Review Avtar Indian Takeaway - Heidelberg

I have been coming here for years and it’s still my go-to for takeaway even though I’ve moved away. Undoubtedly the best Indian in Melbourne, I can’t fault any of the food. Lovely family serving mouth-watering reasonably priced food. And best samosas ever!

As a regular, everything I have tried here has been very good. Run by a small family, all the curries are frangrant and of exceptional quality. My favourites are the cauliflower curry and the beef curry. Amazing butter chicken. Must try their naan, fresh from the tandoor oven, light and fluffy! Call ahead to order if you don’t want to wait.

Food served is definitely authentic Indian with good flavour and taste.However not having their thali(preset main course) in the dine in option is definitely disappointing.Hope they look into it and make it available during evening as a dine in option.

Couldn't stop eating ;) Beautifully soft and delicious chicken korma and lamb Rogan Josh...and the garlic naan was addictive though I regret having so much of it.. but it was so good! Such floral juicy garlic. Samosas were very good too, as was the raita and mint chutney.

This is the best Indian place around! Have eaten here many times & will continue to do so!! Amazing service 🙌 Highly recommend

A poky little Indian takeaway, they're doing a lot without very much room. I had a couple of samosas as I was walking past, and - they were pretty good! Not sure I'd eat in, there's really no room and the tables are in the way of anyone trying to get takeaway so you're not going to get a peaceful meal, but by the smell of it, you'd get a bloody good one.

Called up to order nothing but one steamed rice. She said it would be ready in 2mins, but I ended up waiting 20mins while she packed tubs of precooked rice into bags for other customers who weren’t even there yet.

The best lamb Biryani I've ever had. Highly recommended. A must try. The vindaloo was also delicious. Been there a few times both eat in and take away. Still fresh and delicious take away.

Let’s be honest; it’s not much to look at but by god it’s the tastiest curry around anywhere!!!!! If you go here and you don’t enjoy the food, then you should stick to your lumpy mashed potatoes and overcooked rubber steak at home. This little gem delivers flavoursome authentic curries that makes you go back year after year. The staff/owners are just as lovely as the food. I’m proud to call this my favourite take away Indian restaurant; I’ll be supporting you for years to come! Thank you for sharing your wonderful cuisine skills with us!

The food in this place is spectacular and the owners are extremely nice. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but the price is right and the food is better.

Best indian food I've ever tried. Lovely owners.

Authentic and delicious, definitely the best Indian in the area!

My partner and I have driven past this place a million times and weren’t sure what to expect as the shop front is a bit outdated but after reading great reviews we decided to give it a try.<br/>So glad we did because it definitely lived up to expectations.<br/><br/>We ordered butter chicken and lamb rogan josh, we could not get enough of the butter chicken, the bowl was wiped clean with the delicious garlic naan. Both curries were full of flavour and the meat was fall apart tender.<br/><br/>Felt very homely inside and the couple running it were super nice, we will be back for sure!

Have only been twice, but it's the best Indian I've had in Melbs, hands down. Very reasonable prices and friendly service. Chicken korma and garlic naan... YUMMO.

Best Indian going around<br/>The place on the surface looks old, out dated and wouldn’t go in there if you paid me<br/>Got recommended it by a few locals and tried it out<br/>The owner and his family are lovely<br/>The food, in particular the butter chicken is out of this world<br/>Highly highly recommend this place despite of its looks

I’d give this place 3.5/5 if I could. <br/><br/>I’ve been working at The Austin hospital site for 6-7 years now, and I cannot believe I haven’t eaten here before! <br/><br/>I had the 2 curries + rice lunch special, and selected the ‘Lamb Rogan Josh’ and the ‘Eggplant’ dishes. The lamb in the Rogan Josh was a bit dry, but overall the dish was quite tasty. Flavourful. <br/><br/>The eggplant curry was OK. I’m not a big fan of veggie Indian dishes, but I always order one in a 2 curry set because I feel unhealthy and guilty choosing only meat dishes. Adulting is hard. <br/><br/>As far as vegetarian curries go, it was pretty good. It was a hardy, chunky dish compared to most other vegetarian curries I’ve had, which tend to consist of mushy blended/stewed vegetables. Not the case here! <br/><br/>Anyway, for the price, it’s a solid option for hungry people who are after a cheap lunch or takeaway, It’s also a nice departure from the usual cafe food, burgers, and fish and chips. It’s not the best Indian food I’ve had in Melbourne (Fitz Curry in Fitzroy is amazing), but I’ll definitely be going back.<br/><br/><br/><br/>

This is possibly the best Indian food I have had in Melbourne!!! Tucked away on busy Burgundy St right by Heidelberg station, this is a great place to pick up a meal or dine in. It’s run by this amazing couple who don’t compromise on quality or taste. Best service and they even remember your name and your orders ❤️ loads of regulars and locals visit. Try their chicken jalfrezi and the paneer makhani. Their samosas are made from scratch and so is the naan in a proper tandoor. Best value for money for a generously portioned tasty meal!!! They have lunch specials too 😁

Ive llived in Heidelberg off and on for about 15 years.  I am always so happy to return here.  I often buy the special lunch and what amazing value it is to eat in.  I will buying take away tonight, and will be torn between the dishes that are displayed in the food warmer.  The kitchen is small, everything is fresh and the service has a special friendly quality.

Simply the best Indian take away around....and I've tried them all because this one is just a little too far from my place. Alas, travel i will, cos the others don't compare.

The best Indian food and good value for money. Food is served quickly and always fresh. Would and do recommend people eat here. Butter chicken is my preferred dish

First time here for my two boys. <br/>We all loved the different curries we chose. <br/>Very friendly owners allowing us to vary the strength of our curries

Amazing staff and even better food. The Butter chicken is delicious. I have been going here for as long as I can remember and each time it's time to have Avtar I am more excited as the last time.  A Heidelberg institution.

Food is delicious and warm every time I go there. The outside doesn't look welcoming, but the inside is comfortable and cozy. Service now is quick, and consistent. I recommend butter chicken.

The food is always nice and tasty, I especially love the Beef Vindaloo with Safron Rice.<br/>Always great service from Mohammed and Kaneez <br/>Quote " Don't be fooled by the basic take-away look of this place - it's absolutely the best Indian in the area! The Butter Chicken is insanely good!"  How true!

Curry is a big scene in my home town in England, and this is the best curry I've had in Aus. Dude in the back is a magician with the tandoori oven, Jalfrezi a must 👌🏽

Qucik and tasty. Ring them and order. So when you come you can pick up your food. Great food and a good price. A great idea for a quick lunch or dinner.

This is now officially my new favourite Indian eatery. In fact, It's that good that I'm a little bit reluctant to review it for fear that it might get too popular! I don't want to line up outside like The Chevron Hotel on a Saturday night back in the 80's! Mohammed is such a nice, friendly man and loves his job. He is always happy and humming away as he does his thing. If you don't have much of an appetite, a quick glance at the hot buffet will change all that! Damn! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! Can't wait for my next meal. Love it!

Don't be fooled by the basic take-away look of this place - it's absolutely the best Indian in the area! The Butter Chicken is insanely good!

I have been trying out several different Indian restaurants in the area and this takeaway establishment was next up. I will say straight up that I was really happy with my experience here. The service is fantastic, albeit a little slow. If you're getting takeaway, ensure that your order is in 15 or so minutes before you arrive. I ordered the butter chicken with rice and it was hands down the best I've had in the area. There was plenty of chicken in the dish and the price was reasonable at 17 dollars. If you're looking at dining in, I would recommend looking elsewhere, as it lacks in the areas of ambience, décor and general cleanliness.

Amazing curries ...service is also good but can be a little slow...but fantastic taste and very reasonably priced-------------------------

This little gem is a great place if you want some awesome Indian food. If you prefer ambiance as opposed to good food then choose another place. I've visited this place on numerous occasions and have always gone away pleased. Don't be afraid to try the dishes marked as 'Hot', they are actually very flavorsome. You may have to wait a little but the reason is that you are getting freshly prepared food that does not taste like mass produced stuff. The rotis are actually made fresh in a tandoor unlike some other places that use factory made naans heated up. The chef and the lady who serves you actually own the business and are very polite, their customer relations are excellent. If you asked me to suggest a dish I'd find it very hard to choose just one, but do try the Tandoori Platter.

Our family has been getting takeaway from Avtar (and occasionally eaten in) for nearly 7 years and I can vouch strongly that it is the best Indian Restaurant in the area. Their service is very efficient and friendly, at peak periods there can be a wait but this is because they are so extremely popular, and it causes us no inconvenience because we place a phone order and are given a time which might be 45 minutes but usually it's 15. The reason they are so popular is because the food is always fresh and excellent, the family running it are genuinely very nice people, and their food is not overpriced. All their dishes are good, however some I reccomend are Panner Makhani, Beef Vindalloo, Butter Chicken and they always make their Naan bread fresh in the Tandoor no matter how busy they are which is worth a few extra minutes wait.  If I wanted instant I'd go to McDonalds- no thanks.<br/>Furthermore, it is the only restaurant in the area where you can actually watch the food being cooked fresh in front of you, other Indian restaurants in the area just heat up package naan.

Service is slow slow slow slow. Food was good, but nothing to rave about. Won't be going back as we had to wait for 1 hour and I was starving!

Great food and lovely people, but we won't be coming back. The service is extremely slow. When eating in we waited for over an hour for our food and there was only 2 other tables of people there. When placing a takeaway order you are told 40min but then have to wait another 30min in the shop. It's a shame because because the food is great. However the food have become a lot more oily the last couple of times.

Delicious and authentic food. Friendly service and very well priced.<br/>For a perfect takeaway on a cold night, this is one place not to pass up.

Amazing. cheap, quick , friendly and super tasty. This is amazing indian run by a husband and wife. The calcutta kebab (not on menu) is just so tasty and great value. Very good value for money and great portions. try it@

Amazing food and amazing owners. This has so far been the best indian food joint I've come across. All dishes taste great. There's sth for vegetarians as well.<br/>The owners are so nice, they seem like family.

Awesome!. Delicious and filling food. The owners are a sheer treat. Say hi to them and you will know what I mean.

Calcutta kebab rolls. This is a great restuarant with authentic indian food and very affordable. The secret is out though as the owner will make you a kebab roll calcutta style for just on 10 bucks . Been eating here for the past 10 years. Love it.

Here on Weds 3pm. But its closed.

Good food, enjoyed by all of our group of 12. Got a large order and the owner very kindly helped me carry it to my car in the pouring rain.

Just good food. This is a delightful place to eat, get take away or just chat to owner. They are good people with great food. I have eaten there since they opened.

What a treat!. This little restaurant is basically a takeaway with a few nice tables for those who want to dine in. The food is cheap and oh-so tasty. My friend and I always eat in and we're treated like family which is really nice. The wife always remembers my favourite dish. I haven't been able to go past ordering Alu-Matar-Paneer Bahji (vegetarian) as it's super delicious and mild which I prefer. My friend is much more adventurous and has ordered a variety of meat dishes, all have been perfect.<br/><br/>If you live in the area then put this place on your takeaway list. Wait times can sometimes be a bit of the slow side so allow plenty of time. Make sure you try the cheese Naan. Divine!

Have been eating at avtar for at least 5 years... Great food decor is a bit ugly but it's not about the atmosphere there<br/><br/>Owners Mohammed and kaneez are really friendly <br/> Always recommending friends and family to try it

Nothing flashy, but good quality food, cheaper than most other local curry restaurants (average $10 per curry) and friendly service. <br/>Bought a takeaway after a friend's recommendation and we were not disappointed. As vegetarians we have eaten a lot of curries all around the world and this was amongst the best. The different dishes had distinct flavours, the vegies were well cooked and not over cooked and the sauces were light and not greasy.<br/>The staff were very friendly and welcoming too. We will definitely be back.

Mat. Been getting takeaway at this joint for around a year, tasted amazing each time.. and such a friendly couple. Highly recommend this place!

I have been eating and getting takeaway from Avtar for years. Great local Indian food. Simple decor, but great service and exceptional and fairly cheap food

Best Indian I've had. Great family business. Been eating this for 12 years never fails to disappoint! As people say don't judge a book from its cover- don't judge this place when you first look at it. Best Indian I've eaten and swear by it

Impressive. The wife and husband team are really friendly. Service is exceptional and you feel very comfortable. Food was very good. Couldn't believe how good the nan was. Don't be deterred by the appearance of the place as it's smallish. Had to write a review because of how good this place is.

Just a pleasure. Just love the food and the people here. Always a joy and everything is fresh and yummy. Best Indian in the area

Family run restaurant and their so friendly!!! The food is the best I've ever had and not just saying that. It is inexpensive and of such good quality. It isnt a nice place because the owners probably dont have much money but the food is so good. Excellent take away joint

Best Indian in town!. Whenever i'm in the area, I cannot resist having lunch here! The food is amazing, prices are right up my alley, and the service cannot be faulted! The couple that own Avtar are lovely, always smiling and always ask how your meal was. They also remember repeat customers and mak you feel welcome. Thanks for always providing a lovely atmosphere!

Hidden glory. Tiny, visually detering...food SENSATIONAL, the couple who operate this place deliver amazing dishes on the cheap & always with a smile. The garlic naan is outta this world!

Set high on Heidelberg Hill near Heidelberg Station is this delightful Indian shop. The curries are packed with flavour and serving sizes ample. The husband and wife team produce amazing butter chicken. Don't be put off by appearances, this curry shop has something for all palates.

Best Indian in Heidelberg. I have been going to Avtar for years. Not much has changed in that time. Don't be put off by the appearance.<br/><br/>The husband and wife team are very friendly, and they know the hords of regulars by first name.<br/><br/>The food is excellent, cheap and fast. The naan breads are cruchy, yet fluffy, and the fillings flavoursome without being overpowering. Anything out of the charcoal fired tandoor is a delight, especially the chicken tikka. <br/><br/>The old favourites of Indian takeaway, butter chicken and chicken korma, are outstanding, but don't be afraid to wait for a freshly cooked chicken jalfrezi or the biryani, which is the best I've tasted (and I've eaten a lot of Indian).<br/><br/>Highly recommended.