There is nowhere in Edinburgh you will get a better meal for the prices here. It rarely costs more than a tenner a head and I probably prefer it to 99% of the more expensive Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants in Edinburgh. It is not posh by any means but is informal and always has a great atmosphere. We always get a mixed tandoori and the meat packs a heap of flavour and is always cooked just right. The have all the classics which are great but if you are looking for something a little different the keema matar curry is a beautiful mix of spicy minced lamb and peas. You can't drink there so i tend to go on a week night but i guess you can always head to the pub after your food read more

Awesome - even though I wasn't too adventurous with tikka masala (which is my gold standard to compare others to), it was fantastic. Service was excellent and the price was just right. read more

The curries are so hot in this place that even the onion bhajis were too hot for me! Really cheap, great curry if you can take the heat. Good for both take out and eating in, but it's quite small. read more

Another amazing trip to Kebab Mahal. The lovely staff and killer food makes this place a secret Edinburgh must.

Tipsy and craving some delicious nighttime kebab? Kebab Mahal will be there for you with a delicious doener filled with greasy meat, drippy sauces, and garlic breath the next morning. Kinda grotty and not the absolute best doener place in Edinburgh, but it will forever hold a special place in my heart (and likely my arteries). read more

We made a beeline here after the rave reviews and, forewarned, we weren't expecting a fancy place. Maybe it was because we were looking forward to it so much that our expectations were somewhat dimmed. The food was generally average, we felt. My Vindaloo was spicy enough but the meat was a bit tough and, temperature-wise, could've done with being hotter. The naan was not great and didn't seem fresh or have that "just cooked" fluffiness. Service was adequate, but slow, as there was a steady stream of people picking up takeouts. You help yourself to soft drinks from a chiller at the back. The prices were reasonable. Sorry, other lovers of this place, but Mother India is miles better (and not a lot more expensive) so we'll be sticking to that, or Kebabish. read more

Very good takeaway kebabs (Afghani or Pakistani style) with a few seats in the restaurant. The proprietors are very friendly making this a great place for a simple, cheap meal. read more

Went to Kebab Mahal during a visit to the Fringe for a snack. I love the mixed pakora which is served with salad & sauce. (Cheaper then you'll get at any of the Fringe venues)We ate in the garden outside the shop as it was mobbed. The interior is not in a great decorative state but any time I have hjad food from here it has been excellant. Try it for yourself & see! read more

Great for a quick lunch. So tasty. Best kebabs in Edinburgh. Service a bit slow but hey, it's busy for a reason. Small spot- not great for a large group. read more

This is just a tiny place run by a few guys, but it gets packed and is well worth squeezing in. We had some fantastic samosa to start, then dove into tikka masala and lamb bhuna, both of which were amazing. Price was shockingly reasonable, cheap even. Hard not to love. read more

nice place great kebabs and spicey. fairly friendly and very easy to access. The square outside recently got rennovated and is looking beautifull now but please dont dump your rubbish in the nice new square as some people do. Nice spicy curries and kebabs for delivery or eat ins. read more

I haven't had much Middle Eastern/Indian food at all and very unfamiliar with it all. I went in for a Donner kebab and ordered the wrong thing (I know I'm a novice). I can't remember what I got but it was spicy, rich and cooked perfectly. Not to mention the Naan Bread was cooked fresh in the back and was to die for. It does get busy but it only shows how good it truly is. reasonably priced for the quality too! I can't wait to go back! read more

I visited Kebab Mahal for the first time this last week and really loved it. We went there on recommendation from a friend who said they do delicious kebabs and as we arrived people were sat outside eating a variety of curries. So what intended to be a quick trip to buy a kebab ended up with us buying two plates of curry, two bowls of rice, an awesome nan bread and a drink. The curry was really delicious, I had a lamb curry which didn't have a lamb taste but nonetheless tasted delicious. My partner had a chicken curry and she asked for chilli's to be added which they did. The nan bread was awesome. It was freshly cooked and had mince in the middle. So again what started as a trip for a kebab ended up with a feast and we still bought a large chicken tikka kebab (which we intended to save until the next day but ended up eating after we got home). Kebab Mahal along with Mosque Kitchen are easily my two favourite curry shops in Edinburgh. Service was pretty quick for our main food although we had to wait a while while our kebab was cooked, which is fair enough. A note if you're visiting, this place became absolutely packed out just after we arrived. We managed to order straight away but just after we sat down there were four or five people waiting to order. A testimony to how good the food is. read more

Hands down, this is the best value in Edinburgh. I don't know about their kebabs, but the curries are excellent and really very cheap. I usually eat the veggie curries but have also had a few of the lamb curries. Service is terribly slow but the food is so good you learn to love it. I have been going for years and will keep going for years to come. read more

Really good curries for cheap prices. This is a takeaway but there are some seats in the back. The portions are good sized and if you are veggie the veg side dishes are nice as a main course. The garlic naans are really delicious. read more

If in Edinburgh you must visit the Kebab Mahal. The food is tremendous and the best Indian food you will taste in the whole of the city! The price is just as amazing as the food! I defy you to find anything cheaper. The atmosphere is brilliant and very popular with students with the University near by. Stop by and check it out! You will go back again and again. read more

Either the best or second curry in Edinburgh, depending on whether you're me or my boyfriend. Great prices, great taste, great sized portions - what's not to love? For a proper authentic curry this is the place to come. Don't waste your time or money on 'fancy' places - Kebab Mahal is the only place in the city centre to even think about getting a curry. With only a handful of tables it can get full very quickly, especially at peak times, so be happy to wait for a seat. Anyone who really loves curry will pick this place above any of the bigger curry houses in town - for me it beats the likes of Mother India Cafe and Khushi's hands down. read more

Service in here is slow. It's mostly a takeaway, but also a diner with a few tables. If you want to eat in; most of the time you'll have to wait or maybe share a table. The above is just proof of how busy this place is and for good reason. Packed with all types of people until late, the food in here is delicious and cheap. A large range of curries are made with the most tender chicken and lamb or veg if that's your thing you'll never have a piece of fatty or tough chicken/lamb in here, which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of Edinburgh curry joints. Other mains include a selection of biryanis. The rice is pure buttery goodness, and a large variety of breads are on offer. Also on offer are pakoras, chaat, kebab, samosas and other tandoori starters. From midnight 2am, pizzas, kebabs and starters are served. For dessert pick up indian ice cream, and other pastries and sweets such as Paklava (Baklawa), Gulab Jammun, Baba baba, Rasmalai or have some lassi or tea to finish your meal. The atmosphere in here is buzzed, the decor simple and honest with regulars and visitors as Kebab Mahal is often cited as worth a visit to Edinburgh's Southside, where you'll find plenty of international and ethnic diners and takeaways. read more

I love that this place has looked the same for as long as I can remember. I hate it when places like this get a good name for themselves, make a bit of money, and then think it is a good idea to completely refurb, ruining the atmosphere. It is cheap and cheerful and the kebabs and curries are some of the best I've had. read more

Great food but not always consistent. Would recommend Seekh Kebab, Chicken Kebab and curries are also good. Be Warned stay away from the Doner!! Its is horrid Decor could do with a refresh read more

I absolutely love Kebab Mahal - the food is fantastic, it's cheap and the staff are friendly. I even enjoy the low key decor and diner style. It's a well known must-eat in Edinburgh for students, tourists and professionals alike. The only reason it misses out a star is because of the lack of seating and sometimes late service. However, it all adds to it's charm. Situated in Edinburgh's south side, on Nicholson square, well known for it's Desi and Middle Eastern food joints as well as the Mosque Kitchen, 'closed for prayer on Friday', Kebab Mahal is one of Edinburgh's best. read more

I have always been a big fun of kebab mahal. I love the red sauce. Great food. Service can be slaw sometimes.

I'm sad this place is so well known I thought it was my friends and I , are own little secret ,but since the cat is out of the bag I am Yelping it. This place is hands down the best Curry shop in the whole city. It's the perfect little hole-in-the-wall and when I first walked by it I took one look at it and KNEW this place was going to be good. My Saudi friend then took my here and I was hooked! I was ready to come wash dishes in exchange for food! What can I recommend? All of it seriously , but the creme of the crop is....Chicken Tikka Masala. The creamy sauce with the melt in your mouth chicken ....drool..... Sooooooo good. The owner is the kindly Gentleman with the big white beard so if you see him tell him how wonderful his food is and his establishment ,because I always always see him working there and all that hard work has paid off to blossom this place into the best curry this side of India or Pakistan hands down! read more

Why oh why have you led so far astray yelp!? This hole in the wall restaurant was to be a great secret delicious place, instead it turned out that it was a filthy hovel with terrible starch to fill the belly. Waiters with foul yellow stains from their own food eating misadventures, meat sitting in unrefridgerated counters and a dining room that resembled the boiler room from a b horror film. The food was not cheap in comparison to some amazing restaurants we enjoyed at lunch such as mussel and steak just a short walk away. I know this is supposedly a good place for university students but I would gladly go back to Ramon noodles and fluorescent Mac and cheese. They seat you at a dingy table while you contemplate running out before someone notices you and then man with a untucked shirt with stains and an unkempt beard asks for your order. The smell of stale food and dry spices fill the nostrils and then the food arrives. Rice that's lukewarm and veggies straight from the freezer in spices to hide the freezer burn taste. Singed bread that is cool as well and soon you wonder if all they have in the kitchen is a freezer, a toaster and an old microwave. The bill is not printed out but rather shown to you on a calculator... Hmm I wonder why... Do yourself a favor and call the health inspector on this Burke and Hare show they call an Indian restaurant. Run read more

large portions, good prices, and it tastes great. If you are looking for a good curry or kebab, then this is your place. I can't imagine there's a better place in all of Edinburgh. Cheap and casual. read more

Food usually ranges from fair to very good. Try to avoid busy weekend afternoons. Service goes from non existent to terrible, probably because "waiters" come from Zombieland, and just because of that I'm not eating there as often as I did. A couple of times I ordered a lamb biryani and after waiting 45+ minutes I needed to leave and go to another carry out as I was starving, or, you order a main course + a garlic nan...but the nan bread never appeared. Sometimes you place an order but the waiter does not even go to the kitchen to pass it!!! Approximately 4 years ago they used the finest basmati rice, but after that rice crisis in South East Asia (when rice prices doubled up) the owner changed to a cheaper version of it and that drop in quality was very noticeable. Also by talking to regulars & tourists..the complain is always the same...food takes ages to get to you. In any case if it's not that busy you may have a good meal at a very affordable price...but don't go there if you are in a hurry. Hope it helps read more

From the outside it may not look like much but Kebab Mahal does some of the best curries in Edinburgh.

My colleague and I have been going to Kebab Mahal once a week for almost three years now. In that time my appreciation of good food has substantially increased, my tolerance of chilli has sky-rocketed, and my stomach has doubtless swelled to accommodate their generous helpings of curry and monster nans! Without wanting to sound clichéd, Kebab Mahal is all about the food. From the outside it looks totally uninspiring; the décor on the inside is pedestrian (it's basically a takeaway with some tables). What you will notice however is the comforting mix of people, including many 'local types' who obviously go there all the time, rubbing shoulders (sometimes literally) as they eat. Throughout, the genial manager Mr Khan and his staff move unhurriedly, attending to the thronging clientele as they can. One of the refreshing things about Kebab Mahal is its authenticity. The ownership makes no bones about its Muslim identity (there is no booze and Friday lunchtimes are closed for prayers), but it does so in a way that is reassuringly natural. Returning to the food, the one gripe I have about Kebab Mahal is their extremely limited menu. Visit any regular curry takeaway and you will be presented with a list of 'Old Favourites' or the like (from Korma to Vindaloo), next to a somewhat longer list of 'specialities'. Invariably these turn out to differ little in taste or appearance. At Kebab Mahal the selection is admittedly small, but each curry is a thoroughly distinct 'beast'. The Pathia is thin and sticky (don't let that description put you off!), the Ceylon is packed with coconut and when you order a lentil dish like Dhansak a lentil dish is very much what you get. The last two aren't even on the menu, but the staff take such orders (including those for the uber-hot Phall) in their stride. I haven't gone out of my way to test Mr Khan and his staff on their menu flexibility, but I guess they can pretty much back up their claim to cook curry dishes to order. The other thing I would draw attention to is the lamb, in that it really doesn't taste like lamb. And this is a good thing! I'd be perfectly willing to believe it was a different animal altogether, whose flesh is entirely preferable to that of lamb. Finally, the taste of the curries is almost always divine (packed with flavour as Masterchef's John and Gregg would say), although an abundance of oil sometimes make an unwelcome appearance. The reviewer on a different site who said this is the best restaurant in the world: he can't be far wrong! read more

Undoubtably the best meat in a kebab style fast food joint in Edinburgh. I mean truly premium stuff The staff could be friendlier but they are not unfriendly. I think it is a cultural thing perhaps. The could do with a little revamp in the decor department but it is nothing shocking. read more

On our (me and hubby) two day visit to Edinburgh, this was one of the best finds. A hole in the wall kinda restaurant, seems to be very busy and dishes out absolutely lip smacking dishes with ease. We had been to Kebab Mahal twice and both the times we loved the food. If you are one of those people who prefer posh restaurants over good food, then my friend this place is not for you. This place looks more like a fast food joint but but but.... the food is nothing like fast food. The two times we were here we tried the shammi kebab, chicken tandoori, chicken bhuna, kharahi murgh accompanied with super yummy tandoori garlic naan. All the dishes including the naan was absolutely delicious. At the end after you have stuffed yourself with these goodies, if you still have any room left for dessert do try the baklava. Best baklavas i have ever tasted. We also tried the almond cake which was also yummmm. Delicious food, excellent service and warm & welcoming staff = awesome gastronomic experience. read more

The food from this restaurant is just amazing coming from a desi myself. The taste, oiliness and everything is just perfect. I have only opted for takeaways so far but I have seen couple of crowds at the place. The restaurant atmosphere is very humble but if you are a fussy person like me I wouldn't recommend sitting in. Just have it to go and enjoy the deliciousness! read more

great place ,food is always really fresh and tasty love the keema biryani and chicken pakora, hosted a bday party here in there private room for my hubby 35th and the staff and food really shined through all guests where pleased and all got lots off food to takeaway aswell, prices are great, totally recommended!! read more