Those that know me will attest to the fact that I love Indian food. I have eaten Indian food many times, in many places, however I confess I will often stick to one good place in a given location. Anyway, here are some of my recommendations as well as some places I need to try, that have been suggested to me, these are listed separately below. Sadly there is also a section of places that have now closed. If you have any questions or queries then please ask me on Twitter Geoff Lawrence (@geoffdoesstuff) where I will be very happy to help you. I do suggest you look these places up before visiting.
In no particular order....
| Name | Location | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varanasi | Broad Street, Birmingham | An amazing restaurant, the food is quite outstanding with excellent service and the atmosphere and restaurant itself is quite something. Not the cheapest place to eat but ideal for a special occasion. | Indian Fine Dining Restaurant - Varanasi Restaurant Birmingham |
| Salaam Namaste | Bloomsbury, London | One of the best Indian restaurants in London, the food is exceptional although it is a little small, so do book this one. | Indian Restaurants London | Russell Square | Best Indian Restaurants in London | WC1 | Holborn | Kings Cross | Salaam Namaste |
| Namaste Kitchen | Camden, London | The sister restaurant of Salaam Namaste, excellent food, same standard as Salaam Namaste with a similar menu. | Best Indian Restaurants in London, Indian Restaurants in Camden Town, Takeaway NW1 |
| Baluchi | Tower Bridge, London | An incredible Pan Indian restaurant in Central London, it is in The Lalit (London), which is an amazing hotel but the food at Baluchi is fantastic, and exquisite dining experience. | Baluchi at The Great Hall | Baluchi at The Lalit London - A Pan Indian Destination |
| The King Arthur | Walsall and West Bromwich, West Midlands | An Indian Grill and a Traditional Pub, the King Arthur does both, the food is excellent quality and amazing value for money. Warning: do not attempt The Kings Grill on your own! Take note that the locals love their football. | Home Page - The King Arthur Grill |
| Cardamon | Chapeltown, Sheffield | Starting as the best Indian take away on the north side of Sheffield they expanded to include a restaurant. Highly recommended, if you are in the area. | Cardamon: Restaurant & Takeaway |
| Mem Saab | Leamington Spa | I have only been to the one at Leamington Spa but the food is amazing and this high standard is also reflected in the service and decor. A very good place to eat and is highly recommended. | Leamington Spa | Mem Saab |
| Roti Chai | Marble Arch, London | Basically two restaurants in one! There is street food upstairs and a more classic restaurant downstairs. The street food is cheaper but the food both up and down is excellent. It is set back from Oxford Street but well worth seeking out. | roti-chai |
| Mumbai Delight | Vauxhall, London | Arguably not quite in Vauxhall but I have dined here many times as it was very close to my employer's office, although that has now closed. If you are nearby then this is a great place to eat, the food is superb. | Mumbai Delight |
| Guglee | Swiss Cottage, London | I have not been to the other branch at West Hampstead but this one was excellent and well worth visiting, very good place to eat. | guglee - finchley road |
| The Grange | Wallington, London | A classic pub but set in a beautiful location and hence all the weddings but the Indian food here is excellent and they do non-Indian food as well. | Dine in – The Grange | Wallington | Luxury Dinning | Bar | Wedding Venue |
| House of Flavours | Reading | Back in 2013 I went here a number of times and enjoyed great food every time, so definitely worth visiting. | House Of Flavours – Indian Restaurant and Bar |
| Mowgli | Grand Central, Birmingham Sheffield Oxford See website for others |
There are several of these restaurants and they do amazing, authentic Indian Street food, well worth visiting. | Mowgli Street Food | Fresh Indian home cooking |
| Indian Brewery | Snow Hill, Birmingham | This is a canteen style pub which serves craft beer but the Indian food is excellent, and I guess the beer is too but I didn't try any. | Indian Brewery Snowhill |
| Asha's | City Centre, Birmingham Solihull Manchester |
This is a good restaurant, providing consistently good food. Not the cheapest option but well worth considering. They also have restaurants in other countries. | Home - Asha's Birmingham |
| Indian Tiffin Room | Leeds Cheedle Manchester |
This was a fantastic discovery in Leeds. The food is good, with some classic street food dishes and the price is excellent too. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. I assume the Manchester restaurants are just as good. | Indian Tiffin Room | Delicious Indian Street Food |
| Rikshaw | Nottingham Derby |
This Indian take-away is a clear cut above the "standard" Indian take-away and so if you are nearby it is very well worth experiencing. I would love to see them open a restaurant, but at present it is take-away only. | Rikshaw | Urban Indian Kitchen |
| Bengal Pride | Hull | Unusually for a restaurant, I have only ever had food from Bengal Pride as take-away, but I can confirm it is consistently very good, highly recommended if you are in the area. | Bengal Pride Indian Restaurant |
| Kayal | Leicester Nottingham Leamington Spa West Byfleet |
If you are in the East Midlands area (or near Woking, Surrey) then Kayal is an excellent option for a good Indian meal. They do some excellent sea food dishes, and whilst it's mainly South Indian flavours there is plenty to suit all tastes. | Kayal Restaurant UK - Best South Indian food in Leicester |
| The Covered Wagon | Birmingham | A pub that is clearly focused on great Indian food. The portions are generous, so great value for money and well worth a visit if you are nearby. | The Covered Wagon | Indian Food Moseley | England |
| Dishoom | Birmingham Manchester Edinburgh London |
I cannot fault the food at Dishoom, it is excellent and there are plenty of authentically Indian dishes to try. My biggest issue with Dishoom is their policy around reservations, I suggest you check their site for the exact wording, but in short it is not possible to book an evening meal for less than 6 people. | Dishoom | From Bombay with love |
| Chef's Kitchen | Kidderminster | Opening in May 2021, I can confirm the food here is excellent and highly recommended. I really enjoyed my visit, which included excellent service from all the staff. Oh, and look out for their Gourmet Night Menu option, it is great value for money. Whilst the address is Lower Mill Street, there is an alternative entrance from the rear, where you can park in Weavers Wharf Car Park and then gain easy access. | Chef's Kitchen Indian Restaurant |
| Dhamaka Street Food | Bearwood, Birmingham | Dhamaka is a café serving high quality, authentic Indian Street food. Not only is the service outstanding but the dishes are well presented and taste amazing! Dhamaka is also excellent value for money in my opinion. | Dhamaka Street Food | Takeaway Restaurant |
| Tamatanga | Birmingham Nottingham Leicester |
Tamatanga has a great mix of classic Indian dishes and street food. Whilst the dishes get served in an ad-hoc, when they are ready manner, the service and atmosphere are great, and the food is excellent. A great place to eat with friends. | Indian restaurant & takeaway |
| Chaiiwala | Nationwide, approx. 75 locations | This is the only Indian fast food outlet I know of in the UK. It is not a "restaurant" but rather somewhere to pick up a quick and tasty Indian steet food snack/meal. | Indian Street Food • Chaiiwala • Taste Of East |
| Lasan | Birmingham | Located in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, Lasan is a very nice restaurant. Both the service and the food are excellent, this is recommended for a special night out. | Home - Lasan |
| Indian Cafe Racer | Birmingham | This is a fantastic place to eat, the food and service are both excellent, so it is highly recommended. The staff are very attentive and knowledgeable, and will breakdown each of the dishes, and even explain how best to eat a gol goppa! Booking is essential and it is worth noting that it is actually inside The Wellington Hotel, you have to access it via their bar. | Home - Indian Cafe Racer |
There are places that I have visited and enjoyed, but don't feel ready to add them to the main list above until I have made more visits:
The following list is places I have been recommended, but have not visited, yet, so this is a list of places to try:
Sadly restaurants do close, so I have added this section more as a note for myself, to remind me of places I have enjoyed and sadly can no longer
| Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Mango | Broad Street, Birmingham | I started eating at the Blue Mango in 2008 and spent several years following that eating there regularly. I loved the food and enjoyed the company of the staff, some of whom I keep in contact with and now consider friends. Sadly it closed in December 2016. It was based on Regency Wharf, so slightly off Broad Street by the canal. Old Link: https://www.bluemangorestaurants.co.uk/ |
| Gateway to India | Broad Street, Birmingham | Opening in 2017 on Regency Wharf, and then closing in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic, it was my favourite and the natural successor to the Blue Mango. It was here that I started to develop a real love for Indian street food. Old Link: https://thegatewaytoindia.co.uk/ |