An excellent place in Glasgow that you absolutely must visit. Everything that came to the table was delicious and high-quality. The interior was very well-kept and unique. But the most important thing was the staff's kindness and pleasant disposition. They made you feel comfortable and at home from the very first moment.
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Before you go
- Chef / owner
- Hunky Dory Dining Group (current); launched by Di Maggio's / Mario Gizzi with Paul Sloan & Callum MacLachlainn; brand chef Rohit Benjwal
- Opened
- 2019
- Style
- Bombay Irani café–inspired Indian — street food, curries, cocktails, sharing plates
- Setting
- Ruthven Lane, just off Byres Road, Hillhead / West End
- Awards
- Deliveroo Scotland's Best Indian and Nepalese Restaurant 2024 (brand)
- Known for
- Irani café concept, Ruthven Lane neighbourhood site, Lunch and early-evening deals, Student deal
- Signature dishes
- Butter chicken, Keema matar, Naanwich (West End lunch deal), Full Bhuna feast, Bombay small plates / thalis
- Good for
- West End dinner, Sharing / groups, Vegetarian options, Student lunch
- Prices
- Lunch from £14.95; Naanwich £10 lunch window; early evening from £22.95pp; Full Bhuna £23.95pp Tue/Sun
- Lunch
- Mon–Fri lunch thali/grill deals; Naanwich Mon–Fri lunch (West End & Edinburgh); student £10 lunch Mon–Fri 12–4 with ID
- Reservations
- Walk-ins often fine
- Booking
- Book via ResDiary on chaakoo.co.uk/book-now; Full Bhuna needs advance booking, min 2
- Book online
- Open booking page
- Dietary tags
- vegetarian options, vegan options, gluten-free options
- Dietary
- Wide vegetarian choice; vegan/veg — ask for allergen guide; some Full Bhuna dishes marked GF
- Outdoor seating
- No
- Getting there
- Ruthven Lane just off Byres Road; Hillhead subway at the top of Byres Road (Visit West End area guidance — no Chaakoo-specific walk time published)
- Also by them
- Chaakoo St Vincent Street (City Centre); Chaakoo Edinburgh (Lothian Road)
- Also
- Contact page: indoor only at West End (no terrace); Hours: Sun–Thu 12–9pm; Fri–Sat 12–10.30pm on contact page (venue page says Fri–Sat to 10pm); Email westend@chaakoo.co.uk; Instagram @chaakoouk; Opened Oct 2019 in former Di Maggio's
Glasgow restaurant
Chaakoo
Opening hours
- Monday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
- Tuesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Overview
Chaakoo Bombay Café on Ruthven Lane is the West End branch of Glasgow’s Irani-café-inspired Indian brand — street food, comforting curries and cocktails in a neighbourhood setting just off Byres Road. It opened in late 2019 in the former Di Maggio’s unit (~110 covers). The brand now sits under Hunky Dory Dining Group; Di Maggio’s Restaurant Group still manage reservations per the site T&Cs. West End hours on the contact page are Sun–Thu noon–9pm and Fri–Sat noon–10.30pm (the West End venue page says Fri–Sat to 10pm — confirm when booking). Indoor only here; no terrace. Book via ResDiary on chaakoo.co.uk/book-now. Standouts include the West End–only Naanwich lunch deal, early-evening Bombay plates packages, Full Bhuna feast Tuesdays and Sundays, and a student lunch offer. Brand chef credits include Rohit Benjwal; founding partners at launch included Mario Gizzi with Paul Sloan and Callum MacLachlainn. Deliveroo named Chaakoo Scotland’s Best Indian and Nepalese Restaurant in 2024 (brand-wide). Email westend@chaakoo.co.uk; Instagram @chaakoouk.
Reviews
My dad and I came here on a Saturday night with no booking. I wouldn’t suggest that but we were lucky to be accommodated and seated right away, even though it was very busy! We got a seat in the back room, which ended up clearing out and we had all to ourselves. The ambiance is perfect with nice lighting and great tunes. We ordered two kebabs, two curries, two rices, a few drinks and a plain naan. The garlic lamb bhuna has a bit of a kick but had so much flavor, and the lamb was perfectly cooked. The railway chicken was comforting, with big pieces of chicken (flavored fairly similar to a butter chicken). Although the seekh kebab was my favorite - with peppered, tender lamb and a mint sauce paired with pickled onions and peppers! The chicken kebab was a little too chargrilled for me but still packed a punch of flavor with the same sauce. My preference for naan is to be bready and soft, while this one was a bit too crispy for me. We had a cider and lager each, then split the earl grey ginlet, which was an interesting cocktail. It had more lime than early grey but was still pleasant to try. Their cocktail selection is unique, with various options I’ve never come across before! I’ve been here a few times and the service is always great. The servers are kind and frequently check on you. I will come back again with more friends and family!
Read on Google MapsWe had visited not long ago to celebrate our anniversary, as always the food is absolutely delicious here, but this one is for the staff Chakkoo. If we could give 100 stars we would ⭐️ Bethany🌟 is absolutely lovely, and accommodates each time. Also when it’s extremely busy she is full of smiles and great energy managing the whole floor wonderfully! The staff are extremely lovely and very caring, the establishment is filled with lots of smiles! and from what we observed it has a very dynamic and positive team! Thank you for looking after us! And we will be back very soon. Love from Jim and Tanya x
Read on Google MapsGreat atmosphere and location. Very tasty food which initially seems like not enough but they sure fill you up. Would absolutely recommend the Afghani kebabs. Could taste the tandoor. Enjoyed the rest of the meal and service was good too. I deducted one star because there are only two cubicles in the womens and one of the doors was faulty . Overall, will definitely go back to try the rest of the menu
Read on Google MapsCracking wee place (that’s not actually that wee) tucked away down a lane. Popped in with my Dad for a nice interlude during a session of many pints. Seated easily on a Friday night by some very friendly staff, the beers got brought pronto and then food followed quickly behind it. Speaking of, we went for lamb samosas, black pepper chicken curry, dum biryani, cauliflower irani kebab and a peshwari naan. For me the star of the show was the cauliflower, the charring was perfect and it was imbued with so much flavour. The curry I selected (black pepper) was warming to the bones and filled me right up. This place is excellent for sharing, with plenty of small dishes on offer at a reasonable price. Without the beers it would have come to around 25 a head, which for the quality of food is absolutely outstanding. Service was excellent, staff were cheery and even funny plus the restaurant is decorated with loads of little gubbins everywhere in a wooden upstairs gaff. Thanks again to everyone and for the tremendous food to top a tremendous evening. Cheers!
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