If you are looking for somewhere new to check out in the city centre, then recently opened Nepalese restaurant Solti is absolutely worth a visit!
Solti is the sister restaurant to extremely popular family owned Gautam’s in Meadowbank and Hidden Edinburgh was asked along last week to check it out……
Background & Concept
Gautam’s is a family run restaurant that has over 30 years experience in the hospitality industry with both chefs starting their careers at small restaurants in Kathmandu, Nepal. There, they began their education into food, learning from every day street vendors to top chefs at 5-star hotels before making their migration to India to gain further experience.
Gautam’s has been running in Meadowbank for two years, and Solti is the family’s second restaurant in the city. Solti is a phrase of affection to describe a close friendship and they aspire to serve every customer that walks through their doors as a ‘Solti’ so expect the very best of Nepali hospitality and cuisine.
Located in the city centre, near the Museum of Scotland and Surgeons Hall on Drummond Street, it is very centrally located, while the decoration is bright, welcoming and fashionable.
The Menu
Solti’s focus is on authentic Nepalese and Indian hybrid flavours, with dishes that are lighter and less rich than a traditional Indian curry.
Dine a la carte in the evening from their menu that includes classics like Kormas, Baltis and Masala dishes, or opt for one of their many fusion dishes using Nepalese flavours with Scottish ingredients like their Haggis Pakora, Salmon Tikka or Lamb Kathmandu.
For lunch go authentic tapas style and try a few sharing dishes.
Drinks
Solti have a fantastic cocktail menu, which is not something that immediately springs to mind when having a curry, but I would encourage you to start off with one as they are incredible and really work well with the food! If you are a whisky fan, definitely try out one of their Whisky Sours which is made with a Dunbar Whiskey a traditional Nepalese Whisky.
What We Ate
We opted for a selection of recommendations from the a la carte and lunch menu.
Starters
We started with a tray of popadoms and pickles, I don’t think you can can beat spiced onions and lime pickle!
We had three starters (greedy us!) The first was the Salmon Tikka – Scottish Salmon marinated and then cooked in the tandoor to give the outside of it a crispness while the flavours work with the salmon perfectly. The second was from the lunch menu – Samosa Chaat (I loved this) samosas have been fried so they are crispy, then broken up and topped with yoghurt masala and tamarin chutney. While the third was Chicken MoMo as Nepal borders with China, Chinese cooking also influences Nepalese food and these dumplings are steamed with a filling of chicken inside and served with a homemade dipping sauce.
Mains
For mains we also went with a selection of dishes. We were told that the Tandoori lobster was something completely unique to Solti and absolutely worth trying out, so how could we say no! Fresh Scottish lobster is marinated and cooked in the tandoor and presented with a potato curry side. Its certainly a fun dish, great for sharing, the flavours worked really well with the lobster meat too.
I love Biryani and the vegetarian Jackfruit Biryani really is fantastic. The jackfruit offers an almost meaty texture and is something that is completely under utilised in cooking in the UK, so it is great to see it being used here.
And we also opted for a portion of the Paneer Masala, another absolute favourite of mine and Solti have nailed this perfectly.
Final Thoughts
The food at Solti really is incredible and Khima and the team do a fantastic job of creating a welcoming and fun experience. We highly recommend giving it a visit!
Address: 10 Drummond St, Edinburgh EH8 9TU
Website: solti.co.uk
