Bayleaf Express Edinburgh — Local services in City of Edinburgh

We thought we’d found our new take away in the Bay leaf express. Our first experience was great - apart from the nasty green mint (spicy!) sauce which was served with our starters, so we ordered again a couple of weeks later.

Honestly, you wouldn’t have thought it was the same restaurant.

The mixed starter was served in a plastic container - fine for tikka, shami etc. but the pakora was completely soggy, where it wasn’t solid, that is. Honestly, it ended up in the bin. Equally disappointing was the super-spicy shami kebab, and with no cooling sauce, it was also inedible for one diner. The third strike were the popadoms; overly greasy and whilst the texture was good, the overpowering flavour was just raw oil.

We ended up with two very small starters once we’d binned all the poorly cooked/over-spiced and soggy bits.

We had higher hopes for the prawn chasni (to share). Sadly, it was no better being completely over-spiced with a ‘raw’ tasting, acrid flavour which was far too hot for a chasni sauce. The prawns too were awful. Solid and horribly overcooked. (May have been a poor choice given it was a take away, but we collected by car and live a mile away.)

Truthfully, the only good thing about the meal was the peshwari naan; which although a bit thick and doughy in parts, had plenty of filling. Just as well really, given the main was so bad or we’d have had to do beans on toast!

Overall a really disappointing experience, which has left us wondering if there’s been a change of chef, the food was so much poorer than our last experience. Or I’m not sure if we just chose badly?

If this had been our only experience, we wouldn’t be back, in all honesty. We will probably give it one more chance, given the dearth of decent Indian take aways in the area, but given the heartburn the chasni left, is still very much in evidence today, I don’t think it will...

Just finished our take out, delivered to the local campsite quicker than expected. The quality of the food was very good. An unfair review from a previous customer complaining! of the portion size… they weren’t wrong. We completely over ordered and unfortunately had to throw some away as we’re camping. If we were at home we would have been able to feed 2 people for 3 days. So great value for money. Shame it went to waste!! Otherwise a great experience. Tarka Dahl and mushroom bhaji were thick and creamy, chicken shashlik came with rice and a separate sauce (I chose madras). Roti was delicious. Popadoms, salad, raita and a chutney were also in the bag...

As promised to the guy behind the counter when he asked for a review I will review it regardless of whether it is good or bad. 2 Nans, chicken biryani, chicken tikka, and spiced onions. It was fantastic. 1st time in Bayleaf Express as it is not local for me however well worth a 20mile journey! Juicy, well-spiced creamy tikka, cooked to-perfection rice in biryani accompanied by well-spiced garlic and chees Naan bread, and spiced onion. Don't usually post reviews, but well deserved, so keep up the good work and 5star customer service. Will be back...