Raba Indian Restaurant in Shetland Islands

My only let down from 5 stars is that the prawns were over cooked. No big deals the meal was awesome. I only got a takeaway. I'm eager to dine there some night. Staff were perfect. You want awesome food? You are there. Chef specials? Yup. You will not be disappointed. Final verdict on the basis of a takeaway? A first class restaurant. I'm sure going back there. So I say you should also.

Fantastic Indian cuisine, used this place weekly for their buffet when working in shetland. Was disappointed one time when we turned up and it was mushroom pakora, bit of banter back and forth and we had full tray of their delicious chicken pakora, fella told us to call anytime we were coming and they would make sure it was on. Great people and great food.. what more do you need?

The Raba Indian restaurant. 26 Commercial Road, Lerwick Shetland. Tel:01595 695585. Date of visit, 19th September 2023. A recent fishing trip to the Shetland isles and the very interesting town of Lerwick, I discovered the 40 or so seater, comfortable clean, Raba Indian Restaurant. On Commercial Road. Lerwick is not overrun with Indian restaurants, it has three that I know of. The Raba, the Excellent Gurkha Kitchen, and the Cinnamon. All within a five-minute walk of each other. I had been to the Island of Yell and stayed at the rather bleak area of Cullivoe where both the fishing and the Weather had been less than kind. And I was in a real need of my curry fix. So, after rushing back to Lerwick in order to sample the only Indian that is SUPPOSED to open from 12 noon until 1400 hours! Two of us arrived at twenty minutes past 1.00 pm only to be told that they were in fact closed, “Close at two” the chap said, “we close at two”! I replied, “Yes, but it is only twenty minutes past one pm!” Yes, but closed, closed at two!” take out only! I argued that I had come a long way to sample this establishment and as I could see that there was in fact two other people sat in the restaurant, I was getting a bit annoyed to say the least! So eventually the waiter, who told me his name was Abdul, relented a little and said, “Main meal only” So, with a sigh of relief we entered the restaurant. And a menu was presented from which we chose two main dishes, a Chicken Tika Masala and a Chicken Madras, Pilau rice and a peshwari Naan. The waiter hurried off at breakneck speed to return a few minutes later enquiring if we wanted a drink. So, a pint of draft Cobra was ordered and arrived pretty quickly. I then proceeded to ask about a couple of popadom’s which seemed to hit a nerve with Abdul, but reluctantly agreed to bring some to the table but insisted that they arrive at the same time as the main meal! So, almost all at the same time, arrived the order, and to be fair, the chicken madras was one of the best that I have had for a very long time, almost going back to the early days in the old Taj Mahal, perfectly spiced, piping red hot, The Chicken Tika was sweet and perfectly put together, soft succulent chicken and a perfect Pilau rice. The Naan arrived a fraction later, a perfect soft layered flaky naan with a nice, sweet filling. Within a minute or so of receiving the meal, the bill was presented on the table!!! The time was ten minutes to two! So, what could have been a good memorable meal was totally ruined by the rather strange anticks of the staff! The food was really good, the establishment clean and comfortable. I then had to argue for a receipt which I was told to photograph! I don’t want a photograph; I want a hard copy! My advice to the staff of the Raba, if you don’t want to serve people at lunch time, don’t bother opening, and again to be fair Abdul was a well-mannered chap, and had spent most of the time glued to his mobile phone, but either, very poorly trained or being bullied from the kitchen. What should have been a really good end to our visit to Lerwick was totally spoiled! OK, Parking was easy and free, Price was £31.65 for the two meals and a pint of Cobra, so, excellent value . The food was 1st class, but that’s where it ends. Rating 4/10

Food was beautifully presented and full of flavour. I would definitely go back. Good atmosphere and our waiter was very helpful.

A small and fairly basic Indian restaurant in the far north of Scotland isn't going to be a gourmet experience, but Raba delivered a perfectly good meal with friendly service and at a very reasonable price. Located a few minutes walk from Lerwick centre close to the harbour and museum.

Service was great. Food was awesome

Brilliant food and fantastic staff

Great menu, still suitable for Asian tastes...thank...

Really enjoyed my meal here, tasty food and friendly atmosphere

Managed to get a table last minute, food was amazing and delicious, service was fast and didn't have to wait long for our food. 100percent recommend 👌

The food was wonderful and the staff was very helpful.

Loved the restaurant. Recommendation from a local. We arrived early and was made very welcome

The food was not bad, korma and rice, was ok and for £10. Initially arrived at 1.15pm and told that the restaurant was closed, no time of it me to sit in. (Restaurant is advertised 12-2pm). Disappointed I was told a takeaway would be quicker and to do this. Order was then taken. Literally after an order was taken from the table of two that must have just sat down in the restaurant and away he went with both orders. Shame that really he couldn’t be bothered to have me in the restaurant. Didn’t provide any cutlery for my takeaway, knowing I’d need it as I was originally going to sit in. I don’t understand why you advertise something you don’t offer or at least say a time for latest order, because it appears that the lunch time restaurant times should be 12-1pm

Nice food with really welcoming customer services.

After waiting 10 minutes after our order was due to be ready, curries and nan were brought but not hot and barely warm. Nan was very chewy. Not many prawns in prawn bhuna. Curry tasted good though. Maybe just a bad night as most recent reviews are good, but we won’t use again.

Excellent 10/10 top notch restaurant, friendly staff, superb cuisine, personable locals, warming welcome, naan breads second to none, very reasonably priced, try the pathia it's a real winner, I do believe that this restaurant is one of the finest I have dined in yet. My only qualm is it's not open 24/7. Thanks Raba keep up the good work. 🙂 Njål Olafsson aka Neil MacAulay

The meals here were really good with excellent taste and filling. The curry was excellent with a great sauce

Great little place, good food , pleasant atmosphere

Fantastic food , we came in and we were served that fast all three courses nearly came at once. Nice to watch the knitt and natter team next to us getting on with the serious stuff of making a scarf . Other side were some lovely gents on a double tinder date . The stuff of dreams.

Comedians i think not chefs. Asked for chips and cheese. And got chips with a one cheese slice on it hahahahaha

Refabrished, very tasty food, nice Staff, and good choice of drinks ;)

Refarbrished, nice Staff, Very tasty dishes, good choice of drinks ;)

This was the only restaurant we could find after 9 pm, and what a lucky find! Great food, excellent vegetarian choices and friendly staff that went over and above, don’t miss this Shetland gem!

Had a lovely dinner served quickly by a nice gentleman. Food was delicious so thanks to the chefs. Highly recommend this restaurant when in lerwick Shetland

You know when you have a curry you just can't stop eating....tender chicken...flavorsome sauce and perfect Naan. Friendly welcome 🙏

Great quality food, very tasty and wonderful friendly service.

Very tasty food and food portions. Really enjoyed our meal and would visit again. Not the most luxurious surroundings but the food quality makes up for that

Excellent service and amazing food!!

We went there for early dinner , the service was slower than a week in jail it took us 1H to get the starters and the main nearly 2 hours, AVOID at all cost do not go.

Great food and good service. Highly recommended!!

Superb service and food was amazing.

Not sure why they keep getting our takeaway order wrong. First time they left out an entire dish, now they've gone and given us a cheese naan rather than a pshwari naan. Also, the staff are really weird and intrusive, grabbing my phone and looking through my Facebook after asking for the time. I did ask for my phone back, but they continued to pass it amongst their staff members showing it off. Not going to be ordering again! Very disappointed

I visited the Raba, on two occasions on my recent holiday to the Shetland Islands. My first experience at the restaurant made me want to go back for more, so I did! We ordered a Vegetable Pakora and a Chicken Pakora on the first visit and the second visit, as they were that good! I nearly ordered a second portion. But I had a Chicken Madras, Vegetable Rice and Garlic Naan on order for the main. The main courses were as good as the starters. I honestly feel so lucky to have stumbled across this wonderful Indian restaurant and got the luxury of enjoying dining there twice whilst on my holiday. I recommend this restaurant to everyone it really is the best Indian cuisine I have ever tasted. I will be back. I was wondering if you sent food by post?? Lol. The service was also brilliant, the waiters were so welcoming polite, friendly and knowledgeable! I hope you are both working the next time I am up in Shetland. Be great to see you both again, you really made us feel so welcome and valued customers.

When you walk in their is an overpowering smell of incense, after we got seated at our table a fruit fly landed on the salt shaker, the plates were dirty and the menu was very limited, I left before I ordered food.

Had the best Tarka Dall ever...my hubby had the best Lamb Jalfreiza...fabulous food

The recently refurbished restaurant looks really good and has portable perspex screens to ensure safe separation of diners.

Front of house should not be constantly on the phone. Managed to show us to a table. Brought the wrong wine. Bread burnt. Chicken dish had nice taste but far too dry. Only people in here. Sitting now with dirty plates. Would never come back

Delicious as always! Tiger Chicken was superb

The pickle tray was excellent as was all the food. Easy parking outside or an easy walk from the city.

Good food, lovely ice cold beer, good service

I always look forward to a mid week working away curry. Whilst the flavours were good, chicken was dry and tough and starter mushroon pakora was soggy When spending the guts of £20 you expect better

Friendly staff but more importantly great food 😋

Brilliant meal with outstanding service.12 out of 10.

Good food , quick service easy access.

I ordered the Phall with King prawns. Very good. Nice Indian music on the loudspeakers.

We visited in October before the 18:00 lock down in Scotland. The food was lovely, plenty of it and great service.

My cousin has ridiculed me for years for never having had ‘a Raba’ so tonight decided to see what he was so keen on. Restaurant is shut at the moment so service is takeaways only. Food was delicious, nicely cooked and nicely spiced though been a long time since I saw a Tikka Masala that colour! Can’t complain - will be back!

Called for takeaway just before closing. Accepted and saved from starving after long day trip. Food was hot, tasty and just right. Definitely would order again.

Wasn’t a good start. Arrived and could see the restaurant was totally empty. Guy was on the phone speaking Indian to someone but broke off his conversation to show me to my seat give me a menu and returned to his conversation. After 10 minutes he returned to ask me what I wanted to drink - a pint of Cobra please? He then dealt with a few take away orders and even indulged in a lengthy conversation with one of the take away customers while I waited on my drink. After a further 5 minutes of being totally ignored I put my coat back on and left. And in all this time I was the only customer in the restaurant. Shockingly bad and ignorant service. I won’t be back.

Would not not recommend this place very poorly managed restaurant and bar closed in winter staff not very helpful and maybe consider better sized quilts on dingle beds

Really good service. Balti is a winner! I would reccomend asking for the curry hotter though.

Excellent service and delicious Indian food not far from Lerwick harbour. The decor is nice, and the food was excellent. Good prices, too.

Rabat is at the turn off for the museum and the cinema. The staff is very friendly. The food is tasty, not very spicy.

Ate twice here. The meals are terrific!

The food was ok, but the service was bad and we found hair in the food. The plates and walls were dirty, and there were a lot of flies in the room. It took forever for us to pay, because the waiter was in the staff room (there were no other customers he could be busy with). We had to pay cash.We found whatever the thing in the picture is, in the rice.

Warm welcome and excellent food ! une très bonne adresse pour déguster une cuisine indienne raffinée

Drawn by Sunday opening, (few Sunday options in Lerwick) we found ourselves on the buffet menu which was underwhelming. Enthusuaistic Indian restaurant goers from the mother country we were disappointed by the tepid options and poor service. Just one guy running front of house, table service, and take away counter,. A second employee turned up to take our money.

Good food, but one of the strangest service experiences we can remember. While we were there they were doing a land-office take-away business, but although the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, we got the impression the owner? manager? was doing us a favor seating us. They had a buffet or you could order from the menu. When we chose the buffet, it was clear there wasn't much food there. We were told to try starters and they'd have more food. Eventually we got plates and food. You might think it was us, but this happened with everyone who came in. The only people who got attention from the man in charge were 2 young men. He talked with them about their cell phones. A woman staff who worked for the man tried to move things along. One man ordered off the menu and she got food his food to him. Hard to fathom what was going on. Maybe it was an off night.

We had a takeaway from the raha on our second night to share with our Shetland family,the food was amazing,reasonably priced,delicious

Very 1990s decor but good food Service efficient and friendly Food prices very reasonable A good place to eat near to the harbour area

Not what we expected to come across in Lerwick. The menu and food were very familiar, and taste and presentation better than many similar restaurants on the mainland. Good Cobra lager to accompany the food. Reasonably priced. Only down side was that their Wi-fi was down and they were unable to process card payments: we had to pay cash.

My husband and I stopped by for lunch after a walking tour. Always looking for authentic Indian restaurant whenever we travel. As per recommended by a passerby, it didn’t disappoint. Ordered lamb dishes and biryani. So good! Exceptional and kind host, too! We will come again when we come back to Lerwick.

What’s good. The front of house are lovely. The atmosphere is not all that, a bit tired and mouldy. The starter was ok, not good, and not what I ordered but edible. The main, ordered as a vindaloo was tasteless and mild. They offered to recook the main, they did and it was better but still not great. I felt bad and paid £30 even though they only asked for £15. The beer was good and cheap, I liked the people and feel bad for giving a poor review but it’s about the food and I wish I’d gone to the Chinese. Sorry

The food was excellent, portions were quite big. Drinks expensive but all in all a good place. We arrived early and the place was freezing cold but that hasn’t put us off. We will return when we are next on the island

We were overnight from a cruise ship and were desperate for some spicy food. We didn't book and just turned up. They were so accommodating, altering all the dishes to our tastes and requirements. They even cooked one of the dishes with no ginger. It was so good we booked takeaway when we came back at lunchtime. Awesome curry.

Quiet on a Sunday night, my tikka masala was OK, my partner's dhansak was a bit strange in that it had a tinned pineapple ring in it. Having said that, it tasted OK. Service was good but I thought the drinks were expensive. Would give it another go.

...for a lukewarm experience, literally and metaphorically. Against my better judgement I went for the Sunday all day buffet. It was only OK, food kept warm but no more in bains maries. Curry average.

We had a lovely meal here. Very attentive table service, very reasonably priced, the food was great - no complaints at all.

I had a lovely meal as usual. Excellent service and at a sensible price. I will definetly go again before I return to the UK

In for dinner last night, and there was an excellent choice, well served (although the young lady didn't need to keep saying "sorry" all the time!)

Really typical Asian food & the staff particularly the manager is really hospitable. Nothing is too much trouble and well presented & hot..delicious food..the owner could make it a bit more contemporary as the decor is very dated but nevertheless the food & service is very good..try to visit when in Lerwick as I am a "local"

We used tripadvisor to find a good indian restaurant on Shetland and this one came up, so we paid a visit. Both the service and food were great, if on Shetland again, we would visit.

Absolutely brilliant buffet. Nice cosy resturant. Personal service. Friendly staff. Popular with locals. Eat as much makes you comfortable.

Åt Chicken tikka masala, den var riktigt bra. Det som drar ner betyget från en 5:a till en 4:a är att personalen kändes loja och uttråkade.

Visited with 3 other friends no booking taken straight to table, more than happy to explain a few dishes to us too! Really good portions sizes an very fairly priced!

I’ve been here a few times and always nice food, I like my curry very hot and Raba always delivers just the right amount of heat, try the lamb jalfrezi ‘vindaloo hot’ with s pint of Cobra on draught

Food here is superb. Staff are friendly and attentive. Have eaten in many Indian restaurants around the country and Raba is up there with the tastiest

i had lunch at this place and the food was not like i was expecting. the staff were friendly. if you really want to enjoy indian food in shetland especially in lerwick, may be this is good.

Excellent food at a reasonable price. Best chicken korma I have had in a long time. Friendly staff and quick...

Very good food here reasonably priced, excellent service from all the staff, highly recommend this place

I hate going to Shetland for work, but I love going to Raba. This is the best Indian restaurant I...

I love Curry and the raba is my favourite place to eat! excellent food and the service is great nothing...

Good food at reasonable prices Good selection of food on menu Decor nothing special Pint of beer at £5 a...

Went in for a meal here, really delicious. The chicken dhansak is a hit with my hubby, I loved the...

PERFECT - Having left Shetland 3 years ago I have been unable to find anywhere as good as the Rabba! 6 fresh takeaway dishes shipped to Inverness making the best takeaway dish I've had for a very long time. Keep up the good work guys hope to visit you soon.

Best curry I've ever had and the service is brilliant too, they are all very friendly. Six of us went as a celebration big thank you to Suvon and Saleem for the great service.

Friendly and helpful with gluten free needs. Generous portions and excellent cuisine. Highly recommended.

I've been coming to the Raba for years and I've never had a bad experience. Great food and good value for money

Had dinner here during a short stay in Lerwick. Service was excellent, very friendly. The waitress dropped a pakora on the table when bringing the starters (no big deal) then insisted on bringing another full plate as a replacement. The food was very good, I especially enjoyed the chicken vindaloo. A pleasant surprise and definitely recommended!

Wir waren aufgrund der umfangreichen Karte unschlüssig. Der junge Kellner fragte uns nach unseren Wünschen und kreierte eine köstliche vegetarische Mahlzeit. Man geht auf besondere Wünsche der Gäste ein. Wir kommen wieder.

Looks like a takeaway from the outside so I was a little apprehensive from the start. I was greeted with a warm sunny smile by the waiter, who I have to say is an absolute credit to the place. I took his advice of chicken Tikka rogan josh as I like it hot but not ridiculous. The guy bought the meal and returned on my first mouthful to ask if it was ok. I advised that it could have been a bit spicier and he immediately offered to take it and spice it up some. "it will only take 2 minutes" it was back in less than that and was perfect. I was told in future to ask for vindaloo hot. to be fair I wouldn't do this anywhere but here. but will definitely take his advice which will hopefully be soon.

Nothing wrong with the food. Nothing exceptional, either. If you are in Lerwick, give it a try. We were told they use locally produced food as much as possible, which I consider good.

Åt tikka masala. Smakade bra och inget att klaga på. Hyfsade priser på mat och dryck. Lite sliten men Ok lokal. Helt Ok för en middag men kanske inget finare.

We did not book ahead, & as we are vegan, we expected a problem or two. However, once the manager (owner?) understood what our needs were, he was most accommodating. The restaurant was fairly busy, mostly with locals. The food was good, without being inspired, but it was filling & not outrageously priced.

The service was very slow. We were put in a corner and forgotten about. Had to work hard to get served drinks. The food was okay but lots of sauce to meat ratio and the naan was very dry.

Always very good food, very nice peasant staff and quick service. I recommend this to anyone who lives in or is just visiting Shetland, to try the Raba out.

Her åt vi etpar dager, og alle fikk velsmakende mat og rikelige porsjoner. Svært hyggelig betjening betyr også litt. Ligger like nord for sentrum.

Staying in Lerwick for work. Decided to give this a try. Service was good, there were only 2 other people in the restaurant at 7 at night. Should have taken that as a sign. Food was bland and overpriced. Live and learn...

Visited here whilst staying in Lerwick last week for work.This is a restaurant and takeaway so has a good varied menu. We visited on a Tuesday night so were the only people in the restaurant, although there were a number of people using the takeaway.The staff were really pleasant and attentive. We both ordered just a main course and shared a naan, rice and chapattis. Although I didn't get what I ordered, what came was good, as was my colleagues. We both had chicken based dishes with plenty of meat and good size chunks. The price was reasonable and we were happy. The restaurant could maybe do with a refurb, but all in all, it's ok.

Having previously visited the Raba with my partner, I decided to book a table of 20 for our Staff night out here. All of us being fellow hospitality workers we know how hard it is to get everything right from the minute you enter the door. This is exactly what the manager and his team of staff did for us. We could not fault the service or the meal one bit. Absolutely perfect and would recommend to others as being the best Indian restaurant up in Shetland.