Edinburgh restaurants: Prahna Indian Grill afternoon chai cruises on Union Canal extended including Linlithgow

Edinburgh Indian restaurant offering more afternoon tea cruises on Union Canal following success

Corstorphine restaurant Prahna Indian Grill has announced it will run a series of summer Union Canal Sunday afternoon tea cruises in Edinburgh and West Lothian following the success of two trial events.

The award-winning restaurant, which specialises in a range of Scottish-infused Indian dishes, piloted two canal outings on May 28 and June 11 when customers boarded a specially commissioned dining barge at the Leamington Liftbridge in Fountainbridge. For the next two hours guests were treated to a classic ‘Afternoon Chai’ which included barbecue chicken sliders, chocolate fudge cake and a glass of prosecco, while travelling along the Union Canal to the Slateford Aqueduct and back.

The events, organised in partnership with the Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust, proved so popular that Prahna has now announced a series of further afternoon tea cruises throughout the summer. Further outings departing from Edinburgh will now be held on July 23 and August 13.

The second trial event hosted by Prahna Indian Grill on the Union Canal in Edinburgh, which was held in June.

The restaurant has also announced it will also trial its first Sunday afternoon tea cruise sailing from Linlithgow on July 16, with further departures from the West Lothian town expected to follow.

Prahna co-founder Arun Ramanan said: "We had an amazing response to our first Union Canal Afternoon Chai cruises. We’re now delighted to announce we’ll be running further sailings from Edinburgh and also Linlithgow throughout the summer in partnership with the Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust.

“As well as showcasing our unique and incredible Asian food, these events offer local residents and tourists a unique experience which connects them with the beauty and heritage of the Union Canal, an amazing but often overlooked part of Scotland’s history.”

Prahna opened its doors for trading in 2020, just as the global pandemic hit the UK. Rather than pulling down the shutters, co-founder Arun Ramanan and his team reached out to the local community and delivered hundreds of free meals to mainly elderly people who were shut in their homes at the time. He has kept his focus on the local community and is involved in a number of events and activities to support people in the west of Edinburgh area.

Earlier this year Prahna was named as Scotland’s leading establishment at the Scottish Asian Restaurant Awards.