Cutting Chaii in Edinburgh, City of

One of the best restaurants in Edinburgh. Unbelievable flavour. We stayed in Leith 6 days and went out for dinner every night and this was by far our best meal.

Really good food and Amazing staff. Loved it.

Phenomenal restaurant, the food is outstanding, the staff are friendly, it's well-priced, portions are a good size, the atmosphere is lovely. Only issue is it's so popular it's often difficult to get a table, so do book in advance!

Got a delivery and was really good quality and arrived quickly. Dhaba lamb was great and so was biriany. Would definitely order it again.

Great little hidden away gem in leith, impeccable food and fantastic service, never had a bad experience and there’s a fabulous amount of options from mild to very spicy, can’t recommend enough

Always the best food, staff are friendly and efficient. Myself and my family eats here all the time.

Good food and good vibes. The waiter was really friendly and suggested really good food from the menu. One of the best paneer and prawn dish in Edinburgh, even made tea which was not on the menu. Went above and beyond to make our experience great at the restaurant. If you like Indian dishes this is the best place in Edinburgh.

We had Indian food at 3-4 Indian restaurants in Edinburgh on our trip to UK and this was the best one for both my husband and I. 😊 The best mango lassi I have ever had! It was so fresh and the saffron flavor was a cherry on top. We ordered saag paneer and Chana and both were really delicious and authentic. Highly recommend this place.

Outstanding food and service. Highly recommended!

Anyone coming to Edinburgh and not trying this delicious Indian eatery would be a grave mistake!! The menu offers a delightful array of traditional Indian dishes, each bursting with authentic flavors and spices. Every dish we tried was a masterpiece, but the Lamb was the star of the evening—rich, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. The naan was fresh and soft, and paired beautifully with the aromatic curries.

Fantastic meal, superb atmosphere and staff were amazing, had a lovely meal, thanks for making it special!

Absolutely amazing meal. The personal were so friendly and a great laugh. We had a great night out in Edinburgh.

Fantastic banter❤️ really engaging and interested! Food was superb! Delicious flavours! Exceptional value for money! Delicious Beers to finish up! Highly recommend🍺🍺🍺

This place is SO good that we went twice in one week! The dishes are familiar but they put a unique spin on them. We loved that there were plenty of vegan and vegetarian options that didn’t feel like an afterthought. The chaii-steeped chickpeas are incredible and a great spin on channa masala. Also highly recommend the malai murgh - we spent ages debating what makes it so fabulous. Do yourself a favor and book a dinner here!!!

This is just a copycat restaurant of Dishooms and Mowgli. Try their food instead. Restaurant is too small and seating uncomfortable.

What first attracted us to Cutting Chai was the fabulous smells of curry that you experience when walking past. The food did not disappoint! The dishes are varied, authentic and full of flavour. We were very well taken care of and will definitely be back to work our way through the menu.

Hidden Gem on Salamander street. Great service and amazing quality food. A must try on Edinburgh foodie list.

Cutting Chaii is brilliant and if you know someone who lives nearby then it is a duty to recommend the restaurant to them. After all, it's on the corner of a road hardly anyone walks down and surrounded by construction. How would anyone find Cutting Chaii by chance? Of course, don't take my word for it; check the cosy Indian tapas place out for yourself. By "Indian tapas" I mean you'll order two to three dishes per person rather than one big meal. I've been many times, try and have something different each time and am yet to find something I didn't like. The food is fresh and fun. I really like the chance to sample broadly from the menu. Cutting Chaii helps me answer questions that begin with, "Do I like?" However, while it would be wrong to rate the food as anything less than excellent, I have to point out the atmosphere of the cosy corner too! Tip: Book in advance! Cutting Chaii is great for couples, small parties and even solo diners. I don't think it's the place to take 10 office co-workers too! The doorway (which is not wheelchair friendly) is an archway of flowers and decorations. You'll step into a romantically lit, warm, delicious smelling murmur of quiet conversations. It's lovely! It's also a dramatic contrast to windy winter nights! Staff are friendly, not particularly numerous but since Chaii isn't huge, this is never a problem. I've never had a wait at Cutting Chaii. The worst thing that's happened to me is forgetting to book, trying my luck anyway, walking down and finding no tables free. Tip: The toilets (customers only) are nice and clean here. I think they were put in a few years ago when the location was the Elbe Room, have been maintained well and are a huge improvement to what was there before. Cutting Chaii is also on Deliveroo but I'm yet to test that option. I'd much rather turn up for COVID safe (masks, table cleaning, etc) and friendly in person. Overall? Delighted to recommend this treasure to you. [April 2022: update - still great] [January 2023: update - busy for an impromptu midweek first. Still great and worth booking for] [April 2023 update - guess what? Still great] [July 2024] update -- already a five star recommendation and now, after a refurbishment, Cutting Chaii is even better. Recommend the Ruby Murray.

The revamp is beautiful and the food is as amazing as ever with some delicious additions to the menu. One of, if not, the best Indian in Edinburgh

Always wanted to try this restaurant and finally I did tonight. I cannot believe I’ve not before but I will definitely be back. Tapas options to try lots of different foods and honestly can say it’s the best I’ve tasted. 5 stars is not enough for this place. Staff very friendly and cosy wee place to relax and enjoy your food.

After a long and exhausting walk from Portobello to Leith, I found myself both tired and hungry. Luckily, I stumbled upon a delightful Indian restaurant that turned out to be a perfect spot to satisfy my hunger and rest. This experience has become a cherished memory for me. The restaurant's service was exceptionally friendly, which made the meal even more enjoyable. As for the food, it was probably the best Indian cuisine I have ever tasted. Highly recommended!!

This has to be the best Indian in Edinburgh. I have eaten here twice in 2 weeks it is that good! I highly recommend both types of chicken wings. So big and extremely nice! Other highlights are the prawns, dhaba lamb and karahi chicken. Very authentic, no oil/grease and absolutely delicious! Finally a decent Indian!

Delivery times are really good and the food is delicious. I wish they did smaller portions of the curries because sometimes I want a tiny amount of dal to have alongside my main. Please consider making an option to select a curry as a main or side. I have a lot of leftovers and no one to share them with.

Lamb biryani is the best I've tasted, so much flavour and very generous with the meat portion. I also tried the Railway lamb with rice and it reminded me of home. So glad to have this restaurant! Definitely ordering here again and might even visit soon.

Great natural ingredients. Very friendly delivery person!

17:35 collection. Restaurant was closed with renovation signs. Seeking refund

This restaurant was recommended by a waitress in a bar we were in at lunchtime and it didn’t disappoint. The food was excellent and the service very efficient and friendly. Have eaten in a lot of Indian restaurants over the years but loved the Tapas style of food. Portions were very generous too.

Really good spice level, quality lamb and great service! 10/10 would recommend for someone looking for a nice local Indian place!

Great menu and service. Will be going back!!!

Had takeaway at weekend. Delicious curries from this restaurant will definitely be back for sitting in, food took a little longer than expected but waitress allowed us to sit in restaurant to wait for it which was great.

Great food. Great staff. Wonderfully authentic.

The best place to eat in Leith. Dixa gives great service front of house.

Fantastic food! Can't recommend enough. Dixa is great she can't do enough for you.

My girlfriend lives above this wonderful curry house and we started ordering food from here (they do sit in meals and takaway) during the Covid lockdown of spring 2020. The food is amazing and the staff are lovely. I can highly recommend Cutting Chaii for all curry lovers. Dhaba chicken is probably my favourite but the prawn dopiaza runs it pretty close!

Get take away from here every weekend. Best Indian food I've had in a long time. Can recommend the veg and non veg options. Channa Mushrooms and Palak Paneer are amazing as are the Prawn Dopiaza, Saagwala Lamb and Dhaba Lamb. So happy to live near this fantastic wee local spot!

The best Indian food I've ever eaten! The dishes are really delicious, prices average even if portions are slightly smaller than usual. Varied menu, not too long, but complete. I recommend the aubergines and the gunpowder chicken. Good lassi but too expensive.

This place permanently changed my expectations of butter chicken, in a good way! We've only ever got their food delivered, so I can't comment on the restaurant itself, but their curries are to die for. The menu is small compared to most other Indian restaurants, and I think that's a positive because they can really put effort into each individual dish. If you want high quality, non-generic curry, definitely try this place!

The only thing authentic about this restaurant was the music, the aroma from the kitchen promised much but sadly fell short on taste. Having decided what we wished to eat,the waitress refused to take our food order, insisting we must order drinks first, it was then a frustrating 15 minutes waiting for someone to take our food order, in a virtual empty restaurant!! Oh what a disappointment, the food was bland , one dimensional with no depth or subtlety of flavour. Having worked in the hospitality industry for many years, I found the staff completely disinterested in their customers, overall a completely unsatisfactory experience, to the extent that this was the first time I have not left a tip in a restaurant, I think it is obvious why. On exit the staff could not even be bothered to acknowledge our departure with thanks for our custom.

Biryani was tasty and samosas nice and crispy. I had a craving and it hit the spot. Not to mention how quickly it was delivered so thank you.

Good location, and a nice ambiance depending on where in the restaurant you are seated. We were placed on a table next to an oversized(for the establishment) bar. Next to us stood a revolving array of delivery drivers. It wasn’t a great place to put a table. We asked the server if we could order after around 15 mins upon entering to which we were told “in a few minutes”. We ended up waiting for 35 mins as we had been forgotten about, we were served food after around 60/70 mins of entering. It was a busy night but there seemed to be a lack of organisation behind the bar. I feel like the servers could have been more attentive and punctual toward our empty glasses. The food is ‘nice’. One of the dishes we had. Was a fish curry-which was let down by there being more fish skin than actual fish meat in the dish. This was disappointing as the sauce was nice and buttery. The naan bread tasted like it came from the supermarket, and was over-cooked. The bathroom was in a bit of a sorry state also. Soap hand been filled up so a massive bottle of blue soap sat on the sink. A hole, now covered up by a square of wood and a screw to hold in place.. These points above would have been greatly less important if it wasn’t for the fact of the slow and largely in-special service. I will not rush to go back to this establishment, nor strongly recommend based on my recent visit

I visited the establishment with the expectation of enjoying chai and pakoda, but unfortunately, the experience left much to be desired. Despite a low number of occupied tables at 5:30 in the evening, the waitress insisted on a main course order, displaying outright rudeness and inflexibility. This unwelcome attitude and refusal to serve only chai and pakoda cast a shadow on what could have been a pleasant visit

Very, very tasty. Great service and atmosphere. Definitely will do again next time in Edinburgh.

Samosa size is very small, not worth for 7.5 pounds

The food here was so amazing. I could really feel the flavour's as back in home. This is the best indian restaurant by far in edinburgh the atmosphere food service everything is 10 out 10.

I was at Scotland for a business trip, and ordered some take away from here. Although I was somewhat secluded, the food arrived on time, and was really good. My personal favourite was the lamb chops, which my whole family enjoyed. If the in store service is just as good as the food, I would highly recommend going.

Very welcoming atmosphere with fantastic food and service, everything we ordered for the table was very tasty. I will definitely be back and would highly recommend a visit to Cutting Chaii.

Food was excellent love the small portions of curry so we can try more items. All are so good! Great prices and service- will return and recommend ♥

Food as excellent as ever however, minimum staffing levels coupled with a continuous takeaway demand put a strain on service times (an hour plus for main course). Last time we visited, there were 3 front of house. Last night, one. Pulling staff from the kitchen to expedite drinks orders isn’t perhaps the most efficient use of staff. To that end, no puds or after dinner drinks/ chai were ordered….meals were divine though….

Had cutting chai and chaat which are as Tapas style, would say chai was brilliant, reminded me of the ones in India. Definitely would recommend. For the chaat, portion size was small as for the price, but delicious!

Tremendous for a sit in or a takeaway

Strange experience average food cheap and cheerful atmosphere but pricey

Food lacked flavour - very bland and disappointing. Also arrived 2 hours after ordering... Will not be ordering for there again.

Maybe the food here was good but unfortunately I couldn't not find that out as I placed an order online which was never delivered even after calling the restaurant multiple times, noone was picking up the phone.

Excellent and delivery was exactly when quoted

Food was perfect service was good and very well priced.

Okra fries were inedible and the butter chicken was not like the recipe we had in the street food menu in the restaurant. Starters were good. Too expensive!!!

Hands down the best Indian Restaurant in Edinburgh. All of the food is exceptional, have always enjoyed every single thing I've ordered. Plus the value for money is fantastic. Cannot recommend enough. 10/10

I have tried 3 different Indian restaurants while in Edinburgh and this was definitely my favourite one. The restaurant is not very big but very cosy and lovely. They offer a lot of different dishes to choose from and the ones I have tested were all delicious. We tried to go a second time without reservation and it was full which would also tell a lot of other people enjoy it as well. I would definitely come back to try another meal.

Great selection of dishes, hard not to over order as they're all so good!

Cutting Chaii is not the cheapest but does nice flavourful dishes. The restaurant is only 10 mins walk from my house but food took about an hour and a half to deliver with the expected delivery time being pushed back multiple times. I ordered at 7.30pm but received the food after 9pm and the starters weren't hot. This was on a Thursday evening, not a weekend night. I requested a partial refund and this was declined. Think I'll try a different local place next time.

We ordered take away for collection a couple of weeks ago. When we arrived to collect, we still had to wait for about 20 minutes outside in the cold before the food was ready. Sadly the food was not good either. Everything tasted spicy but not spiced. there was no depth to it and it all felt quite bland. It’s a shame because we’d heard good things about this place and we were quite disappointed.

Yet another wonderful meal at Cutting Chaii last week - and with a changed menu! The classic dishes remain with a few additions, including the delicious potato chop chaat - would recommend in a heart beat! Service always super friendly and prices reasonable. Thanks again!!

Highly recommend the Gunpowder Chicken and Spicy Chips.

Visited here on a Thursday night after a recommendation from my son. Food was so good. In fact I would go as far as to say that it’s the best Indian food I’ve had in the UK. So tasty. We had 3 curries, samosas, a rice and a nan. The staff were lovely, very friendly and welcoming. Will definitely be back 😀

Had my birthday dinner here, it was amazing. The service and food was great. Couldn’t recommend it more

I’ve been here many times over the last couple of years and frequently recommend it as the best Indian restaurant in Edinburgh. But recently my favourite dish (the lamb biryani) isn’t as good as it used to be. Before the lamb and potato were layered, providing lots of perfect bites, now it seems they chuck lots of lamb in and less spice and flavour. Most recently this was in a take away. Additionally the service the last couple of times I visited has been quite rude. I’m not sure what’s going on but I hope things go back. So I’m taking off one star, but hoping for the best and not rating too low. I still love the appetisers like the chaats and the secret bomb. But sad my favourite dish is not as great as it used to be and that it’s not been as pleasant to visit.

Excellent meal.. delicious food, and quality service. Highly recommended

Great selection of tasty vegan/vegetarian food. Quick delivery. Superb.

Fabulous food and great delivery

The food is beatifully cooked and delicious. Loved the tamarind and ginger chicken wings

Amazing food and atmosphere. Great choice including vegans and vegetarians. Friendly service . . A fantastic experience.

Fabulous food Freshly prepared Great service Friendly staff Good relaxed atmosphere

Chips weren't too good but the aloo Benjan is absolutely AMAZING. 100% recommended - I will definitely be ordering from here again.

Fantastic wee place, amazing food, great atmosphere, and exceptionally attentive staff. Well worth visiting if you’re in the area, or are after proper food.

Hi All, I went to the Cutting Chai yesterday and ordered the famous Dum Biryani which was hyped in the reviews. After the order, I asked for a glass of hot water. It took more than 45 minutes for the waitress to come and say that they don't give water. I was shocked by this answer. In my culture, we offer water for free whether a person requests it or not, because it is one of the most important elements in Indian culture on treating guests. She said that the shop only offers alcoholic drinks and Indian - made drinks. I have never been treated like this anywhere. Is this a custom of Edinburgh Indians to treat other Indian immigrants as low class citizens? If yes, then please change your attitude ASAP. After all we are all human beings. Let's now talk about the main order which came as a small sack size portion "Dum Biriyani". Please don't expect any salad or spicy pickle along with it because they will never give it along with the dish. As an Indian, to my surprise, the Biriyani was not even "Dum Biriyani" because it was just boiled rice along with mutton curry. I enquired whether they gave me the wrong dish but again to my surprise the waitress told me that this is how they serve "Dum Biriyani". Please don't waste your money (£13.97) over there. I am sure that you all can make it yourselves by watching cooking videos on social media, practice, usage of right utensils and ingredients.

Great vegan options, everything was fantastic!

Hands down the best Indian in town. Outrageously good food, very friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. Been here for food more times than I can count and never once been disappointed. If you like good food then this place is for you.

Fantastic food and a great, intimate, relaxed setting.

It says online they close at 11pm but we had been let down at 8:37pm. They said they won't do siting anymore. Very Very disappointing We were really looking forward to it. If they close at 8.30 they should update it online. Disappointed Not recommend

Friendly small establishment with a very interesting menu...top marks for the best freshly spiced food I've been served since many visits to Goa and other mainland India . I wish I lived in Leith !

Delicious food and everyone was happy. Strangely no chapatties on the menu.

Great food and good sized portions. Service was excellent and food arrived hot and quickly. Indicated spicy food level was accurate, 2 peppers is spicy, I probably would struggle with the 3 peppers one. If you are not used to spicy food, stick with one pepper or less. Would visit again.

Ordered take away for collection on Friday evening, half hour wait which was totally fine. Staff friendly on arrival, restaurant looked nice would come back to sit in. Food was really good, non greasy and tasted really fresh. Portion size was very generous; we ordered two mains, a rice and a naan - plenty left over. Prices on higher side but paying for quality good food. Will be back.

Order is now 72 minutes late from original delivery time and 43 minutes late on revised delivery time.phone is constantly while we wait for our order.

Lovely food, lovely service, some unique dishes. Family meal with 11 of us. Fitted us all in couldn’t have been friendlier. Easy to walk to from the tram. Great value as well.

A very, very good venue. A varied menu that caters for vegan, veggie and carnivores. Fabulous selection of curry types that are well presented. Unsure of what to choose, the waiter will help - the fish was simply sublime. Two curries per person was more than enough and the naan was beautifully cooked. Will deffo eat here again

Extremely disappointed. Very unprofessional. Ordered on Deliveroo at 19:00, estimated delivery 19:35. Called over hour after this and told “driver had just left - will be with you in 10 minutes”. Still no food after 21:00 and when called again was told the order had not been processed at all. Very unimpressed that we were lied to. Would not recommend.

Fantastic food. Highly recommended

Amazing consistently high standards. Great customer service

This wee restaurant in Leith is a pure gem. Wonderful food served in wee doses!! Nae need fur rice... a Naan does the job!! Gunpowder chicken is supreme!!

Food: summary: I'm horrified. it's designed to look good on instagram and taste like the same - too sweet. expensive for what it was descriptions are off. Koliwada fish: literally came with healthy boy sweet soy sauce (???) Khasta Kachori: tasted like starter from greek restuarant (enjoyable) (chicken curry): was sweeter than the lassi. curry itself tasted like satay marinade. Service was promt. Atmosphere: loud music (not to my taste)

Popped in here on a Saturday because we walked past it not long before it opened and the smell was out of this world. It was busy but thankfully managed to get a table. The food was every bit as good as it smelled and the cheese and chilli Nan was one of the best I have e ever had

Food tastes good, just a bit overpriced.

Best food I've had in Scotland, absolute perfection!

Absolutely delicious. We had the Jackfruit Biryani which was something we would definitely order again. The butter chicken was unlike others I have had, much more depth of character. We'll be back!

Depth of flavour, arrived hot, just really really good on every level!

Fabulous Indian street food with great gluten free options. We picked 2 dishes each with rice and nan to share and it was delicious. The aubergine dish was the best I had ever tasted, would love the recipe. The staff were really friendly and helpful. This place is definitely worth a visit.

We ate our fill here! The place had a nice atmosphere, and the food was excellent. Already as we were coming down the street, we could smell it and we were not disappointed. Service was good, but the food was just delicious. No qualms about recommending this place.

I've visited 4 times now, a wonderful local restaurant. Great options for Vegans Always worth checking the specials board! (No draught beer available last night, but they do have bottled beer) Thanks to Dixa for looking after us!

I’ve visited Cutting Chaii a few times (as well as getting takeaway a few times too) and have never been disappointed. My favourite dishes are the railway chicken and the daal. On our most recent visit we even tried the vegan garlic naan and could not tell the difference between that and the regular garlic naan! I think that is SUCH an achievement! Bravo Cutting Chaii! They always have great specials too, so make sure to try them. Service is always great, in particular our server on our most recent visit, Dixa. Thanks Cutting Chaii for always being so consistently excellent!