Indian Restaurant South Melbourne — Elchi at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD
Forty-Five Years. And Then There Is Elchi.
South Melbourne has had a faithful Indian restaurant on Park Street since 1980. A local institution. Honest, unpretentious, consistently loved by the suburb's regulars. It has earned its place in South Melbourne's dining life and it will keep it.
But an institution and a destination are different things.
Elchi at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD is ten minutes from South Melbourne Market. It is where South Melbourne residents go when the occasion demands more than a neighbourhood local. A milestone birthday. A corporate dinner. A celebration that deserves the full weight of India's extraordinary culinary culture behind it — not just a great curry, but an experience that stays with you.
Chef Manpreet Sekhon — Melbourne's Curry Queen — has built the Indian restaurant that South Melbourne's discerning dining crowd has been quietly waiting for. Award-winning. Press-covered. Catering partner of W Melbourne. Private dining for up to 50 guests. A heritage dining room on one of the city's most storied streets.
What Elchi is: Elchi is praised as a visually stunning, culturally immersive Indian dining experience in Melbourne, led by Chef Manpreet Sekhon, the “Curry Queen.” Its food is widely praised for its bold, modern interpretation of Indian cuisine, combining authentic regional flavours with refined contemporary technique. Dishes are recognised for their depth of flavour, elegant presentation, and creative balance between tradition and innovation, delivering a memorable dining experience that stands out in Melbourne’s modern Indian restaurant scene.
Why South Melbourne Chooses Elchi — For Any Night Worth Remembering
Not every visit to Elchi needs a reason. Some of Melbourne's most loyal regulars first came for a birthday and came back the following Thursday because the dal makhani had been on their mind all week.
This is the thing about genuinely good Indian food — it does not wait for an occasion. It creates one.
Elchi at 72 Flinders Street is ten minutes from South Melbourne Market and open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. It is as comfortable for a spontaneous Wednesday evening between two people as it is for a corporate dinner of fifty. The menu works as well for a quick two-course dinner at the bar as it does for the full Leave It Up to the Curry Queen set menu experience.
South Melbourne residents come to Elchi for the 24-karat gold chicken mussalam on a Friday night. They come for a long lunch on a Tuesday. They come because the cocktail list is unlike anything else in this part of the city. They come because the Curry Queen's dal makhani is the kind of dish that solves whatever the day threw at them.
They come back because once you have experienced the rich history, culture and exceptional cuisine of India at this level — in this room, with this kitchen behind the glass — a neighbourhood curry simply does not feel like enough anymore.
Every night at Elchi is worth remembering. You do not need a special occasion to make one.
Discover the story of Elchi and the Curry Queen
The Credentials — Why Elchi Is Melbourne's Most Celebrated Indian Restaurant
Before choosing an Indian restaurant near South Melbourne, consider what sets Elchi apart from every other option in this part of the city.
Elchi has been featured by Broadsheet as a restaurant that walks the line between classic and contemporary Indian dining — with extravagant dishes like fragrant chicken mussallam topped with 24-carat gold leaf.
Time Out Melbourne described Elchi as a place where the line between traditional and modern Indian food is beautifully obscured.
Good Food called Elchi's dining room a swish space — somewhere between a club room and a limousine — and an entirely appropriate canvas for the culture and cuisine of India.
The Herald Sun called it mind-blowingly good and a must-visit Melbourne restaurant.
Urban List named Elchi a contemporary frontrunner for best Indian restaurant in Melbourne.
Elchi is also the official catering partner of W Melbourne — a five-star luxury hotel credential that no other Indian restaurant near South Melbourne holds.
The Menu — India's Culinary History on a Single Seasonal Menu
Every dish on Elchi's seasonal menu carries a story. That is not a marketing phrase — it is the philosophy that drives every decision Chef Manpreet Sekhon makes in the kitchen.
The pistachio lamb chops trace their lineage to the royal kitchens of the Mughal courts. The gunpowder gobhi draws on the bold, fierce spice traditions of South India's lentil-based cooking. The 24-karat gold chicken mussalam — Elchi's signature dish — is a slow-cooked whole chicken leg finished with real gold leaf, a dish with roots in the lavish banquets of India's imperial era, served at 72 Flinders Street as a ceremony rather than simply a main course.
The street food section brings India's bazaar culture to a white-clothed table — golgappa shots, chaat, freshly shucked oysters with curry leaf and chilli, and small plates that reward sharing and conversation.
And the classics — butter chicken, dal makhani, paneer — made from scratch every service. No shortcuts. No compromises. The kind of cooking that reminds South Melbourne's most experienced Indian food lovers why they fell for this cuisine in the first place.
The Leave It Up to the Curry Queen set menu at $95 per person removes every decision from the evening except where to sit and what to drink. Wine pairing available at $70 per person.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options available throughout. Elchi's meat is halal certified.
Indian Private Dining and Catering Near South Melbourne — Elchi Melbourne CBD
South Melbourne hosts some of Melbourne's most significant corporate events, design industry gatherings and private celebrations. Elchi is equipped to serve all of them — at a scale and standard that no other Indian restaurant near South Melbourne can match.
Elchi's private dining room seats up to 50 guests exclusively in the former Press Club building at 72 Flinders Street — available for corporate dinners, birthday celebrations, engagement parties, Diwali feasts, Christmas functions and any occasion worth marking properly.
As the official catering partner of W Melbourne, Elchi's catering team brings the Curry Queen's award-winning food and five-star service standards to off-site events across South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne and all of Melbourne. From South Melbourne Market-precinct gatherings to large-scale corporate functions, every detail is managed by Elchi's team.
For South Melbourne's design studios, architecture firms and corporate community — Elchi offers Melbourne's most impressive Indian dining room for a client dinner that leaves an impression.
Enquire about private dining or email goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au
Getting Here from South Melbourne — Closer Than You Think
Elchi is at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 — ten minutes from South Melbourne Market by car or Uber. The Number 1 tram runs along Clarendon Street and St Kilda Road directly into the CBD, stopping steps from Elchi's front door at Flinders Street. From Port Melbourne and Albert Park, Elchi is equally straightforward.
Elchi serves diners from across Melbourne's inner south — South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, Middle Park, Southbank, South Yarra, Prahran and St Kilda. All within 15 minutes of 72 Flinders Street.
Address: 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 Phone: 03 9654 6717
Email: goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au
Lunch: Tuesday to Thursday 12pm–2:30pm Dinner: Tuesday to Sunday 5pm–10pm
Indian Restaurant Near South Melbourne — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Indian restaurant near South Melbourne?
Elchi at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD is Melbourne's most celebrated Indian restaurant — featured by Broadsheet, Time Out, Good Food and the Herald Sun. Located 10 minutes from South Melbourne Market at 72 Flinders Street CBD, Elchi offers private dining for up to 50 guests and Indian catering across South Melbourne and all of Melbourne.
Is there an Indian restaurant in South Melbourne?
South Melbourne has neighbourhood Indian dining options that have served the suburb for decades. For South Melbourne residents seeking an award-winning Indian dining experience for special occasions, private events or corporate dinners, Elchi at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD is 10 minutes away — offering private dining for up to 50 guests, off-site Indian catering and the award-winning cuisine of the Curry Queen.
How far is Elchi from South Melbourne?
Elchi is at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD — approximately 10 minutes from South Melbourne by car or Uber. The Number 1 tram along Clarendon Street and St Kilda Road runs directly into the CBD steps from Elchi's front door.
Does Elchi offer Indian catering near South Melbourne?
Yes. As the official catering partner of W Melbourne, Elchi offers bespoke Indian catering for events across South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne and all of Melbourne. Enquire at goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au or visit Elchi's private dining and catering page.
Can I host a private dinner for a large group near South Melbourne at Elchi?
Yes. Elchi's private dining room seats up to 50 guests for exclusive hire — available for corporate dinners, birthday celebrations, engagement parties, Diwali feasts and all private events. More than double the private dining capacity of any other Indian restaurant near South Melbourne.
Is Elchi upscale or casual?
Elchi is upscale modern Indian dining. Smart casual dress code applies. Guests aged 12 and above are warmly welcomed. Full details at Elchi's dress code page.
Does Elchi have vegetarian and vegan options?
Yes. Elchi's seasonal menu features vegetarian and vegan options throughout — from small plates and street food to signature dishes and desserts. Gluten free options are also available.
Is Elchi halal?
Elchi's meat is halal certified. Elchi is not a halal-certified restaurant.
Does Elchi take walk-ins?
Walk-ins are welcome. Reservations are strongly recommended. Book online here.
The Ten-Minute Drive That Changes How You Think About Indian Food
South Melbourne has had a faithful Indian restaurant for 45 years. It will always have a place in the suburb's dining life. But faithfulness and ambition are different things. And for the South Melbourne diner who wants both in one evening — the history of India, the culture of India, the exceptional cuisine of India, served in a room that does justice to all three — there is Elchi.
Ten minutes from South Melbourne Market. A lifetime away from anything ordinary.
72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 Phone: 03 9654 6717 Email: goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au
Book your table — View the menu — Private dining enquiries — Gallery — Press — Contact
Also serving diners from South Yarra, Toorak, Albert Park, St Kilda, Prahran, Hawthorn, Brighton, Malvern, Armadale and Richmond.