New Glasgow restaurant Murphy's Pakora Bar opens its doors

Former Celtic stars and beloved local comedians were amongst the first to visit the revamped Murphy’s Pakora Bar in Finnieston, a bold late-night venue offering a fresh take on the city’s favourite Indian dishes.

Pictured: Murphy's Pakora bar owner and chef Nitesh Majhu

Looking back on a successful opening week, owner and chef Nitesh Majhu said: “The launch night went really well, we completely packed the place out and got some great feedback.

“I feel a lot more at ease now that the first weekend has been and gone.

“If you had spoken to me on Thursday, you probably would have caught me in tears at one point.”

Although he has spent the last four years studying law, a true passion for food has always played a part in Nithesh's life.

Pictured: Murphy's Pakora bar held a launch night event last Wednesday

He said: “I’ve always been a bit of an Instagram chef, nothing major but I would cook every day and post photos of my food.

“I’ve had a strong interest in cooking and learned a lot from my mum when I was younger.

“I used to work three days a week at my dad’s restaurant in Bearsden too.

“I started off running food but there were nights where I would jump on as a frier chef, so I knew how the kitchen worked.

“Although I’ve never been a chef at this level before, I feel like I’ve always had a good understanding of what it takes.

“Being able to run a pass in a kitchen has been a dream of mine for some time.”

Having taken the chance to put his culinary skills to the test, Nitesh has been able to bring his own twist to long-standing family recipes.

Alongside a team of talented chefs, the 25-year-old has curated a small plate style menu that’s full of innovative surprises from rich and fragrant duck samosas to a modern tandoori salmon with curried celeriac puree.

Pictured: Former Celtic star Frank McAvennie and Comedian Sanjeev Kohli attend the launch event

He said: “Around six months ago we sat down to create the menu and I had all these ideas, but we were quite worried that they wouldn’t work out.

“The end result is something that I don’t think people will have seen anywhere else.

“We’ve got Indian tacos with lamb bhuna or fish that people have really taken to.

“And our Indian fried chicken is a recipe that I’ve been working on for months because it was really important to me to get that right.

“We serve tapas-style portions that are served as soon as they’re ready which means people can try a range of different dishes to share.

“The philosophy behind Murphy’s is to give people a unique experience in a relaxed setting that has a real family feel to it."

Pictured: Former footballers Gordon Smith and Bobby Peta

That family feel is undeniably at the heart of the new restaurant's success.

With ties to the Ashoka Group and the previous iteration of Murphy’s Pakora Bar (which was run by Nitesh’s parents, Sanjay and Jiggy Majhu in the late 90s) there is an abundance of history woven into the story of the Finnieston eatery.

And when it comes to service? It’s still all hands on deck for the hard-working team.

Pictured: Nitesh cuts the ribbon with his mum, dad and grandmother

Nitesh said: “I don’t think anyone could ever say anything that would prepare you for starting your own business.

“It has been difficult, but I’ve been so lucky to have the backing of my entire family.

“Over the weekend mum was with me in the kitchen, dad was working front of house and even my brother and his girlfriend were sorting glasses.

“I already feel so attached to the place, like I’m finally in the position to be doing something I really love.

“When I came home the other night I said to my mum ‘Honestly, for the first time in my life I feel like I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing'.”

Pictured: Nitesh has found his calling as a chef

The new Murphy’s Pakora Bar is located at 1293 Argyle Street, just a short from the original premises at numbers 1287-1289.

For more information click here.