Spice Lounge Kitchen in Corstorphine has clinched the coveted award just four years after it opened following a public vote.
General manager Hrithik Choudhary said he was delighted that his team had triumphed against tough competition.
He said: “Some of the restaurants have been serving food for 30 or 40 years and we have been here for just four so we were not expecting to win.
“We are really thankful to our valuable customers who voted for us when we were in the top ten. Everybody was very happy when we won.”
The restaurant employs about 20 staff and sources herbs and spices from across India. It caters for wedding parties, birthdays and other functions.
The restaurant, on Craigmount View, is a solo enterprise but Mr Choudhary plans to open a chain of curry houses. Possible locations include the city centre and New York. Mr Choudhary added: “Out vision is to bring real, authentic Indian cuisine back to Edinburgh while giving our customer’s a place they can bring friends or family and feel like they are at home.
“We pride ourselves on our relaxed and friendly atmosphere and our customer service. The restaurant is contemporary and stylish with a welcoming atmosphere. Lots of restaurants are actually Pakistani or Bangladeshi serving Indian food but our chefs are actually from India. Indian people come here for a meal which is always a good sign. They come for the taste of the food and it is so authentic that they say it feels like they are sitting in India.”
Bonoful on Brighton Place, Portobello, came second in the competition. Itihaas, on Eskbank Road, Dalkeith, took third spot. Congratulating the winners, Evening News deputy editor Euan McGrory said: “It’s finally here, the votes are in and we can announce the winner of Edinburgh Evening News Curry House Of The Year 2016 – Spice Lounge Kitchen.
“We have asked you to vote for who you thought should be given the coveted crown of the best curry house in the area. We wanted you to take into consideration what it was that you thought gave yours the edge, what lifted it above its rivals and gave you what you wanted. And you did. Thanks to the strength of this year’s entrants we’ve had hundreds of votes registered for the curry houses that featured in the top ten. But in the end there could be only one winner.
“We thank everyone who participated and hope that they all enter again next year to see if they can win in 2017.”
