This Midlands city has just been crowned England’s curry capital – and it’s not Birmingham

We all know the story: it’s the early ’70s and a bus driver in Glasgow, having complained his food’s too dry, is served a bowl of chicken tikka cooked, for the first time, in a creamy orange sauce. Thus, the chicken tikka masala is born. Now widely considered a symbol of modern British multiculturalism, this iconic Anglo-Indian dish is also a tribute to the essential place that a good curry holds in UK culture.

Here at Time Out, from creamy korma to blow-your-head-off spicy bowls of goodness, we love a good Ruby Murray. And if you’re wondering which city serves the best South Asian cuisine, well, a national competition has done the work for you. Launched in 2023, the England Curry Capital award crowns one urban hub as the country’s ultimate champ.

As for how it works, cities can be nominated or put themselves forward ahead of a public vote. A panel of judges then conducts on-the-ground visits to the city with the most votes to make sure it’s worthy of the official seal of approval. Once crowned, each winner is granted the grand title for a two year period. 

Leicester was the first to be crowned the English Curry Capital for 2024-2026. And it turns out the Midlands city has some pretty cracking curry houses, because it’s also taken home the bacon at the 2026 competition.

Yep, Leicester has secured its title as England’s Curry Capital for another two years, beating other shortlisted cities including Bradford, Manchester, London and Birmingham.

Check out:
The 11 best curries in the UK.
The best curry in England in 2025.
The UK’s 20 best Indian restaurants, according to the British Indian Good Food Guide.

Leicester was a clear winner among the public, taking an impressive 73.6 percent of the vote, which should come as no surprise, considering it’s home to the highest number of South Asian restaurants per head in the UK, an average of 47 restaurants per 100,000 people. Its foodie scene reps dishes from Nepal, many different regions of India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

‘Our curry heritage is woven into England’s identity. The cities who competed for this title are not just serving food, they are serving history, innovation and pride. Any one of them would have been a worthy winner, but I am delighted that Leicester has been chosen by the public,’ said Romail Gulzar, England Curry Capital founder.

Did you see that 14 British burgers are among the 101 best in the world?

Plus: the best pub in every UK region at the 2026 Pub and Bar Awards.