Ka Pao Edinburgh in Edinburgh, City of

Good good. Nice to see the menu changing. The location is a bit soulless - at the top of a shopping centre. Maybe the food and central location makes up for it??

Accessible location near St James. Very helpful for dietary requirements, super tasty food at a fare price for the city. Funky place.

Service was excellent, food was amazing, definitely will go back.

Friendly, helpful staff. Lovely cocktails excellent food. The set lunch is very good value. Well thought out wine list at reasonable prices. Difficult to fault.

Service and atmosphere were great, I really didn’t like the food very much though, did the tasting menu and all the dishes tasted “confused” is the only way I can describe it, or experimental, there were really odd combinations of flavours, I went in without expectations though so if you know what you are getting into it might be nice, the dishes were VERY flavourful, but not my bag. Felt more like Asian combined with Jamaican? I wasn’t really sure!

Excellent. Good food, reasonably priced.

Fantastic meal for a special occasion. Everyone left extremely impressed with the selection, service, and value. A must try.

A must! Delicious and creative menu.

I’ve loved Ka Pao since it opened and it’s up there on my “go to list” HOWEVER that opinion has changed after my last visit with friends for my birthday. Between the surly unenthusiastic waiter and downright aggressive shouting and serving of food by the manager nearly taking my friends fingers off (he was clearly stressed but hey it’s Saturday night in hospitality, get out the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat!!!) I’m not sure I’ll be back as there’s so much choice in Edinburgh you can’t get complacent Ka Pao management 😮‍💨

A fairly average experience unfortunately. We ordered some small plates to share. The food started arriving before we got our drinks. I had ordered a cocktail which I expected to drink before eating. The squid dish was good, but the others were unremarkable and the use of spice/chilli was a bit heavy handed in some dishes. Watch out if you're sensitive to spicy food. One fish dish had a number of small bones, so it hadn't been prepared properly. They have an odd seating set up in the middle of the room. There's a moving partition on the bench seats to allow for different party sizes. On the other side of ours was a group of 4. It makes for an unpleasant environment if there's just two of you on one side. Best to get a window seat instead. Final point is that it's pretty expensive for what it is. The cocktails look to be reasonable value though.

Absolutely fabulous food and so full of flavour, the spicy curry was delicious.

Ka Pao is a fantastic spot in Edinburgh for anyone craving vibrant and creative Southeast Asian flavors. From the moment you step inside, the ambiance is buzzing with energy and excitement, making it a perfect place for a memorable dining experience. The menu is inventive, with a variety of small and large plates that are perfect for sharing, allowing you to try a bit of everything. The food is outstanding—each dish is packed with bold flavors, fresh ingredients, and a beautiful balance of spice and zest. The staff are friendly, attentive, and always happy to help with recommendations if you’re not sure where to start. Don’t miss their cocktails, which are as creative as the food and pair perfectly with the dishes. Ka Pao is a wonderful choice for a night out with friends or a special dinner. It brings a unique, exciting twist to Edinburgh’s food scene that’s sure to leave you wanting to come back for more! Highly recommended for anyone looking to try something a little different!

Amazing food, great service, the staff were very knowledgeable about allergens and flexible around the dishes we wanted and the allergies we had.

Very nice food, different from anything I've had experienced before.

Nice looking restaurant and staff helpful. The Spanish drinks waiter was someone who's happy to help and have a laugh. The food is OK but nothing to get excited about. AVOID the £12.50 squid. A disappointment. Worked on about £4 a mouthful with the tiniest squid coming in the center of the plate. Atmosphere was loud with a lot of chattering and tables close so no real privacy when people are so close. On the whole, I've tried it but won't be back anytime soon.

Absolutely fantastic food, great staff, quick service and selection to suit all taste buds.

Absolutely incredible!! Every dish was fantastic. Great atmosphere, excellent staff, and even better food! Highly recommend the Szechuan mushrooms, corn ribs, and spare ribs curry 😊

Fantastic food - the cabbage with nut butter was a surprising highlight. Staff were lovely, bit slow with taking our order though but attentive otherwise. Only downside was being seated in a booth - rather claustrophobic and feels a bit beneath the otherwise relaxed feel of this restaurant. It was our first time there, we now know to ask for a different table in future and I'm sure the experience will then be 5 stars.

Food was amazing lots of choice.

Este restaurante tiene algunos platos buenos, aunque nada super especial y con poca cantidad. Vamos para quedarse con hambre. Comes en una mesa de madera, sin mantel y con servilleta de papel y con los mismos cubiertos. No me disgusta pero no me parece nada especial. También hay que decir que a mí la comida oriental no me gusta demasiado por lo que lo que yo pido es lo menos oriental y poco o nada picante.

Visité Ka Pao con mi madre mientras estábamos en Edimburgo para el festival marginal. El personal era amable y servicial. La comida era deliciosa! Compartimos algunos platos diferentes. Recomendar el pollo frito en salsa de pescado caramelo.

Fascinating food, great service.

Great place, with lovely food and wonderful staff.

Good. Menu slightly limited but what we had was really nice. Cosy and popular.

Nice spot. Some really delicious dishes such as the szichuan mushrooms and the hispi cabage but we were disappointed by the squid. Great service.

Tenía el menú de compartir para cuatro personas con uno o dos platos adicionales todos parecían y sonaban muy prometedores. Desafortunadamente, el uso de mano dura de los chiles dominó muchos de los platos, lo que no fue agradable. Entra para servir platos múltiples que pueden terminar en una comida muy cara fuera de ensalada de pepino El personal era muy amable. ¿Volveré no ese tonto

Not cheap Not thai chefs, but ok.

It was the most delicious and perfect meal I have ever eaten in my 25 years of life. If I lived there, it was a place I would go every night. The staff was friendly and very fast. The ambiance was great. Everything was great!!!!

Went on recommendation and it was delicious!! Had dinner on Friday evening and lunch the next day. Highly recommended!!

Just amazing dishes and great value for money. Highly recommend a visit the spiced lemonade is a must try 😋

We were a group of seven and we shared a mixture of dishes so we could sample more of a variety. The meat was so tender and the flavours were amazing. I would 100% recommend this restaurant. Also thank you Tom!

Seriously delicious flavors, excellent balance between spicy, sweet, salty, acid. Crispy chicken the standout.

My favourite place by far to eat and sip cocktails.

Wow, great value for money, delicious food, very courteous service. Gluten-free, no problem at all and every waiter knew what was meant by gluten-free (completely different than in Germany). I was pleasantly surprised when I received the bill. Really recommended

Ridiculously delicious food, large portions. The corn ribs are a MUST.

We have visited Ka Pao about ten times since they opened the Edinburgh branch and it never disappoints. Their food is delicious, but to me, what makes this place so successful is the attention that they have to their customers. Last time we visited there was a mixup with one of our plates, so we got a different curry to the one we had ordered. As soon as we explained what had happened they sorted it out immediately. After that, there was a slight delay with our dessert, so when they served it they told us they would take it off the bill. To me, this is excellent service, not because they did not charge us, but because we felt valued as patrons of the restaurant. Thanks Ka Pao!

I was celebrating my birthday and all the team was fantastic! I had a couple of additional guests last minute and they accommodated us all in the space. Food and drinks were delicious as always, and despite the restaurant was super busy it all came out quick enough. Especial shout out to Aoife and Guillermo for making it a lovely experience!

Wonderful experience with friends. Very reasonable.

I’m looking forward to going to this restaurant, but I was so disappointed. All the food was salty.🤮 I suggest you do not to waste your money😡

As an Asian, this is almost the most salty I have ever taste all over the world. Otherwise the food, the way they cook, the sauce is up to standard. The level of salt can be describe as over dosed for all the dishes.

This place is like culinary heaven I've been here 7 times and it's always top notch . If I could eat there every day I would . The peanut corn ribs are out of this world delicious . If I ever had the misfortune to be on death row and they asked me my last meal on earth . Those corn ribs would be it . Everything here is perfect . I really need to take a photo of the corn but I eat it 🤩

Had a beef tartare which was out of this world. The service was phenomenal especially Ivana who was also stunning. Duncan made us amazing cocktails will be back for sure!

Great, full on umamy food, the service is spot on, and it's excellent value for money.

We come here every time we go to Edinburgh. It’s so delicious - I’m convinced they don’t have a bad thing on the menu. For the serving sizes and how much we accidentally over-order the price point is always a pleasant surprise.

Some of the best asian food I've had. Desserts only ok.

Ate corn ribs and fried chicken both of which were excellent. Salt and Szechuan pepper oyster mushrooms were ok. Tried both desserts and there were average. Cocktails were a bit hit and miss, charred grape didn’t taste charred or like grape.

We had a wonderful time celebrating my 30th Birthday at Ka Pao. There were 22 of us and everyone loved it. Great food, drinks, service and ambiance!

We had a group of 20 people with a couple of food allergies and we could not have been looked after better! The food was delicious, the service impeccable and cocktails fantastic! I recommend you to everyone!

We went as a group of 8 and it was refreshingly simple to book. Service was well paced and did feel slick like a chain. However, drinks and food selection and quality was so surprisingly impressive. We have varied tastes and dietary preferences. All loved it!

Lovely friendly professional service.

What a sensation We had read a newspapper review and this inspired us to visit The decor is interesting, we were there for an early lunch and it was empty, but soon filled up We ordered a number of dishes to share It was a real mix, some were sensational, the punch of sour, salty, chilly were amazing. Unfortunately that rather put some of the other dishes to shame However the great dishes were sensational and really made this a memorable lunch Please try it out

Although the restaurant espouses a tapas-style experience, we ordered in typical starter-mains fashion. Starters were good. Once they were cleared, the mains arrived in a scatter-gun fashion. We had all ordered main dishes with rice, and we were brought, I think, a couple of the mains and all of the rice. I took a mouthful of the rice while I waited, and it was lukewarm at best. It took another 10 mins or so for the mains to arrive, and by this time the rice was stone cold. I asked for another, and it was magicked up from behind the pass in an instant, so clearly the rice isn't being made fresh to order. There would appear to be a batch of them waiting at the pass to be picked up every so often. Maybe if you get one soon after the batch is made, you get a hot one, otherwise it seems they go off the boil at the pass. Food quality was good, but not exceptional; pork and bone marrow sausage was spicy, but I felt the dish needed something to balance it. It was simply a large whole sausage, sliced, with a green garnish. Needed something else for different texture on the plate, with maybe a half sausage. Fish curry was well cooked, not particularly spicy. Attempts to catch a waiter's eye for drink refills and such were troublesome, as they most all passed by with a "head down, eyes straight ahead, I've got places to go and things to do" attitude. Didn't seem to be watching the tables to see what the customers wanted. In terms of atmosphere, it's a rectangular shell of a room within a new-build shopping centre - a unit, in other words, that has had furniture and a few plants thrown into it. The ceiling is a black nest of utility pipes, conduits and rails, and no attempt has been made to disguise them, other than black paint. Reminiscent of Alien, and the Nostromo. Didn't find it particularly inviting, nor atmospheric.

Lovely food and drinks and great service. Great vegan food options too. Would recommend!

Best food I've had that doesn't cost a fortune. Everything I've tried has been out of this world on flavour. Been 5 times worth travelling up to Edinburgh for. Also amazing cocktails unreal flavour combinations had four yesterday. Been spreading the word hope it stays forever as I'm planning next trip to Edinburgh soon.

Really great restaurant. Been a few times now and the food is always amazing. Each time I get my favourites and try a new one and it quickly becomes a favourite. Soon I'll be ordering the whole menu! Particularly love the cucumber salad, just so fresh. The corn ribs are super tasty. And those mushrooms..... Delicious! Service has always been on point too. Well done..... In a time when so many restaurants aren't quite getting it right......this one is great!

Absolutely fantastic food all served by an exceptional waitress who really made our experience a 10 out of 10, thank you Ivana, you you rock!

Excellent food and a very nice staff. We enjoyed each and every dish we received here as it was served hot and with great flavor. Both staff members were very nice and conversational. I'd most certainly recommend this place!

We did the chef tasting menu for our party and every dish was a delight. Flavors were incredible and the meat was tender. Staff took great care of asking about allergies, my son is allergic to nuts.

Typical expensive but not tasty and small portion restaurant

Great service and great food, what more to ask for!

Fresh, authentic and full flavour Just a good diverse menu cooked really well Good, professional and discreet service Minus is I couldn’t try more dishes as I was full

Fabulous, flavorful food, great service and a wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommend!

The menu is interestingly unusual, the food is tasty, the pricing fair... and the wine on the specials list was genuinely good. But the 5 stars are a shout out for the really fantastic staff. Friendly, fun, super-efficient... thank you!

I loved the beef pao with noodles. Delicious.

A phenomenal lunch. The restaurant is nice with big windows for great natural light. The menu is well laid out and has something for everyone. The pork belly, watercress and cashew salad is an absolute must. Incredibly savoury, soft pork belly, fragrant dressing and crunchy cashews. The Szechuan oyster mushrooms were a surprise and I highly recommend. Even if you don't like mushrooms, this will convert you. Flavourful coating, a dipping sauce with savoury, salty, sour chilli heat paired with pickled Mooli for a clean finish. The fried chicken is light and crispy with a sweet sticky glaze, very tasty. The roast cauliflower curry is deep, flavourful and very satisfying with the jasmine rice. Superb dishes that will leave you very satisfied at a reasonable price.

Amazing food and service! We love the deep fried mushrooms. Been here twice and i’ll be back for sure! The cauliflower curry is so delicious and my friend loves the crispy Chicken with chilli sauce.

Bingo! It all comes together. ✌️

We asked for rice twice to be served in the beginning with starters. But they refused to do so and said to us the rice will be ready with the main. However, this is not how we Asian eat. I felt full already when the main came. The experience was a bit frustrating and not very authentic. But the staff were friendly and welcoming and overall the food was tasty.

Great service from Rianna. All the dishes she selected were yum.

Staff are so accommodating and lovely! They take absolute pride and joy in helping you with the menu. Food is incredible, so flavourful and delicious with an amazing range of dishes.

Best restaurant in Edinburgh. The food is the highest quality I've ever tasted. Really happy both times that I've been and very reasonably priced. Will likely keep going back.

Everything here was wonderful - food was flavorful and delicious (fried chicken was my favorite), service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was lovely. I would recommend to anyone and will go back again for the fried chicken!

They have the best appetisers and cocktails.

The food here is absolutely incredible - the meal my boyfriend and I had was the tastiest thing ever. The Arbroath smokies, corn ribs and cod cheeks were to die for. The service was all great timing too - had time to enjoy each course. Highly recommend!

Food was sub par, service was meh, restaurant had an okay vibe. Arbroath Smokie maing, not bad but not particularly enjoy Beef tartare, couldn't taste any other than coriander and salt. Only thing both of us had, and both had upset stomachs after, AVOID Shetland mussels, these were actually pretty good. Cauliflower curry, meh.

Surprising flavours and very playful dishes. We had four dishes and all were varied, delicious and curious. The corn is a must have.

Just brilliant overall, very vegan friendly and really friendly staff.

Delicious food and great service

Incredible food and superb service by our wonderful knowledgeable & attentive waiter Phil . He really added to a fabulous experience . My friends and I will be back very soon . Fast becoming our favourite restaurant in Edinburgh . Thank you so much for a brilliant birthday time

Great food and interesting beer selection. Surprising that there was no Pad Thai / noodles on the menu as its a Thai restaurant.

Excellent cocktails and great Asian fusion food. Beware though- don't go if you're allergic to crustaceans or shellfish.

The food was delicious and such good quality. This place is a real gem tucked away in a shopping centre. It's been a while since I've walked away from a meal where both service and flavour were so spectacularly met. Super lovely serving staff who gave us recommendations for the area too. Can't recommend enough. The cocktails were also top notch! The staff were happy to talk us through the menu and we chose dishes we might not ordinarily have done - I'm very pleased we did. Thank you for rescuing our evening

Super flavourful and authentic food. Really warm and friendly serving staff. Can't recommend this place enough

Really delicious food and great value for money. Good atmosphere despite being in the shopping centre. Would highly recommend!

I would definitely recommend this restaurant The food, drink and service were all excellent and the atmosphere is so good too.

Service was wonderful and food was mouth watering. Thank you!

Great staff and service. Some foods were a little too salty but most had the perfect balance- the hit for me was the simple cucumber salad.

I thought it would be just another run-of-the-mill chain restaurant meal, but it turned out to be surprisingly delicious. And guess what? They even have Budweiser Budvar on tap, brewed right in my hometown!

Past experience great in this place but so disappointed today. Food poor. Service poor. Hope it has just been a temporary lapse.

Very nice food and very nice service thank u cute waiter 🫶

The fish sauce caramel fried chicken lives in my dreams. It is one of the best things I've eaten. Also, see the Sichuan fried mushrooms. Oh! And the corn ribs. All absolutely excellent dishes. Service always great; menu has a good mix of veggie and meaty dishes. The sharer menu is great value if there are four or more diners.

Went to this place so many times and it’s still number one for me, one of the best places in Edinburg, delicious food, lot of choices and beautiful desserts, nice atmosphere, friendly staff. They change the menu sometimes, so there is always something new to try, definitely worth trying

Lovely food and staff will be back

The entire menu looked incredible, and everything we chose was delicious. The Pork and bone marrow sausage and the confit duck curry in particular was two of the best things I tasted on my entire trip.

Fried chicken nowhere near as good as it used to be. The chicken to batter ratio is way off and the sauce isn't poured over anymore. Beef in the green curry wasn't the softest, and not much of it. Yellow curry was nice although not a lot of hake and hake wasn't seasoned enough. No coconut soft serve available either. Corn ribs and padrons were decent.

We visited as a group of 12 and had the sharing menu which we all thoroughly enjoyed and thought was great value. This was a great way to experience a wide range of the dishes Ka Pao has to offer - the Arbroath smokie dish and the hake curry were particular highlights. The food is full of flavour and deliciously spiced. The staff were friendly and attentive. All in all we really enjoyed our evening and would definitely recommend Ka Pao.

Eat there today and the food was brilliant. As good as I’ve had here, and up there with what we’ve had in south east Asia. The staff were excellent too. Top marks

Nice place for a catch up and lunch, reasonably priced!

Simply superb. Out of the 5 tapas we ordered none didn’t impress us. Rich in flavors and mix of tastes so perfectly. Every dish is something you cannot imagine. A must visit for fooodies going to Edinburgh

Nice drinks and friendly bar staff