Aroma India Martinborough is a traditional Indian restaurant on Jellicoe Street, run by a husband-and-wife team with many years' experience in hospitality.
The couple opened their first restaurant in Greytown in 2015, focusing on a friendly, welcoming atmosphere with fabulous food served by knowledgeable staff, before going on to open Aroma India Silverstream in January 2018. Aroma India Martinborough continues that same approach, serving innovative, fresh meals cooked to order.
What sets the food apart is the attention to detail behind the scenes: spices are mixed in-house rather than using ready-mixed packets, and paneer is made in-house too, giving the dishes what the restaurant calls the "Aroma India flavour." The restaurant also caters to private functions and large group celebrations, and welcomes families with young children.
On Jellicoe Street in Martinborough, Aroma India serves traditional Indian food from a husband-and-wife team with a long history in hospitality.
The couple behind Aroma India Martinborough opened their first restaurant in Greytown in 2015, building it around a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and food served by knowledgeable staff. That early success led to a second restaurant, Aroma India Silverstream, opening in January 2018. Aroma India Martinborough carries that same family approach forward, bringing traditional Indian cooking to another corner of the Wairarapa.
What distinguishes Aroma India's food is what happens behind the scenes. Rather than relying on ready-mixed spice packets, the kitchen mixes its own spices in-house — a detail that takes more effort but contributes directly to the freshness of every dish. The same care goes into the paneer, made in-house rather than bought in, right down to the distinctive "squeak" it makes when you eat it. Together, these details add up to what the restaurant calls the "Aroma India flavour."
Because everything is cooked to order rather than pre-prepared, diners should expect a short wait for their meal — a trade-off the restaurant is upfront about, in exchange for genuinely fresh food.
Over the years, Aroma India has hosted many celebrations, and the restaurant is happy to cater for large groups, with decoration allowed within reason for private functions. Families are welcome too — if young children need something to eat quickly to settle in, the team says they'll do their best to help, so parents can relax and enjoy their evening.
For those who'd rather eat at home, Aroma India Martinborough offers both delivery and pickup, with online ordering available directly through the restaurant's website. Tables can also be booked online for those planning to dine in.
Aroma India Martinborough is open seven days a week, with lunch service from 11am to 2pm and dinner from 4:30pm to 9:30pm daily — giving locals and visitors a consistent option for a traditional Indian meal any day of the week.
The restaurant is located at 13 Jellicoe Street, Martinborough, and can be reached by phone or email for bookings and enquiries. Whether it's a quick weeknight dinner, a family celebration, or a delivery order at home, Aroma India Martinborough brings the same from-scratch approach that started in Greytown back in 2015 to the heart of Martinborough.