The Gurkha Lounge is a new Nepalese restaurant with reasonably priced, delicious and spicy food.
Friars Street has new life breathed into it with the lounge’s sleek and modern front. The name of course pays homage to the Gurkha soldiers who served in the British military from 1815. These soldiers from Nepal and Northern India have been commended for their bravery in their service. 26 soldiers have received the Victoria Cross which is the British army’s highest honour.
I went with one of the closest people in my life: my mother. I had seen the restaurant’s lights on and we were excited to go.
We walked up to the door and glanced at the menus outside, in moments a server opened the door and welcomed us in. The Gurkha Lounge’s decor is classy and inviting with its light grey tones and glamourous chandeliers. The napkins on the table were elaborately folded. The playlist consists of covers of pop songs from the 2010s and early 2020s. The music brought a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the room that while was relatively busy, was not too loud.
We ordered the two poppadoms and pickle tray appetiser (£5.95) which included a sweet mango chutney, an onion chutney with a kick and Raita. All had incredible flavour and we had to pace ourselves so we would have space for the rest of the meal. For starters we chose the chicken pakora (£5.95) and the vegetable samosas (£4.95). Before the server reached our table we could smell the spices, herbs and pastry wafting towards us.
Lastly, we ordered the Chicken Tikka (£11.45) and the Kashmiri Korma (£9.95) which could be served with banana, pineapple or mango. The korma with banana was refreshing, creamy and filling. Everything was fresh, high quality and a painter’s palette of herbs, spices and cooling sauces. While some of the food was a little too spicy for our taste we still took some away and savoured it later.
The service was probably the best part of the night. The servers were friendly and conversational in a sincere way. The managers was especially friendly and told us about the restaurant and where he was from. When we left, he even opened the door for us and wished us a goodnight. We left feeling full, happy and special as guests in the new restaurant.
The Gurkha Lounge is a modern, high-quality and welcoming restaurant and I am so happy it is a part of Stirling. They are rated five stars on Google and they really deserve it.
Featured image credit: The Gurkha Lounge FaceBook page
Third year journalism student. 2025/2026 Lifestyle and Comment Editor at Brig. Published in The Yucatán Times, Mi Campeche and The Mourning Paper. Host of From the 40s with Air3Radio.
