ELCHI-Indian Restaurant Melbourne

Many dishes are marked V (Vegetarian) on the menu, vegetarianism is central to many Indian dishes here, and the kitchen is accustomed to preparing vegetarian plates. The shared-kitchen risk is low for vegetarians since cross-contact with meat is limited by prep workflows, but best to confirm when ordering.

The menu marks several dishes VG (Vegan) and DF (Dairy Free). Staff take dietary needs seriously. Because the kitchen is shared and dairy and egg are used in other dishes, strict vegans should confirm that no butter, ghee, or honey sneaks into their chosen dish.

The menu marks dishes GF and the team says they take extreme care against cross-contamination, but the kitchen is shared with gluten-containing items and they explicitly cannot guarantee any dish is safe for coeliacs. Best for diners who are comfortable relying on staff guidance on the day.

Several dishes on the menu are marked DF (Dairy Free), and many Indian dishes are naturally dairy-free, but the shared kitchen also handles paneer, cream, and ghee-heavy preparations. Dairy-intolerant guests should point out their DF dish choice to staff and ask about butter and ghee specifically.

Nuts appear in several signature dishes (pistachio lamb chops, cashew sauce in kofta korma) and the menu marks N on those items. The kitchen is not nut-free and they caution that they cannot guarantee any item is free from cross-contact. Guests with nut allergies should talk to the chef when ordering.

The venue states, "Our Meat is Halal certified, however we are not a halal certified restaurant." This indicates that halal meat is used, though the restaurant itself does not hold formal halal accreditation. Calling ahead is advised to confirm which halal practices are currently in place.