For Curry Bible’s first ever Cool Curries entry, Luke took the map about as far north as it can reasonably go without needing a ferry, a survival blanket or a formal expedition licence.
While up in Scotland, all the way in Thurso, Luke visited Pride of Bengal, an Indian restaurant and takeaway based on Princes Street in Caithness.
This was not a standard Friday-night curry run.
This was a side quest.
A Highland curry mission.
A one-man northern expedition in search of spice, warmth and something respectable enough to report back to Curry Bible HQ.
Pride of Bengal is listed at 53 Princes Street, Thurso, KW14 7AE, and public listings describe it as an Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant and takeaway serving the local area.
This was not a full Curry Bible team outing, so it does not receive an official Curry Bible score. Cool Curries are for unusual finds, solo missions, curry landmarks and places that deserve a mention without being thrown into the main league table.
No spreadsheet war.
No full-table debate.
No leaderboard movement.
Just Luke, a curry and the north of Scotland.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Restaurant | Pride of Bengal |
| Location | Thurso, Caithness, Scotland |
| Address | 53 Princes Street, Thurso, KW14 7AE |
| Review Type | Cool Curries |
| Cool Curries Entry | #01 |
| Curry Bible Score | Unscored |
| Unofficial Taste Score | 8.5/10 |
| Scored Review? | No |
| Show on Leaderboard? | No |
| Show on Curry Map? | Yes |
| Attendee | Luke |
| Dish Ordered | Chicken Tikka Rogan Josh |
| Phone | 01847 890222 |
| Website Link | No clear official website found |
| Best For |
The Order
Luke went for a proper classic:
Chicken Tikka Rogan Josh.
A sensible choice.
No hiding behind gimmicks. No suspiciously safe korma behaviour. No “I’ll just have chips” cowardice.
A Rogan Josh is a good test of a curry house. It should have warmth, depth, tomato richness, spice and enough character to make the order feel worthwhile. It does not need to be face-melting, but it does need to taste like somebody in the kitchen had a plan.
Especially when you are eating curry in one of the most northerly towns on mainland Britain.
The Curry Bible Verdict
Luke gave the curry an unofficial 8.5/10 for taste.
That is not to be sniffed at.
His official field report, however, was delivered with typical emotional generosity:
“It wasn’t the worst we’ve had, it was slightly above average.”
Now, anyone who knows Luke will understand that this is dangerously close to praise.
In normal human language, an 8.5/10 taste rating and “slightly above average” do not naturally live in the same sentence. But Curry Bible members are not normal humans when judging curry.
We have standards.
Questionable standards at times, but standards nonetheless.
So what does the verdict really mean?
Simple: Pride of Bengal did enough to earn respect.
Not an official score. Not a leaderboard position. Not a dramatic declaration that Scotland has solved curry.
But for a solo Highland curry mission, this did the job.
About Pride of Bengal
Pride of Bengal appears to be a long-running local Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant and takeaway in Thurso.
Caithness Business describes the restaurant as serving Indian/Bengali food in the Highlands and says the chef can make special dishes on request where possible. It also lists vegetarian food and says the venue has full disabled access.
HappyCow lists vegan-friendly options including vegetable pakora, tarka dhal, biryani and coconut rice, with the usual advice to specify no butter, ghee, cream or curd if needed.
Public listings commonly show evening opening from 4:30pm to 10:00pm, though restaurant opening times can change, so always check before travelling.
Why This Belongs in Cool Curries
This is exactly what Cool Curries should be.
Not every curry needs seven people, five scoring categories, a detailed spreadsheet and a debate that nearly ruins a friendship.
Sometimes, a Curry Bible member ends up somewhere unusual, finds a curry house with a story behind it, orders something respectable and reports back from the field.
Pride of Bengal earns its place here because of the location alone.
A curry house in Thurso already feels like a curiosity. Add in Luke trekking up there, ordering a Chicken Tikka Rogan Josh, giving it an unofficial 8.5/10 for taste, and then emotionally downplaying it as “slightly above average”, and you have a proper Cool Curries entry.
Final Thoughts
Pride of Bengal is not entering the official Curry Bible leaderboard.
It was not a full team visit, and it was not scored under the full Curry Bible system.
But as a Cool Curries entry, it absolutely works.
It gave us a curry story from the top end of mainland Britain, a respectable dish, a strong unofficial taste score and one of the most Luke-style verdicts imaginable.
No official Curry Bible score.
No league table movement.
No formal judgement from the full team.
Just one man, one curry, one very northern mission.
Visit Pride of Bengal Thurso
Address: 53 Princes Street, Thurso, KW14 7AE
Phone: 01847 890222
Tripadvisor listing: Pride of Bengal Restaurant and Takeaway, Thurso
Opening hours are commonly listed as 4:30pm–10:00pm daily, but check before visiting.
