3 Best Restaurants in Birmingham, Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England

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We've compiled the best of the best in Birmingham - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Itihaas

$$ | City Centre

Birmingham has some of the country’s finest Indian restaurants, and this is one of the best in the city. The cooking concentrates on north Indian dishes like koyla murgh (chicken marinated in yogurt and seared over charcoal) and hara bhara gosht (a casserole of lamb cooked with garlic, chili, and spinach). The decor is traditional and colonial; potted palms and portraits rub shoulders with Raj-style antiques.

18 Fleet St., Birmingham, B3 1JL, England
0121-212--3383
Known For
  • Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options on a long menu
  • Colonial-style decor
  • Tasty tandoori starters
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Pushkar

$$ | City Centre

A stylish dining room is the perfect setting for the inventive Punjabi cuisine at this popular curry palace and cocktail bar on bustling Broad Street. White linen tablecloths, neutral hues, and accents of gold and amber create a plush dining setting, and the food doesn’t disappoint either: try the spinach and prune cakes to start, or the chef’s selection of five appetizers, the Pushkar Panorama, if you want to to sample some unexpected flavors. Your server will guide you through the mains, depending on how spicy you like things—the house specialty tariwala murgh is a good medium-spiced option, and the buttered naan is heavenly. For dessert, try the gajar ka halwa tart, a bed of grated carrots with condensed milk and spices, served with pistachio ice cream.

245 Broad St., Birmingham, B1 2HQ, England
0121-643--7978
Known For
  • Good cocktail menu
  • Independent curry restaurant in a sea of chains
  • Late-night dinner service
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Shababs

$

Something of a local institution, this popular stalwart of the Birmingham curry scene has been serving up impressive baltis and a good selection of other Indian dishes since 1987 in a smart dining room with glass-topped tables and henna-decorated walls. Tradition dictates that a proper balti, a one-pot dish, should be served to the diner in the thin metal dish in which it was cooked to ensure that no flavors are lost.

163–165 Ladypool Rd., Birmingham, B12 8LQ, England
0121-440 2893
Known For
  • Classic lamb balti
  • BYOB policy
  • Spices galore

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