Travel Tuesday: Shamoli Restaurant Edinburgh

Whenever I have visited the UK or Ireland,  I always  make a point of finding an Indian restaurant with great ratings to enjoy a delicious and authentic Indian feast. One of my favorite Indian restaurants ever is Kashmir in Galway and we started planning our trip to Edinburgh, we sought out an Indian restaurant for a special night out. Luckily our hotel, the Radisson Blu (which was great), was right in the center of it all, including lots of great restaurants like Shamoli Thai & Indian Cuisine, right across the street.

Shamoli was a warm and relaxed space, and service was refined and attentive. Shamoli serves both Thai and Indian food, but we were all about the Indian menu. Crisp glasses of white wine refreshed us after a long day of walking around Edinburgh and paired perfectly with some appetizers.

We went for fried options up front, two of our favorites, papadums and pakoras, served with various sauces and chutneys. I am all about the sauce. The appetizers were excellent and set us up for a delicious, spice-filled dinner.

As often happens when we travel, I was craving vegetables and went with a spicy Sabzi Rougan Josh, a mix of vegetables in a spicy, tomato based sauce. My husband went with his old favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala. You really can’t go wrong with that creamy, spicy sauce and tender chicken.

We scooped both dishes up with soft, warm naan bread. It had gotten chillier outside, and this meal warmed us from within.

We ate until we couldn’t fit another bite, then wandered on to the streets of the Royal Mile to enjoy Edinburgh at night. Shamoli was the perfect date night on vacation. I just wish it was a little closer. I would definitely do takeout tonight.