August 18, 2026
MIFF season got us into the city for a few dinners and we started with a 20-year mainstay for quick and tasty sustenance around a show: Flora. It's been beset by scaffolding for years but is still holding on and has even had a minor renovation, with vibrantly patterned furniture and murals of famous cricketers.
There's an extra frill to the service too, with staff now handing out menus and taking orders at the tables following many years of counter-only service. The Indian menu is compact but offers decent variety and value, with plenty of vegetarian options (dietaries aren't otherwise explicitly marked, so vegans and coeliacs will need to quiz the staff).
Michael had the appetite for the veg thali ($20.95 in 2026 and pictured up top, a similar meal costing $11.90 in 2015). It always includes rice and daal, a choice of naan or roti, and then three veg curries - here bhindi masala, paneer rara, and a potato/carrot/pea medley. Though we could see the curries on display out the front, they didn't have the tired feel of food that's been sitting in a bain marie all day - textures and flavours were full and varied.
For me, it was always going to be the dosa combination ($21.95 in 2026, with similar options priced at $8-9 in 2006 and $10.90 in 2015). Here, too, the idli and vada were piping hot and distinctly textured, leading me to believe they'd be made to order. You can see the crispness of the dosa in the photo, and it held a generous portion of chilli-paneer filling (they were all out of the usual potato masala). As a chilli wuss, I focused on the coconut chutney and barely touched the sambhar.
At Flora the mango lassi is definitely prepared earlier and a little on the small side, but it's also a good time ($3.95 in 2026, $3 in 2015).
It seems Flora have had to hike their prices more than most since we first visited two decades ago, but by our reckoning they've generally improved the service and food to match. It'll remain firmly on our fast-CBD-dinner list for a good few more years yet. We teamed this Flora meal with a viewing of the offbeat and heartfelt documentary Joybubbles at ACMI.
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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to Flora. Since our last post it's received a positive review from Green Gourmet Giraffe.
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Flora
238a Flinders St, Melbourne CBD
9663 1212
Accessibility: The entry is wide and flat. Regular-height tables backed chairs are densely arranged with reasonably wide pathways through the centre of the restaurant. We ordered at the table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.
