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Mela Restaurant brings you the true essence of Indian cuisine, served with love and authenticity. From aromatic curries to sizzling grills, we craft flavors that create unforgettable dining moments. Join us and experience food that feels like home, yet tastes extraordinary.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 27 Shirley Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland 2025, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 250 4006
Website: https://www.melaindiancuisine.co.nz/
Menu Photos
Related Web Results
Mela Indian Cuisine: Indian Cuisine Papatoetoe
Delicious Indian Cuisine Papatoetoe at Mela Indian Cuisine. We serve authentic Indian Food Papatoetoe loved by locals for taste & freshness.
Mela Indian Cuisine (@melaindiancuisine) – Facebook
Mela Indian Cuisine is at Level 1 27 Shirley Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland. 3d . …
Food Menus – Mela Restaurants
Mela Restaurant brings you the true essence of Indian cuisine, served with love and authenticity. … Social Media : All Right Reserved © 2025 Mela Restaurant.
Reviews
Sahil Chopra
Absolutely loved our experience at Mela Indian Restaurant. The owner (Paras)is genuinely amazing — hearing his journey was truly inspiring and made the visit even more special. The food was outstanding, the drinks were perfectly done, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Everything came together beautifully.
Hands down one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to — honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Highly recommended and will definitely be back!
… moreHands down one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to — honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Highly recommended and will definitely be back!
Xiao Chen
We visited this beautiful restaurant on a weekday evening. The interior is elegant and the atmosphere is lovely — perfect for a meal with a sense of occasion.
My boyfriend and I both love Indian food, but we were a little confused by the menu at first. The staff were very patient and helpful in explaining the dishes to us.
The food was absolutely delicious, and the portions were very generous! If you’re looking for a great restaurant to truly enjoy your dining experience, I highly recommend this place.
… moreMy boyfriend and I both love Indian food, but we were a little confused by the menu at first. The staff were very patient and helpful in explaining the dishes to us.
The food was absolutely delicious, and the portions were very generous! If you’re looking for a great restaurant to truly enjoy your dining experience, I highly recommend this place.
sreekanth k
Mela Restaurant offers a truly lovely setting for a night out. The ambiance is good, making it a great place to go for dinner or a special occasion. Additionally, the massive parking area is a huge convenience, which is a rare and appreciated feature.
In terms of the meal, the experience was mixed but had definite highlights. We were very impressed with the starters, and the fish dish was so good—it was clearly the star of the night and perfectly executed.
However, the main courses need a little more care to match the quality of the setting. The butter chicken was unfortunately too sweet, overpowering the classic savory notes. Similarly, the paneer dish was too oily. While the kitchen is clearly capable of excellence (as proven by the fish), there is a noticeable inconsistency in the preparation and balance of flavors in some of the more traditional Indian dishes.
Overall, Mela is a fantastic venue with excellent starters, but we feel it needs just a little more attention to the taste of the food to truly become a standout destination.
… moreIn terms of the meal, the experience was mixed but had definite highlights. We were very impressed with the starters, and the fish dish was so good—it was clearly the star of the night and perfectly executed.
However, the main courses need a little more care to match the quality of the setting. The butter chicken was unfortunately too sweet, overpowering the classic savory notes. Similarly, the paneer dish was too oily. While the kitchen is clearly capable of excellence (as proven by the fish), there is a noticeable inconsistency in the preparation and balance of flavors in some of the more traditional Indian dishes.
Overall, Mela is a fantastic venue with excellent starters, but we feel it needs just a little more attention to the taste of the food to truly become a standout destination.
Anushka
The food at Mela is above average. I enjoyed the lamb chops and naan. However, the paneer a bit hard for my liking. I loved the ambience of the place. The restaurant was decorated beautifully and the addition of Punjabi music enhanced the environment. The only issue I have with Mela is the service. The wait for dishes was long. On this occasion, we dined with a child who ordered the chips and nuggets. Unfortunately, this item was never delivered to the table. Even after asking, we never received it, ultimately resulting in us being forced to cancel this dish.
… moreSwapnil Bajpai
Mela Indian Cuisine is definitely worth a visit. The food was delicious, but the ambience truly stole the show. A special shout-out to Sukhleen, who took great care of us with her thoughtful recommendations and helped us choose exactly what we were in the mood for. We skipped dessert this time, but that just gives us another reason to come back! Overall, it was a really lovely dining experience and one we’d happily repeat.
… moreSadhna Singh
Absolutely love it, also first time trying the dishes, normaly with strong masalas we get upset stomach and headache and but this we had 100% satisfaction with all the dishes we ordered
One thing is we went as a mom and daughter date, we wanted to have few cocktail drinks, was told bar will not be served until in the evening bugger! Otherwise everything was alright
May need to sort the toilets as it was blocked
Pls do start serving your bar service earlier so people can enjoy
… moreOne thing is we went as a mom and daughter date, we wanted to have few cocktail drinks, was told bar will not be served until in the evening bugger! Otherwise everything was alright
May need to sort the toilets as it was blocked
Pls do start serving your bar service earlier so people can enjoy
Padma Akula
Food:
Kaju Paneer — in my three decades of living in Auckland, this is genuinely the softest paneer I’ve had here. Legit impressive. Good portion.
The Punjabi pressure cooker chicken curry was decent and comforting. Good portion.
The goat biryani, however, tasted more like basmati rice tossed through goat curry. To be clear, I’m not implying that this is how it’s prepared or served (maybe), but it didn’t quite carry the aroma, depth, or texture of an authentic biryani cooked in the traditional way. Good portion
The cooked white rice served in the cutest little mini pressure cooker was a delightful touch — loved the novelty of that.
Garlic naan was a standard garlic naan.
Service:
Most of the staff were warm and genuinely lovely. We were served by a female staff member named Jes (I hope I’ve remembered her name correctly — she has very, very long hair). She was attentive, warm, and made us feel well looked after.
A few observations as gentle feedback (not complaints):
Attention to clean tables and menu cards would be appreciated. The menu cards on our table were quite sticky, with smears of curry inside, which was initially off-putting. Once I requested a clean menu, Jes was very apologetic and promptly brought fresh ones — which I truly appreciated.
Ideally, all staff being able to explain each dish clearly would elevate the experience further. Rather than saying “it’s different,” it would be helpful to explain how it’s different — flavours, cooking style, or regional influences.
Ambience & vibe:
Absolutely loved the décor — light, airy, family-friendly, with interesting features and plenty of photo-op moments. The music is loud and fun, and the patrons bring great energy. Anyone looking for a quiet, cosy, intimate date night might want to note this — but personally, I loved the lively vibe. Just an FYI, not a criticism.
I understand this is a new establishment (less than three months old), and teething issues are completely normal. I usually don’t review restaurants until the 3–6 month mark so the feedback is fair, but wanted to share early impressions. Attention to details like clean tables and toilets (pay attention to the corners), no open gutter holes at the indoor bar counter, ensuring cleaning products are out of sight, and peeling off stickers would really polish an already gorgeous space. These are small things, but noticeable when the rest of the restaurant’s vibe is so glorious.
Parking can get tricky during peak hours or when the space is booked for events.
Overall:
My 5-star rating is for the décor and atmosphere. A much needed vibe in Papatoetoe.
Massive congratulations on this new launch, and wishing the owners and every member of the team a wonderful and prosperous journey ahead.
… moreKaju Paneer — in my three decades of living in Auckland, this is genuinely the softest paneer I’ve had here. Legit impressive. Good portion.
The Punjabi pressure cooker chicken curry was decent and comforting. Good portion.
The goat biryani, however, tasted more like basmati rice tossed through goat curry. To be clear, I’m not implying that this is how it’s prepared or served (maybe), but it didn’t quite carry the aroma, depth, or texture of an authentic biryani cooked in the traditional way. Good portion
The cooked white rice served in the cutest little mini pressure cooker was a delightful touch — loved the novelty of that.
Garlic naan was a standard garlic naan.
Service:
Most of the staff were warm and genuinely lovely. We were served by a female staff member named Jes (I hope I’ve remembered her name correctly — she has very, very long hair). She was attentive, warm, and made us feel well looked after.
A few observations as gentle feedback (not complaints):
Attention to clean tables and menu cards would be appreciated. The menu cards on our table were quite sticky, with smears of curry inside, which was initially off-putting. Once I requested a clean menu, Jes was very apologetic and promptly brought fresh ones — which I truly appreciated.
Ideally, all staff being able to explain each dish clearly would elevate the experience further. Rather than saying “it’s different,” it would be helpful to explain how it’s different — flavours, cooking style, or regional influences.
Ambience & vibe:
Absolutely loved the décor — light, airy, family-friendly, with interesting features and plenty of photo-op moments. The music is loud and fun, and the patrons bring great energy. Anyone looking for a quiet, cosy, intimate date night might want to note this — but personally, I loved the lively vibe. Just an FYI, not a criticism.
I understand this is a new establishment (less than three months old), and teething issues are completely normal. I usually don’t review restaurants until the 3–6 month mark so the feedback is fair, but wanted to share early impressions. Attention to details like clean tables and toilets (pay attention to the corners), no open gutter holes at the indoor bar counter, ensuring cleaning products are out of sight, and peeling off stickers would really polish an already gorgeous space. These are small things, but noticeable when the rest of the restaurant’s vibe is so glorious.
Parking can get tricky during peak hours or when the space is booked for events.
Overall:
My 5-star rating is for the décor and atmosphere. A much needed vibe in Papatoetoe.
Massive congratulations on this new launch, and wishing the owners and every member of the team a wonderful and prosperous journey ahead.
Ree Kashta
Visited this place recently and had a good experience overall. The food tasted nice and felt close to authentic Indian flavors. The menu has good variety and the quantity was also satisfying. Service was quick and staff was polite and helpful. Overall a nice place to enjoy Indian food with family and friends.
… moreNicola Lemberg
We had the most incredible dinner at Mela Indian Cuisine. The restaurant is beautiful and the food was extremely tasty. There is a vibrant atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re overseas. We loved it!
… moregargee k
What a fabulous start to 2026. We found this hidden gem in Papatoetoe. Mela was such a pleasant surprise. By far the best North Indian food in Auckland. The garlic naan was highlight of the evening. Crispy, buttery and perfect. The bhuna lamb and chicken Tikka masala and Malai kebab were delicious. Monica served us with so much love and the biggest smile ever. Overall a fabulous experience. I have told all my friends to visit and we will visiting every month too.
… more