10 of the best Indian restaurants in Glasgow according to Google reviews

Gone are the days of a restaurant simply offering a limited selection of kormas, vindaloos and bhunas. Now, the city is known for its eclectic mix of the traditional entwined with the contemporary.

It’s even said the world-famous chicken tikka masala was invented right here in the 1970s by the owner of the Shish Mahal restaurant near Woodlands.

So, if it’s a curry kind of night you’re after, we’ve looked out Glasgow’s 10 best places, according to Google reviews.

10. Madras Cafe

Where: 82 Howard Street

Google reviews star rating: 4.6 / 486 reviews

Top review: “Fresh, home-cooked, large portions at a good price!!”

Hidden away in the City Centre, this place’s menu packs a punch and it’s the fresh pakora and masala dosa that’s got customers hooked.

9. Chaakoo Bombay Cafe

Where: 79 St Vincent Street, City Centre / 61 Ruthven Lane, West End

Google reviews star rating: 4.6 / 2,220 reviews

Top review: “Really good Indian tapas restaurant - great food, drinks atmosphere and service.”

Step in and be transported to 19th-century Bombay, India, at a time when cafés were opened by Persian and Iranian immigrants. With a host of small plates and filling tasty mains, Chaakoo is a must if you are craving a chai, Bombay mule or fragrant butter chicken, along with a side of friendly hospitality and a bustling atmosphere.

8. Mother India Restaurant

Where: 28 Westminster Terrace, Finnieston

Google reviews star rating: 4.5 / 997 reviews

Top review: “Packed for a Monday, great vibe about the place, amazing food and good service.”

Having come onto the scene back in 1990, Mother India has well and truly earned the title of ‘Glasgow institution’. With several sister eateries across Glasgow and one in Edinburgh, Mother India Restaurant is the jewel in the crown and the original establishment where the brand started.

With an extensive menu, diners will be spoiled for choice, but it’s the veg and fish pakora options that have Google reviewers raving.

7. The Den: Mother India

Where: 1347 Argyle Street

Google reviews star rating: 4.7 / 75 reviews

Top review: “Absolutely the best Indian food I have ever experienced. I have been going to Mother India for 20 years. It never disappoints - you can work your way through the selected menu and it just better and better.”

Part of the Mother India brand, The Den is more informal and comes with a deli counter and a more select, boutique menu. Whereas Mother India (above) serves more hearty, traditional dishes, The Den offers an East-meets-West-style menu consisting of smaller plates, including a twist on butter chicken that comes with fruit and nuts.

6. Mister Singh’s India

Where: 149 Elderslie Street

Google reviews star rating: 4.5 / 950 reviews

Top review: “Loved the restaurant. It was like an oasis for me in Glasgow. Their food is really awesome and was perfectly curated for my expectations. Mr Singh was there to check if everything was OK.”

Since opening in Glasgow over 20 years ago, Mister Singh’s India has come leaps and bounds. With four generations of the Singh family taking the establishment from strength to strength, Mister Singh’s has become synonymous with authentic Indian cooking and it’s the haggis pakora that gets the most mentions in Google reviews.

5. Indian Orchard

Where: 315 Dumbarton Road, Partick

Google reviews star rating: 4.6 / 160 reviews

Top review: “Good portions - would recommend the tandoori chicken and lamb spinach curry.”

Another family-owned and operated restaurant, it’s all things garlic at this West End gem that has reviewers taking to Google; garlic chicken korma, South Indian garlic chilli chicken tikka and garlic naan.

4. Horn Please

Where: 914-916 Sauchiehall Street, Finnieston

Google reviews star rating: 4.6 / 225 reviews

Top review: “Amazing food and atmosphere! Would definitely recommend the chai - it’s not too sweet and comes out for two. Love how it’s tapas-sized so you can sample a bunch of different dishes. Great vegetarian options.”

This contemporary restaurant has combined East-meets-West and tapas-sized portions so well, meaning diners can try more of what’s on the menu - and that’s exactly what Google reviewers love about this place. Horn Please’s unique cocktails are a must-try, including a vodka-based one served with chilli.

3. Curry Pot

Where: 139 Dumbarton Road, Partick

Google reviews star rating: 4.5 / 106 reviews

Top review: “The food was really fresh and the ingredients very good quality. The cucumber salad was refreshing: perfect to match the creamy chickpea curry and the lentils. The poppadums were the best I ever tried in Glasgow. Super crispy and tasty!”

Opened in 2012, Curry Pot has earned a reputation as among the best Indians in the city’s West End. “You won’t find any pastes, powders or colours in our kitchens,” staff proudly proclaim on their website. When it comes to the most talked-about food here, it’s anything lamb-based that’s got reviewers talking.

2. Little Curry House

Where: 41 Byres Road

Google reviews star rating: 4.5 / 284 reviews

Top review: “Serving up small dishes of delicious authentic Indian food, we loved all the curries we tried; the lemon rice, the pani puri and the mango lassi. Excited to have this lovely Indian restaurant in the West End.”

This gem reopened almost a year ago after being shut for 18 months for a £150,000 refurbishment. It may be small in space but its tapas-style menu packs a punch with the lamb biriyani seemingly a favourite with diners.

1. Mother India’s Cafe

Where: 1355 Argyle Street

Google reviews star rating: 4.5 / 1,201 reviews

Top review: “The sauces were savoury, the meats were flavorful and the bread tasted fresh.”

Taking the top spot is another one that’s part of the Mother India brand. This place specialises in smaller snacks and bites and its tapas experience has almost 100 mentions in Google reviews. After an Indian tapas experience? This is the place to be.