Mother India's Cafe Edinburgh

We visited Edinburgh last week, this place was recommended by my Indian colleague, and we went there twice! Every dish was just fantastic, love the idea of tapas - that gave us the chance to try different varieties! And Good service. Wish we had such a place in the town I am living now…

We chose this place because of its proximity to the Festival Theatre, and it is ideal for pre-theatre dining. The restaurant was busy at 6pm. Service was reasonably good, but did feel staff could’ve been more attentive. The dishes are tapas size, but there was no explanation from staff about how many dishes to order (it does state this on the menu, but other places we’ve been to with this range have asked if we’ve eaten there before, and if not, explained how the tapas menu works). We chose aubergine and potato, lamb keema mutter, machi massala (fish) and a naan. All were hot and tasty. The naan was not as puffy as most though. This was enough food for us, and it wasn’t heavy like some Indian food. I would go back.

Most of the menu is gluten free, we had vegetables bakkora which was amazing highly recommended!! one of the best bakora I've ever had. we also had king prawns chili which was really disappointing, it was cooked too much so it was hard to eat. For main dishes we had chicken biryani it sticky and saucy so it was average, we also had butter chicken and garlic and chili chicken and basmati rice which were veryyyy good, however, the garlic chili chicken was very spicy for those who are not a big fan of spicy food. Also note that the dishes considered small.

We had lunch order few main dishes biryani and the shrimps was not the best, chicken butter was good and chicken garlic but was spicy. Dishes considered small

10/10! We are from London and came here by recommendation from a friend living in Edinburgh, as soon as we arrived we were greeted by a wonderful intimate yet family atmosphere and great waiters. We had our dinner downstairs and ordered as starters Kurkure Aloo Chaat and Keema Samosa, and as mains Butter Chicken, Coconut and Mango Chicken, Railways Lamb Curry and Monk Fish Tikka with 2 sides of basmati rice and cheesy garlic naan and we shared it all between 4ppl. We were served by two wonderful waiters Rishi and Dipanshu super kind and attentive towards my allergy to honey 😊🐝 We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in Edinburgh! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

One of the best Indian restaurants my mom and I ever went to. After a hike to Arthur’s seat we lunched here and it was everything we wanted. The staff was very nice and there where many choices with meat and fish but also with vegetables which is perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Small portions so you can taste more than one dish. Definitly a place to go when visiting Edinburgh!

We ordered garlic naan, dal makhani, paneer curry, gajar halwa, gulaab jamun with ice cream, and a lemonade. The food was satisfactory, garlic naans were big and had a lot of garlic pieces - good but a bit dry. The portions were sufficient - 1 portion for 2 people was good. The lemonade was great but it was readymade. The paneer and dal makhani portions were not half bad and we enjoyed everything on the table. The atmosphere was nice and cozy. The waiters were friendly and helpful and constantly checked if we needed anything. To save you from being surprised, there are no starters/snacks on the menu, they don’t serve any. The place is easily accessible and is just a few mins of walk away from Waverley station. It is easy to spot as well.

We tried Indian cuisine for the first time in our lives, the food was unusual but the atmosphere, hygiene and attention were very good. We recommend you to book a table before come, it was a different experience 🍛🥘

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner on Valentine's Day at Mother India's. I'd booked Dishoom and here and decided since I've been to Dishoom in London I'm coming here instead. I'm very happy that I did. The food was outstanding. The garlic chili chicken is to die for! This was my favorite dish. I also ordered veggie samosas, cheese naan, rice, and aloo gobi to pair with my kingfisher. I can't wait to return! Fantastic dinner choice, and everything is walking distance around here so it was lovely to stroll back to my hotel after a very satisfying meal. Make a booking here if you're looking for a casual yummy and fulfilling dinner.

This restaurant was highly recommended by our driver from the airport who is East Indian and Scottish. I went there for lunch a little after opening and received a table. It filled up quickly. The service was friendly but a little slow and I had to wait for the check for a bit but the food was delicious. I had the butter chicken with tender pieces of meat and a smooth, savory sauce. I paired it with garlic naan. It was a great recommendation and also nice that it's off the Royal Mile and less busy.

Have had two wonderful meals at Mother India's Cafe. Smaller plates, but decent portions for the price. I have gotten the Lamb Keema Mutter and Spicy Keema Dosa, as well as garlic naan, rice, and the Saag Paneer. All were absolutely wonderful and I wish I was eating them again right now, especially the Dosa. I will absolutely return to this place time and time again! Service is extremely quick and you get your food and drinks very soon after ordering. However, it's typically booked at busy times, so I would make a booking if you're planning to visit.

Definitely some of the best Indian food I have had! Ordered takeout to take back to our hotel after a long day exploring the city. The service was wonderful, very accommodating! The flavors of everything were amazing. Would highly recommend giving it a try!

Very enjoyable restaurant. Food was excellent; well prepared and very tasty. Service was also spot on. Good mix of locals and tourists. Heard Canadian, German, and American accents. Highly recommend

probably the best option for indian cuisine in edinburgh (not that i've tried all the other places), a good competitor for the classic Dishoom. all the food was delicious and didn't take super long to come out. we went for a late lunch around 2 and was able to get seats right away.

Fantastic food and great experience overall. Perfect for a taste of India. Location is central in city Allso

naan and butter chicken were both 10/10. Open later than 89.367% of the places here. Highly rec

Mother India's were doing breakfast during the festival and we all enjoyed our very different options - eggs, bread or fruit-based. I personally love having a (mostly) savoury rather than sweet, American-style breakfast. Based on the quality of the breakfast I'd like to try lunch or dinner too.

A guidebook recommended Mother India's and Dishoom, but after reading the menus for both, we opted for another India's. I'm so glad we did! We popped in right when they opened for dinner at 5 PM. The menu recommends 3-4 dishes for 2 and I would agree. We hadn't eaten since 7 am and we're pretty hungry from wandering around all day-- we cleared our dishes! Pricing was very reasonable: $22.50 for pitta/naan, basmati rice, butter chicken, saag paneer, and the chili garlic chicken for two. Ambiance is casual but very modern and clean, with a hint of richness to it (textured wallpapers, warm colors, 1920's-esque lighting). Service was great and quite quick (thought that may be due to the time of day we ate). I would definitely recommend!

This restaurant was recommended by a bartender in a pub . It did not disappoint. We were able to sneak in without a reservation. The service was great and the food amazing.

I'm not a huge Indian food fan but I had heard good things about this restaurant so I thought I would check it out. It did not disappoint!! It was the perfect amount of food for one person and the curry was so good! I will definitely be going back.

Arrived on a Thursday at 7 p.m. after reading Yelp reviews. There was no seating so we waited a few minutes for a table to open. The staff seated us, gave us a few minutes to look at the menu and we ordered. The dishes are tapas, but larger servings than some. We ordered nan and three other dishes, including chicken in a basil cream sauce, which was sweet compared the other spicy dishes. Our food was very good. The beer we ordered was Edinburgh Gold.

Indian tapas place. I really like their small quantities. Gives an opportunity to try more things. Since we were with friends we tried quite a few things, and they were all good. Dal makhni Chana Dal Saag paneer Pindi chole Crispy Chaat Pani Puri Mixed pakoras

Wow, just wow. This was amazing Indian. The smaller portions were perfect (it's described as tapas but really not that small) to allow us to try a variety of things. Saag paneer, butter chicken, the aubergine and the haddack massala. Everything was amazing, we also had garlic and peshawari naan. If only I lived closer this would be my go-to place. It's bigger than it looks from the outside, there's also a downstairs seating area, so don't let lines discourage you! They also carry a mango and lime Peacock cider which pairs perfectly with the food.

Mother's India Cafe is on a cute street in Edinburgh, right off the main path! Super cute and cozy inside but also very respectable and elegant. Everyone is very kind and attentive towards you. Food came very quickly and was plenty of food!! I got the basmati rice, garlic naan (huge piece) the Chana Daal (yellow lentils with cumin and onion) and then Chicken Tikka Basil Curry. Everything was sooo delicious and was extremely authentic. One thing I didn't enjoy was their Sangiovese red wine from Veneto. It was too sweet and tasted just like actual grape juice, which is not normal for that region. Otherwise, excellent restaurant and I would 100% come back here again!

Still one of my favourite places for Indian food in Edinburgh. Even on a Monday night it's busy. I really like the tapas style dishes which make for a great social experience. The daal makni & the dosas are always a highlight. Service is always really good too.

Execellent menu with dishes served tapas style. I enjoyed my lunch so much that I went back for dinner. The curry chicken is so delicious and I recommend the daal, aloo gobi, and this spicy lamb dish wrapped in a pancake (forgot the name). Staff was very attentive and the prices and portion were good (we had a table of two) So, so good.

Wonderful late night dinner food! We shared 4 dishes and 1 garlic pita between two people. This was a good amount to fill up on, but not too much. The food was excellent and extremely delicious.

This is some great Indian food! Well-made and good service. We had a great tapas-style lunch.

We came here on a cold snowy evening while on vacation to Edinburgh from the USA and got a table without a reservation. Ok they seated us behind a pillar but that's fine. For two people we ordered the fish pakora, chicken dosa, chicken Tikki basil masala, and butter chicken. The food came quickly. The portions are small so order at least two per person, and expect tapas style dining. Overall the flavor was good and the food was fresh. We would definitely consider visiting again.

Very flavorful! Moderately expensive, it's 2ish pounds for some rice which I'm not used to paying for. The portions were a bit small too, about a mouthful for 6-7 pounds. They advertise the menu as a tapas style menu so I guess that's how they priced it..?

Location was key for me during my visit to Edinburgh and Mother India's cafe was right round the corner from out hotel. We were taken to a lovely seat by the window and brought a selection of dips and sauces with lovely light popadoms to nibble on whilst we salivated over the menu. Both opting for a kingfisher pint we decided the we would go for the recommended amount of dishes between two, four. We ordered butter chicken, garlic mushroom pakora, lamb sag and a minced meat pancake. All were tasty, filling and very well made but my favourite was the lamb. Tender and jam packed full of flavour. For dessert we both opted for a gulab jammin with Porreli ice cream. Wow! Now I've tried mother india's cafe I can't wait to go to the Glasgow branch to try more tasty treats.

We visited Mother India for dinner - thankfully you can make a booking at the Edinburgh Cafe which meant our table was ready and waiting as soon as we arrived. The menu is similar to the Glasgow cafe - tapas dishes to share, they recommend 3-4 between two people. As there was 4 of us we went for 8 dishes with rice, naan and poppadums. For me, the stand out dishes were the daal makni - similar to the black daal I had recently at Mother India in Glasgow, it was SO delicious. This one had kidney beans in it as well. I also loved the chilli chicken dosa which was lovely and light, a really fresh dish to break up the curries. And the other dish I'd recommend was the baby aubergine and potato, a delicious veggie option. I'm a huge Mother India fan so am delighted to say that the Edinburgh branch lived up to my very high expectations! The bill was about £20 pp which included drinks, so incredibly reasonable as we couldn't even finish all the food. So make a booking in advance, order loads of dishes to share and enjoy!

I had read about Mother India's in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was mostly full for lunch, but we didn't have to wait to get a table. They do take reservations. Wines are pretty cheap: I got a 250 ml Sangiovese for £6, and it went pretty well with the food. They also had beers. Surprisingly, I didn't see any lassis on the menu. Food (family style): - Chana daal: not too greasy or salty - Chili king prawns: a bit overcooked, strong on the cumin, better with a squeeze of lemon - Chicken breast and mushroom curry: lighter, non cream based. I appreciate a healthier curry - Mutton railway curry: richer, good for dipping naan. Slightly gamey - Garlic pita: not super garlicky, but it had the right amount of fluffiness and the right texture - Cheese and coriander naan: thicker than the pita. I think I actually preferred the pita texture a bit more, but the naan was still good Food came pretty quickly, and the bill ended up being just under £40 for two people with 2 glasses of wine.

We split 3 tapas, garlic pitta (naan) and plain pitta (naan) between two people. The vegetable samosas came with salad and chickpeas and overall the food was very filling and nice. The other dishes arrived in metallic, cylindric bowls.

The food and hospitality are amazing! We took the nan garlic bread twice! the chicken masala, lamb with curry and the dal were amazing! The haddock fish is not as good as the former dishes. We really enjoyed the chai masala! Highly recommended !

I love Indian food to death since having my first taste of it in London a few years ago and I'm so glad I came here for my first big meal in Edinburgh. I had the chicken curry and rice. Everything was delicious and the prices were reasonable. We (my mother and I) actually made two stops here for lunch. She also had this fruit smoothie with a combination of yogurt that was delicious. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the drink. All in all, great service, great price, and pretty awesome atmosphere. I might prefer this to Dishoom!

An Indian style tapas restaurant which although quite new is very popular with the locals. I really like this place just because I can order a selection of Indian foods and try a bit of a variety. However, if it's crowded (which is usually is) it gets very noisy, as the sound seems to bounce of the walls and celling. Our waiter was good, although if you have a small tolerance for very hot stuff do not go with their suggestions of medium- our was charmingly tearing up during my date.(so pretty with makeup down my cheeks- yes) On Friday's and Saturday evenings book in advance. It's reasonably priced as far as Edinburgh restaurants as well.

Edinburgh is as close as it gets to a city that vouches for my love more than Manchester. The old town, the new town, the hustle and bustle of the Calton hill steps and hearing 5 different languages on the walk from ciao Roma to the National museum gives it a delightful cosmopolitan je ne sais quoi factor. In fact if, on a cold blustery day sitting by the window in Elephant house sipping hot coco overlooking grey friar's creek/Edinburgh castle doesn't melt your heart...You're dead inside! Anyway onto foodie business. There are so many delightful eateries small, large independent, not so independent in and around this magnificent city that only living here permanently will quench your foodie thirst. A day trip thus just doesn't cut it. What it does do is give you a chance to visit THIS gem of a place. I initially came here having read rave reviews including Jonny Q's in his early days as Manchester CM. Quick recap on my first visit: It was a dark and bitterly cold December evening and we were tired, desperately searching for a decent feed before retiring to our hotel. Thanks to the Yelp app and Jonny's review we not only found warm refuge but a blissfull, appetizing solitude. Without a reservation on a saturday night it only took 25 minutes for a party of 6 to be seated before being dined and watered in the best way possible. That was then and this was now. Last weekend was my first time lunching at Mother India and it was just as satisfying. The tapas style menu is a genius idea, especially if your chefs are THIS exceptional. There are so many fantastic dishes on offer that going with a group of friends, ordering lots and sharing is definitely the way forward. Don't take my word for it, go check it out for yourself. As for me the spontaneous trip last saturday has reaffirmed my dream of living here for a few years. Or at least strengthened the fervour to return sooner rather than later. Who fancies a spontaneous road trip on a Saturday? Seven am departure from the Deansgate bike... holler if interested. Maybe even go attend a yelp event in Edinburgh? Represent the Manchester massive? *Pensively scratches chin and hmmmmms*

This place is the bomb! I've eaten at other great Indian and Bangladeshi places in Edinburgh, but this one remains a favorite. The food is freshly prepared, authentic and tasty, but the best part is the tapas sized portions, enabling you to sample several different dishes without ending up with too much food. Atmosphere is fun, usually pretty crowded, but service is friendly and quick. Yum!!!

Catching a glimpse into the Mother India kitchen is pure magic. I had prime spot and could see that everything worked like clockwork and everybody loves what they do. This is such well-executed true five star Indian food but in fresh tapas format. It was a full house but everything flowed. - We were never forgotten, always felt attended to and service was prompt. I won't pick a favourite because I can't. - Everything is delightful! Go with some friends, share a few dishes and feast till you can't eat anymore. The Mother India experience is memorable and delicious; a real treat and entirely worthy of its acclaim.

We found this place on trip advisor and went in starving at ~5:45pm on a Friday night. We were pleased to get a table despite how busy they were. They advertise "tapas" style dishes to share, but they were pretty large portions for tapas. We had vegetable pakora, saag paneer, butter chicken, and Peshawar pitta bread. Omg it was all delicious and just they right amount of food for the two of us. Everything was perfectly seasoned and top quality. The staff and managers operate like a well oiled machine and do an amazing amount of business. They also offer 125ml glasses of wine so you can sample things- again brilliant! We loved our dinner and would definitely go back!!!

I tried their butter chicken, naan, and mango lassi. The mango lassi was sour, the naan totally tasteless, and the butter chicken was the worst I've ever had. The tapas style is good since you get smaller portions. The naans are large, so two was a lot for me (& I LOVE naans!). The place was packed, and the service was bad if you hadn't made reservations. So make reservations.

Mother India was our planned destination for Indian whilst we were in Edinburgh. It was delicious and a nice change from other Indian restaurants since this was more of a tapas style where we ordered quite a few dishes to split. I'm glad we went but would recommend reservations. The restaurant was crowded, as it should be, and we were placed in the basement for dining. The basement was clean and had very nice decor but smelt strongly of pinesol or another cleaner, almost off putting in strength. We toughed it out and ate at the restaurant rather than carrying out. It was delicious and the pashwari naan was my favorite part.

The rating is due to the very rushed and poor service which ruined our night (on a weekday). We ordered and within an hour finished our meal (which tasted good). Then everything went so wrong: Our waiter came and repeatedly (5 times!) asked us if we wanted anything else. We didn't, we just wanted to relax a bit and enjoy the fact that we went out for dinner. Please mind that that the table was not booked by anyone else later and had only stayed less than an hour. We should have probably taken our time to eat , as the people in nearby tables, but we weren't expecting being treated like we were in a fast food place. We didn't have a reservation, which normally grants you about 2 hours sufficient to have a dinner out, however I believed that we could stay as much time as the customers with reservation. Mother India treats walk in customers differently and tries to squeeze as many walk ins as possible by rushing the people out. When we left, I informed our waiter how his attitude affected our dinner and he apologized but confirmed that usually walk in people stay for 1-1.5 hour and they plan based on that. (Well, still more than the hour we stayed.) I like indian food and going out for dinner, but I wont be returning back after that.

A friend told me I should go and try this place, presumably because he was so sick of me banging on about In Delhi just up the road from here. Maybe I didn't go in with an open mind, but I have to say there was nothing particularly special about this place. Yes, they do an amazing selection of spiced, herbal or green teas, and yes the nibbles-sized dishes on the food menu were tasty (the mushroom poori and chilli chicken dosa in particular), i thought the whole place lacked a bit of character that so many other indian eateries have. The furniture/décor was very formal and serious, which is pretty much the opposite of what a restaurant with a tapas mentality should be in my opinion - I loved how we were constantly dipping into eachother's dishes sampling sharing them all, but sitting at those tables I felt as though I was doing something I shouldn't be every time I did.

Mother India is something different. Although at the time I didnt realsise there was a Mother India in Glasgow, when I was here recently, I knew I had found something a bit special. Set aside in a tiny fronted building, inside Mother India spans two floors and is a lovely mixture or traditional and more modern concepts when it comes to the decor. It's actually rather pleasing on the eye, and if I were able to bring a few scatter cushions and a bean bag, I would have a perfect chill out space. Anyway... The food here is something different - its kind of like the bastard love child of Spain and India - a selection of tiny portions designed to be eaten Tapas style, but from a very indian menu. The concept actually work very well - the food is not only excellent, but by ordering lots of dishes everybody gets a taste of what they fancy without suffering from food envy. There is, depending on what combination of food you order, a overpowering sense of flavour which may be unpleasent to some peoples tastes, however, anything that manages to put a modern spin on Indian food is good with me. It also helps that I love tapas. So, "Yay! I'm a fan."

I first noticed Mother India's Cafe when sitting in cafe Nero across the road, looking out. It looked interesting so I had to try it. This Indian Restaurant certainly is a bit different. As the others have suggested, it isn't just another takeaway or Indian buffet house, but a tapas style restaurant where you can sample many dishes. In this respect Mother India's Cafe earns points for being different. I did enjoy the food here at Mother India's Cafe but I more enjoyed the tea. The latter was quite exciting, the former, for all its ingenuity, wasn't as great as I had hoped. I also have to agree with Fiona about the setting. Inside it is rather too bland and formal and I didn't feel overly relaxed. At the same time the waiter was very friendly and the pricing was average. Not a bad Indian restaurant with a novel idea, but it could do with improving its atmosphere.

I liked this restaurant as it was a tapas style menu, so you can order smaller portions of different dishes instead of one, allowing you to try new things. We got the chicken pakora, chicken curry, and chicken tikka masala. Best dishes were definitely chicken pakora and butter chicken. Garlic naan was also amazing, but that's pretty hard to mess up. While I've definitely had better Indian back home in NYC, this place was still great and would recommend trying!

So good. Had Spiced Haddock, Butter Chicken, Chicken Breast Curry, Auvergne Fritters, with basmati rice and regular pitta. We were starving and this hit the spot. Both my and my husband's favorite was the Butter Chicken.

This was my second time in Edinburgh and my second visit to Mother India. I love the concept of the small dishes - so lovely to be able to try several dishes and share with your table mates. Good service, comfortable setting.

GREAT Indian food for a reasonable price! We loved it and ordering three of the smaller plates with naan is more than enough for a light lunch. We had a good time and the flavors here are really robust. Good service too.

Back again and this place has now been designated my number two restaurant in the world. Always busy, but always fantastic!

We were looking for great Indian food,small plates,chances to try new items,we found it.Food was amazing in taste,and served very hot.Beer from India,my hubby was happy.Even though we were full,we had to have glubjamin for dessert.Oh just absolutely hit the spot.Warm glubjamin,icecream,what could be better.Thankyou for a great meal,and impeccable service.

Delicious food! Good service. Great prices. We ordered the saag paneer, lemon cashew rice, minted lamb curry and spiced haddock, along with a garden salad. All of the dishes were fresh and fragrant! Very satisfied with this meal.

The food is fantastic. One of the best Indian cafes in Edinburgh. Masala tea is my favourite and they are master of cooking fish. Service is good and serving food is quick. Strongly recommended!

Wish I could give this 4.5 stars really. Food was fantastic! Had the saag paneer, lamb with mint, butter chicken and another vegetarian dish. Wonderful blend of spice that adds so much delicious flavour. The butter chicken has a bit of kick to it, but not overpowering, just enough to make you sniffle while you eat. For two people we ordered four dishes and it was a perfect amount. Plus I ordered the three scoop ice cream which was £3.75 and there was a ton of it! The only knock was on the service. The server wasn't very attentive and we never had our water refilled. I'm also getting used to asking for the cheque and not waiting for the server to bring it over. All in all, we'd definitely go back and would be regulars of we lived here.

Great Indian Food. Great service. Good prices. Don't miss the Spicy Haddock, was best fish I ate in a while.

Delicious Indian food! Closest thing to my mom's cooking that I've had at a restaurant. The food was served hot and the customer service was amazing. I ended up coming back later that night to get take out and also went back today! lol. I will definitely be back next time I'm in Edinburgh.