The best reason to hit Crown since Shane Warne presided over Club 23, Mischa Tropp’s cinemascope bar and restaurant boasts the best butter chicken in town – poultry cooked over charcoal in the tandoor. But first, kick things off with hollow balls of fried puchka with a spiced potato, chickpea and tamarind water filling, and don’t miss the woodfired prawns in a lilting coconut and turmeric curry (pro tip: don’t wear white). Emulating Bengal’s swish members’ clubs, the dining room is beautifully transportive, but you can also keep it casual in the bar with a Kingfisher beer and cricket on the TVs. 8 Whiteman St Level 1 Casino, Crown Melbourne, Southbank; kolkatacricketclub.com

Entry Via Laundry has gone official since its early days at the home of self-taught chef Helly Raichura, when the address was released only after you made a booking. Now happily ensconced in ‘proper’ digs, albeit with a gratifyingly mysterious alleyway entrance, it remains an intimate degustation of five or 10 courses, depending on the night, with a rotating menu putting the culinary spotlight on different regions. Swing by the more recently added bar for commitment-free access to snacks (mustard and coconut marinated prawns and spiced goat mince Scotch eggs, for starters) and cocktails that match the theme. 507 Nicholson St, Carlton North; entervialaundry.com.au

Jessi Singh knows his way around the Pantone colour wheel, and isn’t afraid to use its dusky pinks and vibrant blues to brilliant subcontinental effect. At the top of Chinatown, he’s created a venue that’s transportive without the cliches and married it to an ‘unauthentic’ menu celebrating the explosive joy of gol gappa (fried semolina puffs filled with spiced yoghurt and mint and coriander chutney – eat in one bite, or pay for dry-cleaning), scallop crudo with jalapeno chaat and ‘Indian fried chicken’. If you feel like exploring the world of the British-Indian gastropub, head a few doors up to the Daughter’s Arms for butter chicken parmigiana and pork vindaloo sausage rolls. Multiple locations; daughterinlaw.com.au

The zippy coastal flavours of Southern India have been enlisted to warm the chilly high ground of outer-northern Melbourne at these two husband-and-wife-run restaurants, with menus steeped in the coconut-infused curries and spicy street eats of Kerala. Take a flavour trip with the great value thali tasting plate of five South Indian curries, or the sadhya, a selection of a dozen dhals, raitas, curries and vegetable dishes. Snacks including onion bhajis, papdi chaat and a dosa menu are a reminder of Babaji’s beginnings as a peripatetic food stall. The colourful, maximalist fit-outs are another sure-fire way to warm your cockles. Multiple locations; babajiskitchen.com.au

The ‘dirty samosa’ has been an irreverent menu fixture at this Victoria Avenue restaurant since it opened in 2017; the smooshed pea and potato pastry with chickpea yoghurt masala and chutneys telegraphing the ambition within these designer walls. Vying for the special-occasion dollar yet an enduring neighbourhood favourite on a can’t-be-bothered-cooking Tuesday night – this is Albert Park, after all – Atta marries its undeniable good looks with an elevated repertoire. Modern interpretations of classic Indian dishes include the winning Sunday roast vibes of the sikandari raan – a soft sous-vide lamb leg paired with Dutch carrots, herb potatoes and mint chutney. 159/161 Victoria Ave, Albert Park; attarestaurant.com.au

You might have encountered chef couple Saavni Krishnan and Sriram Aditya’s Saadi pop-up over the past three years at venues such as Hope Street Radio, Arnold’s and Public Wine Shop. In welcome news, the pair recently found a permanent home in the space formerly occupied by Southeast Asian restaurant Sunda. Kadhi pakora – vegetable fritters in yoghurt sauce with cumin and ghee-charged rice – are a thrilling taste of subcontinental comfort, while lamb brisket kebabs and whole barbecued Corner Inlet flathead, crusted in curry leaves and served with tamarind sauce, sums up the ethos of making the most of top local produce. 18 Punch Ln, Melbourne; saadimelbourne.com

Tucked down Duckboard Place with great views over Flinders Street, Tonka has reached old-timer status (it opened in 2013), but it’s almost quaint to remember the incredulous ructions its Indian-fine-dining aspirations once caused. The city business crowd can now head to the thali bar for a lunchtime set, elevated with dishes like Keralan-style roasted lamb shoulder and lemon tempered rice. Meanwhile, the main dining room, set beneath its statement puffball-netted ceiling, is the scene for fancified classics and street snacks such as betel leaf-wrapped fried prawns, confit duck leg curry with preserved dates and black garlic naan. 20 Duckboard Pl, Melbourne; tonkarestaurant.com.au

Honk if you’re hungry. Fans of Jessi Singh’s unauthentic Indian eats have been frequenting this riot-of-colour Fitzroy North restaurant for more than a decade. Now offsider chef Amar Singh is calling the shots, spinning modern motherland faves from the tandoor such as butter chicken, garlic naan and an incredible black lentil dahl with a depth of flavour that just won’t quit. Curries and street food snacks don’t edge over $25, and those small bites will cost you no more than a tenner. Wash things down with a Kingfisher beer or a cheeky cocktail. 167 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North; hornplease.com.au

Serial restaurateur Manpreet Sekhon (Geelong’s Eastern Spice, Fitzroy’s Masti) wants Elchi to be the best modern Indian in – if not the world, then at least Melbourne. Opening in 2022 in the former Press Club site, it has extra bar tables for walk-ins seeking a cocktail and snack. Of which there are plenty, including golgappa shots – cumin water (an acquired taste) in puffed puri bread pockets and Mumbai street snack vada pao, a well-spiced potato patty in a bun. Standout mains include a Kathiyawadi lamb osso bucco curry, a creamy Kovalam curry rich with coconut and tamarind, and a crispy whole Amritsari fish with tamarind, roasted rice, and lime. Not to be missed is the Not-your-average chicken tikka, which is advertised as having tomato-chilli caramel, but is most memorable for its buttery, garlicky, piping-hot chunks of tender meat. The two-page wine list comprises well-priced wines to match the spice and varied tastes of clientele. 72 Flinders St, Melbourne; elchirestaurant.com.au

Before Kolkata Cricket Club, Mischa Tropp announced himself with this play on the toddy shops of coastal Kerala – casual drinking dens-slash-food stops. A tiny but mighty curveball of nostalgic ephemera in a pastel-hued space, its homestyle food is equally bold, delivering regional Southern Indian flavours that expand Melbourne’s idea of ‘Indian’ cuisine. Test the waters with the perfect triplicate of barramundi in a chilli and lime-driven sauce, a cooling beetroot pachadi and the tissue-like parota (fried bread). When the weather warms up, the streetside deck is a great place to sit with a cocktail like the colada infused with curry leaf and toddy (palm sap liqueur). Rear/191A Smith St, Fitzroy; marthandenhotel.com

Last millennium, father and son team Ravnish and Jaspal Gandhi introduced Melbourne to the idea that Indian food can have the full linen-tablecloths-and-excellent-produce treatment at Bombay By Night and have followed up with this lovely, mood-lit restaurant. The classics are all a safe bet – there’s a beef vindaloo that will pass muster among heat freaks, while aromatic fish curry in the Goan style is perfume for the soul – but spread the remit further with paneer (mild cheese) pakoras stuffed with a herb-driven spicy chutney and pine nuts, and keema naan – tandoor-baked bread with rogan josh-style lamb mince and shredded mango chutney. 400 Hampton St, Hampton; cafesouthall.com

Here’s one for the hungry night owls: the Flinders Street venue, directly opposite the train station, is open until 2am, seven days a week (others in the western and northern suburbs keep quieter hours, but still produce a mean onion bhaji). The ‘hangover buster’ breakfast here lives up to its promise with potato-stuffed aloo parathas and fried eggs with dahi (yoghurt) and pickles, while the smoky eggplant curry is a great reason to go vegetarian, at least for the moment. At lunchtime, join the crowds for budget-friendly plates, including a super garlicky Nepalese-style lamb with roti and naan. Multiple locations; desidhaba.com.au