TONKA

The food quality was good. However, it’s not authentic Indian, it’s a western fusion of food. Just one pani puri for $8 is too much. That was shocking, pani puri is always served plate full, or atleast give two or three, we were taken a back. The food quality and taste was delicious. A huge scope of improvement is service. The order was simply taken and forgotten. We ordered in three phases, it happened to every single orders. Even for the drinks, they simply forgot. We had invited other people for dinner there and it was quite embarrassing to be honest.

Delicious meal with creative Indian inspired flavours, friendly service and lovely ambience. We started off with some mocktails and paneer tikka which served with a nice pineapple relish, then we moved onto eggplant malabar curry with tempura enoki mushrooms, chargrilled asparagus, goat cheese tyrokafteri, nori podi, Salt and vinegar triple cooked potatoes, tamarind raita, shezwan crisp with a side of Black garlic naan and lemon rice. Finished off with the lovely Chocolate parfait, Bournvita crunch, caramelised tahini, milk sorbet and oat milk masala chai.

One of those Indian places we really wanted to try as it was non traditional modern cuisine. Service provided was amazing, staff were very informative and knew the menu well. I would recommend you skip the starters that are priced individually especially if you are in a large group. We did the tuna tartare which was marinated really well although wish they had provided some form of crisp to go with it even though they charge for papadums separately. We had all the tandoor dishes which was really good and well marinated except for the paneer which was dry. Again we ordered all the mains on the menu, good sharing size except for the market fish which was a thin fillet of barramundi. They all tasted individually different with various spices and we enjoyed all of it. We were celebrating a birthday and was shocked to find out they charge $10 per person cakeage no mention of this anywhere on their website. But they allowed us to blow out the candles and cutting of cake.

Tonka – Modern Indian Flavours in a Stunning Laneway Setting Tonka is a modern Indian restaurant tucked just off Flinders Lane, down one of those classic Melbourne laneways. The space is beautiful without trying too hard, and once it gets darker, the atmosphere really comes together — warm, relaxed, and a bit special. The food was consistently good. We started with the pani puri, which was fresh, punchy, and really well done. At $6 each, it’s not cheap, but still something I’d recommend trying. The Crystal Bay fried prawn was delicious too — crispy, light, and full of flavour. You only get one, so it’s more of a bite than a starter, but it was a good one. The scotch fillet was the standout. Perfectly cooked and the bone marrow tadka gave it a deep, rich flavour that really made it feel like something special. The tandoori spatchcock was also great — juicy, well balanced, and felt thoughtfully put together. We had a few sides too. The black garlic naan was interesting — a bit sweeter than I expected, not super garlicky, but still tasty in its own way. The butter naan and pappadums were simple and solid. Overall, I’d give the food a strong 4.1 out of 5. It’s flavourful, well-executed, and the menu feels tight and confident. Some of the pricing on smaller items is a bit high, but for the quality and the overall experience, it felt pretty fair. Service was lovely — friendly, attentive, and made the night feel easy.