The Anarkali Indian restaurant on Victoria Road in Glasgow is superb for a budget night out.
Situated in the Southside of Glasgow, it is an old fashioned curry house. The décor doesn’t seem to have been updated in the last twenty years and the toilets are “compact” and basic to say ... Read review
Advantages: Excellent value for money, good quality food, no charge for corkage Disadvantages: Toilets a bit "basic", to be avoided during Hampden events
The Anarkali Indian restaurant on Victoria Road in Glasgow is superb for a budget night out.
Situated in the Southside of Glasgow, it is an old fashioned curry house. The décor doesn’t seem to have been updated in the last twenty years and the toilets are “compact” and basic to say the least.
It’s a bit on the dark side inside, but the tables, cutlery and glasses are clean ... ...
What makes the Anarkali ideal for eating out in these credit crunch times or when meeting a large group of friends, is that it has no drinks licence. So you bring your own. Or buy from the conveniently located off-licence just down the road. There is no charge for corkage and they are happy to assist with bottle-opening and provide glasses, ice etc for no extra charge. We usually request jugs of iced tap water for our table too and there ... more
The Anarkali Indian restaurant on Victoria Road in Glasgow is superb for a budget night out.
Situated in the Southside of Glasgow, it is an old fashioned curry house. The décor doesn’t seem to have been updated in the last twenty years and the toilets are “compact” and basic to say the least.
It’s a bit on the dark side inside, but the tables, cutlery and glasses are clean and hygienic looking. Probably seating approximately 50 patrons at most, it is not the largest of establishments but it is generally well staffed, usually very busy, and, by my observations, it does a roaring takeaway trade also. It is also VERY busy if there is an event on at Hampden, but to my mind, booking is recommended any weekend to avoid disappointment.
Cast your apprehensions regarding the interior aside though as the food is of an admirable quality and the portions are certainly on the generous size. The naan breads are the size of a coffee table and, even if you consider yourself to have a “healthy” appetite, I definitely recommend sharing a starter unless you want to be left feeling like a stuffed sofa at the end of your meal.
The menu is extensive – if chicken korma is your favoured dish, you have a good handful of variations to choose from – and there are some regional curries that are that little bit more unusual. I have always found the food to be of a good quality, the meat tender and moist, and the sauces delicious and plentiful. My favourite is a chicken dish extravagantly strewn with cashew nuts and chunks of onions and pepper in a fragrant but spicy sauce. I’m not a fan of lamb myself but one of my friends assures me that their lamb dishes are also of a very high quality, so much so that she can’t resist having lamb every time she eats here!
The peshwari naan is worth ordering just to try to work out what on earth makes it that bizarre bright pink colour……but it does taste delicious though, so I really don’t let it worry me too much.
What makes the Anarkali ideal for eating out in these credit crunch times or when meeting a large group of friends, is that it has no drinks licence. So you bring your own. Or buy from the conveniently located off-licence just down the road. There is no charge for corkage and they are happy to assist with bottle-opening and provide glasses, ice etc for no extra charge. We usually request jugs of iced tap water for our table too and there is no problem with this either.
The last time I ate there, it was with a group of 12 other mums from one of our toddler groups. We tend to eat here because it is inexpensive and relatively local for most of us. We had mountains of food – poppadums with spiced onions, three big platters of pakora to share, we all had a curry, dishes of pilau rice and some of the huge naan breads – and there were some soft drinks included on the bill too. All for the princely sum of £12 a head. Perfect.
I have read reviews proclaiming that the Anarkali serves the best Indian food in Glasgow – I would dispute that as I rate the New Pearl of India in Cathcart Road and The Wee Curry Shop in Buccleuch Street more highly, food-wise. It does serve good quality food though and for sheer value for money, as they say in Glasgow, ye cannae beat it.
