Birmingham superchef Aktar Islam is going for broke with this swanky progressive Indian restaurant on Summer Row. The former chef at Lasan – and an award-winning star of various TV shows – has pledged to ratchet Birmingham’s Indian fine-dining offering up a few notches with Opheem. From the stunning cherry blossom-decked bar to the bustling open kitchen, the emphasis is firmly on style and expression. And his stupefying reimaginings of Indian classics like laal maans and hyderabadi biryani are truly inspired.
From Bombay-style street food and sweet centres to Gujarati vegetarian cafés and progressive Indian fine dining, Birmingham has it all when it comes to Indian cuisine. Long before any Michelin stars came to town, it was Birmingham’s Indian restaurants that lit up the gastronomic scene. Immigrants had brought curries of all sorts from the Indian subcontinent. Then, in the 1970s, a Pakistani genius from Sparkbrook invented the humble balti – a type of curry cooked in a pan known as a karahi – that many now consider the city’s trademark dish. The rest? History.
Fast-forward to the present, and there's a new generation of chefs taking the established tastes of the previous generation and putting a twenty-first-century twist on proceedings. So, if you’re already planning your next meal out in anticipation, here’s our round-up of the best Indian restaurants in Birmingham.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in Birmingham