Wednesday September 23rd 2026
Kebabish Restaurant in Edinburgh, which was named Asian Restaurant of the Year (Scotland) at the 2026 Asian Restaurant Awards.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Asian restaurants and takeaways from across Scotland have been recognised at a major awards ceremony celebrating the country’s diverse food scene.
The 10th Asian Restaurant Awards, organised by the Asian Catering Federation, were held at Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Monday, September 21, with 24 businesses picking up awards.
More than 250 restaurants and takeaways were initially shortlisted following a public vote before the field was narrowed down to this year’s winners.
Glasgow dominated the awards, with 13 of the 24 winners based in the city.
Among the national winners was Edinburgh’s Kebabish Restaurant, which was named Asian Restaurant of the Year for Scotland.
St John’s Curry Club in Corstorphine also picked up the award for Asian Restaurant and Takeaway of the Year for Edinburgh, while Ignite was named Edinburgh’s Asian Restaurant of the Year.
The ceremony also recognised businesses in a range of specialist categories, including Japanese, Chinese, street food, fine dining and family-friendly restaurants.
Bayleaf Restaurant Group in West Lothian had a particularly successful evening, with Mr Sagar Bhandari named Restaurant Manager of the Year.
The group also won Indian Restaurant of the Year for West Lothian, while its Bathgate restaurant was named Best Fine Dining Indian Restaurant of the Year for the region.
Muhammad Sultan of Charcoals in Glasgow received a Special Recognition Award for his contribution to community and charitable causes, including work supporting homeless people in Glasgow and international aid projects.
The awards were presented by BBC News presenter Samantha Simmonds and Anisa Khan, who was runner-up in the 2025 series of The Apprentice.
Asian Catering Federation chairman Yawar Khan said the awards were an opportunity to celebrate both the quality of Scotland’s Asian restaurants and their contribution to the economy.
“The Asian Restaurant Awards in Glasgow are a key event for our industry. Not only do they recognise the excellence of Asian and Oriental restaurants in Scotland, but they also celebrate the significant contribution our industry makes to the economy, thanks to the hard work of all the businesses involved”, he explained.
“The standard of Asian cuisine across Scotland increases year on year, with 2026 recognising the growing trend towards Japanese cuisine with a total of four awards, and the ever increasing demand for global dining.
“2026 marks our 10th year and despite the ongoing challenges in our industry I am delighted to see so many restaurants continue to thrive.”
The Asian Catering Federation represents Asian and Oriental restaurants across the UK and says the sector employs more than 100,000 people.
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