Known for · Glasgow
Glasgow says it invented chicken tikka masala. Where to eat curry here now
Shish Mahal’s claim to the dish is famous and its future is uncertain, so this guide follows Glasgow’s curry to the rooms worth booking now.
Chicken tikka masala, by the restaurant’s own account, was first made at Shish Mahal on Park Road by its founder, Ali Ahmed Aslam. The restaurant dates the moment to 1971 and calls itself “The Birthplace of Chicken Tikka Masala”; other kitchens in Britain make the same claim, and nobody has settled it.
Shish Mahal opened in 1964. It held two AA rosettes in 2025, and it bottles its Tikka Masala, Bhoona and Hot sauces for sale. Mr Aslam died in December 2022, aged 77.
The news this autumn is plain. Shish Mahal Ltd entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation on 14 September 2026, and the trade press reported its future as unclear. Its website still lists the restaurant as open and family-run. Phone before you make the trip.
The city’s curry did not stop at one dish. Mother India, which Monir and Smeena Mohammed opened in 1990, built its name on Indian home cooking, and the newest rooms are led by chefs with television and Michelin credits. In September, Charcoals on the Trongate was named Scotland’s Best Curry at the Spice Awards.
Where to eat curry now
The first table to book is at Mother India on Westminster Terrace, because its spiced haddock, marinated with garlic and Punjabi spices and served with minted peas, does what Glasgow curry does best: Scottish produce, Indian kitchen. Time Out calls the place “the ruling matriarch of all Glaswegian curry houses”. After the haddock, order the Delhi-style lamb with roasted pepper, tomato and potato. The same family runs Mother India’s Cafe and The Den. Westminster Terrace, Finnieston · spiced haddock £9.50, Delhi-style lamb £19 · book on 0141 221 1663
Every dish at Dakhin, the South Indian kitchen on Candleriggs, is gluten and nut free, and Coeliac UK accredits the kitchen. Order the masala dosa at £17.50; at lunch, three courses cost £15. The restaurant says its recipes have not changed in twenty years. Candleriggs, Merchant City · lunch £15 · Mon–Fri 12–2pm and from 5pm, Sat–Sun from 1pm · book online
Sagar Massey, a MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, took his Cardonald restaurant Angeethi to a Bib Gourmand within six months. In July 2026 he opened Kalinga on West Regent Street, in the room that was Grilled by Ajay Kumar. Go for the yoghurt kebab and the tandoori pomfret, with a cocktail named after one of India’s states. Prices are not online yet. West Regent Street, city centre · closed Mon · book by phone, 0141 251 0100
Checked October 2026.
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