The 5 Best Indian Restaurants in Edinburgh

The 5 Best Indian Restaurants in Edinburgh

It comes as no surprise to anyone that Indian food is one of the most popular foods in all of Britain, and Scotland is no exception. In fact, after Haggis and a full breakfast, curry comes in third as Scotland’s favourite food and you can hardly blame them.

Who doesn’t love the burst of aroma and flavour that comes from Indian food? Or the rush of adrenalin when you accidentally order one that’s too hot?

It is incredibly difficult, some would say even impossible, to find anything better than a good curry. So we’ve done some digging and found you the 5 best Indian restaurants in Edinburgh.

Mother India’s Cafe

As mentioned in ‘The 10 Best Indian Restaurants in Glasgow Right Now’, Mother India’s Cafe offers incredibly tasty and sophisticated Indian tapas. Both locations in Edinburgh and Glasgow are consistently voted some of the best – if not the best – Indian restaurant in their respective cities. Mother India’s Cafe offers a different kind of Indian dining which people just can’t seem to get enough of.

The main idea behind Mother India’s Cafe’s concept is to bring people together over platters of sharing dishes. Try out their take on your favourite, as well as a few new and interesting dishes you might not have tried before. It’s delicious, it’s social and it’s fun. What’s not to love?

Website

Open hours:Sun-Thur 12:00 – 22:00Fri-Sat 12:00 – 23:00

Dishoom Edinburgh

Dishoom is not just possibly, but is actually one of the best restaurants in the city. They offer a truly unique dining experience in a relaxed yet highly-sophisticated atmosphere. There’s the modern menu, which includes a large range of vegan and vegetarian dishes, and then there’s the truly stunning and historical decor.

Dishoom on St’ Andrew Square is one of the last surviving authentic Bombay cafes and is proudly dedicated to the memory of Sir Patrick Geddes, the man who brought the concept over from India back in the 1920s. Not only is this a great place to grab some award-winning Indian cuisine, but it is also a sight worth seeing.

Website

Open hours:Sun 9:00 – 23:00Mon-Wed 8:00 – 23:00Thu-Fri 8:00 – 00:00Sat 9:00 – 00:00

Tanjore

On the other side of the spectrum is Tanjore, named after the medieval capital of the Great Chola Kingdom of the Tamil Country. This restaurant offers a much more relaxed and simple dining experience, but that’s where they truly shine. It’s dedicated to providing traditional South Indian food to Edinburgh locals that is both healthy and absolutely delicious.

It’s that very dedication that makes Tanjore an obvious addition to this list, as well as a multi-award winning restaurant. If you want comforting South Indian cuisine in a home-away-from-home atmosphere, then you want Tanjore on Clerk Street.

Website

Open hours:Mon-FriLunch: 12:00 – 14:30Dinner: 17:00 to 22:00Sat-SunLunch: 12:00 to 15:30Dinner: 17:00 to 22:00

Navadhanya

Another award-winning entry on the list is Navadhanya on Grindlay, which offers a wide range of modern Indian dishes in a smart, fine dining atmosphere. The decor is elegant and modern, just like the food, and it all comes together nicely to create a space that’s perfect for experimenting with old favourites. The modern twist they put on the curries we all know and love makes them a real favourite for anyone looking to try something a little different. The fact that it’s delicious doesn’t hurt either.

Website

Open hours:Tue-SatLunch: 12:00 – 14:00Dinner: 18:00 – 2300SundayLunch: 12:00 – 14:30Dinner: 18:00 – 2300

Kismot

Kismot on St’ Leonards Street is a small family-run restaurant that does modern takes on Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine. They’re famous for creating curries that are extremely hot, so much so that some consider it more of a challenge than a meal. You’ll find a great range of interesting and innovative dishes on the menu – and not all of them will blow your socks off, thankfully.

Kismot prides itself on creating a home-away-from-home atmosphere and many locals are considered family, rather than customers. They also have free corkage on BYOB, so really, what’s not to love?

Website

Open Hours:Tues-Sun: 16:30 – 23:30

There is no shortage of Indian restaurants in Edinburgh and there is nothing like a bit of healthy competition to drive standards up. It means that no matter where you go, you’re in for a treat.

So where is your favourite place to get curry in Edinburgh? Let us know in the comments.