An 'outstanding' Indian restaurant on Birmingham's Hagley Road has been named among the top 100 best curry houses in the UK. The Asian Catering Federation (ACF) released the full list in this year's Guide to the UK's Top 100 Curry Restaurants, and Birmingham's Akbar's was honoured at the prestigious event at the House of Commons earlier this month.
Menu Highlights and Chef's Challenges
Old school favourites on the menu include dopiaza, dansak, and madras, alongside a take on Birmingham's famous balti with chicken, meat, keema, and prawn options. Chef's specialities feature Ghosht Paneer, Roshan Lal, and a King Prawn and Spinach Special. The restaurant also offers two chef's challenges. The first, called 'The Big Un - for the Big Man', is described as 'the chef will prepare a large meat feast Balti served with a gigantic naan and a portion of pilau rice. If any individual manages to finish the entire meal they will be honoured with a dessert of their choice plus an Akbars Certificate of Achievement'.
Customer Reviews
Akbar's in Birmingham boasts a 4.0 star rating on Google at the time of writing. Mehedi said: 'Akbar's Restaurant offers a fantastic dining experience with rich, authentic South Asian cuisine served in generous portions and full of bold, satisfying flavours. The menu features a wide variety of classic dishes, all freshly prepared with quality ingredients and great attention to taste. The atmosphere is lively, welcoming, and family-friendly. Service is friendly, attentive, and efficient throughout. A great choice for hearty, flavourful Indian and Pakistani-style dining.'
Reza wrote: 'Had an excellent dining experience here. The food was absolutely delicious and everything we ordered was full of flavour and beautifully prepared. Every dish met our expectations and didn't disappoint at all. The service was just as impressive and one staff member in particular, Zia, really stood out. He was incredibly friendly, warm, and attentive, and provided exceptional service throughout our visit. He made us feel genuinely welcome and ensured everything was perfect. Overall, a fantastic experience with great food and outstanding hospitality. Highly recommended, and I'll definitely be coming back.'
And Raminder added: 'We had an amazing dining experience at Akbar's. The staff is very friendly and nice. They hosted brilliantly. The atmosphere inside is stunning and cosy. Loved the curries and starters. Popadom chutneys are must have. We tried charsi dishes and haleem which was cooked to perfection. Calm family friendly environment with lot of space and ample parking. We would definitely visit with family again. Thank you.'
Other West Midlands Restaurants Honoured
Other West Midlands restaurants featured in the top 100 included Naya Restaurant in Henley-in-Arden and Sutton Coldfield's Ramadan. Leamington Spa's Paprika Club was also named.
Chairman's Comments
Yawar Khan, chairman of the Asian Catering Federation, said: 'This event is about celebrating excellence across the hospitality sector, putting the diverse Asian community on one platform, and recognising chefs, restaurants, and industry leaders who continue to set the benchmark for quality, innovation and consistency across the Asian food industry in the UK. Over the past year, the sector has continued to navigate rising costs, evolving consumer expectations, and ongoing economic pressures. Yet, despite all this, they remain resilient, continuously adapting, innovating, and finding new ways to connect with their customers. They are investing in their teams, embracing new ideas, and continuing to deliver exceptional dining experiences day in, day out. Congratulations to everyone who is included in this year's Guide, you have all earned your place through passion for our industry, and for working hard to maintain exceptional high standards – well done.'
