Great India Restaurant

About Great India Restaurant

Great India Restaurant has been part of Wellington's dining scene since 1983, serving from 141 Manners Street in the Courtenay Place quarter — the heart of the city's bar and nightlife area, just metres from the cinemas and theatres. It was highlighted as one of the Destinations in the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2024.

The menu of more than 60 dishes has roots in South Gujarat and Northern India, filtered through the Leicester training of its two chefs. Alongside long-standing classics like rogan josh, lamb vindaloo and butter chicken sit more modern creations such as Goan Pork Curry — pork marinated for 24 hours in gewürztraminer — and Samba Masala, a venison curry from Nepal–North India. Spices and herbs are specially prepared in house rather than taken from curry powder, and the kitchen is candid that Indian food, properly prepared, takes time; many dishes marinate for 24 to 48 hours before they meet the tandoor.

Beyond the à la carte menu there are Silver and Gold set menus for tables of six or more, a substantial beverage list of New Zealand and international wines and more than 31 local and imported beers, catering for events, online ordering and delivery, and gift cards. The restaurant opens every day for lunch and dinner, takes phone bookings for parties of four or more, and adds a 15% surcharge on public holidays.

Great India Restaurant: Wellington's Home of Anglo-Indian Cooking Since 1983

On busy Manners Street, where the CBD slips into the Courtenay Place quarter, Great India Restaurant has been serving curries since 1983. It is one of Wellington's longest-running Indian restaurants — a capital favourite for more than three decades — and in 2024 it was highlighted as one of the Destinations in the Cuisine Good Food Awards. The location does diners a favour too: the restaurant sits in the heart of the city's bar and nightlife area, just metres from the cinemas and theatres, which makes it an easy call before a show or a night out.

A Kitchen With Two Homelands

Great India's food is proudly Anglo-British-Indian. Both chefs originally perfected their trade in Leicester, in the English Midlands, and their cooking bridges that tradition and the dishes of South Gujarat and Northern India. The menu runs to more than 60 dishes. The classics people have ordered for years are all here — rogan josh, lamb vindaloo and a butter chicken the kitchen describes as "loved by many" — alongside more modern, mouth-watering creations such as Goan Pork Curry, made with pork marinated for 24 hours in gewürztraminer, and Samba Masala, a venison curry with roots in Nepal and North India.

Nothing here comes from a jar. The restaurant is upfront that each dish gets its distinctive flavour and aroma not from curry powder but from spices and herbs specially prepared in its own kitchen, and it asks guests to bear with the pace: Indian food, properly prepared, takes time. That patience shows in the marinades — the tandoori chicken rests for a full 48 hours before it is smoke-roasted in the tandoor, and the onions for the bhajia are marinated just as long before they are battered in chickpea flour and fried.

What to Order

Entrees set the tone. Vegetable, lamb and chicken samosas come two to a serve, pakoras arrive dipped in spicy chickpea batter, and the tandoor turns out reshmi and seekh kebabs plus chicken tikka in a medium-hot sauce. For shared tables there is the Deluxe Mixed Entrée, a spreading platter of samosas, onion bhaji, pakoras, tandoori chicken, kebabs and tikka with mint yoghurt and cumin chutney. Vegetarian diners are well looked after, from daal soup and the paneer-based Tofia.E.Noor to set-menu staples like chana masala and tarka dhal.

For groups of six or more, Silver and Gold set menus take the guesswork out of ordering — poppadoms and garlic naan on arrival, then butter chicken, Gehtu Masala and the vegetarian mains, with pulau, coconut and steamed basmati rice and a stack of breads to follow. To drink, there is a substantial beverage list of New Zealand and international wines and more than 31 local and imported beers, and the knowledgeable waiting staff will happily steer you towards a match.

The Practical Bits

Great India opens every day. Lunch runs from noon to 2pm on weekdays and to 3pm on weekends; dinner is served from 5pm until 10pm Sunday to Thursday, and until 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday. There is a 15% surcharge on public holidays. Phone bookings are taken for parties of four or more, and event bookings are arranged the same way — the kitchen now offers catering as well. If you would rather eat at home, the menu is available for online ordering through EasyEats, with delivery via Deliver-easy, and gift cards can be bought for the curry lovers in your life. Four decades in, the pitch remains the same: fragrant, carefully spiced Indian food, made the slow way, right in the middle of everything.

Signature items

• Tandoori Chicken
• Butter Chicken
• Deluxe Mixed Entrée
• Goan Pork Curry
• Samba Masala
• Onion Bhajia

Menu

Mains

• Rogan Josh — A superbly crafted traditional dish from the 60-plus item menu.
• Lamb Vindaloo — Classic traditional curry and a long-standing house favourite.
• Butter Chicken — Roasted tandoori chicken cooked with cream, honey and tomatoes — loved by many.
• Goan Pork Curry — Pork marinated for 24 hours in gewürztraminer; a modern menu highlight.
• Samba Masala — Venison curry with roots in Nepal and North India, among the modern delicacies.

Beverages

• New Zealand & International Wines — Fine selection from a substantial list; staff happily advise on a match for your meal.
• Local & Imported Beers — More than 31 local and imported beers behind the bar.

Set Menus

• Silver Set Menu — Starter, mains, breads and rice combination served for tables of six or more.
• Gold Set Menu — Premium set menu for tables of six or more guests; ask the restaurant for details.
• Poppadoms — Served on arrival with a variety of chutneys and pickles.
• Garlic Naan — Leavened flour bread with a touch of garlic.
• Gehtu Masala — Lamb marinated 48 hours, smoke-roasted over charcoal and finished in a rich tandoori masala sauce.
• Chana Masala — Whole chickpeas cooked in masala infused with amchoor, ginger and coriander, finished with tomatoes.
• Tarka Dhal — Red lentils infused with black mustard and cumin seeds, finished with tomatoes and onions.
• Rogini Naan — Large leavened bread richly topped with egg yolk and nuts.
• Onion Kulcha — Round leavened bread with chopped onion, cumin and turmeric.
• Pulau Rice — Mildly spiced fried rice cooked with cumin, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
• Coconut Rice — South Indian-style rice cooked with coconut cream and caramelised onion.
• Basmati Steamed Rice — Steamed long-grain basmati rice — loved by many.

Vegetarian Entrees

• Vegetable Samosa — Deep-fried pastry filled with spiced vegetables; two pieces.
• Pakoras — Five seasonal fruit and vegetables dipped in spicy chickpea batter and deep fried.
• Aloo Set — Deep-fried pastry filled with potatoes marinated in a mint tandoori-infused sauce.
• Daal Soup — Delicious red lentil soup, freshly prepared.
• Onion Bhajia — Onion pieces marinated for 48 hours, battered in chickpea flour and fried.
• Tofia.E.Noor — Roasted paneer in mustard, yoghurt and mint, skewered with capsicum, tomato and onion.

Non-Vegetarian Entrees

• Lamb Samosa — Deep-fried pastry filled with minced lamb, capsicum and cumin; two pieces.
• Chicken Samosa — Deep-fried pastry filled with spiced chicken breast, potato and turmeric; two pieces.
• Tandoori Chicken — Chicken deeply marinated for 48 hours and smoke-roasted in the tandoor.
• Reshmi Kebab — Minced chicken with onions, herbs and spices, roasted in the tandoor on skewers.
• Seekh Kebab — Lamb mince with Indian spices, capsicum seeds and onion, roasted in the tandoor.
• Chicken Tikka — Tender chicken breast pieces in a medium-hot sauce, cooked in the tandoor.
• Newab Panir Tikka — Chicken thighs marinated 48 hours in cloves, ginger and North Indian spices, cooked with house-made cottage cheese, onion and capsicum.
• Deluxe Mixed Entrée — Samosas, onion bhaji, pakoras, tandoori chicken, kebabs and tikka with mint yoghurt and cumin chutney; minimum two people.

Frequently asked questions

What are Great India's opening hours?

Open every day. Lunch is 12pm–2pm Monday to Friday and 12pm–3pm Saturday–Sunday; dinner runs 5pm–10pm Sunday–Thursday and 5pm–10:30pm Friday–Saturday.

Do I need a reservation?

Phone bookings are taken only for parties of four or more — call 04-384-5755. Event bookings are also arranged by phone.

Is there a set menu?

Yes — Silver and Gold set menus are available for tables of six or more guests. Note that Entertainment cards do not apply to these special menus.

Is there a public holiday surcharge?

Yes, a 15% surcharge is payable on public holidays.

Can I get takeaway or delivery?

Yes. Order online through EasyEats for pickup, or arrange delivery via Deliver-easy.

Does Great India cater events?

Yes — catering is now offered. Get in touch by phone to make your next event unforgettable.

What style of Indian food is served?

Anglo-British-Indian cuisine with South Gujarat and Northern Indian roots, spanning more than 60 dishes with a strong run of vegetarian options.

Tips

• {"body":"The kitchen closes between services — lunch ends at 2pm on weekdays (3pm weekends) and dinner starts at 5pm.","title":"Mind the afternoon gap"}
• {"body":"Phone bookings are taken only for parties of four or more; call 04-384-5755. Event bookings are made the same way.","title":"Booking? Grab the phone"}
• {"body":"The restaurant sits metres from the Courtenay Place cinemas and theatres — handy for a meal before a show.","title":"Pre-show dinner spot"}
• {"body":"Silver and Gold set menus cater for tables of six or more; Entertainment cards don't apply to these specials.","title":"Big group? Try a set menu"}
• {"body":"Order online through EasyEats for pickup, get delivery via Deliver-easy, or book catering for your next event.","title":"Indian at home"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Plenty of vegetarian choices, from samosas and pakoras to daal soup, chana masala and tarka dhal.","payments":"15% surcharge on public holidays; Entertainment cards do not apply to the set menus."}