10 to 10 in Delhi — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

You could be forgiven for passing 10 to 10 in Delhi on your way to the bus stop, taking in no more than a glimpse of what looks like a hippy coffee shop. Guilty as charged! Thankfully, it came with high recommendations and I soon discovered what it was really about.

I entered colourful cafe and immediately appreciated the cosy interior, from both the warmth of the kitchen and the close proximity of tables to one another. We grabbed the last table for two - a stroke of luck on what was a busy Friday night. My eyes wandered round the eclectic, ethnic decor; beautiful materials hung from the roof and walls, reminding me of when I used to build tents in my living room with sheets and blankets as a wee girl.

Myself and my friend Amie excitedly scanned the menu and opted for the Aloo Palak (spinach and potato) and Chana Masala (curried chickpea) rotis to start, and realised as soon as they arrived that we could've easily shared one. Still, they were both delicious so we happily devoured the two (I particularly liked the Chana Masala). We were thankful for the slow paced service in the cafe, as it allowed for more time to relax in the comfortable setting, digest our starters and have a good old chin wag.

I had no trouble choosing one of our mains to share; the Chicken Domuda was an easy pick given my love of creamy, nutty curries. I was so pleased with my choice, it was really nutty and the sauce was made for scooping up with strips of naan bread. We also went for the Keema Sheema, a tasty minced lamb dish which was an interesting alternative to the kind of dishes I would normally order. Each main comes with rice or a half garlic naan, so we ordered one of each, and an extra half naan for £1, just for good measure. I'm glad we did as the sauce on each dish was far too delicious to waste.

The meal was washed down with my fav fizzy drink - mango Rubicon - and was finished off with a bite-sized, super-sweet cake with an almond topping. It was all fantastic and amounted to a mere £21 between the two of us. We easily could have eaten much less given the portion sizes, but we'll justify the gluttony on being so excited on our first visit.

This is now my top curry spot in city and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a quirky setting and an awesome, affordable curry. It won't be long...

I went to this place a few times back in 2014, when I was living in the city, and it was always excellent. I just finished a meal there tonight, and it was nowhere near as good as I recall.

We started with the lamb samosa and the pakoras; though it mentioned the chana masala with these starters on the menu, both dishes were drowned in it. This is not a typical presentation for these starters, which I wouldn't have minded had the bases of the dishes (the samosa and the pakoras) been done correctly. Instead, they were soggy all the way through, indicating that they were both wet from the sauce and weren't fried to order (and trust me, they weren't--that kitchen is tiny and I could see the microwave being used). The food was hot enough, but the texture of the pakoras was mushy instead of crispy and the dough on the samosa was tough to cut. That being said, the spices were good on both of the starters.

For entrees we ordered the chana masala with rice and the palak paneer with naan. My girlfriend really enjoyed her chana masala, and the flavor of it was pretty good. Her rice came out very hot (steaming), which I always appreciate.

My palak paneer, on the other hand, was not at all what I expected. The dish that came out was brownish-red, not the typical green you see with this dish, given that it's supposed to be made almost entirely of spinach, cream, and various spices. It was beyond sweet for what the dish should be; I've seen recipes with a small amount of sugar in them to counteract the bitterness of the spinach, but never so much that it tastes as sweet as chana masala, which it did. Nowhere in it could I taste coriander or any of the other sharp, biting flavors of India that I love so much. Not to mention the menu states that you should choose how spicy you want your dish, and our waitress didn't ask (though she was otherwise very sweet). My naan was also incredibly rubbery; there is absolutely no way it was toasted in the oven before being brought to the table. Most likely, it hit the microwave first, just like everything else.

Overall, an insult to my memories of this place from a few years back. I don't know if the chef has lost his fire, but it's certainly not to be found...

10 to 10 in Delhi has, for me, the best flavours of curry that I have ever tasted. The first time I ate here I shared a vegetarian platter, and the creamy consistency along with the flavour and medium chilli, literally blew me away! The second time I ate here I had the Lamb Domoda with rice and salad, the Lamb Curry had a peanut satay type of flavour, it was absolutely incredible. For dessert we had their famous mango and raspberry cheesecake, I do not have vocabulary to even describe how good it is, lol, seriously, I would come here JUST for that cheesecake lol 😂

The staff are friendly, very accommodating to whatever you would like, everything cooked fresh, and the chilled sofas with lots of cushions top this place off as one of my favourite places I've eaten in.

I have to conclude by giving credit to the chef, owners and staff, for providing a place where you can go to just chill, unwind and empty your mind, but the credit mainly has to go the amazing flavours of the food. Do not change a thing, keep doing what your doing, 10/10.

If you are in Edinburgh, this is...