Kalpna Restaurant

Excellent food, lovingly prepared. Portions are small but service is excellent and the dishes are unusual in presentation and flavour. Recommend. Try the Saam Savera and Paneer Butter Masala. My kids loved the coconut rice. Whatever you do, do not miss the desserts.

I went to Kalpna with a friend to try vegetarian Indian food as a break from our normal red meat nights out and was pleasantly surprised, firstly at the fact that it was a Saturday night and we managed to get a table from walking in off the street, they were very accomodating, it wasn’t as busy as expected for a Saturday night,there was a pleasant atmosphere, but a little too dimly lit for me, although the candle on the table made for a romantic ambience, I struggled to read the menu, even with my glasses on. Nonethess it was a very pleasant evening, they have a limited choice of wines from £7.99- £22, but carefully chosen to compliment the food on offer. We opted for the platter, at £16.99 which we thought was for sharing, but we ended up with one each, they looked a bit overwhelming at first, mainly because they took up every inch of space on the little table,however, the meal was delightful if not a bit confusing, as the starter, main course and dessert were all on the same platter, interesting indeed dipping a nan bread into a rice pudding, mmmm. The staff were welcoming and very pleasant. I would reccommend it for something different.

I really enjoyed the vegan Thaali. The service was nice and efficient, although it was quite crowded. They could work on the interior design, though. Still, food-wise one of the best Indian restaurants I have been to, so far.

I’ve been eating at the Kalpna since it opened – 1981 I think. It’s always been good, but the quality does vary depending on who the head cook is! You’re sure of a good meal – delicious, authentic South Indian food, excellent breads. Well worth going for the lunchtime buffet, great value for money.

We ate here on Friday 24 September, and were not very happy with the service or food. my wife and I are vegetarians and thought that this place would be a good place to eat, we do not eat onions or garlic and thought this would not be a problem as their website talks about fresh food.
When ordering we were told that pretty much every dish apart from the rice or nann was pre made and could not be made without onions and garlic, which was a big let down as all we could eat was the one panner dish.
We did ask if a fresh dish could be made but he said no as everything is pre prepared even the bhindi and paneer dishes and no other fresh items were available, but then our waiter did attempt to have made a jeera aloo dish with mixed veg which wasn't on the menu, so thanks to him for that.

Finally, after paying a bill of £33 for 1 starter, two main dishes and two drinks we had to request the after dinner mints.

In terms of service, this place is not great, but the decor of the restaurtant is nice if that helps.

Kalpna is not a big restaurant but has managed through the years to establish a big name. It is one of the best Indian and veg restaurants in the city. Expect nice food, excellent service and a bit pricey meals but it is all worth the experience. The place is warm and with a homelike air. I strongly recommend it.

Even amongst non-vegetarians, Kalpna is regarded as one of the best Indian restaurants in Edinburgh, and not without good cause.

I have come back to Kalpna again and again for its exquisite decor, the excellent service and for the best damn curry this city has to offer.

Perhaps, as a vegetarian, my opinion is somewhat biased. For those not convinced, I urge you to go to their lunchtime buffet.

Outstanding.

I've been eating buffet lunches at Kalpna for around 20 years, and throughout that time, the quality has been consistently good, and the staff unfailingly friendly. I would eat there more often, except that it is so hard not to take a refill and end up overfull. Timing can sometimes be an issue when it is busy. If you arrive at the tail-end of the 12.30 rush, some of the dishes run low, and you may have to wait for a new batch from the kitchen.

This is without doubt my favourite vegetarian Indian restaurant in the UK. We have been visiting this place for about 15 years and the food has been consistently excellent. We have seen several changes of decor over the years, going from simple basic through to the special Indian plasterwork that was done in 2008. The menu has changed a lot over the years but everything we have tried has been delicious - perfectly cooked, perfectly spiced, perfectly presented. We are always spoilt for choice, everything on the menu sounds so good. We can’t recommend it highly enough!

Although I do like a nice chicken curry, it is quite refreshing to go to an Indian restaurant that caters solely in vegetarian food.
The decor may leave a bit to be desired but the food certainly does not. There is a lot of delicately spiced, tasty vegetarian fare at very reasonable prices as well. There is an especially good value buffet on at lunchtimes which is well worth a try - there isn’t a huge range but you will not be disappointed with regards to value for money. Even if you are a carnivore, you are sure to be impressed with the standard of food.

As a life-long vegetarian I have come to know the best (and worst) providers of veggie fare in Edinburgh. Often some of the best food is actually in restaurants that are not exclusively veggie. However, the Kalpna has to be one of the most superior all-vegetarian Indian restaurants on offer. Their lunchtime special ‘all you can eat’ has been known to encourage embarrassing displays of gluttony. I could (and do!) happily eat platefuls of their delicately spiced, lightly fried potato fritters. Then I move onto their perfect lentil dahl and spinach saag. AND still I have room for a delicious authentic pudding - kulfi ice-cream laced with honey, pistachios and condensed milk…. Feeling hungry yet?!

Probably my favourite Indian restaurant in Edinburgh and I'm not a vegetarian. The dishes at the Kalpna are so delicious and carefully cooked that I forget about the absence of meat. The portions could be a bit bigger for my appetite but then you just get to order more and have more tastes of different dishes! The flavours are all amazing and they do a particularly good spinach dish (Saam Savera I think). The prices are good, it's not expensive and it's always a treat to eat here.