Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant

Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant is a Nepalese and Indian restaurant on Cockburn Street.

Why Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant?

The Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant serve up a good selection of different Nepalese and Indian meals. These vary from traditional to modern food like pakora, sag aloo, korma, paneer, various biryani, jalfrezi, madras, tandoori and seafood dishes.

The interior is simple, clean, and decorations are rustic, with exposed ceiling beams, creating a warm atmosphere. The dining space is much bigger than it looks on the outside, because the restaurant is quite deep.

Starters cost in the region of £4.95 (mixed vegetable pakora) to £12.95 for a tandoori mix starter.

The food is great, really tasty, flavourful, and is nicely presented. The downside is that one person dining alone will find the portions are significant, and it may potentially be difficult to finish a starter and a main with a side dish. With two people dining, a side dish could be shared with a couple of mains, and that would still be filling.

Mains start from £9.95 for a mixed vegetable curry, to £16.95 for king prawn biryani. Choose from the variety of different meat-based or vegetarian mains to Biryani, seafood, and clay oven dishes. The so-called European and kids menu catering for a palates preferring a milder dish, there are options like fish fingers, chicken nuggets and the mild chicken korma and tikka masala.

Staff are friendly, attentive and quietly spoken. The food is classified mild, medium and hot. A word of caution: the ‘hot’ food does tend to actually be hot, and the medium may be perceived a quite spicy as well, which makes Gurkha the perfect place for those who like tasty food with a lot of spicy flavours. If in any doubt, the staff are able to advise on the level of spiciness.

Some may find the name ‘cafe’ misleading, as the current opening hours are from 5pm until 10:30pm (11pm at the weekend). Naturally, this is a place to eat out at dinner time. The owners advise to book a table in advance to avoid disappointment, but walk-ins may also be accommodated, space depending.

Located on Cockburn Street just a short walk away from Princes Street, Waverley station and the Royal Mile, Gurkha is a nice restaurant for dinner, and is visited by locals, and many curious tourists alike. Bring a big appetite - you will not leave hungry.

Where is Gurkha Cafe & Restaurant?

27 Cockburn Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1BP