It was Glasgow's oldest Indian restaurant and the favourite curry house for generations of both ordinary locals and famous stars, including Billy Connolly, but the Koh-I-Noor is sadly no more.
First opened in 1964 in Gibson Street, Kelvinbridge, the Koh-I-Noor was the place where thousands of Glaswegians tanned their first tandoori, devoured their first dhansak and popped their first poppadum.
Massively popular in its day, the Indian restaurant moved in the 1980s to Charing Cross, where it would earn legendary status and a clientele that included many of Glasgow's top showbiz personalities.
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Billy Connolly was a regular visitor to Koh-I-Noor and would often sit down to a delicious sag aloo, his favourite dish.
If only the Big Yin had known back then that he actually had Indian heritage, as he would discover in a now legendary episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in 2014.
Singer Lulu and Hollywood actor Alan Cumming were also seen on occasion at the North Street establishment.
A series of photographs of the Koh-I-Noor and its celebrity diners appeared on Monday on the Glasgow West End Facebook page. The pictures, which show the original premises at Gibson Street as well as the Big Yin and Lulu sitting down for a meal, have sparked lots of fond memories for locals.
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Jane Mallinson said: "What memories. I used to meet up with friends there most Wednesday evenings."
Catherine Walker wrote: "My brother took me here for his 18th birthday. It was my first ever curry. Magic."
Christine C Alexander recalled: "My first lamb biryani in 1973 - fantastic food."
Ali Snoussi added: "Happy, happy memories of a late night lamb bhuna & paratha!"
Founded by the Tahir family, the Koh-I-Noor was passed down the generations to become the city's oldest curry house.
Forced to move out of Gibson Street due to subsidence, the restaurant business continued to thrive at Charing Cross but sadly closed its doors for the final time in 2019.
The Koh-I-Noor takeaway now occupies Gibson Street just a few doors down from where the original restaurant once stood. However, the business is no longer run by the Tahir family.
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