Chaakoo Bombay Cafe in Edinburgh, City of

If you want to try something Indian and that too Vegetarian should visit Chaakoo... delicious food and amazing food quality. perfect taste to get desi Indian food. Its just the portion that is a bit lacking. rice portion or naan portion can be increased..

The worst place ever....just visited by seeing all the good review and we got the worst experience ever... food quality=0 Food quantity =0 Service =0 It was really shocking when we saw the quality and quantity of the food they have served for this price....so pathetic...shame of this place....

Lovely food and great service from Alec

During our stay in Edinburgh, we went there twice and we loved it so much. The food is succulent and full of flavor. The setting is charming. A good address to remember if you are in the area. We will go back!

Very bad portion of dum biriyani for the price on menu.

That was absolutely stunning! I am shocked at the bad reviews because it's maybe the best Indian takeaway I've had. Initially we were shocked at the small looking portions but the food was excellent and very filling! We got the meal deal for 2 on deliveroo and was not disappointed

Indian restaurant in Leith Walk. The sabjee samosa filling was tasty but the pastry was quite thick and hard. The curries were nice, note portion size is quite small. The naan is crispy, not as fluffy as we prefer.

All halal, good service and the food was tasty.

Awesome bombay style irani cafe - authentic food - very highly recommended. A shame they only have branches in Edinburgh and Glasgow only

Great food and beautiful interior design for a good atmosphere. Lots of good vegitarian options also.

Indian cuisine my second fav cuisine !! And food there wasn’t bad !! Nice friendly stuff

Terrible food. Flavourless and small portions. There’s so many better Indian restaurants in Edinburgh. Look elsewhere

The staff was amazing but the food was disappointing. Super small quantities and price not justified for quality and quantity. Had order the chocolate ice cream which came of as a bit spicy for some reason. Wouldn’t recommend for the non veg food

Food is amazing. Grilled options on point as well as the Monkfish curry. Alec was a fantastic server, and made us feel welcome the whole time!

Absolutely loved my experience at Chaakoo Bombay. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with beautiful decor that transports you straight to old Bombay. The food was exceptional, full of rich, authentic flavors.

Tried this place for the first time. I really loved the vegetable samosa. I thought the quantity of the main plate is less (small portions). One adult will surely need more than 1 main plate. They also charged 10℅ discretionary gratuity service fee on top of the bill.

Got a takeaway and we’re really impressed! Been a while since we’ve been “wowed” by flavour. Only feedback would be that everything was a little on the spicy side.

Absolutely super! The food is delicious and perfect portions! Walked in and table for 7…no problem accommodating us. A fair range of meat, fish, vegetarian..(paneer masala, swordfish, lamb, bhuna, pakora, lemon rice, naan and the list goes on!) def recommend and will return. Had wine, beer with dinner hence price per person

Best Indian in town, in my humble opinion

We had high expectations from the place and to an extend it met our expectations but somewhere there was a gap. We were sat at a corner seat and there was a difficult to get the attention of the staff. They forgot to serve a dish on our table and had put that in the table beside us, which was vacant and it lied there for sometime, till they came back and we asked for it. I would like to give another chance and probably sit in a better well lit place. The alley to the washroom could be better.

Enjoyed the food and atmosphere, Staff is extremely friendly! Recommended 💯

Called in for a meal last Monday the 10th at around 2100. the service was excellent with a very friendly reception. The meal was very very good I particularly enjoyed my lamb. All in all it was an excellent experience form beginning to end and very fairy priced . I would highly recommend and am already looking forward to my next visit.

Good food, in particular the kebabs, and a fun atmosphere. Gets fairly busy in the evenings so would recommend booking in advance.

Oh wow …. The best Indian would definitely be in my top 10 in uk …. Hands up 👌👌👌❤️❤️❤️

If you like a flavourless watered down oily curry heres the place to come ordered for the first time and was shocked with the quality of the food from this place😱😱

Tasty food and amazing ambience.

Food was amazing staff were fantastic

The best food! The lamb chops were delicious.

This is outstanding. Can recommend a rice, naan and two dishes each (a bit like tapas). Service quick.

I happened across the Chaakoo Bombay Cafe on Lothian Road by chance and thought I would just venture in; well I am so glad I did! I had a lunchtime special of tandoori chicken wings, bowl of curry and fries and how delicious it all was. Succulent tasty chicken wings, tender and extremely tasty lamb rogan josh and crisp masala fries. Great value for money, friendly and attentive staff and I wil definitely be back!

Was in for lunch yesterday afternoon and couldn’t be happier with everything. Food was amazing, service was great and prices were reasonable. I’ve lived in the area for a while and always wanted to try but now that I have I’ll definitely be back soon.

Excellent food for a reasonable price.

Please read the one star reviews. They are true. First we started of with a "pot of chai for sharing" which cost £4.50 for a pot the size of a a small coffee mug. We did not find the thumbful of chai each humorous. The chai was just tea with milk in it and a bit of spice. As if you bought a chai teabag from the supermarket. Chaakoo you couldn't even bother to brew chai which wouldn't cost you anything. The signage was not humuorous either. Just poor decor reflecting poor taste. Also yes we got the biryani which as others mentioned is just yellow rice topped with onion and exactly one piece of dried out lamb. The railway chicken dish was steamed chicken breast topped with sauce (sauce was favourful). Nothing authentic. There is nothing Irani about this venue. It's British Indian food for people who don't want meat with bones on it. The naan was paper thin with plenty of garlic flavoured ghee dripping off of it. Should be the opposite ratio. Service was good and friendly. Restaurant was clean.

Discriminatory Service at an Indian Restaurant – A Deeply Disappointing Experience As an Indian, I was deeply disappointed by my experience at this restaurant. It was disheartening to feel unwelcome and judged, especially at an establishment that represents Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, the service reflected a clear bias, making for an uncomfortable dining experience. When we ordered ice cream with different flavors for two people, it was served in a single bowl, and upon requesting separate bowls, the waitress reacted with visible displeasure. While the food was decent, the overall experience left much to be desired. I would not recommend this place, as no guest should feel unwelcome while paying for a meal.

Went to eat here on the 4th of February. Everything is ‘crushed’ onto a small space that leaves the very little room cluttered. The starter was good but by the time I got to the main it was cold. Tried to catch the eye of a waitress to no avail before eventually when my dining companion had finished they came to clear the table at which point I was able inform them that my meal was cold and not been eaten. The waitress took no notice of my remark and cleared the table so again I informed her that I had not eaten my meal so would not be paying for it to which the reply was ‘you will have too’ she then shrugged her shoulders which prompted me to ask to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor then approached the table and without any prompting said there was nothing wrong with the meal but did offer a free drink which was declined, she then responded by saying ‘you ate most of it anyway, so there cannot have been much wrong with it’. It was pointed out that immediately on starting the main course and on discovering it was cold I had tried to summon a waiter but was ignored. Bottom line, the staff attitude and service was atrocious, would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Ambience is the real touch of Indian Irani cafe. Food was delicious. Indian tea need some change its should be proper brut tea as compared to portion size of food the price was higher than excepted.

Buzzing on a Saturday night but excellent service and food is amazing.

Great food, fast service, decently priced. But food portions could be a bit bigger.

Visited at 5pm so it was just beginning to get busy. Staff were attentive, our choices arrived quickly, ( which was good as we had a teenager with us who gets bored almost instantly). The curries we chose reminded me of being a kid, not too spicy, and absolutely delicious. The chicken was perfect. The garlic nan was light with really toasted bits on it. It’s the most restaurant food I’ve ever seen my teenage son eat….(gutted to watch him devour platefuls lol). Can recommend.

Loved the sharing meal for 2. Great choice and lovely meal.

Reached just before the kitchen was closing but, great food and service by Tala.

“Visited Chaakoo in Edinburgh and had a great overall experience. The atmosphere was lovely, and most of the food was delicious. However, I was a bit disappointed with the seekh kebabs, as they lacked flavor and didn’t meet the standard of the other dishes. That said, the rest of the menu was fantastic, and the service was excellent. Would definitely return to try more options!”

Dal makhani was fantastic, so was all the other food items. Had ordered via deliveroo. All items were packed in a very neat way however I had ordered for garlic naan but recieved plain naan. Quality of food items were too notch. Would definitely order again.

Had the pleasure of eating and WOW, i was not disappointed. I opted for the Lamb Madras, the lamb was absolutely gorgeous and just fell apart in your mouth, paired with the lovely fluffy rice and garlic naan. Cocktails were a delight too! Lovely clean and welcoming atmosphere with friendly staff. 10/10, i will definitely be dining here more often.

It's funny because I'm sitting in the restaurant as I'm writing this review but I was blown away by the food here. When I entered I thought of chaakoo as a tribute given to Dishoom but boy was I wrong. The food is much much better than any of the Dishoom's I've been to especially the lassi. Overall I absolutely loved the food and it's really affordable as well. Would love to come back here sometime again when I'm in Edinburgh.

After seeing the reviews I was absolutely shocked at how bad the food was. That a restaurant can be managed in such a way that a chef could serve this food is amazing. There were hardly any customers either. The fry overcooked fish pakora and weird chutney could have been overlooked but when I got the under seasoned dry Biriyani with dry overcooked lamb, it was all over. Customer service however is top tier and I did get my bill reduced. I will never return. Either most people don’t know good Indian food or I had a very unlucky meal.

Ordered via Deliveroo , very disappointed could not eat the meat dishes ordered . Afghani chicken , chicken tikka masala and lamb samosas heavly over salted I could not eat and wasted over £30 . Do not recommend at all was looking forward to this meal however disappointed all went straight in the bin

Had an amazing meal and two of the fabulous chai-tinis. Whole heartedly recommend this restaurant anytime you are in Edinburgh

Came here with a large group and had a great time. Food was all delicious, staff were on the ball and the restaurant itself is really nice. Will definitely head back

Good is very nice and service was great. Portions are OK but could be a little bigger

Fantastic restaurant. Food was amazing. Just the right portion size and so tasty. Our waiter Alec was great. Really fury and patient!

Lovely find 👌🏼 We found this by exploring a little further afield and we couldn’t have picked a nicer place for food. Affordable and very good food. Portion sizes are good and very filling. The flavours are unbelievable. Would 100% recommend

Buttered chicken is the best here. However I did not have much chicken in it, but the souce and the nanbread was very special. Restaurant was recomended, no wonder why :)

They sent us the wrong thing but I don't even mind because everything was so delicious

Food here was really tasty and the menu is huge. Highly recommend the Dahl, butter paneer and any of the naans. This place is very comparable with Dishoom - it is a lower price point and the quality across dishes isn’t quite as good, but it’s a solid spot that I’ll return to.

The portions are small, but I find it more suitable for me. Intersting decor.

Went here with my baby son and my wife for her birthday. It was an amazing experience the staff were amazing the food was soo good. The butter chicken and the daal were to die for. Shame I don't live near by or this would have been my regular spot !!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The food at Chaakoo in Edinburgh was absolutely delicious, and the hostess provided excellent service with a polite and friendly attitude. The overall dining experience was lovely, but we were seated at a very cramped table. Unfortunately, despite requesting a change, we weren’t accommodated, which was a bit disappointing. That said, the quality of the food and the attentive service made up for it. I’d recommend Chaakoo for the tasty dishes, but hope for a more comfortable seating arrangement next time.

The food is fantastic, the portions are slightly smaller but this is reflected in the price, so you can have a couple of dishes for the cost of an average Indian meal. The garlic nans are fantastic, unfortunately they don't sell poppadoms or dips, hopefully they might be on the menu in the future. Currently my favourite Indian restaurant in Edinburgh, you won't be disappointed. Definitely worth a visit.

Pleasant evening spent here with friends who had been before. We had a selection of sharing dishes and tried quite a few things. The staff were nice and there is a good atmosphere. We were seated in a lovely booth.

Great food, service and value! The Afghani chicken is a must try.

Great food, very friendly service, quick and very good value! Would highly recommend the afghani chicken and lamb garlic bhuna!

The food here was delicious, thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful.

We ordered the afgani chicken and a couple of currys and nan. The afgani chicken was raw not once, not twice but four times! By the time we received new chicken the rest of our food was cold and I wasn't hungry after seeing 4 pieces of uncooked chicken, I didn't want to take my chances with the rest of the food.

Loved the food! Tulsi chicken, chicken tikka masala and daal was our favourite.

Clearly trying to be a Dishum clone, neither the food or atmosphere lived up to it. Quite small portions, you definitely need side as well as a main

Small dishes but absolutely loved the food here. Would come back in a flash. Quick service too. Highly reccomend

First time I have been there and defo be back ,friendly staff, nice relaxed atmosphere, excellent food ,lov it 👌 😋😋😋🍺

Really disappointed by this place. Been wanting to try it for a while since it opened and the presentation of the place was intriguing if a little orientalist. Would have enjoyed that if the food was decent however: The railway chicken was bland. The sauce was just like thick water. It was also made with chicken breast which was stringy and overcooked. The kheema matar was nice. But the waiter couldn’t even manage to pronounce the dish correctly! The naan was very thin though nicely flavoured. The fish pakore were bland again, they tasted of nothing, not even fish! The drinks were nice too. and a creative menu. We also overheard another table remarking how bland things were. But overall, give this a miss. There’s plenty better in the area including just up a bit further in tollcross. And for cheaper too, we spent 60 quid for two people.

We visited they allot us table after we placed order which arrived almost after 30min and the taste was not at all up to mark even the staff was so less that they could not be able to help after that again we order another time because the quantity was too less visited so many restaurant didn’t find this kind of quantity another order also arrived almost after 20 min very poor serve will never visit again in life neither will recommend to anyone

We went here after watching one review on TikTok and it did not disappoint it was amazing. The service was great. I’m still dreaming about all of the food I ate. Will definitely come back when we come to Edinburgh again

With respect to the portion size, the meal price is above average. Lamb chops came burned. They changed it and this time inside the chops were pink uncooked. Even if you think that portions are half and price is half, for the full price you will get naan and or rice with the dish. So I will not visit again.

Great place for their Tuesday deal, with lots of starters to share and curries to try at a decent price

Astonishing place the food was perfect, service was top notch and venue is very welcoming and characterful. Highly recommended.

The Resturant is very well designed, it has a reallay good Atmosphere, and really good service, Nice Personal and the food was given to us fast. They also asked us for Allergies and looked at our Orders. The Prices were fully Normal, and the Food was absoluteley delicous and well spiced. If possible, I would give 10 Stars

Food amazing however very busy and service can be slower when busy only to be expected

Average food at above average prices.

We only got take away but it was fantastic. We got lots of the “humble” dishes which are the smaller portions so we could try a few different things. Everything we had was delicious and the presentation was fantastic. Not the standard takeaway tins and everything was labelled. Definitely going back to try a few more things.

Great spot for a snack - I got a kebab and the masala fries. They have so many flavors of iced tea it was hard to choose, and an impressive cocktail and wine menu that I was happy to see included a white wine from Sicily and a red wine from Sardinia. The atmosphere is really cool and server was helpful and friendly.

I have been to both the Edinburgh and Glasgow locations. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is nice and the staff are friendly. Highly recommend.

Wonderful food, just as good as the original in Glasgow! Some of the best Indian we have had. Was blown away by the attention to detail and allergen care the waiter, Alec took. Huge shout out to Alec for his care and excellent service!

Delicious small plates of some of my favourite Indian foods! Being able to have small portions of lots of dishes was perfect. The house lager was amazing and is worth a visit just for a jar. The cocktails were absolutely great to start with too

Amazing. Fantastic food. High quality.

Truly lovely and live place to have a meal. The food was delicious, good service and a very nice ambience. Loved interiors...

I’ve ordered Lamb biryani. Costed me 10 pounds but the quantity was not sufficient. They give me biryani in a coffee cup 😂.

It's not cheap, but the quality of the food and service is what you are paying for and very much worth it. We had 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 sides, and a veg dish, plus 2 cocktails for £45... in addition, we had a few beers and extra cocktails, which was an extra £45

As an Indian, I was looking forward to visiting this place. But it must say, the signages used on the restaurant is very offensive to the Indian community. Comments like "no feeding cattles" , "no spitting" and many more, it's feels like the restaurant owner thinks that Indian just do these things. The best part was when one of the manager said that this not the first time anyone has pointed out this, and there has been no action by the management. Shame on the top management for selling Indian food, attracting audience and on the other hand defaming our community.

Ok only. Food is far too generic without any subtlety. The curry sauces appear to be made from one base and adjusted. Naans were thin and rice was dry, both poor. Very busy but that's because of the decor and location. Not worth visiting.

The food was ok. The ambiance was ok. Service was ok. The restaurant, the cutlery, was not clean. Chai was sugar water.

Authentic Indian food in a very retro environment

Delicious food! The lamb chops were lovely and so was the butter chicken. I wouldn’t recommend the veggie samosas as I found them quite dense but everything else was great. They recommend 2-3 dishes per person but I think 2 dishes or even one curry with a naan is more than enough.

(Chaakoo Edinburgh) Good things: - Decor is really beautiful, lots of space and a choice of seating in booths, windows or tables. - The staff were friendly, polite and patient. - Dishes that were lovely: the shakhari pakoras and chutney were amazing, both paneer dishes including delicious Saag, naan were not too heavy. - Great selection of drinks for the whole family; the Fanta Lemon was a nice surprise. Room for improvement: - The music. In the hour or so we were there, we listened to Jazz, 70s hits and some Michael Jackson. I think picking a vibe and sticking with it will really help with ambience. - The serveware: it would help to have either bigger dishes with the same amount, or less food in the dishes. As soon as you try and scoop something out, the food spills over. Not great. - The food that needs improvement: daal makhani was not stirred through so was clumpy in places. Both cauliflower dishes need work. The Aloo Gobi in particular basically came as one massive undercooked floret sat on a bed of oil and then masala underneath. Not great. The raita was also really thick and basically chopped salad in greek yogurt; needed flavour and perhaps to be thinner. All in all, nice place to visit but some dishes outperform others.

Food was terrible, staff really nice Had a potato salad with literally 4 potato cubes in a nest of rocket leaves. And it'd have been better to use a bit mild rocket.

Joe and Ana were the best. They really took good care of us. Food was amazing. Must try butter chicken.

Great food , great service … what’s not to love

Delicious satisfying small plates. Loved it!

The restaurant is excellent, but the amount of food is small and the prices are reasonable. It costs approximately 10 to 15 pounds per person for six people. The bill was 71 pounds.

Genuine mumbai Irani cafe in Edinburgh. After exploring Indian restaurants in London, we have come to Edinburgh to try more indian restaurants. We came across this place as it is close to the city centre. We ordered murg thali and chicken tikka. The thali came with butter chicken, chicken curry, and dal makhani. Everything was delicious and had authentic Indian taste. I genuinely felt as if I was eating in a Delhi restaurant. The staff here was very polite. They have a special kids menu which comes with juice and ice cream as add-ons. Lastly, they have a collection of old Indian movie posters that took me back 30 years to the times when I used to see movie posters on walls while going to school. It made me feel nostalgic. I would totally recommend this.

Very small portions, ordered biryani’s , very plain, no sides , Indian biryani’s in Indian restaurant always served with yougurt chutney and pickle. Sorry to say but it’s a proper waste of money, very disappointing.

Went for lunch and ate from the lunch menu, see photo attached. The food and service were excellent. Served with water as soon as we sat down - love that. Food comes all at once, but it was nice to enjoy it that way. The chicken wings were a hearty portion, the paneer was really tasty, it had a lovely dip with it. My chickpea curry was great and the others enjoyed the garlic chicken. Fantastic value as 2 dishes and fries/rice for £13.95