The Ashoka

The Ashoka on Elderslie Street has been part of Glasgow's Indian dining landscape since 1982, earning recognition from the BBC's Olive magazine as best food in Glasgow and from the Curry Club as best restaurant in Scotland, as well as a placing in the national Top 100. The kitchen uses oven-bake cooking rather than the conventional deep-frying method — one of very few Indian restaurants in Scotland to do so — which the owners say produces lighter, less oily results. The menu covers Punjabi classics alongside tandoori dishes, and the room retains the character of the former pub it once was: dark wood, Chesterfield-style seating and a warm atmosphere. Curry karaoke evenings give the place an identity beyond the usual dinner-service format.