Chaakoo Bombay Cafe

Gorgeous place with gorgeous food. We came in with no reservations on a Saturday evening looking for halal food and were lucky enough to wait some 15-ish minutes. Hostess brought us to the bar area to have some drinks while we waited for our seats. The restaurant was packed and buzzing by then and when we were ushered to our seats, we kept bumping into servers and customers walking about. Some people might not like that, but I just love it. It just sort of adds to the lively atmosphere even more. Got our food within another 15 min of ordering, and was served our Lamb Madras, Monkfish Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, chicken pakoras, some Masala fries and the Jeera and lemon rice. Do you guys ever to a South Asian or curry place and find that everything tastes the same? Well, not here — all their curries were distinct from one another and it was such an enjoyable experience being able to savour them individually and then mixed and matched together. The monkfish was particularly wonderful, and while usually such a dense fish, in the curry it was tender and delightfully sweet. The Lamb madras just melts in your mouth, warming you in all the right ways. Obviously the chicken tikka is a favourite, but it was bordering on boring if you ask me, but all in all, fantastic curries. Even the side dishes we got were good: Chicken pakora were so, so tender and flavourful; rice was light and well-seasoned; we might’ve ordered too much carbs but again, can’t go wrong with the masala fries, lovingly spiced and seasoned. We took those to go in the end. Service was great — our servers came in to check in with us twice and always seemed to be in good spirits. Everywhere you look, it’s such a picture. The old-school yet updated interiors and ambiance definitely lends to the coziness of the experience. Will surely be back here the next time we’re in Glasgow again.

Was recommended this restaurant on a recent visit to Glasgow. For those of you who know Dishoom, the decor here is pretty much a carbon copy, but done equally as well with some nice tongue in cheek touches. Also like Dishoom, the food is Indian tapas style and I was thinking that this is where the similarities would end. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong! The food is spectacular. Very well spiced, great tastes and a good selection. If you like Dishoom, this is just as good, and with some of the dishes, even better! Well worth a visit.

Visited for the first time with my wife for an evening meal, great Indian food, wonderful service & friendly staff. The lovely Bella described the menu which is based on small plates 'tapas' style which we prefer to a 2 or 3 course menu. We started with a half pint of Raj Majal beer which was smooth & not gassy. I had Jinga Kushrang prawn curry which was delicious, my wife really enjoyed her Chicken Malbari. We shared the lemon rice & Peshwari nan which was fantastic. All the staff are very attentive, Aileen in particular was exceptional.

Went in with a booking on a Saturday evening for food and drinks. Menu was well explained and questions answered. Food was really delicious and the fact its "small plates" meant that you got a really good variety and was a fun way to explore all the different dishes... we got the fish pakora, Afghani tikka, Railway Chicken, nan, masala fries and lamb chops... For me the fish pakora was a star with the pakora sauce being utterly fantastic... the only niggle I had with the food is that, with the exception of the pakora, all the dipping sauces were the same... it was nice but I like a bit of variety... the Railway Chicken was also unreal!!! For dessert I'd normally ALWAYS have gulab jamins BUT because I always do that we went a bit different and grabbed the rice pudding and the mango and banana crumble... the rice pudding was cold which I wasn't crazy about although I dare say they'd maybe heat it if you asked... the crumble was the winner though but some custard would be ideal. Cocktails were tasty too... we had the Earl Grey Gimlet and the 5 Walla Chai-Tina and both were fantastic. Good food, lovely service and the restaurant itself was really interesting to look around. Really enjoyed it and definitely recommend.

I recently took my Indian in-laws to Chaakoo in Glasgow's city center for a delightful sit-down meal. The place had a familiar vibe, almost like Dishoom's long-lost sibling. The staircase adorned with vintage Indian movie posters was a fun touch that won over my in-laws. Our server explained that all dishes were tapas-style, suggesting we order 2 per person. My wife and I went for Afghani Tikka, lamb seekh kebab, kofta curry, and chicken Malbari curry. The flavors were out of this world, and the portions were surprisingly hearty. We accompanied our meal with lemon rice and garlic naan, which mopped up the curry deliciously. My in-laws relished saag paneer and dhaal makhani, declaring it even better than Dishoom's offerings. Despite being quite full, we couldn't resist sharing a scoop of pistachio ice cream for just £1.75 – a sweet ending to the night. Although the service needed a nudge now and then, our waitress eventually caught on. My only quibble was an overly enthusiastic hand with the salt shaker on my lamb kebab. Overall, Chaakoo provided a satisfying meal that didn't weigh heavily on the wallet. I'd rate it 4/5 – the food triumphed over Dishoom in taste, though not quite in terms of service and variety.