordered was not cold at all which made it really difficult to drink! I probably wouldn't come back again.

Went on a Cold,rainy Friday with family. Had the big sizzling appetiser with the kebab,spicy chicken,fish curry...kids loved it and devoured it all, along with the onion bhaji. Lamb Wellington for mains, well cooked and bathed in spices, firm but not tough meat, spicy enough but you could still taste the dish...husband and I both liked it. Butter chicken was alright, nothing special but not bad. Gulab jamun was too sweet for us adults but kids downed it quickly. Garlic naan good conplement to the lamb dish. Friendly and warm service from wait staff. We are likely to come again and try other items.

Awesome food<br/>The taste of curry and the softness of garlic naan is mouth watering.<br/>The environmen of the restaurant and music always want me to stay longer.<br/>Highly recommend<br/>

Went here with a group of workmates on a Friday night and I ordered the chicken korma (it's my fave) and I find most Indian places fail to live up to the taste that I get when I order Korma at my curry place near my home. <br/>But you guys... ROCKED MY MOUTH!!<br/>Seriously was soooo good I wanna go back and take my partner. <br/><br/>Only downside was the wait but I can understand you guys had heaps of people other than my group.

Everything delicious. Good start with the Tandoori Mashrooms beautiful lightly spicy with a lot of flavor. The prawns masala love it curry flavor not spicy hot at all. The garlic nan was fresh and delicious.

It's been many years since I've dined at Masala. This large Indian restaurant used to be a regular Friday night hangout for my friends and family. This week, we returned for a quick mid-week meal after an event. There were only a handful of diners and we were quickly seated by the window. We shared two medium-hot mains: chicken do Pyaza, an onion based chicken curry, and neelgari korma, described as a "creamy spinach and mint curry topped with coriander" but not really tasting any different to a standard korma. Both dishes were rather non-descript but pleasant enough. The keema naan stuffing was incredibly sweet. Our service was fine. An ok restaurant for a basic Indian meal but probably not somewhere I'd make a destination of.

We have ordered from here a few times and it is very hit and miss but tonight was terrible. We waited an hour and 15 minutes for our food to arrive despite being quoted up to 40 minutes. When it did finally arrive it was stone cold. I had to reheat 4 curries and a naan

My girlfriend and I received a complimentary voucher from Zomato for Masala Cafe & Bar. We decided to give it a try on a Friday lunch. <br/><br/>We loved the ambiance! The dim lighting, music, table setting, kitchen setting, bar, and everything else, made us feel we were in a fancy setting, was not intimidating as we felt we could still be casual. <br/><br/>Their bar looks perfect for parties. There were many different seats, we sat on booth-style curved seats, they were very very comfortable. The restaurant was quite busy. <br/><br/>The service was good, our drinks were made as soon as we ordered and came very quickly. We ordered their Mango Lassi, we could definitely taste the mango, and it was not too thick, that it was hard to drink with a straw. <br/><br/>For the mains, we ordered Chicken Korma and Butter Chicken. Both were tasty; the Butter Chicken especially stood out for me. Other butter chicken meals I have had, were too sweet and creamy for me, but their butter chicken had a savoury sour taste to it, which I enjoyed and would definitely come back for. <br/><br/>Although we had a voucher, we found that the prices for the lunch mains were very reasonably priced; average $9.90, with rice, curry, and naan. Portions sizes at first looked like it would not fill us up, but it did. <br/><br/>I would recommend this to anyone, especially people who enjoy Indian cuisine.  We would like to try out more dishes and definitely come back there for dinner.

Amazing curries and pretty great service. Ducked in for some takeaway butter chicken and enjoyed a great deal which included rice and naan. Onion bhaji is a top notch mess. Well worth it.

Awesome experience! Guys please go and try and i am sure you will like it!!!! Specially my favourite dal makhni 😁😉 great quality and service... Hats off harshad patel sir ☺😊

Masala is one of the best Indian dine outs in Wellington, and i always order my takeout from there. Its always consistent and tasty. Cant fail with the Butter Chicken however when trying some of my friends dishes, they always seem to be happy with their varied selections also. Would recommend for a cheap and tasty meal as you cant really go wrong with the $12 takeaway menu.

We have a takeaway every week and have tried most of the indian food in Wellington. Masala is the best by far. The food is excellent, very tasty and you get lots of meat in the dishes. Always delivered on time and they are very polite. Also, great place for BYO. I would highly recommend Masala. Chicken Wellington and Tandoori Chicken must Try!!!

This place is always delicious and the food is always ready on time for pick up. Looking forward to heading back there again soon. I can't speck highly enough of the butter chicken here !

Masaaki was excellent. Quick lunch. Nice people and great Indian food!<br/>+ far internet.

Went on dinner few days back. had ordered beef vindaloo and fish curry.<br/>The mains are supposed to be served with complimentary rice. They had combined the rice for 2 people into 1 small tea saucer kind of plate.<br/>The quantity of rice served was insufficient for 1 child, let alone for 2 people. We had to order naans additinoally..<br/>If they are to offer such a small quantity of rice they might as well not serve rice as complimentary item.

Food could have been a bit better, more flavours, but otherwise it is a good place to visit. The wide range of meals and drinks is always a bonus.

One of the most disappointing experiences in wellington. Seeing the immensely popular advertisements we decided to give Masala a chance and we popped in for a table for 2. We forgot to book our table and when we arrived we were seated in a seat in one corner, we didn't even get to chose our seats as the others were 'booked' but the table just magically didn't show up that night. <br/>When it came to the food, we received some good service but that cannot amount to what we felt when we dined at that establishment. The food came out slow and we waited quite a while for it. We ordered a Hot korma and Med Butter Chicken, both the curries came out mild and when we informed the waiter all we got was a sorry, no sauce, no chilli nothing. The naans eventually came out to the table they were burnt from the behind and when we informed the waiter he first said they were meant to be cooked like that, then when were leaving we informed the manager and he said you should have told us before we would have replaced it. Which is absolutely horrible to know, completely disorganized and poor service from the waiter in that regard. The curries were alright, not exceptionally great and clearly not matching any of the other establishments we have eaten at. We Wont be dining here again.

Beautiful food. The butter chicken here is great. Service very attentive and the speed of food delivery is mind blowing. Would definitely come back here in the future.

Our favourite Indian restaurant in Wellington, good food good service and priced really well.

Went there this evening. Lovely atmosphere, nice quiet table by the window. Just enough music to keep it relaxing but not awkward silence. Waiter very attentive but not overly. Lovely hot food with suggestions when asked. Special dietary requirements attended too without drama, food on the table within 15min. Highly recommend and we will certainly go back!

Service was very slow combined with average food. Onion bhajia supposed to be crispy but turned out to be cold and soggy. Cold beer in a warm glass - not good. Very disappointed.

Sad to hear the other reviews as we went just last week and the food and service was fab. Very attentive staff and our entree of onion barghi was lovely. Curry wellington had great flavour and lamb spinach saag lovely. In particular the naans were the best we have ever had. Lovely night out, thanks masale

"Over priced supermarket food" is the best way I can describe Masala. There were 3 front of house staff members serving 3 other tables, yet our orders weren't taken until we've been seated for 20mins. We came on a Wednesday, typically a quiet, less busy night for Wellington restaurants yet at Masala our food took a little more than an hour to arrive. For TWO people. <br/><br/>When it did, luckily it was still warm (but not hot which we asked for..). The Korma was a watery mess and the butter chicken was a marginal, excessively sweetened glop (re: supermarket food). <br/><br/>Best stay at home and do it yourself than to blow your money away.

The entree was the only redeeming feature of an otherwise horrible meal. So the entree of Murgh Tikka was quite good and left us with high expectations for the meal to follow however we were to be let down!<br/><br/>The mains took more than 50minutes to arrive, when they finally did arrive they came out with a ridiculously small amount of rice for three people, aswell as this the peshwari naan came out burnt and even if one ignores the charcoal nature of the naan the filling was still very average lacking taste.<br/><br/>If the naan was disappointing the curries were awful. I ordered a chicken korma which was THE worst curry I have ever had. I ordered it as medium - it came out as completely mild not just lacking spice but lacking even a hint of flavour - I seriously wonder whether they forgot all but one or two ingredients because surely no chef would ever serve a curry that bad intentionally! The other two curries, the chicken madras, and an invention of their own 'wellington chicken' were marginally better with at least a hint of taste, however both of them were still ridiculously mild despite having asked for medium.<br/><br/>What topped off the disappointment was that Masala is not even a cheap restaurant it is more midrange with mains costing around $20, aswell as this they tried to charge us for the extra rice we ordered since they provided us with such a small amount to begin with, had it not been for a friend who argued strongly that had we ordered our curries individually that we would have received a lot more rice they would have still charged us. <br/><br/>Overall my experience has meant that I shall never go to the Masala restaurant again, not only was food - with the exception of the entree - atrocious but the service and pricing was equally terrible, you can easily get a far better curry, with far better service for a fraction of the price!

Went to Masala the other night with a friend and had a good time. The service was slightly on the slow side however. Our dishes were tasty but not standout, we asked for hot but ended up with mild. There were alot of people dining in the restaurant and this gave the restaurant a great vibe.<br/><br/>Would certainly eat there again, but not on the top of my list for fantastic indian.

Atrocious. Started out bad in that they did not have the beer we wanted (which was on the menu). Service was abysmally slow and when the food finally arrived both our naans were burnt and our curries (a korma and a kofta) the sauce tasted exactly the same. When we told the guy at the counter the naan was burnt there was an apology but no offer to discount.<br/>Not good enough Masala, you used to be great!

Loved this place. Was not feeling like Indian, but due to the lack of places open in the Christmas period we were recommended this place by chef.<br/><br/>Loved the interior and selection of drinks available. The staff were great, the food was amazing and the price of the naan as reasonable. Have been to a few places now were the naan costs that of an entree.

takes a while to get the waiter's attention to order but the food was great.

Been there a few times, each time has been very impressive. Curries served extremely quickly and taste incredibly authentic and are just delicious. Service friendly and a great atmosphere. Will definitely recommend.