We spotted the arrival of Desi Pakwan, towards the foot of Leith Walk, a few months ago and were intrigued. We found the occasion to pay it a visit on a crisp, clear Wednesday lunchtime.

The interior is rather odd, with quite a roomy cafe space occupied by only a few, oddly-shaped tables and chairs. It looks set up mainly for takeaway custom, which seems to be their focus. I bucked that trend and decided to sit in.

Their menu is massive and diverse encompassing a full range of Indian classics, but extending beyond that to encompass BBQ, steaks and burgers.

When selecting dishes, I tried to reflect this by starting with BBQ liver tikka, then following with a burger and fries. The burger is £4.95 as part of their lunchtime deal.

Items were prepared freshly to order and were soon with me. The starter was really very good, with warmly spiced, soft pieces of well-cooked liver hitting the spot very nicely. It was a very promising opener.

The burger was a little more routine than I’d hoped, but it was still solidly good. However, the chips were excellent, which was entirely unexpected. They were right up there with the best I’ve sampled in the city, with a really lovely crispness to them.

So overall, Desi Pakwan is a fairly odd little place. The quality on offer is surprisingly good given the impression the haphazard interior creates. Our scoring below doesn’t make it sound too promising, but I’d definitely recommend that you give it a shot as a takeaway place as I think you’ll be pleased with what you’ll get. I’d be happy to visit again, to sample further dishes from their menu.

Scores
Blythe scores Desi Pakwan
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
2/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 12.5/20

I ate: BBQ liver tikka; burger and chips

I drank: water

I wore: brown pinstripes

Total bill: £8.45