Royal India Geraldine

About Royal India Geraldine

Royal India Geraldine is a fully licensed, 100% halal Indian restaurant on Talbot Street, serving traditionally prepared dishes alongside contemporary classics, made with locally sourced produce.

The restaurant describes its approach simply: "a pinch of patience, a dash of kindness, a spoonful of laughter, and a heap of love." It was recognised as a Best Restaurant by Restaurant Guru in 2024, and features NZ craft beer on tap, a fully licensed bar (no BYO), and a children's play area for families dining in.

The menu spans tandoor-cooked appetizers, a full range of curries, biryanis, naan and flatbreads, vegetarian mains, sides, desserts and a dedicated kids menu.

Royal India Geraldine: Halal Indian Dining with a Tandoor at Its Heart

On Talbot Street in Geraldine, Royal India brings a fully licensed, 100% halal Indian dining experience to the town, built around traditionally prepared dishes and a genuine warmth of hospitality. As the restaurant puts it, what they serve is "a pinch of patience, a dash of kindness, a spoonful of laughter, and a heap of love."

Recognised Locally

That approach hasn't gone unnoticed — Royal India Geraldine was recognised as a Best Restaurant by Restaurant Guru in 2024, a nod to a menu and dining experience that clearly resonates with the local community and visitors passing through.

From the Tandoor

The appetiser menu leans heavily on the Tandoor, with Chicken Tikka, Chicken Malai Tikka, Tandoori Prawn, Tandoori Mushroom and the signature Tandoori Malai Broccoli all cooked in the traditional clay oven. The signature Lamb Chops — ginger-flavoured young lamb cutlets marinated in yoghurt and Tandoori Masala — are a standout, alongside platters like the Royal Non-Veg Platter and Royal Special Platter for those wanting to sample a bit of everything.

A Deep Curry Menu

On the mains side, the curry list runs long and deep: Butter Chicken and Butter Prawns in a house-made signature sauce, Mango Chicken with a sweet and spicy purée, and a full run of classic styles — Korma, Madras, Vindaloo, Jalfrezi, Do Payaza, Saag, Kadhai and Bhuna Masala — each available with meat of choice, and many offered as a vegan option on request. Fish lovers are catered for too, with Bengali Fish and Fish Malabari bringing coastal Indian flavours to the table, while Lamb Rogan Josh offers a fall-apart-tender, intensely spiced option.

Vegetarians have a dedicated section as well, spanning Palak Paneer, Matar Paneer, Malai Kofta, Gobhi Masala and more — proper vegetarian mains rather than an afterthought.

Breads, Sides and Sweet Endings

The naan selection covers plain, butter, cheese, garlic, cheesy garlic, chocolate, and a Chef's Special Pizza Naan, alongside Tandoori Roti, Lacha Parantha and Kulcha with a choice of filling. Sides include a Side Platter of poppadom, raita, mango chutney and mixed pickle, plus Bombay Aloo and Saag Aloo for extra vegetables on the side. To finish, there's Gulab Jamun, a Chocolate Naan served with vanilla ice cream, and a Sizzling Brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Built for Families and Groups

Royal India Geraldine is set up to welcome families, with a dedicated kids menu covering mild versions of Butter Chicken, Korma and Mango Chicken, plus a Royal India Special Kids Meal of chicken nuggets and chips — and a children's play area to keep younger diners entertained. The restaurant is fully licensed with NZ craft beer on tap, though it's worth noting BYO isn't offered.

Visiting Royal India Geraldine

Royal India Geraldine is located at 7 Talbot Street, Geraldine, and can be reached on 03 693 8877. It's open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch (12pm-2pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm), and closed Mondays. Orders can also be placed online for those wanting to enjoy Royal India's cooking away from the restaurant.

Between its halal, locally sourced ingredients, tandoor-cooked classics, and genuinely deep curry menu, Royal India Geraldine offers a proper taste of India in the heart of South Canterbury.

Signature items

• Tandoori Malai Broccoli
• Lamb Chops
• Butter Chicken
• Royal Non-Veg Platter
• Chicken Tikka
• Lamb Rogan Josh

Menu

Dal

• Royal Special Dal Makhani — Whole black lentils cooked with butter and cream, simmered slowly for a unique flavour.
• Daal Tadka — Yellow cooked lentils tempered with oil or ghee-fried spices and herbs.
• Chana Masala — Chickpeas cooked in a spicy onion-tomato masala gravy.
• Chana Bhature — Spiced tangy chickpea curry served with soft, fluffy fried leavened bread.

Naan

• Plain Naan — Classic plain naan.
• Butter Naan — Naan brushed with butter.
• Cheese Naan — Naan stuffed with cheese.
• Garlic Naan — Naan topped with garlic.
• Cheesy Garlic Naan — Naan with cheese and garlic.
• Chocolate Naan — Naan filled with chocolate.
• Chicken, Keema or Kashmiri Naan — Naan stuffed with chicken, keema or Kashmiri-style filling.
• Chef's Special Pizza Naan — Naan topped pizza-style.

Mains

• Butter Chicken — Cooked in a house-made signature spice blend butter sauce.
• Mango Chicken — Aromatic, sweet and spicy curry made with puréed mango.
• Butter Prawns — Cooked in a house-made signature spice blend butter sauce.
• Methi Murg — Chicken cooked with fenugreek leaves for a distinctive flavour.
• Tikka Masala — Marinated meat of choice, tandoor-cooked and finished in a creamy tomato-based gravy; vegan option available.
• Korma — Yoghurt-marinated meat of choice, slow cooked in a mild, aromatic gravy; vegan option available.
• Madras — Rich, fragrant, relatively hot curry from Chennai with meat of choice in a poppy seed and Garam Masala gravy; vegan option available.
• Posht — Marinated meat of choice coated in aromatic poppy seed paste, cooked in a thick garam masala gravy.
• Bhuna Masala — Meat of choice cooked in slowly roasted gravy with aromatic spices; vegan option available.
• Kadhai — Meat of choice in a semi-gravy with freshly roasted ground spices, onion, tomato and bell peppers, cooked in a Kadhai wok; vegan option available.
• Vindaloo — Goan-style dish of meat infused in a wine and garlic marinade.
• Jalfrezi — Meat of choice stir-fried in a thick gravy of onions, tomato and bell peppers; vegan option available.
• Do Payaza — Aromatic meat and onion curry with wonderful depth of flavour; vegan option available.
• Saag — Curry from northwest India made with meat of choice in a rich, complex sauce; vegan option available.
• Lamb Rogan Josh — Lamb curry with intense spices in a tomato curry sauce.
• Bombay — Mumbai-style dish, a fusion of meat and vegetable gravy with freshly ground herbs, spices and cream.
• Bengali Fish — Gurnard fish cooked in authentic Bengali gravy of ginger, garlic, onion, tomato and a hint of mustard paste.
• Fish Malabari — Creamy fish curry with coconut milk, coriander and mustard seeds.

Sides

• Side Platter — Poppadom, raita, mango chutney and mixed pickle.
• Plain Poppadom — Four pieces of plain poppadom.
• Boondi Raita — Yoghurt raita with boondi.
• Plain Yoghurt — Plain yoghurt side.
• Mixed Pickle — Mixed Indian pickle.
• Mango Chutney — Sweet mango chutney.
• Saag Aloo — Spinach and potato side dish.
• Bombay Aloo — Spiced potato side dish.
• Fresh Mint and Yogurt Chutney — Fresh mint and yoghurt chutney.
• Tamarind Chutney — Tamarind chutney.
• Spicy Mayo — Spicy mayo condiment.

Kulcha

• Kulcha — Stuffed flatbread available with paneer, vegetable, aloo or onion filling.

Desserts

• Gulab Jamun — Traditional Indian milk-based dessert in sugar syrup.
• Chocolate Naan (Dessert) — Chocolate-filled naan served with vanilla ice cream.
• Sizzling Brownie — Brownie served with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Kids Menu

• Kids Butter Chicken — Butter chicken in house-made spice blend sauce, served with rice.
• Kids Korma — Mild korma curry, served with rice; vegan option available.
• Kids Mango Chicken — Sweet and spicy mango curry, served with rice.
• Chips with Butter Sauce — Chips served with butter sauce.
• Royal India Special Kids Meal — Six chicken nuggets with chips.

Appetizers

• Onion Bhaji — Crispy onion fritters mixed with fresh herbs, dipped in chickpea flour batter and deep fried.
• Stuffed Paneer Pakora — Cottage cheese layered with Chef's Special stuffing, dipped in chickpea batter, deep fried, served with mint and tamarind chutney.
• Vegetable Pakora — A selection of vegetables coated in chickpea masala batter and finished in hot oil.
• Vegetable Samosa — Savoury fried pastry filled with potatoes, peas and Indian spices, served with tamarind chutney.
• Paneer Tikka — Homemade Indian cottage cheese marinated in yoghurt and spices, cooked in Tandoor with onions and capsicum.
• Malai Soya Champ — Soy champ marinated in cream, yoghurt and cashew nut paste with mild Indian spices, cooked in Tandoor.
• Honey Chilli Cauliflower — Fried cauliflower florets tossed in a sweet and spicy honey chilli sauce.
• Chilli Paneer — Homemade Indian cottage cheese deep fried and cooked with onion, capsicum and chilli sauce.
• Mushroom Chilli — Mushrooms deep fried and cooked with onion and capsicum, Indo-Chinese style.
• Tandoori Malai Broccoli — Signature dish — broccoli florets marinated in cream, yoghurt and cashew nut paste, cooked in Tandoor.
• Tandoori Mushroom — Mushrooms marinated in garlic, yoghurt and Chef's Special Tandoori Masala, skewered and cooked in the Tandoor.
• Royal Vegetable Platter — A mix of samosa, onion bhaji, vegetable pakora and paneer pakora.
• Chicken Malai Tikka — Boneless chicken marinated in yoghurt, cream, cheese and spices, cooked in Tandoor.
• Chicken Tikka — Chicken pieces marinated in spices and yoghurt, cooked on a skewer over flaming charcoal in Tandoor.
• Chilli Chicken — Popular Indo-Chinese appetizer of fried chicken tossed in spicy hot chilli sauce with capsicum and onions.
• Crispy Chicken — Chicken tenders coated in a mixture of secret ingredients and deep fried.
• Chicken & Cheese Samosa — Savoury pastry filled with lightly tempered chicken mince, peas and mozzarella cheese.
• Lamb Chops — Signature dish — fresh ginger-flavoured young lamb cutlets, marinated in yoghurt and Tandoori Masala, roasted in the Tandoor.
• Fish Tikka — Chunks of Gurnard fish marinated in a yoghurt sauce with herbs and spices, cooked in the Tandoor.
• Prawns Pakora — Prawns dipped in chickpea flour with herbs and spices, deep fried.
• Tandoori Prawn — King prawns marinated aromatically with fresh herbs and spices, cooked in the Tandoor.
• Royal Non-Veg Platter — Chicken tikka, chicken samosa, fish tikka, tandoori prawn and lamb chops.
• Royal Special Platter — Samosa, onion bhaji, lamb chops, Amritsari fish and chicken tikka.

Flatbreads

• Tandoori Roti — Whole wheat flatbread cooked in the Tandoor.
• Lacha Parantha — Layered, flaky flatbread.

Rice & Biryani

• Steamed Rice — Plain steamed rice.
• Vegetarian Dum Biryani — Slow-cooked, sealed biryani with vegetables.
• Chicken Dum Biryani — Slow-cooked, sealed biryani with chicken.
• Lamb or Beef Dum Biryani — Slow-cooked, sealed biryani with lamb or beef.
• Prawn Dum Biryani — Slow-cooked, sealed biryani with prawn, letting the dish absorb its own aroma and juices.

Vegetable Mains

• Jeera Aloo — Dry dish of diced potatoes cooked with cumin seeds.
• Mix Vegetable — Mixture of vegetables cooked in a traditional onion-tomato gravy.
• Gobhi Masala — Semi-dry vegetarian dish with potatoes, cauliflower and tangy tomatoes.
• Matar Mushroom — Mushrooms and peas in a creamy onion, tomato and cashew sauce.
• Matar Paneer — Paneer and green peas simmered in a tomato and onion gravy.
• Palak Paneer — Indian cottage cheese cubes in a mild, spiced spinach sauce.
• Malai Kofta — Deep-fried potato and paneer balls served in a creamy cashew-based curry.

Frequently asked questions

What are Royal India Geraldine's opening hours?

Tuesday to Sunday, lunch 12pm-2pm and dinner 5pm-9pm. Closed Mondays.

Is Royal India Geraldine halal?

Yes, the restaurant is 100% halal.

Can I bring my own alcohol (BYO)?

No, the restaurant is fully licensed with a bar and NZ craft beer on tap; BYO is not offered.

Do they have a kids menu?

Yes, including mild versions of Butter Chicken, Korma and Mango Chicken, plus a special kids meal of nuggets and chips.

Do they offer vegan options?

Yes, several curries such as Korma, Madras, Jalfrezi, Bhuna Masala, Kadhai, Do Payaza and Saag can be made vegan on request.

Is there a children's play area?

Yes, the restaurant has a children's play area.

Can I order online?

Yes, online ordering is available through their website.

Tips

• {"body":"The restaurant is fully licensed with a bar and NZ craft beer on tap, so BYO isn't an option.","title":"No BYO"}
• {"body":"Several curries like Korma, Madras and Jalfrezi can be made vegan on request.","title":"Ask for the vegan option"}
• {"body":"Tandoori Malai Broccoli and the Lamb Chops are both called out as signature dishes.","title":"Try the signature dishes"}
• {"body":"There's a dedicated kids menu and a children's play area for families.","title":"Bring the kids"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"100% halal; vegan options available on request for several curries."}