The Skinny Guide to Edinburgh: Mother India’s Cafe

In a city filled with restaurants of all shapes and sizes, how do you stand out? Maybe you have a single-minded focus on one or two dishes, or perhaps you move with ruthless efficiency in an effort to bring prices down. Maybe you pop an entire tree inside the restaurant and hope that makes a difference.

For Mother India’s Cafe, the solution is simple – be reliably excellent at what you do. It’s not exactly ‘one neat trick’, but they've been going for over 15 years on this corner at the edge of the Bridges and Newington for a reason. Their tapas-sized take on Indian cuisine has spawned plenty of imitators, and it’s still one of our favourite places to go with a big group.

It’s a big menu but the portions are small, so you’re basically forced to try a bunch of different stuff. There are options for most tastes whether meat-eaters, pescetarians, veggies or vegans (may we recommend the spiced baked haddock, unless you’re one of the veggies or vegans). There’s plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs, and it’s ideally located for a whole bunch of different venues. Festival Theatre, Jazz Bar, the Cowgate, the Tattoo – all of them are just a daal-fuelled stroll away.

Great food designed for sharing, in a location that couldn’t be more central – that’s what makes Mother India’s Cafe stand out. Get a table, order a whole bunch of stuff, and let the undignified squabbling over the last spoonful of saag begin.

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This article is taken from The Skinny Guide to Edinburgh 2024 – get your free copy from venues across Scotland from 28 June

Mother India’s Cafe, 3-5 Infirmary St; Sun-Thu, 12-9.30pm; Fri-Sat, 12-10pm
motherindia.co.uk