Mother India's Cafe in Edinburgh, City of

Some of the best Indian food I have ever had!

Excellent and fast service, tasty food at reasonable prices. Definitely recommended!

From the San Francisco Bay Area where there are a number of amazing Indian food restaurants, enough to know the good from the not good. This place was delicious. Ordered the Lamb Biryani, Butter Chicken, Veggie Samosa, and Garlic Naan. Great prices on alcohol too.

Had an amazing experience here with a friend. Food was awesome! Highly recommend. My only complaint is that it gets quite loud, so a bit hard to converse. Nothing they can do about that I’d imagine.

A must everyrimei a i visit Edinburgh and gets better and better each time

Food was average and very small quantity. Really amazing atmosphere and friendly staff.

Food was rubbish, just as well we're passing through and won't be going back. Naan was half cooked chewy and the curries had absolutely no flavour. Go somewhere else.

I absolutely love this place. Seems a little more authentic than Indian I usually get in the USA. I ask my friends if we can eat here every time I am in town

Took my indian girlfriend for her birthday. I thought the food was some of the best Indian food I've had, and she said that it's very authentic to what she would eat on a special occasion in india. The staff brought a gulab jamun with ice cream and a candle in it because I told them in my booking it was her birthday. It was a fun and cute moment. Staff in general were very polite and helpful. Highly recommend.

Very nice food and service, Rishi was great We went as a big group and ordered selection of dishes suggested by Rishi Really enjoyed it

Nice little place. Great service and even better food. Would be back regularly if I lived here :)

Service was great our server was very nice. The food came out what felt like 2 seconds after we ordered it and it was so good. The portion sizes were perfect and the mango lassi was amazing. Definitely reccomend to anyone visiting Edinburgh :).

We went here for dinner as a group of 4. Had quite a range of dishes for starters and then 3 types of curries. Everything was alright, but all seemed a bit bland. We were expecting more from the taste, perhaps the only dish we were impressed with wad the Chicken Tikka Masala. Service was very quick and prices were as expected.

Beautiful wee find, great food. Reasonably priced.

Curry was watery and lacking flavour, almost as if diluted. Poor quality, would not recommend.

The food was absolutely delicious and fresh!! So… for a long time I’ve been struggling to find any half decent Indian takeways/cuisines in Edinburgh. Unfortunately every single takeway I ordered from was absolutely pathetic and a disgrace to Indian cuisine. I felt like they didn’t care or put any effort into their cooking. I couldn’t find anywhere that done a good chicken biryani karahi chicken. I have a lot of friends from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I have had the pleasure of having desi style home cooking at their family homes. It’s very hard to find food like that in Edinburgh… I ordered a delivery tonight and the food was absolutely phenomenal!!! It takes a lot to please me and this food was just wow! Everything was so fresh and tasty. The meat, spices, rice and even the ghee butter was perfection. Thanks so much ‘Mother India’s’. I have now found my prime location for Indian cuisine. Next time I’ll be booking a table and coming into the restaurant! Money well spent! P.S. A massive thank you to the chef who is making these wonderful dishes. He/she knows how to cook!!!

A fantastic gem of a restaurant with excellent food and service. We chose 4 tapas dishes (plus rice and popadoms) to share between two and this was just the right amount to be comfortably full. The haddock and the paneer were particular highlights. Very reasonably priced for the quality of the dishes.

Absolutely shocking service when ordering a takeaway. The uber driver left the bag out on the street 5 doors away. No request for the code or even an attempt to contact me when delivering. It had been there for over an hour by the time we realised what had happened. Also although the bag was tied there was no rice as per the order. I called Mother India to complain and was told to get in touch with Uber and ask for a refund. Never Again!!

Great service - Lovely dinner out.

Fantastic “tapas-style” Indian dishes. Delicious small plates, reasonably priced, with plenty interesting choices. Great service from the staff too.

Best Indian in Edinburgh. Food is amazing and well priced. Service is great, fast and nice people. What else is there to say, not many places make you feel like you're getting your moneys worth anymore but this place does - good portions, great taste and not a rip off. I go every month and it's the same everytime.

Went for dinner with family with children. Found overrated. Don’t try half cooked lamb chops.

Nice place with excellent food taste.. service was quick .. and very welcoming waitress

Small Indian restaurant serving tapas style dishes for a reasonable price. The service was excellent and the relatively small menu means that everything you order comes out very quickly, we were in and out in around 50 minutes. The Rara Gohst was a particular highlight as the lamb was cooked nicely and the sauce was packed with flavour. The Aloo Chaat was also delicious. I would not recommend ordering the garlic naan as it had what looked like an entire clove of garlic sprinkled on top of it and was incredibly overpowering, I saw a few tables unable to finish theirs.

Hands down the best Indian restaurant in Edinburgh (maybe UK). Wonderful food, always accommodating (seated our company group even when someone had booked the wrong evening 😳) and great value.

The food was reall nice and the service was excellent too! For me the portion was enough, but for a bigger eater it might be not enough. All in all I was satisfied.

Food here is delicious with a good range of options for both meat eaters, pescatarians, vegetarian and vegans. The staff were attentive and service was fast.

Good restaurant with authentic Indian, Pakistani dishes. The chicken lababdar is a good curry we had recently. Good service..may be crowded on weekends and Fridays.. call and reserve the table. It is very close to the University of Edinburgh main building and walking distance from Royal mile, National museum of Scotland.

Amazing food. I came here after looking at the reviews. I ordered lamb seekh jalfrezi with garlic naan (this is in offer) for 14.95 and it’s delicious. Also ordered a chapati and it didn’t disappoint at all. Highly recommended but the portions are small because they call it Indian tapas.

Great food and staff were brilliant. Pleasantly surprised with the bill considering it's central Edinburgh! Definitely recommend a visit.

Brilliant food for a reasonable price. Definitely a little gem.

The best Indian food I've had in a long time. The sweetcorn & paneer curry, and aloo Gobi with a cup of masala chai... Perfection. Lovely service, lovely room.

Fantastic food service was good, although there were 18 of us. Waiters were very attentive with drinks and any more tapas. We all had a great night.

Amazing food. Quick service. Good value. Very loud

A popular restaurant and I can see why. Great selection of food.

Our first visit to Mother India - first rate - the cafe / restaurant is well presented with dining on the ground and lower ground floors level. Friendly welcome - simple menu - not fussy - service was spot on - food arrived at warp speed but there was no sense of rushing - just efficient service - food was excellent very flavoursome - prices reasonable. You have the table for about two hours - i guess when not busy there is less urgency to move you on - but on a busy night you get the heads up the next party has arrived - again no sense of rush but you know it's time to let the next group have their booking. We will be back and we will recommend.

This is a terrific Indian near Old college, beautiful cooked food, great service and fabulous value. Had delicious tandoori chicken, Makhani Daal and nann fkr about £20. Very popular, packed on a Monday night! Book ahead

Our first evening in Edinburgh and we loved the food here, it gets busy so book your table ahead. I would definitely eat here again 👍💯

It was our first time at "Mother India's Cafe", but we would go there again in a heartbeat 🤩 We really liked the shop - we were there a little early (around 4 p.m.) and were able to sit down straight away, there were enough free seats. The staff was extremely friendly and took the time to explain the dishes to us and make recommendations. The food itself was absolutely great, the portions were appropriately sized and super tasty. We can recommend both the naan and the rice as a side dish. The mango lassi was also very good and helps with the spicier dishes 😉

This place is super busy and I'm not surprised! We did not book and waited for a table for luckily only a short while before being seated in the downstairs floor. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is bustling. It's Indian Tapas, so you get to sample many dishes.

Every time I go to this place I love it more and more. Being able to have a try of a few dishes rather than just one main curry like at normal Indian restaurants is a big positive. They can also do fish properly. Lamb chops are banging too.

I went to him for dinner. To be honest, the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the staff were helpful, especially the Pakistani employee whose name is Maithdar. I think I wrote his name correctly. I ordered: Chili Garlic Chicken plate 10/10 I ordered the butter chicken plate 6/10 I ordered plain biryani rice 10/10, raita salad 10/10, and garlic naan bread 10/10.

First time I’m trying Indian cuisine and now it’s a must to go!

Great food, good service and reasonable prices. Definitely recommend.

The curry was the best I have ever had. Full of flavour! Will definitely be back.

If there were 10 stars out of 10 they would have got it. Absolutely the best Indian food we have ever eaten. Absolutely fantastic flavors and friendly, fast and service-oriented staff. This place is a must!!! Takes just under 10 minutes to walk to from the Royal Mile.

As a Scottish tour guide I’m always asked for great recommendations for places to eat in Edinburgh Many years ago I visited here and have recommended it to many guests. Decided to eat here again in August and yesterday. It’s still amazing. Great value, excellent food and the staff are very pleasant. Can’t wait to go back

Very busy but the food was excellent.

Magnificent Indian restaurant in the center of Edinburgh, simple in terms of offering and very busy. Prices within the average of the place

Incredibly good Indian. Not the usual jalfrezi/vindaloo menu. Tapas to share. Exciting tastes and good service. No cobras was a downer, otherwise superb!

Called in for lunch. Got looked after . Food was excellent and the staff was better. If I lived here I would eat her regular.

We did a takeaway for 2 consecutive days...we never repeated a restaurant on consecutive days except this one...it says so much about the food, quality and our satisfaction with it...most of the things on menu are so delicious...wish this place was in our city Special mention to kheema naan, garlic naan and saag panner..while writing this review I feel like eating once again

I have previously enjoyed my visits here and often ordered delivery. This review is entirely for the very poor service. I brought two guests to have chai and lassis (the restaurant was busy, but not full). After we sat down, waited several minutes, and ordered our drinks, we were told we were not allowed to stay unless we also ordered food. I understand restaurants can be be busy. But for an establishment that refers to itself as a cafe, I am gravely disappointed at the manner in which we were treated today. Customers should be treated with dignity - whether they order a cup of tea or a full table of dishes. Staff created an embarrassing situation for all of us and we will not be likely to return.

Wow, nice vegetarian option and surprisingly tasty to the Indian palate. We thoroughly enjoyed the food. And I would recommend this to other restaurants that I have visited in Edinburgh

The amount is small. What kind of curry is given in a sauce bowl? It was so small that I snorted the moment I received it. It was lamb karahi, and it contained 3 pieces of lamb and 4 pieces of paprika.

A great place to eat. Food was top quality and they dealt with our party of 22 very efficiently.

It was my best indian meal so far! I absolutely loved all it. And I will totally miss that food.

Fantastic food. Decent portions and super cozy vibes. Would recommend for anybody to visit!

Have visited a few times and never been disappointed. Love the small plates style of dining where you get to try lots of different dishes. Pindi chana and lamb karahi were particular highlights in a meal full if fantastic food.

Tapas style dining so you can try lots of dishes. Such a good spot off the royal mile!

If you love Indian food you will love this place , we were unable to get into the main mother India , but found this cafe version just down the road. The food is delicious and very reasonably priced They do not take bookings just walk ins

Busy resteraunt but always worth a visit as the food is delicious. It's a busy venue so there is pressure to leave when your reservation time expires. Service was efficient and staff so polite and helpful. Tapas allows you to try lots of different dishes. I can recommend if you like a hotter dish the chilli garlic chicken.

There’s a reason why it’s hard to get a reservation here…..ITS FANTASTIC FOOD! Read the reviews and your mouth will start watering! Service was excellent and its a nice restaurant! Don’t skip this one!

The lamb chop and dosa were both great. It’s too much salt for my own good but it tastes delicious.

First visit to this restaurant. We had an itison voucher for 2 which was for popadoms with chutney tray, starters, mains, 1 rice and 1 naan. Food was excellent and plentiful, in fact we couldn't finish it all. Will definitely be back. Thank you Mother India's Cafe.

Great food but it's a very rushed experience. We were done in about 40 minutes. The waiter keeps asking if we we're ready to order every minute. I'd recommend going to Mowgli's instead if you want nice Indian food in the city centre.

Very busy on a Friday night, but we got seated and dinner was amazing. Excellent tapas-style dining made it fun to share at our table.

Another visit and another amazing evening. The place was jumping. Great atmosphere. And the food was awesome. Was brought out in super quick time. All piping hot and delicious. 5 stars!

Very good food, often re visit this restaurant. Is slightly expensive.

Been meaning to try this place for a while and it was really good 😊 excellent food and service, clearly very popular, full on a Monday evening - booking recommended.

I would have given negative stars as well.. if I had an option. I have orderd in many restaurants in Edinburgh, never had such a bad experience, today I ordered food , and am 100% sure it might be cooked a week ago… very bad taste, stale rotten smell. Literally water in my eyes for such a bad worst food. Somehow I managed to eat little portion and now my stomach burns very bad.

Didn't know about this place until a friend booked a table here. Great food that felt, most importantly, CLEAN and easy to eat. You can tell that quality ingredients went into the food. The naans are not heavy in oils like most Indian restaurants. The basil curry chicken was good too and wasn't overly spiced and salty. Great prices as well compared to other restaurants. I'd come back!! :)

Good/Tastey Indian Food and Beverages

Great menu and really good food - not your run of the mill Indian restaurant. Friendly helpful staff. Recommend booking or go before 6pm as the restaurant is very popular

Worst biriyani i ever had in my life… seeing the name of restaurant it’s indian food .. but after having the food , i felt anywhere in india might have this worse biriyani..

Fantastic food and fast service

a warm ambiance and lovely comfort indian food. service was great as well. the rates are decent costed us 10£ per head.

Super Indian veg food and service. Perhaps best in Scotland.

Delicious Indian food restaurant. 👌👍👌

The food and service were terrific.

Masala tea is a rip off. £4.50 and they give you a big tea pot but only 1 small portion of tea in it. It's a quarter full. Food was delicious.

Excellent as usual. Love the Nann bread.

My husband and I were visiting from NYC and stumbled upon this place during our visit. It was so delicious, we came back again after an intense day of hiking. Delicious food with reasonable prices. The staff was attentive and kind and appreciated that it's "tapas" style so you can get a few items and share. 10/10.

We loved eating at Mother India’s cafe!! The service was so so good and the food was exceptional!

The name does not give full merit for the quality of the food. The best Indian dishes I have tasted in as many years as I can remember. Exceptional food and great value for money. We visit Edinburgh regularly and this will be on our planner on each visit . 11 out of 10

Excellent food and a charming spot just off the main road - my only mild complaint is that we unknowingly ordered a couple things that were nearly identical and also over ordered rice - I wish the server would have recommended we switch our dishes around a bit but in the end that was on us. I also wish there were more paneer options. But the food was absolutely excellent and unique - I highly recommend the Rara Gosht!

First time in Edinburgh and fancied an authentic curry. This place did not disappoint! 10/10 would scran again.

Excellent restaurant serving Indian cuisine tapas style. There is a wide range of dishes to choose, many suitable for vegetarian appetites. Two or three dishes per person is plenty to eat when combined with rice and naan breads. For two of us we choose five tapas dishes which proved to be plenty, when eaten with rice and bread. Service is excellent and the premises are bright and clean. It can get very busy in the evening and booking a table is essential if you don't want a long wait outside. It's next to the Royal Oak pub in Infirmary Street, where a great beer selection is available.

Heard a lot about this place so glad to have booked during our Fringe visit. Food was great. Love the tapas style sharing vibe. The recommended 4 dishes between 2 was perfect amount for us though we don't have massive appetites. The Kurkure Aloo Chaat was my favourite, stunning dish. Sweetcorn and paneer masala was also excellent. I was going to say the ice-cream was better than in any Italian but looks like it was from an Italian company so that would explain it! Annoyed that I forgot to order popadums- no 'shall I be mother' here!

The staff are kind and the food is delicious. Best Indian food in Edinburgh

Good tasting food - subtle flavours in my lamb biryani. Polite, prompt service.

A favourite lunch spot for a catch up with friends. Always feel welcome. Over the years it has as never disappointed. The menu is varied and the portion sizes although not large lend themselves to sharing. Plenty of starters / mains to choose from. Great to taste several different dishes when we decided to share. The restaurant is busy at lunch time but the service is prompt without feeling rushed. Appreciate that the tables are cleaned after each course.

A cozy place for Indian curry. My fav dish was railway lamb curry. It was the BEST lamb I’ve ever had in my life. It was extremely tender and juicy, and there were four HUGE chunks in it. The curry itself was very flavorful. Butter chicken was very mild, ppl who expect to get strong flavor from Indian curry can avoid this. It was just full of sweetness for me, not with enough layers of taste. The chicken chunks were huge, but over cooked so they were quite dry and tough. Mango lassi was just ok. Good but a bit too expensive for the quality. Their nans were quite good, but very oily (probably the most oily I’ve had) Peshwari nan was good, sweet but not overly sweet, with some shredded almond on top. Garlic one was quite GARLICKY, highly recommend for ppl who love garlic.

We had a nice time , good ambience and tasty food

After we stood in line, they told us we had to make a reservation 🫠

Food was delicious and fantastic service .

A really hard working and special Indian restaurant. Lots of very tasty small (but not tiny) dishes you can share with friends. Highly recommended.

so we were fringing and in the area, so I had made a booking before the fringe began. So glad I did. My friend hadn't been before, he lives down south. So there was a queue when we arrived, but soon we were taken inside to our waiting table. Great meal. Lovely waiting staff who were very helpful. We had a great meal, loved the railway lamb, loved the chicken in basil sauce, but will make sure we don't order that with a spinach veg dish the next time. Lovely rice and naan bread - clearly they make their own. Lovely indian brand beer, and a very clean place. Staff dusting the tables after we left rice and bits on the table, always carefully wrapped the crumbs up so the floor was still spotless. Toilets were similarly spotless - a hard challenge to do when the festival and fringe are on and so so busy everywhere. Well done team Mother INdia. Only 4 stars because it was noisy, but nothing the restaurant can do about that at this time of year, and we are older people!

So many great things about this wonderful restaurant. Last night we walked by and it was completely full. The gent inside offered us a table in 45 mins or alternatively suggested we should book to secure a table. Unfortunately they were booked all weekend for dinner so we decided to book for lunch. WOW! The service was excellent and the food fantastic. It was like eating home made Indian food. The dishes are made with care and an abundance of flavour. We tend to go recommendations but I’m glad we trusted out instincts this time. Looking forward to returning.

A bustling spot with friendly service and a focus on milder flavors, none of the curries were spicy and flavors were extremelymild. While the portions are on the smaller side, the quality of the food is consistently good. A great choice for those seeking a welcoming atmosphere and a taste of local cuisine