Mother India's Cafe

Indian restaurant · Finnieston

Mother India's Cafe

Indian restaurant · Finnieston

1

1355 Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AD, United Kingdom

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Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null
Mother India's Cafe by null

Highlights

Informal Indian tapas with delicious fragrant curries and attentive staff  

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1355 Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AD, United Kingdom Get directions

motherindia.co.uk
@officialmotherindia

£20–30 · Menu

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1355 Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AD, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 141 339 9145
motherindia.co.uk
@officialmotherindia

£20–30 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 23, 2025

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The Best Restaurants at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022 | Where to Eat | Eater London

"It would be easy to assume that a restaurant advertising ‘Indian Tapas’ would be the misguided creation of some gap year fantasists. Mother India’s is not that. Located winningly close to the Fringe thoroughfare that is Cowgate without ever really feeling like it, its karahi, pakora, and dosai are unfussy and excellent. A good lunch spot if time isn’t pressured." - James Hansen

https://london.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-edinburgh-fringe-festival-2022-where-to-eat
View Postcard for Mother India's Cafe

Sonia Khan

Google
Delicious lamb chops, peshwari naan and tikka masala (i only had the gravy, and that was delicious too!). Lovely staff who accommodated my requests. Highly recommend. Perfect way to spend an afternoon after visiting the Kelvingrove Art gallery just opposite.

Khan Lawrence

Google
Mother India’s Cafe offers a truly delightful Indian dining experience. Even with a queue, the waiting staff were incredibly attentive, making sure we felt looked after from the moment we arrived. The food was delicious. We particularly appreciated how the staff took such pains to ensure we didn’t accidentally order anything containing ghee, showing a genuine care for our preferences. The Chana Dal and veggie pakora were an absolute triumph—simple, yet exceedingly flavorful. This is a must-visit!

Kay GK

Google
My husband, daughter and I had lunch here today and opted for the £25 lunch menu and it was amazing. The portions were generous and food was of high quality. I truly appreciate the effort that goes into preparing the food and serving it up with class even if it is a lunch offer deal. Staff were attentive and the place was clean. Highly recommended.

Edward Spencer

Google
Delicious fragrant curries Came here with a couple of friends, it was a little spendy, but the depth of flavour in the curry we had was top tier. I ordered a chicken madras, asked for proper spicy, but got white boy spicy nonetheless... ah well. it was really tasty though 8/10 Naans were great, fresh and tasty, paired perfectly with the curries.

Damian Kobus

Google
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this place and finally managed to pop in for late lunch. Food was excellent and good value for money we had a set menu which was £20pp and it was plenty of food for sure. One of the best Indian food I’ve had in Glasgow

Elizabeth S

Google
We had a lovely meal here. We walked in and went upstairs to a very magical and lovely environment. There were candles lit for a romantic ambiance. We had a reservation so the table was ready. We shared four mains, but it ended up being a lot of food. It was absolutely worth it and the left overs were still good the next day. The service was amazing and all of the staff was really nice.

Ryan Hughes-Francis (RHF)

Google
Absolutely beautiful authentic dishes. Great attentive Service and Flavours of the dishes are well balanced and thought through. Catering to everyone…. This family run business in the heart of Glasgow is a must visit.

tony ciarletta

Google
Service was outstanding from moment we arrived until we left. Restaurant was busy and ambience and atmosphere was okay. The food, starters were excellent however I felt main courses were bland ... I had chicken tikka, son had chicken curry. Sauce was watery and lacking in spice in both dishes. I heard rave reviews about the restaurant, but from a Glasgow perspective there are better restaurants from a quality and price perspective... For me food 6/10. Service 9/10.
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Hailey T.

Yelp
Great service. Fast and friendly. Huge portions of food for such a great price! Left feeling stuffed from their lunch menu. It's cute and small inside, too.
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David K.

Yelp
Mother India's Cafe is an innovative restaurant offering a menu of Indian tapas, or small plates, which were great for sharing. The afternoon tapas menu was a great deal and came with a choice of four tapas and two sundries for just 25 GBP. My favorite was the Spicy Keema Dosa, a crispy rolled flatbread with a filling of spiced ground lamb and peas, served with dal (yellow lentil soup) and salad. The dosa itself wasn't made of a traditional rice and lentil batter but was crispy and carried the flavors of the filling nicely nonetheless. We also had the Butter Chicken, a hot baked platter of two large chunks of chicken in a tomato and butter sauce; the Lamb Karahi, made of lamb chunks cooked with peppers, onions, and spices in a dry curry; and the Chili Garlic Chicken, made of chicken chunks in a tangy sauce flavored with Indian pickle. Every plate was freshly-prepared, flavorful, and delicious, and went nicely with the sides of chewy nan bread and thin wholemeal chapattis. On top of the tasty food and great value, the service was super friendly, and the cafe atmosphere was quaint and pleasant!
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Cynthia S.

Yelp
Walk in only, but very fast to get a table on Sunday night. Tapas Indian food and very well seasoned. Even though I requested for very spicy, it still not spicy at all. Excellent service, very polite and very subtle, they won't give you dessert menu until u asked. Very recommended. Quite tight space but it's still feels nice
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J A.

Yelp
Steam table tasting food, served in a fast food style, more strollers than adults, had to literally run to my hotel to vomit and diarrhea. Used to be good, No Longer Good! Update: My wife has now also become I'll from the food, we will be sending local health inspectors in public interest.
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Caroline H.

Yelp
Fantastic waitstaff! Great curries and nan. The mango lassi was good too. I will return here at Christmas.
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Emily Z.

Yelp
Mother India's was surprisingly delicious. I really enjoyed their special on Tuesday (2 smaller portioned vegetarian curries + 1 side). I picked the fried (brown) rice and the paneer as curry #1 and the potato and chick pea curry as curry #2. I would not get the paneer again (it's not my favorite kind and isn't spicy enough). Lacks flavor for me in general but they made it well. Their garlic naan is HUGE. I loved how much you got, and for the price, it was definitely worth it. My boyfriend got a chicken curry (still a smaller portion) but the flavor was good. I would say overall, everything could've been spicier but I didn't tell them my preference (or maybe I forgot if they asked). Either way, great lunch spot for sure!
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Liz G.

Yelp
After waiting in the cue for about 30 minutes we got a great table. The staff were nice but drinks took another 15 minutes which was disappointing as we were literally sitting next to the bar. Our dinner came pretty quick but they didn't get our order right and no one came back to check on us. It says this on the menu but be aware their vegetarian dishes are actually vegan so expect the flavors to be different than what you might be used to. I think we just caught them on a really busy night so we had an off experience. If we're in the neighborhood we might try them again.
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Yoona L.

Yelp
I'm underwhelmed. The tomatoes in the Tikka Masala were not cooked long enough to impart the deep savory flavor you would typically expect from this dish. Instead, it tasted like tomato pasta sauce. The Lamb Ginger curry was delicious but the lamb was very over cooked. It seems overcooking protein is a constant here across several dishes. Not something I would have expected here. Garlic naan was nice but not as garlicky as I was expecting. Raita was okay, but tasted more like Tzatziki with random garbanzo beans and some curry powder. Minced beef Samosa was good but they were all out of the vegetable samosa (how does one run out of Veggie Samosas at an Indian restaurant)? Overall, a bit disappointing in food quality but it was good enough to fill our hungry bellies. Not my go to for Indian food. Remember this place being better.
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Zoe L.

Yelp
Thank the gods the amazing food from Mother India comes in wee portions too! This is the perfect place to go if you're wandering about Glasgow as a solo traveler or if you're with a friend. I ordered two dishes and it was the perfect amount. Last time I visited Glasgow I went to the original Mother India with two other hungry friends and fell in love. (Both with the cuisine, and the conversation with new friends. Ok, ok, and one of the flirtatious staff who promised me the secrets to the lamb recipe if I liked them on social media. Not a bad marketing strategy!) Needless to say, Mother India and all of her gastronomic location-children know what they're doing to make a proudly single gal with deciphering tastes quite happy.
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Andrew W.

Yelp
So we were told this is the place for Indian in all of Scotland. Checked with our hotel concierge and told its overrated and try another spot. Went there and it was closed so a short cab ride to Mother India and we got seated right away. Nice vibe. Low key. Had vegetable samosa and pakora as well as chicken chili and tikka masala. Asked for mild, but the red peppers were abundant! Flavor and texture were unremarkable. Neither bad nor good. In the US this place would be a pass for me. Far better out there. But we got gulab jamun and it was the best we ever had. Service was fair. All in all, if you're in the area it's a nice enough place. But I wouldn't go out of my way.

William E.

Yelp
Looks delicious Food will Let Family Members know and The Crosspoint Croup I Go to we are are Volunteer Garden Group With Urban Root's in Toryglen Community Base

Adam M.

Yelp
Very pleasant surprise. We were staying at Albion Hotel and looking for a non- fried meal in the area. The pouring rain necessitated a short walking radius and this place was a 3 minute walk. Delicious food: chicken pakoras, veggie samosas, aloo gobi, and seasoned rice. Attentive service, reasonable prices, welcoming interior. Definitely recommend.

Nora S.

Yelp
One of the best meals of my life. I ordered the chicken curry with rice and plain nan to take out. Just do it.

Margaret S.

Yelp
Booked here as a special occasion as a family because of the reviews but the food was the worst Indian food not one of us enjoyed our meal and the service was terrible waited 35 minutes for main meals and the veg in curry was hard and inedible the chicken had gristle through and £15 for 3 bottle of water is a rip off then adding service charge to the bill was a joke as the service wasn't good ,I Don't know were these good reviews come from as food is terrible.
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B T.

Yelp
This small intimate setting is perfect for couples, or if you're eating alone. I liked how I could eat in such an intimate setting and there's also great stuff I can buy and take home to eat later.
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Cara H.

Yelp
I love Indian food and I've heard Scotland has some of the best butter chicken. My local friends mentioned Mother India and I also saw it on Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, so I was very excited to try a variety of small plates. The butter chicken was delish, rich and creamy with fall apart chunks of chicken breast, yum! The coconut almond Naan was incredible, it is sweet and nutty, so if you enjoy mixing sweet and savory, you will like it. We had the chicken and vegetable pakora which was fried perfectly, not greasy. The daal was tasty also. The chicken chili dosa was also very good. Everything was flavorful! I loved everything I tried except the shish kabob, it was a little dry. I like how they do tapas style small plates which I don't see in Los Angeles. It allows you to try a bunch of different things for a small price.
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Kassandra H.

Yelp
Not to be confused with the Mother India restaurant right next door, this place is a rare find in Glasgow. A local friend gave us the location and we were not disappointed. We ate so much and everything we tried was fabulous! The garlic na'an was amazing. The Tikka Masala was so buttery and complex. I highly recommend a stop here for an evening of authentic Indian cuisine. Absolutely scrumptious!
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David M.

Yelp
We came at the busiest time of the night. Waited 30 minutes to get a table. TO-TAL-LY worth it. The food was simply the best, tasty and with fresh ingredients. We've been there twice more.
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Caleb D.

Yelp
Ooooooooom nom nom nom nom nom... Ooooooooooom nom nom nom nom.... To say this place has some tasty grub is kinda like saying 'you know that oxygen stuff? Pretty alright ain't it?' As the poor wait staff began bringing over the stupid amount of grub to our Yelp staff heavy table, I could almost smell the feeding frenzy vibe in the air. 'One, two, three... go!' Lamb was savaged, mushrooms were ravaged, taste buds were tingled and noises that should only be heard in the heat of passion, were uttered in a yum-tastic orgy of tip top Indian grub. From Toronto to Leeds, London to Manchester and swinging home by Glasgow, all Yelp heads were blown away by the quality (and the price... so cheap!) of this place... If only I could award a 5 plus review.
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Shona G.

Yelp
The mushroom puri is one of the most delicious Indian dishes I have had and definitely haven't found ever before (even in India - at least not prepared this way). The garlic naan was soft and savory. The dal makhani was balanced. The chili fish cakes were good, but I might not order them next time since there are so many things to try on the menu! While I enjoyed the masala tea, it could have had more spices and with traditional chai, the milk is simmered with the tea and spices and creates an almost toasted look. Another highlight of the meal was the homemade mango and Scottish tablet ice cream - so incredibly good. The service was excellent even though they were so busy. A great experience for my first trip to Glasgow!
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Willy G.

Yelp
Second time here and everything was amazing again. Samosas are large in size the best I have ever had. I could write more but this is a place where the food speaks for itself. Go eat and enjoy
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Rachel G.

Yelp
I visited Mother India's Cafe with my other half, for a belated birthday meal. The restaurant operates on a "first come, first served" basis, so don't try and make a reservation! We arrived at 8:30pm on a Saturday night and were seated within about 20 minutes. The restaurant serves a wide selection of delicious Indian food - tapas style. I am a huge fan of tapas eating, and a huge fan of great Indian food, so this was a match made in heaven for me. It has a great selection of vegetarian, fish and chicken dishes alongside the usual suspects - pakora, naan bread etc. Neither myself or my boyfriend were particularly starving, so we took the advice of starting with 4 dishes between us with a couple of sides. We went for the spiced haddock (very flavoursome, watch out for an odd wee bone), chicken saag (spinach dishes are my absolute fave at an Indian), diced chilli garlic chicken (tasty and quite spicy) and... I forget the actual name of it, but it was basically spiced mince served in a pancake. This was very unusual - not unpleasant, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around the combination of a crepe filled with mince. I probably wouldn't order this again, but I was glad to have tried it! My other half is also a big fan of peshwari naan bread - something I had never been too fond of until this visit. Peshwari naan is sweet, with coconut and almond flavours and offset the spiciness of our dishes very nicely. My only SLIGHT downside to the meal was that I felt the staff (who were all very pleasant and smartly presented)... hovered slightly? I had a slight feeling of being rushed. It wasn't too detrimental to the overall experience, and I feel that had I REALLY wanted to take more time over my meal I could have. But it did sort of seem that the "first come, first served" policy created a very rapid turnover of tables. We spent £40 for a party of 2, with no alcohol (although a decent selection of alcohol was available). Very reasonable for a great selection of tasty food and a nice atmosphere.
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Lizzie S.

Yelp
Me and India food. We have a relationship. It's special. I'll eat terrible curry and love it. I really will. Anything spicy with veg and meat in a sauce and I'm happy. I walked into Mother India. She hugged me and filled me with her fantastic food. I then tried to do up my top button of my trousers again, gave up and rolled out. It's not a classy join but there are classy birds working in here. Friendly ladies who were bringing out dish after dish to our table. I love the fact that you order here family style. The dishes are a great size for sharing and our group of 4 had the whole table covered in curry, pikoras, rice, breads, sagg, paneer, you name it and it was most likely on the table. Fantastic group dining!
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Esther F.

Yelp
I have heard about this restaurant, so last week i went to have a small lunch at their tapas cafe in Argylle. The meal was really good and tasty, also the staff that recommended us better dishes to order etc. For me was only that the quantity was quite small based on the price, but the quality was fantastic. I will repeat for sure, and I want to try the restaurant
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Jorge D.

Yelp
The best Indian in the west end. My wife's tip is to go with friends and leave your husband to stand and queue for a table whilst you go round the corner to the drugstore social and get a cocktail, when it's busy it works out perfect. Once you're inside if you can't decide what to eat from the largish menu ask the waiter for a recommendation or choose the special, you can't go wrong in this place.
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Emilia T.

Yelp
Mother India is without doubt one of the best Indian food restaurants in Glasgow. Located in the West End, across from Kelvingrove Art Gallery it is in a beautiful and easy to access location. Mother India serves a wide range of various Indian food dishes in tapas style. This allows for easy sharing and trying out more things on your table. The menu includes a good number of curry dishes, Indian food specialties and sides - enough to satisfy even the most picky eaters (speaking from experience!). To add to that, they have daily specials which add further variety to the menu. I've been here a number of times with groups ranging from 2 - 6 and always received excellent service and delicious food. You'll often see a queue outside the door for Mother India, and as far as I know, they don't take reservations. However, I can assure you that the wait is absolutely worth it.
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Ailene S.

Yelp
After being in Scotland for over a week this was such a nice change of SPICE and FLAVOR! Mother India's brought me back to life and had me waddling home because I ate so much. The tapas style was great because I had the opportunity to try many delicious dishes. The sauces were savory, the meats were flavorful, and the bread tasted fresh. I love trying new places but almost regret not coming here more than once during my visit. The service was also excellent with very welcoming staff.
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Joseph E.

Yelp
Very, very good, but.... The wait on a *Tuesday* night was 30 minutes outside on the sidewalk, but once inside we were given menus and then sold refreshments immediately. That is good, because it took awhile for our server to take our orders. Once our orders were in, it was a awhile until our food arrived. The food? The food was very, very good. The dishes seemed to be individually prepared (which would explain the wait) and had a freshness rarely seen from Indian restaurants. The "Tapas-style" dishes were somewhat scrimpy; four dishes plus run and Naan was *just* enough for two people. But: the food was very, very good. The check came to £35 which pleased my companion, but caused me to grumble a bit. But: the food was very, very good. Would I return? I probably wouldn't. I would seek out similar restaurants. This one seemed to be on the annoying Hipster-trendy radar. The food was very, very good.
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Carmen S.

Yelp
The best Indian food I've ever had. Tried a bit of several dishes and all amazing, but I definitely recommend the chicken tikka, medium spice. Go for the butter chicken if you don't like spicy. This place is absolutely a must- go if you are visiting Glasgow. I am going twice this week. Prices are also super reasonable.
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Alina W.

Yelp
We were rather disappointed with everything, starting with the service. We are from Germany and not accustomed to the scottish accent, mixed with an indian accent we hardly understood her and even after asking thrice what the waitress said she didn't make any effort to speak more slowly or more clearly which was rather annoying. plus she didn't know how to smile so we didn't feel very welcomed at all. we are huge fans of indian cuisine so we were looking for something special and after seeing 4 and half stars we expected good food. it wasn't though. we had poppadums which they charge by the piece and the spiced onions which were good. afterwards we had the daal makhni, mushroom bhaji and the special "onion and coriander curry". The only good one was the special, the daal was boring and with way too much cream, the mushrooms were hardly spiced. the garlic and coriander naan was very good though, so we had to spice our dishes up with the spiced onions we got as a starter. all in all, very disappointing
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Alastair L.

Yelp
I've accepted custody of my dad for four days and am struggling to come up with dining options to control the critical reminiscings of a 72 year old ex-Glaswegian. Many thanks to Mother India Cafe for offering an amazing table of grub last night and a bit of hope that some things might have changed for the better over the last 50 years. As we tucked into a range of tantalising dishes and played tug-o-war with the steaming garlic nan, I was treated to 40 minutes of verbal constipation with senior visibly unnerved by a faultless meal. The historical one-upmanship didn't start again till we were safely back in the West End for an overpriced continental lager. Today we're visiting the poor house and participating in a razor fight before catching cholera from a stand pipe. Oh for those halcyon days.
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Rowena H.

Yelp
This has got to be one of the finest experiences I've had in eating Indian cuisine. First off, I love the style of the place. It's not ridiculously posh, so there's a relaxed vibe, and the red velvet filigree detailed wall paper is immense. If I ever have the good fortune to purchase my own house that is what I want on my walls. When my colleagues and I arrived we were greeted and seated immediately and sat in a cosy corner ready to order. Our table seated more than our party, but this was only to be taken full advantage of -we were starving. After ordering a completely gluttonous amount of food, the dishes swiftly began arriving. It was like groundhog day. More and more kept coming. Thank god they had the good sense to seat us on a large table, every inch of space was utilised in this highly organised eating situation. We might have overdone it a tad, but I was delighted. I was in my element. The tapas style system is fantastic, as it allowed us to order a menagerie of different dishes, and I must have tried everything that we had. From the delicious mushroom pancake thing, to the heavenly butter chicken, to the melt-in-your-mouth lamb there wasn't a single dish that wasn't fit for a Lord. And man, my stomach felt lordly as the eating went on. I couldn't pick a favourite - everything was perfectly balanced with spice, taste, aroma and richness. The almond naan (or pitta, I can't remember what it was officially called) was particularly good with the butter chicken and the paneer was out of this world. I've truly not had a better Indian meal and can't help but lament that Mother India isn't secretly Howl's Moving Castle, so that Leeds can taste what I've tasted. The service was excellent and you wouldn't believe how reasonable the prices are. If there are two of you, you could get away with ordering four dishes and sundries for about fifteen quid per person, which is crazy good. And, they ain't stingy on the portions either. Whilst I may have returned to Leeds a little heavier than usual, I'm not complaining one bit. I love Mother India and all her dishes and believe her to be a queen of the highest order. Seriously recommended if you're in Glasgow town. Yum!
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Molly M.

Yelp
This was a fantastic lunch spot right across from the Kelvingrove art museum. They had a great lunch special of vegetarian curries the day we were there, and we ordered that and a bunch of other small curry dishes to share between the four people in my group. I definitely recommend the butter chicken and the lamb saag. We also ordered garlic nan on the side to soak up all the sauces of the curries. The curry dishes are pretty small, so you need to order at least 2 per person, but since they each are relatively in expensive (5-6 pounds per dish) lunch did not end costing much. I also had their chai, which came in a french-press-esque brewer and was absolutely delicious, sweet with a hint of spice. If you're visiting the museum, I definitely recommend crossing the street and going here for lunch.
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Emma Louise M.

Yelp
Mother of God, we hit the mother load! This is one mother of a... okay, I can sense your irritation. I'll stop with the mother mentions. I'm an absolute pain in the rear when it comes to Indian food, in that I like to mix and match with breads, sides and mains. Not everyone wants to do that. But there are two things that get me what I want... this restaurant, and a table of Yelp staff. If there's one thing we take seriously, it's our food, and if there's one thing we tend to do, it's over-order. But at Mother India the prices are so reasonable that we didn't even realise we'd bought so much. It's Indian done tapas style, with bhajis and samosas in chunky, rustic styles, crisp, flaky and buttery parathas and naans, a mushroom poori to die for, okra made incredible and crisp, delicious fish or veggie pakoras. Also the spinach dosa was a huge highlight and the rices spiced things up too. Yes, we over-ordered, but the quality and freshness meant we overate as well. The service was lovely, the decor was down to earth, and the ambience was just right. Mother India might as well be the matriarch to Manchester's Curry Mile restaurants, because it certainly gave them a run for their money. Respect the Mother!
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Trudie M.

Yelp
I am a huge fan of Indian food, but don't get to go as often as I like as Austen M ain't so keen. We recently had some family visiting Glasgow and the over overwhelming majority fancied a curry so I got to visit Mother India's cafe again. I have been before but always after a few drinks so I have held of doing a review until I had a less hazy recollection of what I was eating! This place is really nice inside. A bright and open space, they don't taking bookings, but they always seem to have one spare table available. The staff are always also really friendly and there is a great relaxed atmosphere. This place is definitely 5 stars for me. The food quality is top notch with loads of great dishes (I loved the traditional chicken curry) and the really tasty naan breads, but everything i tried was great. I loved the fact that it seems to be an Indian tapas which means you get to try loads of small bites and they have a massive selection. They also cater really well for vegetarians and also for meat eaters who like the odd veggie dish. (Im looking at you aubergine fritter dream dish) This has become a bit of Glasgow institution, doing great food and providing it in a delightfully relaxed atmosphere. I will be back soon!
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Akos S.

Yelp
I really liked the concept of "tapas-style" Indian food - this way you get to enjoy completely different kinds of food in small portions, which is now my favourite way to eat in restaurants. If you ever sat in a restaurant thinking to yourself 'How do I pick one, everything sounds so good?', this is definitely the place for you. Their recommendation is to get 3-4 dishes for two people, we went with 4, and it was exactly the right amount - not too much to feel too full, but enough to not feel hungry anymore. Maybe a little room for dessert. We tried a curry, the chicken tikka, the lamb chops and a cheese with spinach dish that I don't really know how to describe but was good anyway. All of these dishes were brilliant - I have only been living in the UK for a year but good curry has now become one of my favourite dishes and I can absolutely understand the love for curry in this country. On top of this, the chapati and parathas were fluffy, fresh and delicious, the atmosphere was nice and the service was friendly and fast. What more can you want from a place? Oh did I forget to mention that the prices were reasonable too?
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Fiona M.

Yelp
I love love love this place - hands down my favourite Indian restaurant in Glasgow!!! Nice and big inside and while you do sometimes have a wait for a table it's absolutely worth it. My favourite dish by far is the achari chicken - just the right level of heat and sourness but without being sore on the tongue. The tapas sized portions allow you to try a couple of dishes, and some others I've particularly enjoyed over the years include saag paneer (cheese & spinach), baby aubergine and potatoes and ginger chicken with spinach leaf. Their 'basics' like pakora are delicious, and their peshwari naan is hands down best I've had - thin, crispy, chewy and full of flavoursome coconut paste with just the right amount of ghee/salt to stop it being a sweet dish. It's not cheap, but it's not expensive either and the quality of the food is great. A place I return to again and again, although as I type this I realise it's been a few months. I really, REALLY must rectify that and visit ASAP ;)
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Em C.

Yelp
There's some hot, healthy competition between Indian restaurants in the west end, and places like Mother India's Cafe set the standard pretty high. Glasgow's known for its many curry houses, and places like this see that it's got a great reputation in the UK for delivering top notch Indian cuisine. We visited here over Christmas in a big group. The service was up to scratch, the staff were smartly presented, friendly and attentive, we weren't left with empty plates for very long at all. It's a classy wee establishment, but not so much so that the atmosphere is off-putting - it's actually pretty relaxed. We all opted to get a couple of starters each so that we had a tapas deal going on (think it's called tiffin in India...?) Whatever the name, it was the yummiest option we could've gone for. Since we were all sharing food we got to try a large portion of the menu, from vegetable based dishes and spicy potatoes to their delicious fish options. Everything was cooked to perfection, and there was a great choice of food available to suit the vegetarians amongst our troupe. We were kept well nourished and the service was speedy despite our sitting being slap bang in the middle of dinner time. Our large group were also accomodated for at the last minute in the middle of the festive period, so kudos to the staff for not rushing our meal or turning us away! All in all, we felt well looked after. With tasty eats, a good variety of food and classy, cosy surroundings, it's a nice wee place to catch up with friends or to go on a relaxed romantic evening out. Curry houses go out of their way to win my heart, and this is definitely a contender in the race!
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Jenny L.

Yelp
Now the food was good - really good and its pretty cheap. Some of the things I had were a tad too spicy, but that the joy of tapas, I unloaded my unwise orders on Mum whilst I ate hers! I cant 5 star this place because of having to queue for a table and the service whilst you were there, not too friendly and they were very keen to turn the tables - this was abundantly clear. I'd go again, but not on a Saturday night!
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Andrew C.

Yelp
Four Stars - Sacrilege? Well, this would be five, if was not for the Mother India Offspring next door (Dining In). Portions are smaller and about the same price as Dining In. I like the tapas style but I would appreciate it if the prices were slightly smaller as well. You can purchase alcohol here which is not possible at Dining In. Also at Dining In, you do not have the crowd of folks waiting outside. All of the Mother India dishes are available next door - just ask the servers. The service at Mother India is also amazing. Fast service which is has been cultivated in a popular place that serves a lot of people.
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Amanda B.

Yelp
Never disappoints. always something I haven't tried and a selection of specials for regular customers to enjoy. There is always a hustle and bustle at Mother India and weekend nights in particular provide a sparkling atmosphere. Set across from the stunning Kelvingrove museum and art gallery my absolute favourite thing about this place is the democracy- you can't reserve a table so no matter who you are you have to get in line. I love it! An absolutely massive menu with a brilliant selection of specials, all served in gorgeous pots, plates and pans - many made of copper. The service is outstanding with staff always eager with expert suggestions and tips - like if you have ordered a lot of "dry" things they'll suggest an accompanying dish with a sauce. I can't fault Mother India- whenever I have visitors this is one of my absolute go-to haunts.
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Ryan W.

Yelp
Mother India has a reputation for being the best Indian restaurant in Glasgow for a reason---it's amazing. I've literally NEVER had anything bad here and I'm crazy picky when it comes to Indian food. I don't like spicy and I'm allergic to coriander but they are able to cater to anything---including a three year old who's allergic to eggs! Whenever my Mom and Step-Father visit they always ask to go to Mother India as my Step-Father (who used to live in NYC) can't get good Indian food in California. Delicious food, huge portions and friendly staff--just be sure to get a reservation as it is almost always booked up in advance! For those who like a drink, you can bring your own wine as well which can come in handy if you are having a big birthday or other celebratory dinner.
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Sharon M.

Yelp
No one will be surprised to hear that the food at Mother India's Café is great (I'm a particular fan of the Butter Chicken), the service fast and the staff friendly. I also like that while there's no reservations you rarely have to wait more than a few minutes for a table (although those few minutes might be spent getting a bit more up close and personal with your fellow patrons than is necessarily desirable). My only real criticism is that my friend and I both found the menu a bit confusing and misleading. In particular one dish we ordered was nothing like either of us expected. It turned out to be something neither of us would normally have ordered and we didn't enjoy it. I'll be back again soon, but next time will try to be a bit more savvy about my menu choices.....
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Joe P.

Yelp
For someone who regards themselves as a bit of a curry enthusiast, I simply had to visit Mother India's Cafe due to the number of recommendations I'd been given from friends and colleagues. Unfortunately I won't be coming back here when there are so many other Indian restaurants in Glasgow that offer much better value, service and quality of food. We had to wait for around 20 minutes, standing in the doorway before we got a table (this was 7PM on Friday), something I was willing to do in the hope of great food. As we were seated the service was OK, but quite pushy. I asked for their garlic chilli chicken to be made extra spicy, however when it came out (the first dish) it was not only bland, but lukewarm, making me think that this had been pre-prepared and left out for a while. The butter chicken might be the worst food I've ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, but I guess if you like eating pure butter it might be your thing. We ordered a daal for the table along with the rest of our dishes - one of which comes with daal as a side-dish (the keema pancakes) although this was not pointed out at the time and wasn't listed on the menu. I would have expected knowledgable staff to have pointed out we were getting daal already with another dish as we wouldn't have bothered ordering a separate one. This wasn't the case. There are no reservations, although beers were reasonably priced (not BYOB). All in all, it was a strange experience, and one I won't be repeating - certainly for the cost (1 drink each and 8 small dishes came to over £40).
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Austen M.

Yelp
I have been here several times before but so far had decided not to review it as it had usually been after a boozer day/night out. So of course everything tastes amazing, but my memories off the actual food were limited. Last week we had some family over from abroad and ended up visiting on a Friday afternoon and we were not disappointed with the food when we tried it minus the alcohol. It seems to be a type of Indian tapas with a multitude of dishes available. I particularly liked the aubergine fritters and the chicken with spinach curry. There was also a great lamb dish with tamarind. Everything of course had Naan bread on the side for me. (I avoid rice in Indian restaurants as it takes up precious stomach space that could be filled with bread and curry) It has a laid back atmosphere that is friendly and welcoming. The staff were super helpful in explaining the dishes to us and adding spice to them for one of our party who is used to hotter curries. Nice restaurant well with a visit.
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Darryl R.

Yelp
Mother India Cafe is AMAZING! Basically as the previous reviews dictate, you get to choose small Tapas style dishes from a massive menu of Indian foods - the Chilli Garlic Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala are definitely two of my favourites - then you can choose accompaniments like naans and poppadoms (mmm, crackly!). Seriously though, the food is amazing. Last time I went there were 6 of us, so we ended up choosing most of the menu, which was pretty decent, and we shared them all, and each and everyone of us was stuffed beyond stuffed. A lovely feeling on a Sunday afternoon. Best part is it doesn't cost the earth either (well I'd say the 'best' part is definitely a toss up between the cost and the peshwari naan. serious yum points).
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Jana T.

Yelp
It has been a little while that I visited but I wanted to leave a review anyways. My husband and I went to Glasgow only to come to this place. I remember reading about it in some travel magazine and errrbody knows I love Indian Food. It cannot be spicy enough for me but I love the flavor of the different ingredients. The Tapas-style Indian food makes it possible for a few people to have a variety of samples to try from. Everything I tried was awesome. I cannot recall the dishes I tried but let me assure you I am sitting here with a food-coma like grin on my chin thinking about it. Every time we are in the UK, we indulge in Indian food. Since I am currently in dire need of some college help, I ended up with an Indian tutor and when we spoke last, I told him how I loved this place. I hope he wasn't making it up but he said that he has eaten at the main restaurant and enjoyed it as well. Again, only went to Glasgow for this place and left shortly after to see more of Scotland. This place is a must.
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Marilee S.

Yelp
Mother India, we humbly bow and thank you for delivering the most intoxicating food, impeccable service, and elegant setting up on the second floor. Our expectations were high. Our group - two from Los Angeles, one from New York City, three from Nashville, Tennessee, and one from Wales - seek out the best food wherever we dine. We agree, why waste our money, our calories and our time on bad food. You, my dear Mother, will forever be the benchmark for all India food we taste in the future. To start, we ordered Chana Mushroom on a green herb flat bread, Vegetable Pakora, Ginger and Green Chili Fish Pakora and Stuffed Mushrooms with Fengreek butter. Our favorites - Vegetable Pakora and Stuffed Mushrooms. For our mains, we ordered Butter Chicken (silky sweet sauce), Chicken Tikka (tender morsels), Lamb Mussalum and Ladyfingers (unbelievably succulent meat and fresh okra), Dheli style Lamb and Smeena's Slow Chicken Curry (delicious). We brought our own wines and beers. There is a corkage fee -1.95 pounds per bottle, but it was worth it. We tipped well. Our friendly waiters were happy. And we left completely satiated, giddy with joy in kicking off our Glasgow stay at such a memorable restaurant. Thank you Mother. You were simply divine.
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Mary S.

Yelp
This place was interesting.....and I mean that in the most endearing way possible. The restaurant was small, there was a long line to wait, and the place was also PACKED. The food was delicious, served in small "tapas" portions, so you could mix and match as you felt necessary. Which was rather convenient... The food was definitely authentic, the service was excellent, the facility was a CLEAN (from the looks of things, the kitchen was also clean!). Overall, would I go back? Most definitely!