Three Birmingham Indian restaurants named among best in UK in 'Curry Oscars'

Two curry houses in Birmingham and one in Sutton Coldfield have been named among the best Indian restaurants in the UK in the 2024 Asian Curry Awards.

Now in their 14th year, the awards are the biggest event in the Asian culinary calendar and are so highly-regarded within the industry that they have become known as the 'Curry Oscars'. They cover the full breadth of Asian and oriental cuisines, from Bangladeshi to Burmese and Japanese to Indian and Vietnamese cooking.

At last year's ceremony, Paprika Club in Leamington Spa was named the Best Asian Restaurant in the West Midlands. The family-run business has made it to the finals again this year, alongside three other local names.

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Pushkar on Broad Street, Zindiya in Moseley and Ramadan Restaurant in Sutton Coldfield are featured on the list of 117 finalists, whittled down from a shortlist of over 200 restaurants and takeaways and voted for by the spice-loving public.

All three offer a different take on Indian cuisine - Zindiya serving street food-inspired dishes, Pushkar combining regional specialties and and popular cocktails in a glamorous setting and Ramadan focussing on traditional dishes and baltis.

The three will now be considered by a panel of judges from the Asian Catering Federation who will meet to discuss all of the finalists before the winners are announced at a glitzy gala dinner at London's Grosvenor House on Sunday, November 17. The awards will be hosted by BBC news anchor Samantha Simmonds.

In addition to the awards given for best restaurant in each region of the UK, awards are also presented for Takeaway of the Year, Event Caterer of the Year, Best Fine Dining Restaurant, Restaurant Group of the Year, Best International Restaurant, Best Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Street Food of the Year, and, for the much coveted Asian Chef of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

Chairman of the Asian Catering Federation, Yawar Khan, said: "We’re delighted by the number of people who have taken the time to vote for their favourite restaurant this year. The standard of finalists is exceptional and we also have some excellent newcomers on the list which is great news for the industry as it continues to flourish in today's challenging economic climate."