Our story



About us

About us

Imagine a lush green valley in central Persia. At the base of the valley a river meanders below the treeline. Above, the sky reigns supreme. On the side of the valley, not quite halfway down, nestles a small farmhouse. It feels like the house has been there as long as the river meandered, the sun has shone. The farmhouse is what the Persian’s call a “KoolBa”. The brother’s family have owned this KoolBa for generations. When they moved to the city they counted the days until the holidays would return then to their rural idyl. What better place for boys to climb trees, swim in rivers and throw stones at goats? This KoolBa was unique. Geographically it marked the halfway point between the ancient capital of Constantinople and the Punjabi capital city of Lahore. It sat in the middle of the most important trading route between Asia Minor, Europe and the sub continent of India. Greeks and Turks would travel East, Indians and Afghans travel West. They all met at the Koolba. This is why this KoolBa is so special, so unique. Not only was the kitchen home to the great Persian classics, every traveler left a little something, from the East, a little somthing, and a little something from the West too. Spices from South India, peppers from the Mediterranean, all combined in the kitchen. There is a through line, a story to be told from Persia to Punjab. The food evolves as you travel. The links between traditions are plain to see. The meats, the breads, the vegetables. Subtle changes, finessed flavours mark the journey. And so we bring our tale back to this present day incarnation of KoolBa. The very best of Persia; the very best of the Punjab. And beyond. The destination is the journey…

We have achieved this with our commitment to using the best local produce, fresh herbs, carefully selected whole spices, but above all offering genuine appreciation and care to all of our customers. We are committed to providing freshly made to order dishes in glasgow diners. Some customers enjoy switching between our Indian and Persian dishes with each course, and in particular, many of our regular diners recommend our homemade chicken pakora as a firm favourite, along with freshly made peshwari naan.

What sets us apart from other restaurants in Glasgow? We have personally sourced and expansive wine and beer list that perfectly compliments our dishes. Please ask us to pair some for you! We believe that we have all the ingredients perfectly blended to create a dining experience you will remember for a long time to come.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to KoolBa a top Indian restaurants in Glasgow.







Curry Capitol of Britain

Curry Capitol of Britain

KoolBa has a worthy reputation of representing Glasgow no less than three times in a row (the only Glasgow restaurant to do so), and we have been crowned a winner too in the annual Curry Capital of Britain awards.

This isn't a fact to be simply swept aside. Glasgow's curry credentials cannot be questioned. The city has been the four time winner and four time runner up of the Curry Capital of Britain Awards, more than any other city in the UK. Forget haggis, neeps and tatties - it can be argued curry is our city's national dish.

The year in which we won Glasgow was also represented in the final by Balbir's, Mister Singh's India and Mother India cafe.

Then Lord provost Bob Winter said: "I am delighted the title is coming back to Glasgow where it belongs. It's wonderful news.

"Winning the Curry Capital of Britain title this year is very much down to our four chosen ambassadors. They do our city proud."

In 2o14 Glasgow didn't submit a bid to enter the CCoB Awards due to the Commonwealth Games being hosted by the city. However we are looking ahead to 2015 where we hope that Glasgow can come back stronger than ever to take the title of Curry Capital of Britain again.

Visit Scotland

We have also won a Visit Scotland Sliver award for the last three years running which shows we go that extra mile in our service to Glasgow. Our ethos is on traditional cooking methods, everything made to order, the freshest and often best ingredients, the friendliest and professional service, not to mention carefully sourced wines to go with the food. We wholeheartedly believe in quality.

Visit Scotland


Glasgow

Glasgow

KoolBa can be found in Glasgow’s historic Merchant City, which is seconds from the hustle and bustle of the city’s busiest shopping districts, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street. These thoroughfares form the city’s Style Mile. The Merchant City area still retains much of its stately architecture stemming from the influence of wealthy tobacco lords and merchants of the 1700’s. The Merchant City quarter offers many an opportunity for entertainment, cultural pursuits, shopping, dining, drinking and more; a very eclectic area with something for everyone.

The Merchant City is also home to the historic City Halls and Old Fruitmarket The spectacular City Halls provides the focus for Glasgow’s Centre for Music. Dating from as far back as 1841, it is the city’s oldest, but most well loved, purpose built performance and meeting space. This exciting music complex also houses top class rehearsal, recording, broadcasting and webcasting facilities. As a hub of creativity, a jam-packed programme of public workshops and classes has already benefited everyone from babies, toddlers and school groups to amateur and professional musicians.

The Old Fruit market has a few things to boast about too; like its sheer endurance to the test of time. Hidden from view next to the City Halls, it forms part of Glasgow’s Centre for Music. The entrancing venue has kept all of its period charm, including its lofty vaulted roof cast iron columns and balcony. As its name suggests, this was once where you’d be more likely to find stalls of fresh fruit and vegetables on offer over entertainment! With so much history it’s easy to see why the Merchant City is often called Glasgow’s cultural capital.

Another important element of the area’s transformation is high-end shopping, anchored by the Italian Centre, home to, amongst others, Versace Collections (the UK’s first Versace store) and Emporio Armani. Recent shopping developments include Bang and Olufsen, Bose, Escada, Ralph Lauren, Mulberry and underwear and lingerie Agent Provocateur stores. The annual Merchant City Festival takes place in July & August attracting tens of thousands to the area with its multi-arts programme.