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    Kismot

    4.4 (57 reviews)
    ModerateIndian, Bangladeshi
    Open 4:30 am - 11:30 pm

    Kismot Photos

    KISMOT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Kismot

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    Colourful!
    Cressida F.

    Funky is the first word to come to mind. The place is all pinks and purples and turquoises and dark tables. Even the water jugs are purple or turquoise. There's a plasma screen showing a loop commercial for their King of Curry thing that they do, with their top media hits included. It's kind if distracting watching Jack Whitehall and James Corden crying and drinking bowls of yoghurt, but it kind of fits with the funky thing. If they took out the tables, chucked in a couple of lava lamps and cushions, and maybe tiled one wall with tiny mosaic mirrors, it'd be a cocktail bar nightclub. But it's a restaurant. And it is good at being a restaurant. The food hit the spot perfectly; our vegetable pakora/onion bhajis were soft and crispy, while my chicken korma was rich, creamy, plentiful and contained great big hunks of birdy goodness. The peshwari naan don't quite reach the giddy heights of those served at Skipton Balti in Yorkshire (nothing ever will) but they're easily the closest I've had! Sweet and flavoury (still totally a word), they're lined with deliciousness. The staff dealt with our considerable party size expertly, even shuffling tables in and out to match our miscounted numbers with not a rolled eye to be seen or a tut to be heard. I was surprised there was no water brought until we asked, well after the arrival of the poppadums at the start, but it was otherwise pretty flawless service too. It's a bit outré for my tastes in terms of decor but it's damn fine food, y'all.

    Mark W.

    Kismot, you are one of the most impressive restaurants I have been to in Edinburgh. There are two parts to this story that show why I think this. FOOD: Just superb. Easily the best Indian food that I have eaten thus far. I was part of a large group of over 20, and we paid a fixed price each to get a large number of naans and bhajees, and a selection of different curries along with plentiful amounts of rice. All of the curries were incredibly tasty, and most of them didn't last long at all on our table. Kismot also provides some interesting dishes that I have not seen replicated anywhere else. You can get chocolate naan (no, that's not a typo!), which sounds worth a go, although I haven;t tried it myself. They also serve what they call the 'Kismot Killer', a stupidly hot curry that sounds more like torture than food. If you can eat it all, you get it for free, though their website suggests, and I quote: "It is recommended that you put your toilet roll in the freezer when you return home." You actually have to sign a disclaimer before you eat it! SERVICE: The restaurant is run by a family team, with the parents in the kitchen, and the eldest son commanding the front of house. It goes without saying that the parents do a great job behind the scenes in the kitchen. It is the front of house experience that puts the icing on the ca.....curry for me. Throughout the meal, we were attended to in the ideal way - attentive, but not intrusive. Orders were taken in a cheery manner, and he even joked with us as we sat and waited. His manners were truly impeccable, and he saw us out of the restaurant personally at the end of the meal. I have never before or since experienced better customer service. As you can see, I LOVE this place. You just have to go there. Cancel tonight's dinner plans, and make a reservation at Kismot. You will keep coming back for more!

    Fiona H.

    As someone who's not usually a fan of indian restaurants, I have to say i love this place. Run by two generations of the extremely welcoming Ali family, Kismot offers all the usual dishes you'd expect to find in on the menu in an indian restaurant, but what sets this place apart are the things you certainly wouldn't expect to see. The chocolate naan bread, although it may sound strange, goes extremely well with the spiciness of a curry disha dn is definitely worth trying. What i wouldn't recommend to anyone but the bravest is the "spiciest curry in Scotland" according to the menu and all the staff. I wasn't plucky enough to give it a go myself, but i having spoken to people that have, I'd say it's definitely not for the faint-hearted! In contrast to so many family-run local restaurants, the décor in Kismot is upmarket, clean and elegant. This, combined with the unique atmosphere and great choice of dishes to choose from, is what I think makes it such a success. For curry and rice/naan for two people you can expect to pay £25, and there is also the option of BYOB. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you're looking for somewhere to cater for large groups.

    Alex C.

    Without a doubt one of the finest Indian restaurants in Edinburgh. The inviting and friendly atmosphere, of which the Ali family are very proud, immediately creates a pleasant eating environment. The food itself is excellent, combining the traditional dishes you would expect of any self-respecting curry house with a wide array of regional specialities. Particularly good is the North Indian Chilli Garlic, and as a man who doesn't like to have his palate destroyed by excessive spice, its strength (as with all the dishes) can be adjusted to your taste. And why not accompany your curry with the strange sounding but weirdly delicious chocolate nan bread Although alcohol is not served, there is the option of BYOB with the added advantage of no corkage. Kismot pride themselves on a fun atmosphere and as a result it is an ideal place to book large parties, with their group menus affordable and surprisingly varied. Overall then an excellent place, whether for a great group night out or if you want to try the infamous Kismot Killer, vying for the place of spiciest curry in Scotland.

    Tanja R.

    I can't believe I like Indian curry so much - NOW! Was I glad I went and met my fellow Yelpers at this tucked away place on St Leonard Street. The outside is painted lilac and you might think what is this all about, but it all fits the style they project. I guess its not a typical Indian restaurant you might visit from time to time, but rather something different. I found it very relaxing, clean, customer friendly, attentive, reasonable priced and somehow it reminds me of WINGS, the chicken wings extravaganza in old town. Its BYOB! Bring your own beer or wine! I ordered the medium version of Jahore curry sauce with lamb and Garlic and Coriander Nan bread. The lamb was soft and tender. The tomato sauce savory and a bit spicey. Am I glad I went for medium heat as the hot versions will make you twitch :-). One of my Yelper friends spit fire towards the end of the meal. The other was glad to have gotten a spare beer to mellow the burning sensation. The menu choices are amazing and you can choose between mild, medium, sweet and sour and hot curry sauces. And if I say hot, its really HOT, but not as hot as the Killer Curry!!!!!!! Yep you heard right. Don't forget to read the small print! Other curries that stood out: mild chocolate curry and Iron Bru curry or try Mama's and Papas special curry on bones. Also try Nutella or Haggis or Marshmallow or chocolate nan bread :-) The personel was really friendly and very, very attentive. The interior is classy and trendy. Don't miss out on a fantastic curry experience!

    This place sets the standard for a family run restuarant. it feels like your guests in their home. The food is outstanding, choclate Nan was a bit sickening at first. But i found myself eating the whole thing. For a main I got the Lamb Biryani with some mushroom bhajee on side, everything was perfectly cooked (especially the bhajee, these guys are the only people in the city that do it right). It's all very cheap too! Please visit!

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    7 years ago

    What a great little find, nice service, excellent flavors. Don't miss the pickle tray!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Kismot Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Kismot

    The Chicken Deshi Khani was out of this world, incredibly spicy but not incredibly hot, if that makes sense.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Kama Sutra - Entrance!

    Kama Sutra

    (23 reviews)

    ££

    Newington

    A very pleasant meal, indeed. Our servers were wonderful, the food was delicious, and the sex theme…read moreof the whole place was hilarious to me. Worth a stop!

    I ordered a wee bit of carry out from Kama Sutra for a Friday night at home celebration. Overall,…read morethe quality of the food was quite good. The items purchased included KADAI PANEER, LAMB KORMA, and FISH PAKORA. As usual, I will itemise my reviews for each of these foods. In terms of food quality, the most important aspect of a restaurant review, the food was truly SUMPTUOUS, RICH, and TENDER-MEATED. The kadai paneer, which contained paneer with stewed vegetables, was adequately seasoned, flavourful, and succulent. I will say, the quantity of paneer included was MINIMAL, but that is how these restaurants SCAM you: they give you a hefty portion of the cheap stuff, but are overly restrained when it comes to the proteinous goodness. As for the lamb korma, it was RICH. Served in a thique spicy and sweet coconut sauce as yellow as the yolk of a quail's egg, with tender morsels of a lamb's meat, this dish was tantalising. And, finally, the fish pakora. It was flavourful and spiced with a reasonable level of flakiness, such that it was moist but not soggy on the interior and crisp on the exterior. It was served with a delicious yoghurt sauce and a tiny rubbish bag filled with 'salad'. Overall, the food warrants four (4) stars. I have deducted one (1) star due to the LACK OF CARBOHYDRATE in this meal. Little did we know, the saucy dishes are not served with rice or naan. Fortunately, this was carry out and I had some mediocre Co-op naans on hand to seep up the many unctions. So, beware: you must order RICE or NAAN or another INSTRUMENT with which to consume your food, unless you prefer to simply drink the thique and rich juices as you would a cup of tea. Because this food was carried out and consumed in the comfort of my home, I do not factor service, ambience, or other in-restaurant factors into this review. That includes the supposed sex theme of the restaurant. Perhaps one day I will venture in for the full experience.

    Vinyasa - Vegetable Balti (vegan)

    Vinyasa

    (22 reviews)

    ££

    Royal Mile, Old Town

    Very disappointing, extremely oily, overpriced Indian food that lacks depth, but has some vegan…read moreoptions. I found this place as rated one of the better Indian restaurants in Edinburgh that does vegan options. I don't get it. We arrived for dinner on a Monday, and their vegan menu online was not shown on the dine-in menu, so I asked the server about this, and they told me what could be made vegan -- at least they were familiar with the concept. We got a vegan Balti and vegan Rogan Josh (each about £10.50), plus some tandoor roti (£3.50 each) and papadams and dipping sauce (another ~£4). The Rogan Josh was the oiliest Indian dish I've ever tried had in my life. The dish was swimming in oil. Beyond that, there wasn't much complexity in flavour beyond high saltiness. The Balti had the same saltiness / lack of depth issue, but at least wasn't as oily. We were quite disappointed in the lack of flavour depth in both dishes, especially compared to the Indian food you can get in the UK in general. What's more, the portion sizes were not especially big, so we really relied on the roti to be full. Very disappointing Indian food overall. We would definitely not return.

    It was so yummy and delicious. My fiancé and I got the Vegetarian house special banquet ( to try a…read morefew things) and it was to die for. So yummy so excellent. The service was good, we went on a slower night and were seated very quickly. So good would go again!

    Kismot - indpak - Updated May 2026

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