Chaakoo Bombay Cafe — Restaurant in Scotland

Holy heck where are these good reviews coming from? We were visiting Glasgow for a gig and chose this place for dinner based on the good reviews but it was colossally disappointing. The venue actually looks great, when you're coming in, the decor suggests a higher calibre of restaurant than what transpired . The first thing we noticed was that the music choice was very weird for a Bombay cafe. It was all "It's Raining Men" and Abba hits blasting out like a disco from 30 years ago. Nothing Indian. Fine whatever, can live with that if the food is good but ummmm. We ordered and the food came out in less than ten minutes. There's fast service and then there's 'all this food is sitting around just waiting to be microwaved" fast service. The naan was cold and tasteless. The curries were lukewarm, over salted and similar to a cheap supermarket ready meal. The only ok thing was lamb kemma dish (which is also the filling of the lamb pakora) and despite the unpleasant curry sauces, the chicken was very tender. The dal makhani was watery and devoid of any suggestion of Indian spices/flavour.

Then there was the service. Loads of staff milling around and apart from a very jolly manager, the rest of the team went about their job looking like they were hating life. Hospitality is a demanding job and I really felt for the young people working here, looking like they wished they could be absolutely anywhere else.

Then the bill came, lol, £65 for dinner and two drinks. This place is just an expensive Wetherspoons and I can't for the life of me understand why it has so many - or any good reviews. Nobody asked how our food was until we were paying up and we indicated it was disappointing, he kindly offered to get us a manager or speak to the chef but really this place's whole business model is fundamentally flawed, a small pointless chat isn't going to change anything and we weren't angling for a refund or anything. Just wanted to get TF out of there ASAP. Two stars for the nice interior and well meaning waiting staff.

Update on response to comments: No please don't blame this on the waiting staff. They don't need "more training" because even if they had asked us earlier, it wasn't going to change anything -the fundamental problem is that the food quality is really poor. That's not the staffs fault. It's the business model. What's needed is better quality ingredients, more herbs/spices/flavours and dishes that are made fresh in smaller batches. Being properly heated etc. Those downbeat looking staff don't need more "training", they very likely need a pay rise, more time off and a sense of being valued and appreciated...

Gorgeous place with equally gorgeous food!

We came in without a reservation on a busy Saturday evening, hoping to find halal food, and were lucky enough to be seated after a 15-minute wait. The hostess guided us to the bar area for drinks while we waited, and although the restaurant was packed and buzzing with energy, it only added to the charm. When we were finally ushered to our seats, it was a tight squeeze, with servers and customers moving around constantly. Some might find that a bit overwhelming, but I loved it—it contributed to the lively, bustling atmosphere.

Once we ordered, our food arrived in just 15 minutes. We had the Lamb Madras, Monkfish Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Pakoras, Masala Fries, and Jeera and Lemon Rice—and every single dish was a hit.

You know how some South Asian or curry restaurants serve dishes that all taste vaguely the same? Not here. Each curry was distinct and flavourful, making it such a joy to savour them individually and then mix and match.

The Monkfish Curry stood out as my favorite. Monkfish is usually dense, but in this curry, it was tender, sweet, and just delightful. The Lamb Madras was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with a perfect level of comforting warmth. The Chicken Tikka Masala was good—classic and reliable—but a little on the boring side when compared to the others. Still, every curry was fantastic in its own right.

Even the sides were worth mentioning. The Chicken Pakoras were incredibly tender and flavorful, and the Jeera and Lemon Rice was light and perfectly seasoned. We may have overdone it with the carbs, but no regrets—the Masala Fries were lovingly spiced and irresistible. We couldn’t finish them all, so we happily took them to go.

Service was excellent throughout. The servers checked in with us twice, always smiling and clearly enjoying their work. The ambiance was just as impressive as the food—beautiful old-school yet updated interiors that made the entire experience cozy and memorable.

Chaakoo Bombay Café is a true gem. I can’t wait to come back the next time I’m in Glasgow. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for an authentic, halal, and vibrant...

I'm really sorry to say. I had been telling people for years that Chaakoo was the best Indian restaurant in Glasgow. But what ever happened is puzzling to myself and family who visited a few times in the past. It honestly all tasted like supermarket jarred sauce. The fish and chicken was dry and plain. The sauce to accompany the meat was watery and the Masala fries sounds intriguing but it's just french fries with some masala powder sprinkled on top. The dhall was just horrible tasting soup and the garlic chilli chicken had far too much salt. Whatever you're calling nann bread is also pretty ridiculous, it's closer to a pancake and doesn't even fit the plate it's served in, Instead it's unavoidably touched by the staff who bring it over then it droops over the sides to touch the table which isn't super hygienic.

Now, I expect the owner or whoever replies to every single review to do some passive aggressive comment here and it's a good tactic to put people of reviewing but honestly just please take the review on the chin and try to go back to your glory days.

Edit - (Newly added comment in my predicted response to owner/social media guy)

No, my entire family were not wrong about the food tasting different and terrible. Something HAS changed with your menu or chef and you shouldn't be able to live off the reputation of the restaurant once being excellent. My wife's an Asian chef and a very very good one so this isn't some random westerner who knows nothing about food leaving a comment for you.

Also, your Back or Front of house team aren't going to go out and buy plates that the food can sit on without touching people's busy hands or dirty tables so I'd like to just point out how fake and ungenuine all your responses are to reviewers.

I loved this restaurant not so long ago. Chaakoo has went from my top Indian restaurant to the worst (IMO) in just...