Framed by the Australian bush, Urban Tadka exudes earthly paradise the moment you enter the doors. The expansive dining room calls to mind a traditional Indian restaurant tucked away in a tranquil, resort-style setting. 

Foreign Return doesn’t take itself too seriously. From the buzz of Crown Street to the charming Taj Mahal mural in the main dining area, this is the kind of Indian restaurant that shouts optimism and fun, rather than solemn and earnest dining. 

A permanent fixture among the lively food scene of Concord Road, North Strathfield Abhi’s Indian Restaurant has been delighting guests with sophisticated and artfully prepared dishes since before the Berlin Wall fell. 

Once you find Indu, hidden down Angel Place in the city, you’ll be hit by an immediate sensory explosion. The ambient space is toasty warm and bustling with people. Meanwhile the air is heavy with the aromas of spice, fresh seafood and coconut sugar.

Although the menu spans many regions of the sub-continent, Billu’s Indian Eatery specialises in south Indian cuisine. Located in Harris Park, Billu’s is the ideal place to bring the family or that someone special to sample Indian cuisine at its finest. 

Newtown’s Delhi ‘O’ Delhi brings the fine dining and elegance of the grand hotels of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata to the Inner West. Opened by restaurateur Javed Khan, it owes its success to Javed’s attention to detail and nuanced regional cuisine.

Surry Hills’ creatively ‘unauthentic Indian’ restaurant is one of the highlights of the Sydney Indian restaurant scene. Inspired by the welcoming homes of traditional (yet, slightly eclectic) Indian aunties, the food here does not stick to the rules. 

This contemporary Indian eatery delivers a menu of flavour-packed eats that go above and beyond your expectations of the cuisine. And even though it only opened recently, Raja has already shot up this list of the best Indian restaurants in Sydney.

This family-owned Indian restaurant in Sydney has been feeding the lower north shore a taste of regional Indian fare for over two decades. Its latest incarnation in the heart of Cremorne delivers a modern interpretation of the diverse Indian cuisines.

If you want to awaken all of your senses at once, pay a visit to Masala Theory. This Crown Street dining institution can best be described as Bollywood meets Warhol — thanks to its neon lights, brass copper dinnerware, pop art, vivid murals and relics. 

This Darlinghurst Indian restaurant serves up classic south Indian cuisine with style, flair and a healthy sprinkling of tradition. You can expect a huge array of fragrant curries at Malabar, but this joint is best known for its range of house-made dosai.

Chatkazz is a culinary gem that delivers a truly special eating experience. The term means “spicy and delicious”, and that’s exactly what you’ll find. The restaurant specialises in street food and farsan (salty snacks) that’ll transport you directly to India. 

Jessi Singh, the mind behind some of the country’s best Indian restaurants, now has a home on York Street. Pinky-Ji is Singh’s second Sydney outpost, launched with the help of former Chin Chin chef Johann Jay.