Indian Sapphire Restaurant & Bar serves traditional North Indian cuisine from its spot on Aviemore Drive in Highland Park, Manukau. Greatly inspired by the curry houses of India, the restaurant gives a warm welcome to lovers of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, with chefs taking Royal Indian dishes and giving them a delightful twist while keeping the food authentic and made from high-quality ingredients.
The venue is fully licensed with BYO welcome (wine only), and pours award-winning wines from the bar. Dine in for an unhurried meal with attentive, friendly staff, or order online for takeaway and home delivery, with a $35 minimum order for delivery.
Opening hours run from 4:00pm to 10:00pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 11:00am to 10:30pm Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations can be made through the website, and the team can be reached on 09 537 5788.
Nestled on Aviemore Drive in Highland Park, Manukau, Indian Sapphire Restaurant & Bar does its best work in a style diners know and love: the classic curry house. Greatly inspired by the curry houses of India, the restaurant pairs traditional North Indian cuisine with the warm, attentive service the format was built on. It is a combination that has made it a destination for Auckland's lovers of Indian food, and the name on the door tells you the other half of the story — this is a restaurant and a bar in equal measure.
Everything about the restaurant's approach starts with that inspiration. The team talks about making guests feel the aroma of original Indian cuisine, cooked from high-quality ingredients and presented with care. The chefs take Royal Indian dishes and give them what they describe as a delightful twist — food that respects its traditions without becoming a museum piece. Whether you are a lifelong devotee of North Indian cooking or working your way through it for the first time, the stated goal is the same: an unforgettable dining experience, guided along by friendly, attentive staff who give every table a warm welcome.
Indian Sapphire is explicit about catering to both camps, calling itself a must-visit for lovers of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes alike. That balance shapes the kitchen, with meat-free cooking given genuine attention rather than token space beside the meat dishes. Everything arrives built on the high-quality ingredients the kitchen insists on, whether the dish centres on vegetables or meat. It makes the restaurant an easy choice for mixed groups and family dinners — the table can order across the whole menu without anyone feeling short-changed.
Unlike many suburban curry houses, Indian Sapphire is fully licensed. The bar pours award-winning wines, chosen to sit alongside spiced North Indian food. If you have a favourite bottle at home, BYO is welcome too — with one caveat: wine only. Between the house list and the bring-your-own option, the wine question is well covered whichever way you prefer to dine.
Part of the curry house tradition is the room itself, and the restaurant leans into it: attentive, friendly staff offering a warm welcome to North Indian cuisine loyalists and curious first-timers alike. The team invites guests to let them guide the experience — ask for direction if the menu feels unfamiliar, or settle in and order the dishes you already love. Booking ahead is encouraged for dine-in visits.
The kitchen also travels well beyond the dining room. Takeaway and home delivery are both available through the restaurant's online ordering portal, so the same cooking can be enjoyed at your own table. For delivery there is a $35 minimum order, so it pays to plan accordingly — the kind of service that suits a busy weeknight, when cooking feels like too much and the alternative should not be a compromise.
Indian Sapphire opens at 4:00pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, then switches to a longer day from Wednesday through Sunday, opening at 11:00am and serving until 10:30pm. Weekend service runs through the afternoon, so a leisurely lunch is on the cards Wednesday to Sunday even when Mondays and Tuesdays are dinner-only affairs. Reservations can be made through the website's booking page, and the team can be reached directly on 09 537 5788 for anything else.
For Highland Park locals and visitors to Auckland's east, the pitch is simple: authentic North Indian cuisine, a fully licensed bar with award-winning wines, and the kind of welcome the curry houses of India are famous for. Dine in, bring a bottle, or order in — with online ordering, phone bookings and an easy Highland Park address, fitting a visit in is simple.