If you live in Melbourne, you know this city takes food seriously. We’ve got cafés that look like art galleries, laneways full of hidden dumpling spots, and restaurants where you can eat your way across the world in a single street. But when the craving hits for something warm, spicy, comforting, and full of soul, nothing beats Indian food. And if you’re someone who loves those deep, home-style flavours, Drums Melbourne is a place you’ll want to keep going back to.
Drums isn’t one of those restaurants that just “serves Indian food.” It feels more like stepping into a kitchen where someone has been cooking all morning — spices roasting, curry bubbling, pancakes sizzling away. The smells alone make you hungry. It’s Sri Lankan food with blend of Indian cuisine and flavours, made the proper way, with patience and heart.
People in Melbourne have always enjoyed Indian food, but the game has changed a lot over the years. It’s not just about butter chicken and chicken biryani anymore. People want the real stuff — dishes that taste like they came from someone’s family recipe, not something pulled out of a packet.
And South Indian food? Melbourne has absolutely fallen in love with it. Pancakes, Lamprais, Chilli Chicken, Rice & Curry — it’s the kind of food that feels fresh, spicy and comforting at the same time. If you’ve ever had Kottu roti or Lamprais on a chilly Melbourne day, you know exactly why it’s becoming everyone’s new obsession.
That’s the space where Drums Melbourne really shines. We don’t water things down. At Drums, we don’t try to “Westernise” the flavours. We make traditional Sri Lankan breakfast and varities of panrolls in the way it’s meant to taste.
If you ever search “Best Indian Food Melbourne,” you’ll see a long list of places — but ask someone who wants authentic flavour, and you’ll start hearing Drums show up in the conversation.
Here’s why:
1. The Spices Taste Real
You know that moment when you eat something and think, “Yep… these spices were toasted fresh”? That’s Drums. The flavour hits differently — fuller, deeper, richer.
2. Nothing Feels Rushed
Some curries taste like they were cooked fast just to get orders out. At Drums, you can taste the slow cooking. The food has layers, not just heat.
3. It Feels Like Home Food
A lot of customers say things like “This tastes like my mum’s cooking” or “This tastes exactly like what we had back home.” There’s no better compliment than that.
4. There’s Something for Everyone
If you want something rich, they’ve got it. If you want something mild and comforting, South Indian dishes have you covered. The menu is friendly for first-timers and regulars.
Anyone can throw around the word “authentic,” but Drums actually delivers it. Authenticity isn’t about decorations or theme music — it’s about cooking with intention.
At Drums, that means:
You feel the culture in the food, not just the seasoning.
If you haven’t tried South Indian food yet, Drums is a perfect place to start. The flavours are gentle but interesting, simple but satisfying.
You’ll find:
It’s the kind of food that leaves you full but not heavy, happy but not overwhelmed.
Even though Drums serves beautiful Indian and South Indian dishes, it has Sri Lankan street-food roots — and that’s actually what gives the food its spark, traditional Sri Lankan Food with blend of Indian cuisine. Sri Lankan cooking brings a different kind of energy to the table: more punch, more freshness, more warmth.
The mix of these food cultures — Indian and Sri Lankan — makes Drums feel like a little flavour festival.
If you’ve been hunting for the Best South Indian Food Melbourne, Best Street-style Sri Lankan Food in Melbourne or you just miss the taste of Authentic Indian Food Melbourne, Drums Melbourne is one of those places you’ll want to keep saved in your favourites.
It’s cosy and flavourful. It’s the kind of food you think about later in the day and go, “Yeah… I want that again.” And when it comes to South Indian food Melbourne, Drums is easily one of the warmest, most satisfying spots to enjoy it.
