Sigree Indian Cuisine

About Sigree Indian Cuisine

Sigree Indian Cuisine brings the art of the sigree — a traditional Indian charcoal brazier at the heart of Indian cooking for centuries — to Rosebank Road in Avondale, Auckland. Everything that comes off the grill here passes over real charcoal, which caramelises the outside fast, locks in moisture, and builds a deep smokiness that gas and electric ovens simply can't replicate. Marinades are layered in stages — tenderise, flavour, seal — with proteins resting overnight, while sauces, breads and spice blends are made fresh every day.

The menu pulls from India's regional traditions rather than a single style: chefs with roots from the tandoor kitchens of Punjab to the coastal seafood traditions of Goa cook cream-rich North Indian gravies like Dal Makhni and Awadhi Chicken Korma, robust Hyderabadi curries, West Indian street-spiced chaat, and signature tandoor classics. There's range beyond the classics too — an ambitious Global Plates section, playful Indo-fusion pizza and burgers, a kids' menu, and dum-style biryanis.

Opened in 2026 and holding a 4.9-star guest rating, Sigree is designed for every occasion — long lunches, low-lit date nights, generous family catch-ups, and private events with exclusive seatings and set menus. The full menu is available for takeaway, family packs feed eight to ten (preorder), and group packages cater events from 30 guests. Open daily 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM, with walk-ins welcome when there's room — though weekends fill quickly, so booking ahead is recommended.

Sigree Indian Cuisine: Charcoal Fire-Craft and Regional Indian Flavour in Avondale, Auckland

Walk along Rosebank Road in Avondale and, on a good evening, you'll catch it before you see it — the smell of marinade meeting live charcoal. Sigree Indian Cuisine takes its name from the sigree, the traditional Indian charcoal brazier that has anchored the subcontinent's cooking for centuries, and it opened in 2026 with a straightforward conviction: Auckland deserved a restaurant where fire-craft was taken seriously — not as a novelty, but as the way the food actually gets cooked.

The case for charcoal is practical, not poetic. Coals caramelise the outside of the food fast, lock the moisture in, and work with the marinade to build flavour you can genuinely taste. Everything grilled here passes over real charcoal — the kitchen calls itself 100% charcoal grilled, with no shortcuts or substitutes — and the cooks work by colour, smell and years of instinct rather than the clock. A rack never gets rushed off the coals because a table is waiting.

The Craft Behind the Grill

Marinades are built in stages — tenderise first, then flavour, then seal — and proteins rest overnight so the taste runs all the way through rather than sitting on the surface. Sauces, breads and spice blends are made fresh every day; nothing comes out of a jar. Presentation gets equal respect, with each plate assembled for colour, balance and portion before it leaves the kitchen.

The welcome is deliberately unhurried too. A small front-of-house team means you actually get to know the people looking after you — no scripts, no performance, just genuine care for how your visit goes.

A Menu That Crosses India

Rather than flattening Indian food into one style, the menu pulls from the country's regional traditions. The chefs have roots across India, from the tandoor kitchens of Punjab to the coastal seafood traditions of Goa, and it shows. The tandoor section covers melt-in-your-mouth Paneer Malai Tikka, silky Chicken Reshmi Kebab and Samundari Jhinga — plump prawns chargrilled in spiced yogurt and finished with lemon.

The mains run from cream-rich North Indian classics like Dal Makhni and Awadhi Chicken Korma to a robust Hyderabad Chicken Curry and the house Special Goat Bhuna, slow-cooked until the gravy is thick and deeply layered. Chef's picks worth following: the Special Butter Chicken with its secret house spice blend, the Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh in its signature red-hued gravy, and the Lucknowi Chicken Dum Biryani — saffron-infused basmati slow-cooked in the Awadhi tradition.

There's range beyond the classics as well. A Global Plates list runs from sesame-seared tuna with mango-pineapple salsa to a slow-braised lamb shank with buttery mash. An Indo-fusion range turns the house butter chicken into pizza and burgers, kids get a menu of their own, and vegetarians have a full section — paneer mains, Amritsari chole kulcha, dal fry and Hyderabadi veg dum biryani among them.

Made for Every Occasion

The room adapts to what you need from it. Low lighting and considered plating suit a date night; generous portions and a broad menu make it a favourite for family catch-ups and group dinners; and private events can be arranged with exclusive seatings, set menus and personalised arrangements. The restaurant holds a 4.9-star guest rating, and the team treats that as a neighbourhood commitment — Sigree says it wants to be a place Avondale returns to again and again.

Can't dine in? The full menu travels for takeaway, ordered at the counter or online — same kitchen, same quality. For home gatherings, family packs feed eight to ten people from three-litre containers, though they're preorder only, so plan ahead. For bigger milestones, group packages start at a minimum of 30 guests with soup, starters, mains, bread and dessert included; talk to the team about dine-in event options.

Sigree Indian Cuisine is open daily from 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM at 277 Rosebank Road, Avondale. Weekends fill up quickly, so booking ahead is smart — though walk-ins are always welcome when there's room. And don't forget to ask your server about the drinks list, which spans craft cocktails, wine, lassi and mocktails.

Signature items

• Special Butter Chicken
• Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh
• Lucknowi Chicken Dum Biryani
• Chicken Tikka
• Special Goat Bhuna
• Paneer Malai Tikka

Menu

Breads

• Tandoori Roti — Plain — Whole-wheat roti baked in the tandoor.
• Tandoori Roti — Butter — Tandoor-baked roti brushed with butter.
• Plain Naan — Classic soft naan from the tandoor.
• Butter Naan — Naan finished with a brush of butter.
• Garlic Naan — Naan topped with garlic.
• Cheese & Garlic Naan — Naan loaded with cheese and garlic.
• Green Chilli Cheese Naan — Cheese naan with a green chilli kick.
• Plain Kulcha — Soft plain kulcha bread.
• Lacha Paratha — Flaky, layered paratha.
• Lacha Paratha with Butter — Layered paratha with added butter.
• Chocolate Naan — Sweet chocolate naan.

Kids Menu

• Chicken Nuggets and Fries — Golden fried nuggets with butter chicken dipping sauce.
• Golden Cheese Bites (2 pcs) — House-made cheese balls fried till golden.
• Butter Chicken Pasta — Tender chicken and pasta in a mild, creamy butter chicken sauce.
• Margherita Pizza — Classic tomato and mozzarella on a soft base.

Global Plates

• Sautéed Garlic Greens — Pan-seared seasonal vegetables with a hint of garlic and melted cheese.
• Mushroom Duplex (5 pcs) — Crispy mushrooms stuffed with spinach and nuts, served with beetroot aioli.
• Golden Cheese Bites (5 pcs) — Crispy golden-crusted bites with a molten cheese centre.
• Sesame-Seared Tuna — Pan-seared sesame tuna with guacamole and mango-pineapple salsa.
• Garlic Butter Tiger Prawns — Tiger prawns sautéed in herb garlic butter, with coleslaw and warm bread.
• Creamy Alfredo Chicken Pasta — Tender chicken and spaghetti in a rich, velvety white cream sauce.
• Basil Pesto Prawn Pasta — Prawns and shell pasta tossed in basil pesto with lemon zest.
• Fish of the Day — Chef's hand-selected catch, pan-fried golden with seasonal vegetables and purée.
• Braised Lamb Shank — Slow-braised till fall-off-the-bone, with rich jus, buttery mash and greens.

Biryani & Rice

• Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani — Basmati layered with seasonal vegetables and whole spices, slow-cooked dum style.
• Lucknowi Chicken Dum Biryani — Chicken slow-cooked with saffron-infused basmati in the Awadhi tradition.
• Goat Dum Biryani — Succulent goat and fragrant rice sealed together with traditional spices.
• Steam Rice — Plain steamed rice.
• Jeera Rice — Rice tossed with cumin.
• Green Peas Pulao — Fragrant pulao with green peas.
• Dal Palak Khichdi — Comforting khichdi of lentils and spinach.

Snacks & Sides

• Masala Papad — Crispy papad with a spiced masala dip — light, crunchy, perfect to start.
• Samosa (2 pcs) — Classic crispy pastry filled with spiced potatoes and peas.
• Samosa Chaat — Veg samosa and chickpeas with onions, tomato, sev and chaat masala.
• Cheese Loaded Fries — Fries smothered in butter chicken gravy, topped with melted cheese.

From The Garden

• Cheese Hariyali Bombs — Golden-fried bites stuffed with cheese and fresh herb greens, with sweet chutney.
• Manchurian — Crunchy vegetable dumplings tossed in a tangy, mildly spiced soy-chilli glaze.

From The Tandoor

• Paneer Malai Tikka — Paneer in cream, yogurt and delicate spices, grilled for a light smoky finish.
• Paneer Tikka — Marinated paneer grilled with fresh veges and pineapple — smoky and tangy.
• Chicken Reshmi Kebab — Silky chicken skewers marinated with cream and egg white, grilled tender.
• Chicken Tikka — Juicy chicken in an aromatic spice blend, chargrilled over open flame.
• Samundari Jhinga — Prawns in spiced yogurt marinade, chargrilled and finished with lemon.

Vegetarian Mains

• Veg Sabnam — Mixed vegetables and mushrooms simmered in a well-spiced Indian gravy.
• Kofta Sham Savera — Delicate vegetable koftas in a rich, aromatic gravy.
• Amritsari Chole Kulcha — Punjabi-style chickpeas in bold spices, served with a plain kulcha.
• Paneer Kurchan — Stir-fried cottage cheese with onions, capsicum and tomatoes.
• Methi Malai Paneer — Soft paneer in a creamy sauce delicately flavoured with fenugreek leaves.
• Dal Makhni — Slow-cooked black lentils enriched overnight with butter and cream.
• Dal Fry / Dal Tadka — Yellow lentils finished with a sizzling ghee tempering of cumin, garlic and chilli.

Indo-Fusion Pizza

• Margherita — Classic tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil.
• Cheesy Garlic — Garlic butter base loaded with melted mozzarella and herbs.
• Tandoori Paneer Tikka — Spicy tandoori paneer, crisp veggies and mozzarella on a smoky base.
• Peri Peri Chicken — Peri-peri marinated chicken with roasted peppers and melted cheese.
• Special Butter Chicken Pizza — House butter chicken sauce layered with tender chicken and premium cheese.

Indo-Fusion Burgers

• Samosa Burger — Crispy spiced samosa patty with chutneys and fresh veggies in a soft bun.
• Butter Chicken Burger — Juicy chicken in creamy butter chicken sauce, tucked into a toasted bun.
• Paneer Tikka Burger — Grilled paneer tikka with fresh veggies and creamy sauce.
• Chicken Tikka Burger — Succulent chicken tikka with fresh toppings and zesty sauce.

Non-Vegetarian Mains

• Butter Chicken — Kiwi Style — Tandoori chicken simmered in a smooth, mild tomato-butter sauce.
• Special Butter Chicken — Chargrilled tandoori chicken slow-simmered in velvety makhani gravy.
• Awadhi Chicken Korma — Mughlai korma — chicken in fragrant gravy of yogurt, cream, nuts and spices.
• Murgh Lababdar — Chicken with capsicum in a rich cashew and tomato gravy.
• Hyderabad Chicken Curry — Robust South Indian curry — bold spices, deep colour, full flavour.
• Special Goat Bhuna — Goat slow-cooked with onion, tomato and whole spices until deeply layered.
• Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh — Tender lamb slow-cooked in an aromatic Kashmiri gravy with signature red hue.
• Amritsari Fish Curry — Spiced fried fish simmered in tangy onion-tomato gravy with ginger and garlic.

Group & Event Packages

• Package 1 — One starter, one main, dal, rice, butter naan, dessert and a side per person. Minimum 30 guests.
• Package 2 — Soup, a veg and a chicken starter, veg and chicken mains, dal, rice, bread, dessert and side.
• Package 3 — Vegetarian-only: soup, two veg starters, two veg mains, rice or biryani, bread, dessert.
• Package 4 — Non-vegetarian-only: soup, two non-veg starters, two non-veg mains, rice or biryani, bread.
• Package 5 — Soup, two veg and two non-veg mains, dal, rice, dessert and a side.
• Package 6 — Premium: welcome drink, soup, four starters, four mains, two rices, sides and dessert.

Family Packs (Preorder Only)

• Butter Chicken Family Pack — House classic in a 3-litre container for family meals and gatherings.
• Lamb Curry Family Pack — Slow-simmered lamb curry in a 3-litre container.
• Goat Bhuna Family Pack — Slow-cooked goat bhuna in a 3-litre container.
• Paneer Kadai Family Pack — Paneer kadai in a 3-litre container.
• Goat or Lamb Biryani — Dum-style biryani serving 4 to 5 people.
• Dum Chicken Biryani — Chicken dum biryani serving 4 to 5 people.
• Veg Dum Biryani — Vegetable dum biryani serving 4 to 5 people.
• Manchurian — Crunchy veg dumplings in soy-chilli glaze — a family-pack starter choice.
• Paneer Tikka — Tandoor-grilled paneer — a family-pack starter choice.
• Chicken Tikka — Charcoal-grilled chicken tikka — a family-pack starter choice.
• Fish Tikka — Tandoor-grilled fish — a family-pack starter choice.
• Naan Bundle (10 pcs) — Ten butter or plain naans for the table.
• Chicken Lollipop (20 pcs) — Twenty chicken lollipops for larger gatherings.
• Chicken Tangdi Kebab (20 pcs) — Twenty tandoor-grilled tangdi kebabs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a reservation?

Walk-ins are welcome when there's room, but weekends fill up quickly — the team recommends booking ahead, which you can do online or by phone.

What are the opening hours?

Sigree is open daily, every day of the week, from 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM.

Can I get Sigree for takeaway?

Yes — the full menu is available for takeaway, same kitchen and same quality, and you can also order online. Family packs for 8–10 people are preorder only.

Is there a kids' menu?

Yes — chicken nuggets with fries, golden cheese bites, butter chicken pasta and a small margherita pizza.

Do you cater for groups and events?

Group packages run from a minimum of 30 people with soup, starters, mains, rice, butter naan and dessert included. For dine-in celebrations, talk to the team about exclusive seatings and set menus.

What options are there for vegetarians?

A whole section of the menu is vegetarian — from tandoori paneer tikka and veg Manchurian to dal makhni, methi malai paneer and Hyderabadi veg dum biryani — plus a vegetarian-only group package.

Is everything really cooked over charcoal?

Everything grilled at Sigree passes over real charcoal — the kitchen lists it as 100% charcoal grilled, with no shortcuts or substitutes for the grill work.

Tips

• {"body":"Weekends fill up quickly, so reserve online or by phone — though walk-ins are always welcome when there's room.","title":"Book ahead for weekends"}
• {"body":"Special Butter Chicken, Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh, Lucknowi Chicken Dum Biryani and the Braised Lamb Shank are the kitchen's flagged favourites.","title":"Follow the chef's picks"}
• {"body":"Family packs serving 8–10 people are preorder only — place your order ahead so everything arrives fresh.","title":"Order family packs in advance"}
• {"body":"The drinks selection changes daily — ask your server about craft cocktails, wine, lassi and mocktails.","title":"Ask about today's drinks"}
• {"body":"The Indo-fusion pizza and burgers plus a kids' menu make it easy to bring along less adventurous eaters.","title":"Great for mixed groups"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids' menu available; family packs serve 8–10 (preorder required).","dietary":"Extensive vegetarian menu; ask the team about specific needs."}