AfriPulse
The UK’s best curry houses have been revealed as restaurants across the country battle it out to secure the coveted top title at the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards (ARTA).
Beloved hubs for Thai, Japanese and Punjabi food are completing the line-up for 2025 – with the mouthwatering selection spotlighting venues across the country.
The celebration of British-Asian cuisine has seen 950,000 food lovers vote for their favourite local diner.
The competing eateries are chosen based on customer nominations – and two lots of scoring phases.
Prospective winners will be scouted for quality of food, customer service and value for money – before being invited to a cook off which shall see their dishes marked on flavour, appearance, texture, aroma and hygiene.
More than 1,300 establishments are in the running, and the winner will be unveiled in a ceremony on October, 6.
There is fierce competition amid a myriad of categories, including Newcomer of the Year, Streetfood Restaurant of the Year and Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year.
Curry houses battling it out to take home the coveted title of Newcomer of the Year come from across the UK including Solas-Kitchen just outside Fife and MITR Restaurant, Royston.
The UK’s best restaurants, takeaways and chefs (including Mango Tree in Cardiff, pictured) have been revealed
And regional standouts include Himalayan in Belfast, Mango Tree, Cardiff, and Indian Queen, in the small Cornish town of Saint Columb.
One of the front runner in the newcomer category, Solas-Kitchen in Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline, offers afternoon tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner with some of its star plates including a paneer sandwich and saffron cod.
Elsewhere, the pan-Asian eatery MITR Restaurant in Royston, Hertfordshire, features Paneer Kadhai made with cottage cheese along with Sichuan chicken to start.
Zaap Thai Street Food, Nottingham, in the running for Streetfood Restaurant of the Year, offer a £15 lunch menu with a side and a drink and diners can choose from traditional Thai corn fritters and spring rolls or Thai green curry and Pad Nam Prik Pao – a creamy stir fry with rice.
Up against the Thai street food restaurant is Mr Chaat in Bolton which has a huge offering including samosas, bhajis, wraps to go, biriyanis and sambars.
In the Asian category award is Yakitori House in Glasgow which offers tempura vegetables and meat along with bao buns and and some exciting dishes such as curry udon eel along with classic ramen meals.
For those wanting to sample the menu at the diners in the running of Turkish Restaurant of the Year, then London is the place to go with three out of the four nominees hailing from the capital and just one from nearby Brighton.
Nova Park Royal in London describes itself as ‘gastronomy meets entertainment for an unparalleled experience’ and offers everything from a 24 karat gold Tomahawk steak costing £200 to vegetable samosas with chili sauce.
More than 950,000 food-lovers voted for their favourite local curry house and eateries such as MITR in Royston have made the cut
On the more luxurious side, the eatery offers vegetarian, vegan and meat dishes with salmon, aubergine and whole chickens featuring on the menu.
While SAVCI Turkish Mediterranean in Luton is a little more affordable with a range of seafood, meat and vegetarian platters including lam shish, sea bass on the bone and hot mixed mezze platters all for under £25.
Speaking about the Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards 2025, Mohammed Munim, Founder Member and CEO of ARTA, said that curry has ‘truly become a national institution’.
‘It’s something that brings people together across Britain, whether it’s a family enjoying a weekend meal or colleagues grabbing a quick takeaway,’ he shared.
‘Dishes like chicken tikka masala have become as familiar on British dining tables as a Sunday roast, and that’s a testament to how deeply Asian cuisine is embedded in the culture here.
‘The Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards are about shining a light on the restaurants and takeaways that deliver this beloved food every single day.
‘From small family-run kitchens to established dining rooms, they are the heart of so many communities, offering not just meals but a sense of belonging.
‘This year’s finalists include some real surprises alongside long-time favourites, which makes the celebration even more exciting.
‘At its core, ARTA is about honouring the hard work, creativity, and resilience of the industry – recognising the chefs, entrepreneurs and teams who keep Britain’s love affair with curry thriving.’
ARTA 2025 Finalists: Newcomer of the Year: Solas-Kitchen in Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline, The Bombay, Swanley Durbar Spice in Downe, Orpington and MITR Restaurant, Royston
Streetfood Restaurant of the Year: Punjabi Heaven Restaurant, Leeds, My Delhi Newcastle in Newcastle upon Tyne, Mr Chaat, Bolton and Zaap Thai Street Food, Nottingham
Japanese Restaurant of the Year: Wakaze, Leicester, Takayama Restaurant, Ipswich, Maneki Ramen, Worcester, Oishii Japanese Restaurant, Hertford
Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year: SIBU, Batley, Mina Steakhouse, Cambridge, Yakitori House in Glasgow and Wadud’s Fusion of Thai & Indian Restaurant, Cressing, Braintree
Turkish Restaurant of the Year: ETCI Kitchen, Brighton, Nova Park Royal, London, Troia Southbank, also in London and SAVCI Turkish Mediterranean, Stopsley, Luton
Regional Restaurant of the Year – Northern Ireland:
Himalayan, Belfast Indian Ocean Restaurant, Holywood Nu Delhi Restaurant Lounge, Belfast Yaks, Bangor Regional Restaurant of the Year – Scotland:
Firangi, Cambuslang, Glasgow Masala Twist, Glasgow Sidhu’s, Perth Yorokobi by CJ, Aberdeen Regional Restaurant of the Year – South Wales:
1988 Indian Restaurant, Sully, Penarth Mango Tree, Cardiff Rasoi Waterfront, Swansea Spice Delight, Penarth Regional Restaurant of the Year – North Wales:
Ijazz Indian Cuisine, Wrexham Junction Tandoori Restaurant, Llandudno Junction Spice of Llanberis, Llanberis, Caernarfon Valley Spice, Corwen Regional Restaurant of the Year – North West:
Freya’s Grill, Darwen Thamin, Littleborough Venus Lounge Restaurant, Heywood Wild Ginger Restaurant, Littleborough Regional Restaurant of the Year – North East:
Sachi’s Burley, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley Sherkhan Of Alnwick, Alnwick Soami’s Trio By Parvin Kumar, Consett Soho Tavern, Gateshead Regional Restaurant of the Year – West Midlands:
Bao To The Broth, Hereford Millennium, Birmingham Monsoon Majestic Indian Dining, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle Tamarind, Balsall Common, Coventry Regional Restaurant of the Year – East Midlands:
House Boat Restaurant, Derby Shapla Spice, Ripley Silchar Indian Dining, Hinckley Spice Lounge, Brackley Regional Restaurant of the Year – Hertfordshire:
Dalchini Spice, Shefford Raj Of India, Welwyn Garden City Tamarind, Potters Bar The Cochin Indian Restaurant, Hemel Hempstead Regional Restaurant of the Year – East Anglia:
Sushi And Salad, Ely Rose and Mango, Saint Neots Lowestoft Tandoori, Lowestoft Shilpa Indian Restaurant, Papworth Everard, Cambridge Regional Restaurant of the Year – Essex:
Rim Jhim Spice Indian Restaurant, Colchester Moonlight Tandoori, Harlow Maharani Indian Restaurant, Colchester Kelvedon Spice, Kelvedon, Colchester Regional Restaurant of the Year – Kent:
The Bombay Restaurant, Orpington Prince of India, Faversham Indian Valley Restaurant and Takeaway, Orpington Shozna, Rochester Regional Restaurant of the Year – Surrey:
Bay Leaves, Epsom Trishala, Redhill Rishi’s in Slate & Grain Brasserie and Bar, Hackbridge, Wallington Coulsdon Spice, Coulsdon Regional Restaurant of the Year – Sussex:
Akash Indian Restaurant & Takeaway, Horsham Calcutta 16, Shoreham-by-Sea Moonstone Sri Lankan Restaurant, Brighton and Hove, Hove Tamasha, Lindfield, Haywards Heath Regional Restaurant of the Year – South Central:
Chennai Express, Fleet Mint Lounge, Southampton Spice Lounge, Burford The Paradise Balti House, Petersfield Regional Restaurant of the Year – South West:
Chilli’s, Weymouth Indian Queen, Saint Columb Royal Jaipur, Landford, Salisbury Salkaara, Henleaze, Bristol Regional Restaurant of the Year – North London:
Pinos Warung, Chalk Farm, London Taste of Goa, Finsbury Park, London Ruhit’s Indian Cuisine, London Taste of Nawab, London Regional Restaurant of the Year – City & East London:
Mumbai Square Restaurant, London The India, London Bengal Village, London The Famous Curry Bazaar, London Regional Restaurant of the Year – Central & West London:
BKC – Biryani Kebab Chai, Tyburnia, London Durbar Tandoori, London Maharaja of India, London Tajmahal Indian Cuisine, London Regional Restaurant of the Year – South London:
Colombo Kitchen Putney, London Mumbai Delight, London Saka Maka Hither Green Indian Restaurant, London Toba, London Regional Takeaway of the Year – Scotland:
Slumdog Delivered, Edinburgh Azaad Takeaway, Invergowrie, Dundee Gurkha Kitchen, Fraserburgh A Touch of Spice Takeaway, Coatbridge Regional Takeaway of the Year – Wales:
The Masala Indian Takeaway, Colwyn Bay AMK Indian Takeaway, Colwyn Bay Saffron Kitchen, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran Paprika Indian Takeaway, Pen-clawdd, Swansea Regional Takeaway of the Year – North West:
The Maharaja, Stretford, Manchester Masala Bay, Oldham Indialicious, Rochdale River Beal Indian Takeaway, Rochdale Regional Takeaway of the Year – West Midlands:
Lime Pickle, Birmingham Little Bengal, Catshill, Bromsgrove Spice Nation, Hollywood, Birmingham Village Spice, Telford Regional Takeaway of the Year – East Midlands:
Miah’s Takeaway, Heanor SunSushi, Far Cotton, Northampton Masala Takeaway, Sherwood, Nottingham Shipon Tandoori, Chesterfield Regional Takeaway of the Year – East Anglia:
Eastern Spice, Ipswich Urbanchai, Cambridge Lime Takeaway, Bury Saint Edmunds Bhujon Indian & Bangladeshi Takeaway, Tring Regional Takeaway of the Year – Essex:
The Raj Tandoori, Southend-on-Sea Kaani Kaana, Chelmsford Tina’s Kitchen, Gants Hill, Ilford Balti Night, Braintree Regional Takeaway of the Year – Hertfordshire:
Aroma, Radlett Balti Village, Harpenden Saffron, Borehamwood ChilliGo, Waltham Cross Regional Takeaway of the Year – Kent:
A Taste of India, Chatham Jhal Chilli, Maidstone Sher E Bangla, Longfield Mum’s Thai, Chatham Regional Takeaway of the Year – Surrey:
Rice and Spice, Ewell, Epsom Purbani, Guildford Curry Master, Epsom Jalsha Indian Takeaway, Ashford Regional Takeaway of the Year – South West:
Mela Indian Takeaway, Montpelier, Bristol Blue Mango, Taunton Black Peppers, Bristol Myra’s Korean and Japanese Restaurant, Dorchester Regional Takeaway of the Year – South London:
Malabar Feast, London Nazran’s Indian & Punjabi Cuisine, London Passage to India Takeaway, Norwood, London Samrat, London
Source: Dailymail.co.uk | Read the Full Story…
