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Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Indian
Buffet
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Veggie restaurant since 1983 and under ownership since 2015. Specializes in traditional South Indian vegetarian cuisine and thali. All-you-can eat buffet at lunchtime. NOTE: Booking system reported to be unreliable. Open Mon-Sun 12:00-14:30, 17:30-22:30.
79 Reviews
First Review by feorag
lowrisheila
Points +20
Delivery never arrived, restaurant lied about status - Edit
Apparently my order never came through on Deliveroo, but the restaurant lied to me several times over the course of two hours claiming it was on the way instead of actually checking, completing wasting my evening and meaning I had nothing to eat. Absolutely terrible service and will never go here again.
Read moreGuest
caw
Points +2891
Delicious - Edit
Delicious! Delivery always takes at least twice as long as they say it will, and often arrives cold, so have your oven hot and order early, it's so tasty it's still worth ordering, just don't plan around it!
Read morePros: Vegan naan bread
Cons: Delivery very slow
Guest
RuthBerry
Points +50
Love a thaali - Edit
Had a large vegan Thaali and a smaller one. The small one was more than enough for me and my fella polished off the large. Delicious food and the service was great too.
Read moreCons: Take cash cos it's cash only
Guest
JakeNCL
Points +45
Food was delicious when it finally arrived.. - Edit
Had dinner on a Saturday at Kalpna and the restaurant was full. They had temporary screens up between tables for covid (no disposable cutlery though which was mentioned in another review). Service was polite but unfortunately rather slow.
Read morePros: Food was very tasty
Cons: Slow and somewhat inattentive service, Cash only
Guest
CoreyMoses
Points +187
Fantastic flavor - Edit
The dishes we got were super tasty, a bit pricey but I highly recommend!
Read morePros: Super tasty, Authentic
Cons: A bit expensive
Guest
Christi
Points +174
Delicious food but ditch the plastic! - Edit
My friends and I stumbled across this place recently when hopelessly searching for somewhere open that has vegan options.
Read moreThey have a great selection for vegans and we’re able to accommodate our differing tastes in terms of spice.
The food was very tasty and the service was good. My only disappointment was that, due to Covid, literally everything we used, from the cutlery to the plates to the glasses, was single use plastic. This is the only reason I wouldn’t return as I feel it is unnecessary and wouldn’t be able to enjoy a meal knowing I had produced so much waste.
I hope they rethink this policy soon.
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Tasty food- especially the platters, Good service
Cons: Single use plastic
Guest
Desertwillow
Points +48
OK - Edit
If you’ve not had South Indian food before, you’re in for a treat. If you have and you loved it, you may find this just OK. Service pleasant but variable.
Read moreGuest
neil7908
Points +437
Dropped in quality - Edit
I've been several times over the years but last time I went, I have to agree with the review below that it was incredibly bland.
Read moreThe lunch all you can eat felt like I was in a school cafeteria - tasteless, lukewarm food served in big vats. Wasn't even particularly cheap and cash only is a pretty big inconvenience these days.
I would give dinner a try again as that's when I've enjoyed it before and that's also why I've been generous in my star rating but wouldn't be back for lunch.
Guest
deadpledge
Points +15596
Battle of the bland - Edit
After reading some glowing reviews I had been looking forward to visiting Kalpna. Sadly we left really disappointed after our lunch buffet. It wasn't that the food was awful, it was just bland and I suppose we were expecting a lot more. Two of the three curries on offer were vegan (daal and a chickpea saag) but both were lacking a depth of flavour and spice. The chutneys and sauces were very nice though, as were the bhajis. I would visit again but not for the buffet, as I suspect the evening menu would be more to my liking and a truer reflection of what they offer.
Read morePros: Inexpensive
Cons: Bland buffet, Cash only for buffet
Guest
RoryMcK
Points +264
Great lunch buffet - Edit
Every time I've been to the buffet, all of the curries have been vegan, the rice obviously is too. Some of the best curry I've had in Edinburgh.
Read moreEdit: just asked and occasionally one of the curries is just vegetarian, but mostly they're all vegan
Guest
MichalFallach
Points +13
מסעדה נעימה עם אוכל טוב - Edit
הגענו לצהריים לארוחת הבופה. היו אופציות רבות: אורז, מש, פטריות, סמוסה ועוד.
Read moreהיה נחמד מאוד.
Guest
EmmaFaeEdinburgh
Points +1409
Try the vegan thali - Edit
Even before I went vegan, I absolutely loved this place. For me, the vegan thali is an absolute must. This beautiful Indian platter comes in two sizes: the regular (which is big); or the “raj bhog” (which is absolutely monstrous).
Read moreI love the thali here because it looks absolutely gorgeous but it changes from time to time so you never get the exact same meal twice. For me, the mushroom based curry is always my favourite, but I also have a lot of time for the comforting taste of the tarka dahl. With a starter, main and dessert all on one plate, you don’t need to order anything else, and you’ll find yourself satisfyingly stuffed for the rest of the evening!
Guest
petrinemcshane
Points +276
Fantastic - Edit
Lots of vegan options at the fantastic vegetarian/vegan Indian restaurant. Also has vegan wine list. Friendly service too!
Read morePros: Great food , Great service , Menu clearly marked with vegan 🌱 & gluten free opt
Cons: Can’t think of any
Guest
Mandarina1
Points +104
Delicious buffet - Edit
The vegan buffet was super delicious and filling. Loads of tasty food to stuff your face with. The staff was incredibly friendly as well. Hope to go there again soon!
Read morePros: Vegan / vegetarian Buffet, Loads of options, Affordable
Guest
claret
Points +33
No credit cards - Edit
I've been coming here for years but just not as good the last few times. They say they take cards and always gave before but at the point we were paying the bill they suddenly said they would only take cash 'today'. I've spoken to others and that has happened to them too. Something not right.
Read morePros: Good food lots of vegan options
Cons: Says takes cards but cash only
Guest
curioustraveler12
Points +760
Delicious - Edit
I came here for lunch after reading some reviews. I had such a craving for Indian curries and this lovely place satisfied all of my wishes with wonderful vegan food. On top of that it was a buffet and I was able to try everything I wanted. Again! :D
Read morePros: Informed Staff, Buffet , Nice vibe
Guest
Muuuuu
Points +3349
all you can eat lunch - Edit
affordable and almost 100% vegan
Read moreGuest
Womble93
Points +33
Disappointing ethics - Edit
Recently visited kalpna, one of my favourite places to eat since 1992! I know there have been changes over the years but I was really saddened to discover at the back of the menu an advert and menu for another restaurant. A seafood restaurant that also served lamb, beef, chicken amongst others!! I could hardly believe my eyes! I find this quite offensive. Surely other ethical vegans will agree that this is hardly an appropriate or considerate thing to do. For this reason and as a true animal lover I doubt I will eat here again. I believe for me it's a no brainer. I show my disgust by stopping paying into the system. Real shame because the food is still amazing and good value and service was excellent....... yes I stayed !! because I didn't want to cause a scene (I was with a group), but in future, now I have this information I won't go back.
Read morePros: Great food, Reasonably priced , Clean toilets
Cons: Advertisement of meat menu at back of menu, Supporting animal exploitation
Guest
BigSixBass
Points +1108
Excellent food - Edit
Great Indian vegan food here. Love it !!
Read moreGuest
vetveg
Points +21
very good dishes, but ... - Edit
cozy and well-furnished room
Read morePros: Very good dishes, A lot of veg & veggy dishes, True Indian cuisine
Cons: Poor table service (I must wait 1 hour for eat), A little bit expensive
Guest
RenéeRos
Points +392
Very nice thali! - Edit
Very friendly place. We ordered the big vegan thali and a smoked eggplant dish. Both were really nice, but the food could have been a bit more spicy for me.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan dishes, Very friendly
Cons: Food could be more spicy
Guest
EuanBass
Points +256
Great Vegan Curry - Edit
This is the 2nd time we have eaten here, great food and reasonable sized portions
Read morePros: Loads Of Vegan Options, Helpful Staff, Reasonably Priced
Guest
poppyseed
Points +86
Great curry! - Edit
I have loved Kalpna since forever - always been a great place for vegetarians / vegans. Friendly staff and delicious food! Also looks nice after the revamp.
Read moreGuest
ClaireC
Points +118
Really delicious vegan thali - Edit
We both had the large vegan thali and it was GREAT! Really recommend it. It is quite a lot of food though!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Menu clearly marked, Delicious
Guest
Ghiribizzo
Points +224
When in Edinburgh... - Edit
Always good. One dish was cold today - better management of the tray warmers needed, a pity. But the recent re-decoration makes a huge improvement to the front area of the restaurant.
Read moreGuest
falafffel
Points +3180
Great lunch buffet - Edit
I went here for lunch and they had a buffet for 8.50 pounds. There were 3 curries, rice and naan and salad with three different chutneys. Everything tasted really nice.
Read moreOne caveat: I asked them about the vegan options and was told that the buffet is vegan, apart from the yoghurt sauce. In my book this is great for a vegetarian place. On the table I then saw a little sign saying that everything in the buffet would be vegan - I was glad that I asked, because I would have assumed the youghurt to be plant based otherwise.
Pros: Great vegan lunch buffet, very reasonable price
Cons: not all things are vegan , despite a sign stating this
Guest
radiocaz
Points +963
lovely food - Edit
Very nice indian food for lunch buffet. Seems authentic and healthier than more typical Indian restaurants. Nice variety of dishes.
Read morePros: all vegan lunch buffet good price £8.50, nice decor , glass bottles of tap water available
Guest
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