Choosing between the best Indian restaurants in Timaru comes down to what you want from the night: a licensed table with a view over Caroline Bay, or a butter chicken and garlic naan collected on the way home. Indian restaurants in Timaru serve North Indian curries, tandoori dishes and freshly baked breads, with dine in, takeaway, delivery and catering all on offer. Little India sits on The Bay Hill in Timaru Central, while Tandoori King serves Waimataitai from Evans Street.
1Little India Timaru
Little India Timaru serves North Indian cooking from The Bay Hill in Timaru Central, looking out over the piazza and Caroline Bay. The restaurant is part of a family business founded by Sukhi and Joanna Gill, and the Timaru kitchen has been run by Dwarika, Vijay and the team since 2011. It suits a sit down dinner or a booked group as easily as a takeaway order, with lunch and dinner service every day.
Services
- Dine in lunch and dinner service, seven days
- Takeaway and home delivery ordered online
- Table reservations for couples and groups
- Set menus for functions and larger group bookings
- Separate lunch, dessert and children’s menus
Highlights
- Family business started by Sukhi and Joanna Gill in Dunedin in 1991
- Trading on The Bay Hill in Timaru since 2011
- Fully licensed, with BYO bottled wine also welcome
- Cocktail and mocktail list drawn from the family’s North India roots, alongside a whisky and port selection
- Loyalty app for Apple and Android, plus gift vouchers and a published cook book
Location & Contact
Name: Little India Timaru
Address: 68 The Bay Hill, Timaru Central, Timaru 7910
Phone: 03 688 0561
Website: littleindia.co.nz/location/timaru-city
2Tandoori King
Tandoori King is an Indian restaurant and takeaway on Evans Street in Waimataitai, first established in 2005. The name came from the owner’s nickname among friends, family and customers, and the kitchen has stayed with authentic Indian flavours ever since. Lunch runs Tuesday to Sunday and dinner runs seven nights, so it works for a midweek sit down meal or a late order on the way home.
Services
- Dine in lunch service Tuesday to Sunday, dinner seven nights
- Takeaway ordered by phone and paid in store
- Home delivery through DeliverEasy, Uber Eats and DoorDash
- Catering for events, arranged with staff in store
Highlights
- Serving Timaru from the same Evans Street site since 2005
- Bookings and walk ins both welcome at any time
- Dishes modified on request for dietary requirements, with staff recommendations on what suits, though the kitchen is not certified gluten free
Location & Contact
Name: Tandoori King
Address: 88A Evans Street, Waimataitai, Timaru 7910
Phone: 03 688 8827
Website: tandooriking.co.nz
How to Choose the Right Indian Restaurant in Timaru
- Decide whether you are eating in or taking away, since a licensed dining room and a phone order counter are two quite different nights out.
- Check the lunch hours as well as the dinner hours, because Timaru kitchens often close between the two services and lunch is not always offered every day.
- Ask how heat levels are handled if you are cooking for a mixed table, as most kitchens will adjust the chilli in a curry on request.
- Raise dietary needs when you order rather than at the table, particularly for gluten, dairy or vegetarian dishes that may need a substitution.
- Look at how delivery is handled, whether that is the restaurant’s own online ordering or a third party app, as it affects both the wait and the price.
Frequently Asked Questions About Timaru Indian Restaurants
What does a typical Indian meal in Timaru cost?
Timaru kitchens do not always publish a full price list online, so ring or read the menu at the counter before you order. A main curry with rice and a bread is the standard order for one person, and takeaway usually works out cheaper than the same meal eaten in a licensed dining room.
Which part of Timaru are the Indian restaurants in?
They are spread between the central city and the northern suburbs. The Bay Hill is in Timaru Central, a short walk from Stafford Street and overlooking Caroline Bay, which suits anyone already in town. Evans Street runs through Waimataitai to the north, which is easier if you are coming from that side of Timaru or heading towards Washdyke.
Can I get Indian food delivered in Timaru?
Yes. Delivery is available either through a restaurant’s own online ordering system or through the delivery apps that operate in Timaru, including DeliverEasy, Uber Eats and DoorDash. Coverage and delivery fees vary by suburb, so check your address in the app before you build the order.
Do Timaru Indian restaurants cater for functions?
Catering and function menus are available. Some kitchens build a set menu for a group booking in the restaurant, others arrange catering with staff for an event held elsewhere. Give as much notice as you can, especially for large numbers over a weekend.
Are these restaurants licensed, or BYO?
Both arrangements are common in the trade. A fully licensed restaurant sells beer, wine and cocktails at the table, while BYO means you bring your own bottled wine and pay a corkage fee. If you plan to bring a bottle, confirm the corkage charge when you book.
Can Indian dishes be made vegetarian or gluten free?
Vegetarian dishes are standard on a North Indian menu, and many curries can be adjusted. Gluten is harder, because breads and some sauces contain wheat and a shared kitchen carries a cross contamination risk, so a restaurant may offer gluten free choices without being certified. Say what you need when you order and ask the staff what they recommend.
How do I check a restaurant’s food safety grade?
Food premises in New Zealand operate under a registered food control plan and are verified by the local council or an approved agency. You can read how the system works on the Ministry for Primary Industries website, and ask Timaru District Council about the grading of a particular premises.
What is the difference between a curry and a tandoori dish?
A curry is cooked in a sauce, so butter chicken, korma, rogan josh and vindaloo all arrive in gravy and are eaten with rice or bread. A tandoori dish is marinated and cooked in the clay tandoor oven, which gives drier, smoky meat and is usually served without a sauce. Ordering one of each is a good way to feed a table.