Auckland is no stranger to refined, contemporary Indian food. Restaurants like Cassia and Sidart have already reshaped expectations, and in many ways, Aarth begins from that same lineage, but redefines and refines it through a deeply personal lens.

At the centre of Aarth is chef and owner Vicky Shah, whose career has quietly shaped some of the city’s most respected kitchens. With more than a decade of experience spanning Cassia, Sidart, The French Café and Ponsonby’s KOL, Shah brings a level of technical confidence that allows him to cook with restraint rather than excess. Senior leadership roles at SkyCity’s The Sugar Club and The Grill followed, before his most recent chapter as head chef at Ki Māha. Aarth is the moment where those experiences converge into something unmistakably his own.

The idea behind Aarth was to move beyond expectations. Not to discard the familiar, but to explore the breadth of Indian cuisine through lesser-seen regional influences and contemporary formats. It is a restaurant shaped by meaning, memory and intent, conceived as a welcoming third space for locals, travellers and first- and second-generation Indians alike.

The menu balances comfort with surprise. Playful beginnings include whitebait bhaji and heirloom tomatoes infused with pav bhaji flavours, while lighter dishes such as oyster sol kadhi, sev puri and palak patta chaat showcase precision and brightness. More substantial plates ground the experience, from duck nihari and beef laal maas to lamb finished with layered chutneys and buffalo milk paneer treated with the care of a centrepiece protein. Desserts nod to nostalgia without sentimentality, reworking mango lassi and offering a refined interpretation of Black Forest.

The drinks offering mirrors the same thoughtful approach. Cocktails are designed to support the food rather than compete with it, weaving Indian flavours through familiar spirits. Mezcal meets aam panna, whisky is lifted with carrot and honey, and the house Amaretto ‘Shah’ offers a subtle signature.

The dining room is warm, intimate and quietly confident. Rather than spectacle, Aarth is designed for connection, encouraging diners to slow down and settle into the experience. Subtle interior updates introduce depth and calm, anchored by a custom botanical artwork by Auckland studio The Plant Parlour NZ. Interpreting the Ganges River, the piece symbolises life, continuity and nourishment, reinforcing the idea that nothing here is decorative without purpose.

“Aarth is my way of welcoming people into my home,” Shah says. “The food draws from my heritage, expressed through where I am now in New Zealand. It’s personal, intentional and unapologetically me.”

Early in its journey, Aarth is already looking forward. Rooted in Indian culinary heritage and shaped by New Zealand sensibility, it offers a more intimate, more considered expression of modern Indian dining in Auckland.

Opening hours:
5pm – late, Wednesday – Sunday

aarth.co.nz