Om. Nom nom. Om nom nom nom. This was basically the sound 'round the table of a dozen Yelpers one Monday evening, chowing down gleefully on a vast assortment of small plates. Lest the concept of 'small plates' puts in your mind a vision of a miniscule apertif consisting mostly of two bites, fear not - Indaba's tapas (say that ten times fast) are large enough that you can pass your plate around the table and still have enough mouthfuls to fully appreciate the beauty of the food. I ordered the gambas mixtas (garlic and chili prawns, enormous, juicy and butterflied beautifully) and courgette-wrapped feta, delicately flavored. I also snuck bites of the haggis (truly incredible, and in a Spanish restaurant of all places), the steak, pork ribs and baked goats cheese. They were all spot-on. Wonderfully enough, the food didn't come out all at once, but in well-paced succession so that you never had to fear - the next tasty bite was just around the corner and nothing had time to get cold. The service was friendly and perfectly accommodating to a large party. All that, and reasonably priced (and good) house wine makes Indaba a favorite. read more

Friendly staff and a nice refreshing spin on Tapas. I had mixed meat balls and a Haggis, pine nuts and spinach creation served with bread and olive oil & balsamic. The meat balls were a little under seasoned to my taste, but easily fixed, the Haggis was very nice. Recommended, I'd come again but consider booking because I was quite early and there were a lot of apparently reserved tables. read more

Indaba Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Really really happy I made the time to come here. Eclectic mix of menu items but really wonderful food. The best tapas I've had in Edinburgh thus far. Simply made, but fresh tasting and delicious. I had calamari (OMFG, great), seabass with chili mango (nice burn), and chorizo with eggs (I want this after every booze-up), among other things. One drawback is that there could be a bit less dependance on potato in the menu, give us some sweet potatoes, something, more variety! It's also well priced. read more

Indaba Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Dear Indaba, You are awesome! Having gone round that various tapas offerings in Edinburgh and found them to be an array of mediocrity you were a pleasant and very welcomed surprise. There on a Monday night with a large group i had rather anticipated being the only people in the place but in actual fact this little gem was a hive of activity. Looking through the menu there was a bit of everything really, all of your Spanish classics with some less familiar dishes from South America and South Africa. Upon ordering was my only disappointment of the evening, seared tuna fillet with soy dip had taken the eye of a few of us but was sadly not available. A quick glance back to the menu and sea bass was now on order. with the other diners we covered a good chunk of the menu, you have to love the social aspect of tapas dining To the food: Chicken strips with mango and black eyed beans - beautiful little dish, the beans have unbelievable flavour, with soft chicken it was delicious. The mango is cooked down with the beans a leaves a subtle sweetness. Sea bass: cooked to perfection and really fresh - would have liked the lime/giners dressing to be a little stronger Haggis Murciana - stunning! Try it! That is all! South African Sausage & Brits - either alone is ok - together it works beautifully - typically strong flavours. Patatas Bravas - lovely soft new potato with a tomato chili sauce has lovely flavour - would have liked the potato to be a bit crispier. Courgette & feta - simple and tasty!! Pork Ribs - great flavour - tasty marinade winner!! I think I must have tried 2/3 other dish from wound the table but these are the ones that I can 12 hours later remember. One of the great things about this place is the fact fact the food comes out as its ready. Not 25 dishes at once but staggered over 20/30 minutes. This tells me that the food is made to order from scratch which makes me happy. Onto desert, this is the point were small places like this often fall down. they often tend to offer up a poor range of bought in cakes which aren't up to much. NOT HERE. I shared with another diner a trio - great thing here is you chose your trio from the menu. We went with Crying Cake, Almond Cake and Cappuccino cake. Cappuccino cake was soft tasty and the icing was ace, really good taste. The almond cake was soft sweet and as Aidan said a must for a marzipan fan. Crying cake.........WINNER. Basically a small small chocolate fondant - the outer cake was just a little crispy then soft inside and full of molten chocolate. It was perfect!! I have had smiller dishes in other restaurant and this knocks them all for 6. i was also lucky enough to try a little of the rhubarb and ginger sorbet from across the table - again it was incredible. This enterprise created by a Spaniard, a South African and a South American is fantastic, they have gone to the heart of what tapas should be, simple dishes done with great ingredients, cooked to perfection! My hat goes off to them and I will be back very soon!! Jd = ooooober Happy Man!! read more

I really liked this quirky little restaurant. I will make it known right now that I'm not a fan of tapas (what's with all these tiny little dishes and I have to eat wee scoops of six vastly different foods that don't really work with each other and argh, someone's eating most of the one I like the best and now I'm too polite to grab the rest and I've been left with the duff dish and THIS ISN'T WORKING). The bloke isn't a fan of tapas either, for similar reasons to me. But we both toddled along to Indaba due to all the good reviews on Yelp. It's a fusion of Spanish and South African food, so already a bit quirky and odd, and there's this guy who I think is the owner and he's quirky and odd too. So it's all quite unusual in its presentation. The restaurant is always packed. You need to book in advance for this place. The windows are sweaty and there are strange paintings and ornaments throughout. But my, the food is gooooooood. Even with the tapas theme, my other half and I chowed down to a range of dishes and each and every one was delicious. I will definitely be back here. It's odd, unusual, a strange fusion of foods coupled with the fact that it's one of those little hideaway places means it deserves its reputation. read more

Indaba is a nice alternative to meal offerings in Edinburgh, in my limited knowledge, I don't know any other establishment offering South African, Venezuelan and tapas! I'll definitely return, to try more of their offerings, although I wasn't super wowed the first time. Large groups worked in this case - loads of plates were ordered but being the only veggie, I did manage to scoff two on my own. Sorry peeps - but there was plenty of meat being shared around! I tried out an arepa with aubergine, feta and caramelised olives. The corn patty arepa was much thicker and glutinous than I expected, and the flavours of the filling didn't really stand up in competition, so overall, it felt a little bland. It's an odd dish, and due to the heaviness, size definitely didn't matter, and filled me up amazingly quickly. Patatas bravas - potatoes were not fried, which I didn't expect but the sauce was delicious. Patatas con aioli were my favourite - I think it is the crispiness of the potato matched with thick garlicky mayonnaise just works for me. The fallen tower of aubergine, mozzarella and tomato just really didn't carry much flavour - it looked fantastic though. I should give special mention to the bread given to us at the beginning - rosemary home made bread - oh, so very delicious. So, what I have concluded is that I just need to eat more of the dishes on offer here - especially the fish, and explore other options on the vegetarian menu to see what else Indaba offers before I fully make my mind up. You still bring a smile to my heart! read more

Indaba is a nice little tapas place in Tollcross, almost hidden away on a side street. Me and Tanja R. had 5 different tapas, as that is how many they recommend for 2 people. Ok, we could have had only 4 but generally 4-5 feeds two people just fine, depending on your appetite. We had cured meats, cheese, olives and almonds. The almonds I enjoyed a lot - toasted and a nice nibble with a glass of wine. Also ordered croquetas, chorizo, grilled halloumi salad and goat cheese with caramelised onion. Really enjoyed the halloumi salad - the cheese was perfectly pan fried and very soft. The service was friendly as well and they will show you a board of daily specials. Our bill for 2 people with 5 tapas and a glass of wine was about £35. read more

Talk about hiding your light under a bushel! This little cafe-style restaurant is tucked away in a little side-street in shabby Tollcross. Have faith, though, because this place is stellar. Indaba is very casual cafe-style inside with loads to look at - from the light fittings to the iguanas on the wall. The food is seriously good. The three owners are influenced by their countries of origin - South African, Spanish, Venezuelean - and have adapted their dishes by incorporating Scottish ingredients. I have never had haggis with spinach and pine nuts before, but I'll happily re-visit Indaba to have it again. The ribs are just divine. These are generous tapas portions, so that if you order 2 or 3 each, you'll end up - as we did - with a fabulously varied feast on the table before you. Each dish different, expertly cooked, and with the flavours perfectly balanced. It's not often I find myself quitely obsessing about a restaurant, but I certainly do with Indaba, and can't wait for another visit. read more

This is a small restaurant around the corner from the King's Theatre and is well worth finding if you're in the area. I've been twice now and haven't found a single thing on the menu that didn't taste great. It's tapas but with a South African influence. The staff are really great - they will explain stuff off the menu in as much detail as you need and they're really chatty and friendly and they'll keep your glass of water topped up all evening - something I really like. The whole place has a lovely relaxed vibe. The prices are pretty reasonable - for three of us sharing 8 dishes (3 of them off the specials menu which can be a bit more expensive) and a bottle of wine, it came to under £60. The menu is a great variety of veggie, meaty and fishy options and there is plenty for every palate. The haggis with spinach and pine nuts was lovely - I like haggis but would never have thought of serving it like that. And the nicest chorizo, done in cider and onions. You'll have no problem finding a few things you like on this menu. They even took the time to come over and explain that they had run out of home-made banoffee pie because they had catered a large function the night before, so they'd bought one in from a supplier instead, but assured us it was still really good. The desserts looked good, especially the range of ice creams and sorbets, but we had absolutely no room left. If you're in this part of Edinburgh, definitely search out this place and give it a go. read more

The term 'hidden gem' is so terribly overused and so often misused, but in this case it is actually completely true! Around the corner from The Cameo, in what used to be Coconut Grove (how sadly missed), this new restaurant is a totally fantastic find. A Spanish, South African and Venezuelan mix of tradition, character and really fine food. I don't believe there is anywhere else in Edinburgh, perhaps the UK with this kind of combination. We tried a whole host of items from the tapas menu, including fresh grilled 'sardinas' (tasted just like they did on the beach in Spain), Manchego cheese, Spanish omelette, a pork stew dish, and the most gorgeous molten-centered-chocolate-heaven-on-a-plate that I've ever had! I called quite late on a Friday afternoon but got a table for later that evening, I believe the last one. Service is friendly, fun and welcoming, we were served by the South African man of the trio. The dishes are really very reasonably priced and beautifully presented and it's casual, relaxed and authentic. The best new restaurant in Edinburgh and currently sailing up the Tripadvisor charts too. Go try it! read more

Little hidden gem I would definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys tapas. Mix of Spanish and South African tapas. The goats cheese was the best of the various dishes we ordered. It's a little bit of the way if you are staying in the tourist district but we'll worth the trek. read more

I would love to be able to give this place a positive review for its food, but unfortunately since I never got to try it, I won't be able to. Indaba really let me down in the simplest of ways. I called on a Wednesday evening to make a reservation for the upcoming Saturday. I made sure to repeat my request for a table for 8 people, at 8pm on Saturday evening several times to ensure that the lady I was speaking to got it right. Imagine my surprise when I turned up at 8pm with 8 people on Saturday night and there was no table for us! The host and hostess initially felt quite strongly that we were responsible for the miscommunication over the table booking, despite the fact that in the booking book, the lady had got not only the date for the reservation wrong, but my name, my phone number, and the amount of people my table was for! I was really disappointed as I think it's pretty fundamental that a restaurant should be able to take a booking over the telephone correctly - but they hadn't got one single part of it right! Customer service is such an important way of building up and maintaining a loyal customer base, and had the owners of this restaurant managed to overcome their error in a suitable way, they may still have salvaged their reputation with myself and my group of friends, however, everything about this experience was quite unpleasant and it really makes me reluctant to give this place a second chance, which is shame as I was really looking forward to trying it. Not only did Indaba lose out on a big booking on Saturday night, but they also have lost out on our future custom, and the future custom of family and friends, who are keen to take all recommendations I can give them for good places to eat in Edinburgh. Shame. read more

A popular Spanish/South African/Venezualen tapas restaurant (turning up at 5pm mid-week without booking still meant getting a table for no more than two hours) whose large number of dishes amply shows off the bite-size (and in some cases bigger) options from the three countries noted above. Service was pretty swift & certainly friendly and informative and the overall atmosphere was very convivial. read more

Best Tortilla I've had outside of spain, hands down. Definitely the most authentico spanish meal I've had since 2008 (when I was IN Spain!) and you all really have no idea how much this pleases me. My parents are in town visiting, so this is where I decided to take them for their first scottish meal. Not very scottish, I know... But it was definitely a very good first impression of the Edinburgh food scene for them! We ordered a full spread of chorizo, tortilla, patatas bravas, the works! Everything was great, and the owner is a really lovely guy. Because they are little plates, it's very easy to run your bill up quite a bit, so bear that in mind before you order the whole menu, like we did! I'll definitely be back again! read more

I have to admit I was dubious when I first saw the menu, it seems such an unusual mix of menus but I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I had a lovely fillet of seabass with chilli and mango with garlic potatoes on the side and my friend had Arepas, two different tasty sandwich type things, very nice. I think I need to go back for Tapas some time. The dessert was delicious too, it was a baked chocolate cake with chocolate oozing out of the centre, thats why it was called Chocolate tears, in Spanish. Really good, check it out. read more

Now, we're talking. This place is a real hidden gem. Doesn't look like much from the outside and I certainly have passed it many times without even noticing it was there. Anyway I'd been reading about it and I'd also been told about the place by the local wine merchant, so hey ho, here we are, booking a table. Warm welcome, wide selection of tapas on the menu and quite a few specials too. Good selection of drinks. We ordered olives for aperitif, with a half of Estralla. They were delicious. I am an olive addict and there were the best olives I've had in quite a while. For the three of us, we were advised to order 7 tapas. So we got a mix of meat, fish and veggie tapas. The service was quick and excellent, the food delicious. We also opted for the trio of desserts to share, which was completely unnecessary as we were stuffed, but soooo good. I am a huge fan of sorbet and I cannot recommend the sorbet enough. The food is a selection of Spanish, South American and South African tapas, so you can really do a round-the-world tasting. Last but not least, not only it was a great experience, but it also didn't break the bank. Keep the good work Indaba, we will visit again. Soon. read more

I will add to the consensus that this place is a hidden gem. Lots of shared 'tapas' plates of Spanish, Venezuelan and South African origin. The food comes out as you order which makes sharing each dish ideal. Everything tastes top quality and made with care. Delicious South African boerwoers and pap! Excellent selection of beers and desserts. Friendly, helpful staff. Cozy nice atmosphere. read more

I am officially obsessed with this place! It's small, so booking in advance on a weekend is probably a good idea. We shared an array of tapas. Some were tapas del dia (of the day) like the sea bass and the cazuela de chorizo which was chorizo cooked in a red wine reduction. The croquetas de zetas were also special for that day. These aren't your regular croquettes by any means, they are much bigger than typical Spanish croquetas, but they are just as delicious! Very nice crunchy exterior with a creamy savoury light bechamel with minced mushrooms. Officially in love. We also loved the torre de queso, the caramelised onion sauce was a perfect match for the mildly tangy goats cheese, absolute heaven. Also loved the South American inspired arepa! The only tapa that was a let down in my opinion were the patatas bravas. I love patata bravas and always give them a go when they are on the menu. These papas tasted oddly baked/flame grilled, not the typical crispy exterior you usually expect from papas bravas. These potatoes seemed to be better called papas arrugadas, which is a very tasty dish from the Canary Islands with a spicy sauce too, slightly different but just a tasty. I wouldn't order the papas bravas again but would happily order all the other dishes I've already mentioned as well as any other tasty ones from the menu. Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying some new delicious tapas. read more

Situated in the old home of the Coconut Grove Mexican restaurant at Tollcross sits this Tapas-restaurant-with-a-twist! The tapas served here includes many old favourites, but also adds in a Scottish touch, some South American inspiration, and a few South African flavours. The place is nicely decorated in a clean but modern homely style, as befits the theme of tapas. The restaurant feels very vibrant, and for a Monday night was surprisingly busy, which I think reflects how well this place performs. A group of 11 of us went and tried pretty much every area of the menu. We ordered some of the daily specials, including the Sea bass, Lamb Skewers, and Chicken with Mango. All were delicious, and cooked to perfection. The Chicken with Mango actually showed no evidence of the Mango, which must have been in the sauce, but was one of the tastiest dishes we had, served on a bed of black-eyed peas, which were packed with flavour. Some of the other choices included Haggis cooked with Spinach and Pine nuts, a delicious variation on our much-loved national dish, which everyone loved, Pork Ribs, which were served in a spicy tomato sauce, and some Tapas favourites including Patatas Bravas, and Patatas con Aioli. There were a few dishes which, whilst not disappointing, lacked the flair and flavour of others - the char-grilled steak was perfectly cooked, but there was no exciting flavour infusion or accompaniment, and the Haloumi, whilst delicious, was simply served on green salad. It would have been nice had these dishes had the little something extra, given the context of the rest of the menu, but this is a small matter, and I should say that the quality of the ingredients and standard of cooking of these dishes was equally as high as the others - just lacking that extra oomph! I should also mention that the dishes were brought out a few at a time - whilst to seasoned Tapas diners this should come as no surprise, there have been times when I have been served everything at once - leaving some things to go cold. This was not the case here, and the service was excellent. The waiter - who I would guess was also probably the proprietor, was informative on everything on offer, and made us feel very welcome. Finally, the deserts: Indaba has a range of tasty cakes and other deserts to choose from, including some tasty sorbets and ice creams. We sampled the trio of deserts - a choice of three cakes, or two plus a scoop of ice cream. We chose Almond Cake, Cappuccino Cake, and Crying Cake. The Almond Cake was melt-in-the-mouth, and if you like marzipan, this was mouthful after mouthful of almond heaven. The Cappuccino Cake was tasty, but the least wonderful of the trio. Finally, the Crying Cake. Crying? Why you ask? Something this tasty should probably have a more upbeat name, it is basically a mini chocolate cake with molten chocolate inside. Outstanding. We had hoped that the deserts would match the standard set by the mains, and we were not disappointed. We also sampled the Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet, and it was a delightfully refreshing alternative, should you feel too full to tackle the cakes! You should expect to pay around £3-5 for most of the tapas, and £5-7 for the specials, and if you've got a big appetite, it can add up, but as the menu suggests, 2-3 dishes per person should be sufficient, and you can always order more should you feel the need to chomp some more, and after sampling, you probably will! This was a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience, one which I will not wait too long to repeat! read more

I have been to Indaba on three occasions and been overwhelmed each time. The fusion of South African and South American served tapas style is fantastic. Great sharing if there are a few of you, I have tried most of the menu and love it. You have to get the plantain sandwich read more

Multi-continental tapas with modest friendly service? Sure!

Great food, reasonable pricing and friendly service. Hadn't heard about it before but would definitely recommend! Would definitely go again. Good for those who like individual places. read more

Awfie guid, braw folk, buik reservations early its aye fu'.

While in Edinburgh for business, two of my compatriots dined at Indaba based on a tour guide's suggestion for something off the beaten path near our hotel. Indaba did not disappoint! From the excellent pairing of wines with our tapas, we got 6 tapas for 3 people and then had room for dessert. While all the tapas were excellent, the one we cannot stop talking about is the goat cheese, with caramelized onions and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Amazing. Seriously. We ate it with a spoon, scraping the plate when we were finished. Ridiculously delicious! And the trio of desserts--that crying cake was incredible. It was so good, it is nearly worth another jump across the pond just for dinner. Definitely make reservations--we walked in for a _very_ early dinner on our last night without them, and almost didn't get to enjoy Indaba--all tables were reserved! Luckily, they squeezed us into a table and we could not have been more grateful. If you are a local, or in to Edinburgh for business or pleasure, go here! read more

We love Indaba. Have been a number of times, every time it is wonderful. Have tried so many different dishes I can't even remember them all, but everything has been so tasty - prawns with garlic and chili, manchego mushrooms, boerewors and mielie pap, courgette with rosemary... honestly, the list goes on, and it is all wonderful. The only problem is that you usually need to make a booking! but that just goes to show how lovely it is. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Stopped off for a bite before going to the Cameo for a show. Excellent food and fantastic service!