This place is a gem! I stumbled upon it while looking for somewhere to eat lunch after touring the Royal Mile. I'd popped in and out of a few other restaurants that were fully booked, and was pleasantly surprised to find open tables when I walked into Gurkha. The ambiance was cozy, and felt like I was eating inside a family's home. The food was delicious and plentiful for the price. I was so thirsty from sightseeing, I drank my mango lassi before I thought to capture a photo for this review. It was just the right consistency of thickness and sweetness. For appetizers, I had the king prawns. It was perfectly spiced and delicious. It was followed by chicken biryani and naan. There was a sauce provided for the biryani that took it up another notch. For me, the prawns were the star of the show. At the end of my meal, I got a chance to chat with the owner and learned they are from Nepal. It was a pleasant exchange and the service was great. read more

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Great service, easy location, and delicious food! I do wish the rice came with the chicken tikka dish, but we really enjoyed this meal. The star of the show was definitely the garlic naan! That was the best I've ever had. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Chicken tikka and garlic naan - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

It absolutely piss poured on us during our first day in Edinburgh. We walked in like soaked rats, ready to be turned away but instead, were greeted quite warmly and seated immediately. Inside is cozy and rustic, a warm place to try and keep dry. We ordered an off the menu chai, and with 3 sugars, it warmed our bones from the inside out. Wonderfully spiced. We then ordered apricot naan, butter chicken and chicken tikka masala and were floored. They were so light compared to their American counterparts. More spice forward in my opinion but still, absolutely delicious. The apricot naan was a wonderful accompaniment, a thin layer of apricot spread in between the bread gave every bite that salty/sweet satisfaction. Pairing all of this with a side of pilau rice, made this an unforgettable meal. Absolutely worth a visit if you are looking for some no frills Indian and Nepalese eats! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

On a family trip, we were looking for Indian cuisine in the center of Edinburgh. Luckily, before we before we became too famished, we came upon Gurkha during a misty evening. The restaurant does not appear large upon entering the dining area. However, once you make your way further back, you discover many tables and booths. In terms of decor, there's a bit of a thatched roof/tiki vibe but it's cozy and comforting. Our food was very good. The lamb kebab was extremely tender and well seasoned with a bit of an onion flavor. The papadam and dipping sauces were a great starter as well. So why is this a 4 instead of a 5? Our service was a bit uneven. We did not receive water that we requested, the food took a bit longer than we would have expected, and it took awhile for us to grab the server's attention to pay our bill. These are fairly minor inconveniences though, and shouldn't stop you from trying Gurkha. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Lamb kebab (sauce not pictured similar to tikka masala) - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Located on Cockburn Street, Gurkha is a convenient spot for Nepalese food. We just stopped in for a small side dish as we already had a full meal but needed a little dish to supplement. We were served quickly and kindly! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

One of the best meals I've ever had. The momo was incredible and the apricot naan was unexpected but delicious. The staff is super kind and accommodating. Highly recommend! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Everything was delicious, cooked well, very flavorful. I had a mango lassi, which was refreshing after touristing all day. Momo dumplings, yum. Tikka masala, not too spicy, a bit sweet actually. The naan was crispy on the outside, soft and chewy insides, lots of garlic and butter. The aroma was amazing. They were attacked immediately, poor things. For veg, we had the spinach which had a kick but the spice didn't overwhelm the other flavors. And the servers were very sweet and polite. Lovely dinner overall. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Chicken dumplings, spinach, tikka masala, garlic naan - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Overall, it was ok for last minute reservations during the fringe. However it served tourist food and I was disappointed that it was not more authentic. read more

~*~*~ pre-covid review ~*~*~ People say Indian food is better in the UK. I thought that might not apply in Scotland, but I was wrong. Indian food is always better this side of the Atlantic. The spices, the flavours... even simple things like naan just taste that much more fragrant. We started with the chicken momos (the mister and will order it if he sees it on the menu), and asked for recommendations. The staff is friendly and will help with the menu -- and we got a few delightful curries to share. Honestly, I don't remember the exact curries we got because I never remember the names, but they were so delicious we finished them almost right away. Same for the momos -- the dumplings were perfectly steamed, with a spicy sauce. The restaurant is cozy and comfortable, and we definitely enjoyed our time here. read more

I have nothing to say but wonderful things about this restaurant. My mom and I sat at the picture window in front and enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and attentive service throughout our meal. She ordered the butter chicken, I ordered the chicken tikka masala, and we split orders of garlic naan and rice. We're tourists to the area and had done tons of sightseeing so we had quite the appetite - this place did not disappoint! The portions were ample, spices perfectly balanced, the naan was crispy and chewy , the rice fluffy - all in all, it was a really great meal. I highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for a great dinner in a comfortable atmosphere. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice, and Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This was amazing! The food was absolutely delicious. The staff are kind and accommodating. Reservations are highly recommended. The apricot naan is so good. Everest on tap was refreshing. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Everest on tap - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Food was mediocre at best. Make better quality sauces not all the same. Spinach was luke warm. Food took almost 45 minutes to arrive. Sorry but there's better out there read more

Very tasty tandoori! Quick service & nice ambiance! Must try their tandoori dishes - Loved them! Right amount of spice and flavor!

I'm a huge fan of Indian food and had high hopes for Gurkha as the reviews seemed to be mostly positive...However, everything fell a bit short for me. My vegetable korma was NOT spicy at all even though I asked the waiter to note that I wanted it to be hot. He then gave me "hot" paste to add to my curry but it did not alter the spice level whatsoever, basically pointless to add. The garlic naan portion was so sad...a kid could've eaten it all and it still wouldn't be enough. I forgot how much it was but for the price, you would think that the portion would be greater...very disappointed in the flavor too. It could've used way more garlic and cilantro. There was hardly anything on it and looked almost like a classic naan (with no garlic). My boyfriend liked his curry (forgot the name but it was Nepalese) and it had lamb in it. The curry itself I tasted and it was OK...too much meat flavor to my liking. He send the lamb itself was tender but game-y (kind of expected). Bottom line: I wouldn't recommend coming here as there were other Indian restaurants in the area that seem better. I regret coming here for my last meal while visiting Edinburgh...If I ever visit Edinburgh again, I will not be back. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Vegetable korma (NOT spicy at all, even though I asked for it to be spicy) huge disappointment. Naan portion was sad...too sma - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Excellent ambiance, delicious food, kind and efficient service!! Indian really does taste better on this side of the Atlantic! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Street view - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Great food. Lamb saag was tender and hot.service was excellent Nice restaurant. Thanks read more

Excellent Nepalese and Indian food! We walked right in at 7:30pm on a Friday night and they seated us immediately. The service was great and the food was terrific. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

First timer (Edinburgh, Scotland). This place is amazing!!! The fusion between Indian and Nepalese cuisine is very-very good. A group of four came here to eat and share the plates. I had the Chicken: Tikka Masala: 5 stars- very-very good, well seasoned, creamy, and spicy. Garlic naan: 5 stars- OMG, the best one I have had up to date Chai Masala Tea- 4 stars- I have had better Two of my friends had lamb. One is a big chunk of meat on bone and for me it had a strong after taste (not good for me). The other was like a stew of small pieces of lamb and that one was good. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Amazing food. Reasonable prices. Nice people. Clean and courteous. What else do you need?

We passed by and found this restaurant The food is pretty good and love my Curry mixed vegetable. read more

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Best Indian food I have eaten at Edinburg!! The flavors are so delicious, especially the dal makhani. Highly recommend this restaurant

Ne paye pas de mine mais très bon, propre et serveurs très gentils. Je recommande vivement !

As authentic as you can get. Showed up without a reservation and they made room for us on a busy night. Food is five stars.

I lived in Edinburgh for a year back in 2014 and I was hooked on this place. I recently returned and took my husband to Gurkha and it was just as good as ever. To this day, my favorite meal of all time is Gurkha's chicken tikka masala and garlic naan, though I did try other items on the menu that were excellent. The service is very quick and the staff are extremely friendly. I make sure to tell everyone visiting Edinburgh to go to Gurkha (my mom takes her colleagues during every business trip) and they've all had amazing experiences. I highly recommend a visit for anyone going through Edinburgh. Now that I'm back in the US, my only regret is not knowing the secret recipes so I could try to make them myself! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Cannot say enough good things about this place, I won't bore readers with an inventory of what we ordered, suffice to say we ordered several entrees and ate family style and every dish was sensational. So good I may insist we go there again before we have to leave Edinburgh! read more

Outstanding food. High quality ingredients. Everything tasted fresh and the balance of spices in every dish we ordered was spot on. Favorite dish was the dal makhani- the lentils were so creamy and flavorful! We were super impressed by the servers. They all shared the tables (not a huge place but not small either) and seemed to read each others' thoughts! Not only was the food out quick, but we were served by 4 different waiters and they were all on the same page with the progression of our meal. Literally the best service I've ever had. Worth a visit in Edinburgh! read more

Pappadums to start were good but the chicken tikka masala was really too sweet. Husband's lamb curry was better, but the flavor difference was so stark it was hard to eat one after the other. Three stars for solid, average Indian food. No wait for a table when we went on a weekday evening. read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Chicken Tikka Masala (left) and lamb curry - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Really good Nepalese/ Indian restaurant in Edinburgh. Ordered the poleko bhale kukhura which was very flavorful. Equally good was the tandoori fish tikka and the mix vegetable curry. Service was courteous and prices are fairly reasonable. Would come back and recommended. read more

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My friend and I were wandering around at 9:30 at night looking for food to eat. Many of the other restaurants' kitchens had closed, but thankfully, I stumbled upon this place and they let us in. The decor was very welcoming, homey, and comfortable. Feeling adventurous, we ordered several chicken dishes, the names of which we had some difficulty pronouncing, that were very well flavored. We thoroughly enjoyed the chef's secret blend of herbs and spices. It was tasty and impressive! The quality of the service was also noteworthy. The servers were courteous, kind, and attentive, so much so, I gave a 20% tip even though local customs don't require gratuity. Highly recommended! read more

Great place, delicious and fresh Nepalese and Indian food. Service was very pleasant, efficient and welcoming. I'd recommend to try when in Edinburgh. read more

Great restaurant!!! The food was amazing! I highly recommend the lamb khutta! We will defiantly come back again! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Finally a restaurant in Edinburgh that lived up to it's yelp ratings. Very good Indian food. We ordered chicken tikka as starter. Very well spiced and succulent pieces perfectly grilled chicken. The accompanying chutneys were just the right amount spice and tanginess. For the main course we ordered dal makhani, paneer kadhai, garlic naan, and mix veg rice. First the naan, perfectly baked with just the right amount of garlic to lightly flavor and not overpower you. Lightly buttered just what was expected. Paneer kadhai was very we cooked, nice spices. Only caution is that it was made with a lot of oil. I may not order it again just for that reason. Dal makhani, what shall I say, it was perfect, just I remember from restaurants in Delhi, very authentic. Just amazing. Ve rice, had a good combination of vegetables and lightly spiced with cumin and thyme. The flavor just took me back home to my mothers cooking! To top all of this, the service was excellent. One of my gripes with Indian restaurants is that they do not give finger bowls outside India. They gave wet towels, wonder why other Indian restaurants don't do this. Simple but effective. Full hearted recommendation for Indian food in Edinburgh to Gurkha! read more

We started with chicken momo. They were good, a bit like a curried ravioli. The sauce tasted a bit like a spicy tomato pasta sauce, making it seem even more like a twisted Italian dish. They were good, none the less. I got my bhuteko khasi (lamb) as hot, and it was a bit spicy but not nearly what I expected. The taste was great for this dish. We also had the rasilo chicken which, at medium spice, was not hot at all. I preferred my lamb. read more

We came to this place because it was well rated in Yelp and, when we saw the menu photos, the prices were fair. Upon getting seated we realized the menu photos were from 4 years ago, and now the prices increased about 25%... Oh well (I've posted the updated menu photos). We ordered a vegetarian main dish for £11, cheese naan bread for £4.25 and spiced poppadoms for £0.90. We were disappointed with the size of the dishes. For the price, the naan should have been twice as big. The mushroom dish, sold as a "main dish", was the size of starter dishes half their price in other Indian restaurants. At least it was tasty... The poppadoms were also very small, just two small cones. See photo. When we asked for the bill, we waited for what felt like 10 minutes and it didn't come. We reminded the waiter about it and it still didn't come. It took asking the manager to finally get it. Overall, while we thought the food was on the tasty side of average, the small size isn't worth what they charge, and service left to be desired. read more

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I hate to bash a business, but I expected much better given the phenomenal reviews for this place between TripAdvisor & Yelp. The food was overpriced for the portion size with nothing particularly standing out as good. 7 GBP for a mixed pakora appetizer which consisted of only 2 pieces of vegetable & 2 pieces of chicken pakoras, both of which tasted very average. For some reason, the waiter tried to upsell us to purchase a 3rd dish when my friend and I had each already ordered a dish each, which was quite odd...I'm sure some tourists have fallen for it in the past. You pretty much pay for everything...there is an extra charge for rice and to order a butter naan is an extra 1 GPB over the price of a naan as it was surprisingly an off menu item when our check came. Overall, this was an unremarkable meal which I expected to be a treat considering the great reviews. As a side note, this business does not take American Express for payment while every other business I visited in Edinburgh the same day gladly took it. I would have given this business 2 & 1/2 stars as the service was friendly, but must round down considering how very overrated it is. read more

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Delicious. Gurkha Cafe was a nice breath of fresh air amongst the usual mess of Indian eateries. With a Nepalese/Indian blend of offerings, well-designed decor, impeccable service and gorgeous food, it's got something great going for it. The portion sizes were really generous and every single thing was delicious. This is definitely a keeper of a place on my Edinburgh restaurant list. Yum! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - So delicious! - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This is one of my favorite Indian meals. Came here while visiting Edinburgh after finding it on Yelp. The Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Madras were oh so flavorful with the perfect kick of spice. Great meal to warm us up after a long day of sightseeing! Would definitely recommend! read more

Had an excellent meal here. Lamb dishes were particularly tasty. Fish was fresh and grilled to perfection. Interesting decore.

I went here by myself for a quick curry dinner after an evening of photography. The lamb leg was fantastic. Rich curry that was just spicy enough. Service was mediocre and they charged me for the pickles I ordered, but didn't receive. They also didn't apply the 15% discount from my Yelp checkin. I couldn't be bothered for the small benefit, but should have mentioned it. I still highly recommend this place. read more

The food here is fantastic! Definitely on the pricier side, but worth every pound! The chicken was delicious, perfectly marinated and prepared, and served up quite aesthetically pleasing. I went at a slower time of day, and although you might think that meant they had more time to serve me, the service was a bit slow. The food definitely made up for that, though. I would definitely recommend if you have a hankering for some spice or flavor in Edinburgh for the day! read more

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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