Emma Leith Walk curry house is new addition to the Edinburgh food scene
We visited Bo’ness Spice last year (click here to read the review) and were chuffed to find out that the owner Mohammad has expanded to Edinburgh with a new restaurant at 4 Albert Place on Leith Walk called Cilantro.
Just like Bo’ness Spice, this is another intimate venue serving Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine with seating for 20 diners. Takeaway is also available, and it’s BYOB (Sainsbury’s is across the road). Read on to see the menu, what we ate, and what it’s like inside.
Menu
What we ate
TAWA CHICKEN LIVER MASALA FRY
Chicken liver marinated with fresh ginger, garlic, black pepper, freshly
squeezed lime & homemade garam masala cooked in tawa. A tawa is like an Indian version of a griddle pan. We ordered this because you don’t often see chicken livers on the menu in Indian restaurants and if you enjoy Nandos chicken livers you will love these.
CHICKEN PURI
We enjoyed the veggie puri in Bo’Ness so this time tried the same but with chicken – small pieces in a flavoursome but not spicy sauce with fresh coriander, which we scooped up using the puffed and fried bread.
CHICKEN BIRIYANI
A hefty portion of a biriyani, so much so we needed a doggy bag afterwards. Served with a thick gravy. Biriyani is meant to be an extravagant dish, originally made for celebrations. This one is suitably thick and filled with goodies.
SHATKORA LAMB £12.95
A slightly dodgy name but no dodgy ingredients. We generally prefer lamb in a curry to chicken as it sort of imparts its own flavour into a curry in a sort of happy foodie marriage. The lamb had been cooked till tender, with added pieces of lemon and coriander (of course).
SPECIAL RICE
We ordered the special Basmati rice, stir-fried with egg & peas, which was really good and a meal itself (this too went in the doggy bag).
CAULIFLOWER BHAJI
Spiced cauliflower, which we love. Perfectly cooked with no mush.
TARKA DAL
Stewed lentils and split peas. Did you know that Tarka is the name given to the infused hot oil which is poured over the dal ? A comforting and almost creamy dish which was so easy to eat – just get a chunk of naan and scoop.
Verdict
Another great meal from Mohammed and his team. The food was excellent and incredibly filling so we took home a doggy bag which was so plentiful it became our dinner the following evening, and curries always taste as good, if not better the next day. It did take a bit of time to prepare but at least we knew it was fresh. The dishes we had were mild to moderately spicy. Some of the others are spicier and you can request additional spice if you like it hot. Service was friendly and non-obtrusive. Good prices too when you think we really had two dinners! The toilet was clean and in working order (there is only one).
Cilantro is a short walk from Princes Street with shops nearby for BYOB. Note that roadworks to accommodate tram lines are ongoing and this is affecting bus travel on Leith Walk as buses travelling north from Princes Street and Waverley station are currently having to divert. Southbound buses can still travel down Leith Walk at the time of posting.
Book a table
Online: Cilantro Website
Telephone: 0131 555 0155
Email: info@cilantrorestaurant.co.uk
Cilantro is closed on Tuesdays.
Open on other days 4-10.30 pm (11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays).
Where
Cilantro, 4 Albert Pl, Edinburgh EH7 5HN
Disclaimer: we were invited to enjoy a complimentary meal but it is genuinely great. At the time of writing Cilantro scores 5/5 on Google based on 55 reviews.
