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4.9
4.9
We had a wonderful experience at Indian Essence. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious — full of authentic flavors, perfectly spiced, and clearly made with care. Every dish we tried tasted fresh and satisfying.
Even though the tandoor oven wasn’t working, they served us tawa rotis instead, and they were soft, fresh, and absolutely amazing.
What really stood out was the kindness of the staff and chef. The chef was incredibly accommodating and allowed us to stay seated until we finished our meal without rushing us. That level of hospitality truly made our evening special. Highly recommend for both the food and the exceptional service!
Vipasha
Indian Essence in Elsternwick is a true culinary gem! The food is absolutely amazing—flavour-packed, beautifully presented, and authentic. Service is top-notch: attentive, efficient, and warm. The vibe is elevated by the friendliest staff, creating a welcoming, vibrant atmosphere. A must-visit for anyone who loves great Indian food!
Gene Virtser
Had takeaway from here for the first time. Food was delicious, not spicy as this is our preference. We had Navaratan Korma, Palak Paneer, Kashmir Pulao, cheese & garlic naan and Kashmiri naan. Everything was so tasty and beautifully made. The staff were friendly and helpful, both on the phone when ordering and in person when picking up. Will definitely be eating from here again!
Lorraine F
Literally the BEST Indian we’ve had in Melbourne!! Absolutely amazing experience! We had a table of 9 and were all blown away by the food—it was hands down some of the best and most flavourful Indian cuisine we’ve ever had.
The service was exceptional. The staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely cared about our dining experience. One of our guests is coeliac, and the chef personally came out to speak with us to ensure her meal was completely gluten free. That level of care and attention really stood out.
From start to finish, everything was perfect. Highly recommend this spot if you’re after delicious Indian food and outstanding service. We’ll definitely be back!
S RH
We were a party of 20 people for my Mother's 80th birthday. Sat 22/11/25 A large group.
We booked approx 1 month prior.
Ash managed everything from start to finish.
We didn't want to have a set menu so she organised our pre order to make sure we could be well catered for.
Ash checked in with me twice prior to our visit ( the last time approx 5 days before and made sure everything was well prepared for us).
The food was tasty in abundance, and well priced.
We were allowed to BYO beer and wine and a small corkage fee was applied.
There were 2 front of house staff and a third toward the end of the evening.
Everything went very well. There were no mistakes made with the orders. The staff were very proffessional polite and accomodating, taking care of us and other patrons.
I know this kind of large group with individual orders would not be the norm.
The only thing I would suggest is the food temperature could be hotter and some soft background music would complete the experience.
Having said that, it may have been hard to keep the food hot with such a large group.
They really tried to bring all our entrees and mains out together as well.
Excellent job.
Well done Ash and the other staff members.
Thank you 😊
Michelle Money
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