Nestled on the corner of Edinburgh’s East London Street lies Thamel, a family-run Nepalese restaurant serving food as vibrant as its colourful exterior. As the third venue by the Gautam family (following Gautam’s in Meadowbank and Solti on Drummond Street), Thamel quickly made waves in the Edinburgh food scene after opening their doors in May 2024. But what makes this different from its sister restaurants? Thamel’s dual Nepalese kitchen and speakeasy bar.
Upon walking in, the dining area strikes a balance between a cosy ambience and one bursting with personality. Named after a bustling district of Kathmandu, Nepal, Thamel is “a portrayal of this energy and the culture of the Nepali people”, as it serves up traditional dishes with modern twists. Yet a floor below, Thamel’s speakeasy, The Blind Tiger, echoes the cosmopolitan hub and nightlife of the district. After dark, it transforms from a gastronomic dining experience to party, thanks to Thamel’s in-house DJs.
I was seated in the upper-floor dining area for dinner, accompanied by my husband, and we began by flipping through the drink menu. Known for their creative cocktails, I asked the staff for some recommendations. As I was craving something fruit-forward, they pointed me in the direction of the crowd-favourite ‘Cloud Temple’, a pina colada-style drink with coconut rum, lychee and butterfly pea flower tea that went down a bit too easy. As I was sipping away, I couldn’t help but look around at the other tables flanking me, noting their beverages of choice: the ‘King’s Way’ (crème de menthe, avocado cream liqueur, whipped cream) and the ‘Freak Street Hippie’ (Rutland Gin, elderflower cordial, Strega mountain herb liqueur, rosemary and thyme syrup). Thamel boasts a wide range of drink offerings, from equally creative mocktails to Nepalese beers to classic wines, but the cocktails are hard to top – and even harder to stop after just one.
Thamel has the best butter chicken curry and garlic naan I’ve had anywhere in Edinburgh
Accompanying our drinks was an order of the Bafeko, Nepalese for steamed dumplings or momo. Although I’m not vegan, I knew my main would likely be meat-centric, so the idea of sampling some vegetable morsels with diced onions and garlic, Timbur berry, and sesame and hempseed chutney, sounded like a perfect punchy prelude to what was to come (and that it was).
After devouring our momo, I continued browsing the menu for my main. I knew I’d be having a curry – after all, that is what they’re known for. The question became, which one? We settled on sharing the butter chicken curry and the korma. The former is composed of ghee-roasted chicken tikka alongside fenugreek, tomato and cream, and the latter is chicken bathed in a coconut, cashew and almond sauce that’s prepared mild and creamy. Our server nudged us towards the garlic naan to accompany it, and as steaming fragrant bowls of curry were placed in front of us, I couldn’t be more grateful that she did. Turns out, Thamel has the best butter chicken curry and garlic naan I’ve had anywhere in Edinburgh.
Bafeko (Nepalese steamed dumplings or momo)
“Cloud Temple”
Butter chicken curry and korma
Alongside the generous portions, the curries were creamy, the chicken was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the garlic naan was sharp and aromatic, ideal for scraping up every last morsel in the bowl. If my stomach wasn’t almost full by this point, I would have been tempted to order more after watching our tablemates be served steaming pakoras, Himalayan hot pot, and lamb shank dum biriyani fresh out of the kitchen.
After the meal’s richness, I was in search of a dessert palate cleanser: enter the mango cheesecake. Atop a ginger biscuit lie layers of mango purée and cardamom cheesecake, served alongside a mango kulfi. As a cheesecake purist, I wasn’t sure how I’d take this Thamel twist, but as with every other dish I polished off, it was the perfect gastronomic reset to end the evening: light, fruity and delicately spiced.
We were waiting to pay our bill when I saw out of the corner of my eye a door quickly opening, one I hadn’t noticed the entire meal despite being seated just a few tables away. To an average diner’s eye, it’s conspicuously disguised as a bookcase decorated with plants, wine bottles and scattered novels. But if timed just right, you’ll catch a glimpse of the stairs hidden behind the door, leading down to The Blind Tiger, Thamel’s adjoining speakeasy. As visitors slip through the cracks, you can hear snippets of the booming bass from below – yet another reason to come back again soon.
As we walked home, I couldn’t stop talking about Thamel. Yes, about the fragrant food and vibrant atmosphere, but especially about the service. The staff were incredibly welcoming, regularly chatting and checking in on us from the second we stepped foot inside. It’s what a family-run restaurant does best – making you feel less like a customer and more like a guest in their home. And Thamel embodies that kind of warmth, lingering long after the last bite.
7-11 East London Street
Edinburgh
EH7 4BN
March 2026
