Indian Restaurant South Yarra — Elchi at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD
The Indian Restaurant South Yarra Has Been Waiting For
South Yarra knows good food. Toorak Road and Chapel Street are lined with some of Melbourne's most celebrated restaurants. But for years, one cuisine has been missing from South Yarra's finest dining tables — modern Indian food at its most elevated, most creative, and most authentic.
That changes at Elchi.
Melbourne's most celebrated Indian restaurant is located at 72 Flinders Street CBD — fifteen minutes from South Yarra by car, Uber, or the Number 58 tram along Toorak Road. For South Yarra residents, Toorak Road diners and Chapel Street regulars searching for an Indian restaurant worthy of this neighbourhood's dining standards, Elchi is the answer.
Not casual. Not a takeaway. Not a fusion experiment. Elchi is modern elevated Indian dining — a designed experience built around one of Australia's most extraordinary dining rooms and the award-winning cuisine of Chef Manpreet Sekhon, Melbourne's Curry Queen.
Known for: 24-karat gold chicken mussalam, modern North Indian cuisine, the Curry Queen Chef Manpreet Sekhon Best for: date nights, special occasions, corporate dinners, private events and celebrations Located in: Melbourne CBD, 15 minutes from South Yarra, Toorak and Prahran Signature experience:award-winning modern Indian dining in Melbourne's most spectacular heritage dining room
A Chef-Driven Indian Restaurant Melbourne Has Never Seen Before
Every great restaurant begins with a person who refuses to accept the ordinary.
For Chef Manpreet Sekhon — affectionately known across Melbourne as the Curry Queen — that refusal has shaped an extraordinary career. Born in Punjab, trained in India's finest five-star hotel kitchens, and recognised by legendary culinary masters Sanjeev Kapoor and Jiggs Kalra, Manpreet arrived in Melbourne with a vision that no one else had attempted: to give North Indian cuisine the modern Indian dining stage it deserved in one of the world's great food cities.
She opened Eastern Spice in Geelong in 2014. Then Masti in Fitzroy in 2020. Then in March 2022, she took over the former home of The Press Club at 72 Flinders Street and opened Elchi — meaning "ambassador" or "talented" in Sanskrit.
Every dish at Elchi is an act of cultural ambassadorship. A declaration that the regional cuisines of India — from the valleys of Kashmir to the tandoors of Himachal Pradesh, from the street food of Old Delhi to the royal kitchens of Punjab — deserve the same reverence and the same calibre of dining room as any great world cuisine.
Elchi has been featured by Broadsheet, Time Out, Good Food, the Herald Sun and Urban List as one of Melbourne's best Indian restaurants. Elchi is also the official catering partner of W Melbourne — one of the city's most prestigious luxury hotels.
For South Yarra residents accustomed to Melbourne's finest European bistros and Japanese fine diners, Elchi offers something those restaurants cannot — an Indian food experience at the highest level of the city's dining scene.
This Is Not the Indian Restaurant You Are Used To
South Yarra diners know the difference between a restaurant and an experience. Elchi is the latter.
From the moment you walk through the gold doors of 72 Flinders Street, the room announces itself. Dramatic gold ceiling lights cast a warm glow across curved natural leather booths — retained from the legendary Press Club era, and now the most photographed dining room in Melbourne's CBD. A glass-fronted kitchen where the Curry Queen's brigade works in full view, the scent of cardamom and charred tandoor drifting across the space.
The ambience is bold yet intimate. Sophisticated without being cold. The music is considered. The lighting is deliberate. The service operates on a philosophy borrowed from Sanskrit tradition: Atithi Devo Bhava — a guest is like a God.
This is what separates Elchi from every other Indian restaurant near South Yarra. It is not just about the food — though the food is extraordinary. It is about the total experience of the evening. The unhurried pace. The considered presentation of each dish. The cocktails — Indian-inspired, Melbourne-crafted — that arrive before your first course. The sense that every element of your evening has been designed with care.
Elchi is adults-only for guests aged 12 and above — a deliberate choice that protects the serene, sophisticated atmosphere South Yarra diners expect from a premium restaurant experience.
The Best Indian Food Near South Yarra — Elchi's Seasonal Menu
The menu at Elchi does not begin with butter chicken. It begins with golgappa shots — spiced tequila and avocado poured into crisp pani puri shells. Or freshly shucked oysters grilled with garlic, curry leaf and chilli. Or a glass of the Maharani — tequila, cointreau, mango and lime — that sets the tone for everything that follows.
Chef Manpreet Sekhon's seasonal menu draws on the full breadth of North India's regional culinary traditions. Gunpowder gobhi — crispy cauliflower dusted in spicy lentil. Pistachio lamb chops with saffron mash and pomegranate. The signature 24-karat gold chicken mussalam — a whole chicken leg slow-cooked in garam masala and cashew paste, finished with real gold leaf.
The classics are here too — butter chicken, dal makhani, paneer — but elevated. Cooked from scratch. True to their roots. Nothing from a jar. Nothing replicated.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are available throughout. Elchi's meat is halal certified.
For South Yarra residents searching for Indian food that matches the standard of this neighbourhood's finest restaurants — this is it.
As Seen In — What Melbourne's Top Food Critics Say About Elchi
South Yarra diners trust the city's most respected food voices. Here is what they said about Elchi.
Broadsheet described Elchi as a restaurant that walks the line between classic and contemporary — with extravagant dishes like fragrant chicken mussallam topped with 24-carat gold leaf.
Time Out Melbourne called Elchi a place where the line between traditional and modern Indian food is beautifully obscured.
Good Food told the story of a chef who sat in a glamorous Flinders Street restaurant dreaming of a day she would have a restaurant exactly like it — and then made it happen.
The Herald Sun called Elchi a mind-blowingly good Indian eatery and a must-visit Melbourne restaurant.
Urban List named Elchi a contemporary frontrunner for best Indian restaurant in Melbourne — built around the Curry Queen's timeless Indian cuisine inside the illustrious CBD diner of curved leather booths and striking gold ceiling lights.
Read all press coverage at Elchi
Indian Catering and Private Dining Near South Yarra — Elchi Melbourne CBD
Whether you are planning an intimate dinner for two or a celebration for fifty, Elchi is Melbourne's premier Indian event destination — and the most convenient private dining option for South Yarra, Toorak and Prahran residents.
Elchi's private dining room seats up to 50 guests in one of Melbourne CBD's most spectacular heritage spaces — the gold-ceilinged, leather-boothed former Press Club building at 72 Flinders Street. The room is available for exclusive hire for corporate dinners, birthday celebrations, engagement parties, anniversary dinners, Christmas functions, Diwali feasts and any occasion worth celebrating.
As the official catering partner of W Melbourne, Elchi brings the same award-winning Indian food and five-star service standards to off-site events across Melbourne — including South Yarra, Toorak, Prahran and beyond. From intimate home gatherings to destination weddings, the Curry Queen's team handles every detail.
For South Yarra's corporate community — the advertising agencies, creative studios and professional firms along Toorak Road and Chapel Street — Elchi offers Melbourne's most impressive setting for a corporate dinner or client event. Enquire about private dining and events at Elchi or email our events team directly at goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au
Getting to Elchi from South Yarra — Melbourne's Best Indian Restaurant Is Closer Than You Think
South Yarra has never had a modern Indian restaurant at the level of culinary ambition and dining room quality that Elchi offers. Until now.
Elchi is located at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 — just 15 minutes from South Yarra by car or Uber, and directly accessible by the Number 58 tram along Toorak Road into the CBD. From Prahran and Windsor, Elchi is equally accessible — a short ride that delivers you to one of Melbourne's most extraordinary dining experiences.
Elchi serves diners from across Melbourne's inner south — South Yarra, Toorak, Prahran, Windsor, St Kilda, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Middle Park, Armadale and Malvern. All within 20 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 Yarra — Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elchi the best Indian restaurant near South Yarra?
Elchi at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD is widely regarded as Melbourne's best Indian restaurant — featured by Broadsheet, Time Out, Good Food and the Herald Sun. For South Yarra residents, Elchi is just 15 minutes away by car or tram and offers an Indian dining experience unmatched anywhere in Melbourne's inner south.
What is Elchi and what makes it different from other Indian restaurants near South Yarra?
Elchi is a modern elevated Indian restaurant at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD, led by Chef Manpreet Sekhon — Melbourne's Curry Queen. Unlike casual Indian restaurants in South Yarra, Elchi offers a seasonal North Indian menu in a heritage dining room with a gold ceiling, curved leather booths and a glass-fronted kitchen. It is a designed experience comparable in ambition to Melbourne's finest European and Japanese fine diners.
Is Elchi upscale or casual?
Elchi is upscale modern Indian dining. Smart casual dress code applies.Learn more at Elchi's dress code page. Guests aged 12 and above are warmly welcomed.
Does Elchi have vegetarian and vegan options?
Yes. Elchi's seasonal menu features extensive vegetarian and vegan options throughout — from small plates and street food to signature curries and desserts. Gluten free options are also available. Please advise the team of any dietary requirements when booking.
Can I host a private event or corporate dinner near South Yarra at Elchi?
Yes. Elchi's private dining room seats up to 50 guests and is available for exclusive hire. Elchi is also the official catering partner of W Melbourne and offers bespoke off-site catering across South Yarra, Toorak, Prahran and all of Melbourne. Enquire at goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au
How far is Elchi from South Yarra?
Elchi is at 72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD — approximately 15 minutes from South Yarra by car or Uber, accessible by the Number 58 tram along Toorak Road directly into the CBD.
Does Elchi take walk-ins?
Walk-ins are welcome however online reservations are strongly recommended. Book your table at Elchi
Reserve Your Table — Melbourne's Best Indian Restaurant, 15 Minutes from South Yarra
South Yarra has always known where to find the best restaurants in Melbourne. Now it knows where to find the best Indian restaurant.
Elchi at 72 Flinders Street is not a detour. It is a destination. The gold doors. The leather booths. The Curry Queen's kitchen. The 24-karat gold chicken that arrives at the table like a ceremony. The cocktails that taste like nothing else in this city. The kind of evening that South Yarra residents return from and immediately tell everyone about.
72 Flinders Street Melbourne CBD VIC 3000 Phone: 03 9654 6717 Email: goodtimes@elchirestaurant.com.au
Book your table at Elchi — Explore the menu — Enquire about private dining — View the gallery — Read our press — Contact us
Also serving diners from Toorak, Prahran, St Kilda, Hawthorn, Brighton, South Melbourne, Malvern, Armadale and Richmond.