8 of the best Indian restaurants in Glasgow

Thinking of grabbing a curry in Glasgow? Here is our pick of some of the best Indian restaurants in Glasgow

Published 7th Feb 2018
Updated 8 th Aug 2023

Glasgow's ever expanding tapestry of culture has always played to the city's strengths and, with more than a little passion and zeal, Glaswegians have happily embraced many a cuisine and culture as their own before helping to put their own spin on it to create something truly unique.

Nowhere is this more apparent than with the city's Indian connection, one that it happily treasures and celebrates in equal measure.

Indeed, its love affair with curry has even led to the creation of an entirely new dish to suit the city's tastes.

Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish Mahal restaurant in the city's west end, claims to have invented chicken tikka masala in Glasgow and has even pushed for protected status.

It only stands to reason that Glasgow would have some of the best Indian restaurants around. We've picked eight of our favourites:

The best Indian restaurants in Glasgow

Mother India's Café

(1355 Argyle St, G3 8AD, 0141 339 9145)

Best Indian restaurants in Glasgow

Picture: Mother India

It's not uncommon for people to queue outside a busy Mother India's on a Friday or Saturday night - sometimes they'll even do so in the afternoon - and Glaswegians are not well known for their patience, which just goes to show how well loved Mother India's is.

Indeed, if we were trading on word of mouth alone then Mother India's would rightly be the first choice on anyone's list.

It's easy to see why the place is so highly praised when you take a visit there yourself, the staff are welcoming and always happy to help with choosing items from the menus, while the restaurant itself is classically designed, spacious and very often packed.

The food though is the true star of the show, the tapas style dishes -MIC was among the first to introduce the Indian Tapas fusion in Glasgow - allow for plenty of sharing and make for a fun, sociable atmosphere.

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The Dhabba

(44 Candleriggs, G1 1LE, 0141 553 1249)

Pickerings

Tender leg of lamb slow cooked with dark rum, herbs and spices. Picture: Dhabba

The Dhabba offers a refreshing take on Indian cuisine.

Named after the diners which line the roads in India, Dhabba offers a regional twist on the traditional formula with a focus on north Indian cuisine.

Six different base sauces are used to create the Dum Pukht style dishes, carefully tailored to suit particular meat, seafood or vegetable dishes, meaning you'll love the huge flavour that results from Dhabba's unique cooking technique.

And if you enjoyed Dhabba then you should also definitely check out sister restaurant Dakhin, which offers south coast cuisine and uses completely gluten free ingredients.

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Obsession Of India

(25 High St, Glasgow G1 1LX)

Best Indian restaurants in Glasgow

Picture: Trip Advisor

The self styled 'Best Indian Restaurant in Glasgow', a claim backed up by rave reviews on Trip Advisor which places it firmly at the top of their Indian Cuisine list for the city, has been making waves recently in the city's culinary scene.

Featuring a menu filled with your typical classics such as Kormas, Bhoonas and Patias and house specials like the Butter Chicken, Sabji Gosht and Chicken Tikka Rezala all made with the caveat that everything that leaves the kitchen here is prepared from scratch, you're sure to find something you'll love.

Balbirs

(7 Church St, West End, G11 5JP, 0141 339 7711)

Picture: Balbirs

Picture: Balbirs

Renowned chef and restaurateur Balbir Sumal cut his teeth helping to create the highly successful Ashoka brand but seeking a challenge of his own went on to create his own brand in Balbirs.

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Offering mouth-watering home style cooking with a modern twist, the dishes are as delicious as they are diverse.

And should you be struggling to choose - which, trust us, can be a problem - then the chefs will be more than happy to create a dedicated banquet for you, catered for your tastes.

Chaakoo Bombay Café

(1347 Argyle Street, West End, G3 8AD)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdkEU1RgeHQ/?hl=en&taken-by=chaakoouk

This is a classic Iranian café, based on the original Bombay cafés which became popular in India during the 19th century.

However, the number of Bombay cafés is dwindling, so Chaakoo is dedicated to preserving this legacy.

You can sip on a classoc Irani Chai tea and nibble on some tasty grill dishes while watching the world go by.

The owners are keen for the café experience to be as authentic as possible.

The prices are also excellent – with great lunch time deal (tiffin and fries for just £7.50 or a grill or curry for £9.50) and curries and Irani kebabs available for £6.50 or less all day.

Babu Bombay Street Kitchen

(186 W Regent St, Glasgow G2 4RU, 0141 204 4042)

Best Indian Restaurants in Glasgow

Picture: Babu

If your preference is for something a little more modern and informal then you can't go wrong with Babu Bombay Street Kitchen's street food style offering.

We loved all the little Scottish  fusion touches and couldn't get enough of the big flavoured but small in stature Sev Puris and the gorgeous Pau Bhaji (served with a toasted morton roll) all washed down with a cracking chai tea.

Usha's

(2 Byres Rd, Glasgow G11 5JY, 0844 884 9399)

Pan Puri. Picture: Usha's

Pan Puri. Picture: Usha's

Great Indian food? Check. Great regional Indian food? Check. Great regional Indian vegetarian and vegan food? Check. Usha’s definitely ticks all the boxes. Best of all, the prices of its dishes won’t break the bank.

Situated on the corner of Byres Road and Dumbarton Road, Usha’s is Glasgow’s only vegetarian and vegan Indian restaurant and its menus are perfect for sharing and evoke a feeling similar to that of a homemade family meal.

Koh I noor

(235 North St, Glasgow G3 7DL, 0141 204 1444)

Picture: Koh I Noor

Picture: Koh I Noor

Holding the title for Glasgow's oldest Indian restaurant, family run Koh I noor was opened in 1964 and is going on as strong as ever.

Featuring perhaps the most unique (and traditional) looking interior on this list, Koh I noor's buffet is a long standing favourite with the Glaswegian population.

Great service, great food and decades of experience – you won't be disappointed.

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