Taj Mahal - Birmingham

Birmingham is famous for its Indian cuisine, in particular the balti – rumoured to have originated not in India or Pakistan, but in good old Birmingham. So when it comes to Birmingham curry houses, it’s a crowded and much-criticised market. Taj Mahal, in a quiet side street on the lower floor of Norfolk House in Birmingham’s city centre, stands out from the crowd. It has been serving fine Indian cuisine for over 50 years to rave reviews. It’s a default option for curry connoisseurs.

The balti. Did it originate in Baltistan, straddling the border of northern India and Pakistan? Does the word come from the Urdu and Hindi balty, meaning bucket? Or was it truly coined in the home of the spaghetti junction, Birmingham? Either way, speculation has only thrown fuel on the deliciously spicy fire burning beneath Birmingham’s UK-curry-capital throne. A positive consequence of this is that the fierce competition and counter-claims for the curry kingdom means that South Asian restaurants have a particularly tough job distinguishing themselves. The consensus is that Taj Mahal, set into Norfolk House on a quiet side street in Birmingham’s city centre, is clearly a leader in the city’s Indian cuisine scene.

Easily the most venerable curry house in town, Taj Mahal has been serving fine Indian cuisine to eager fans and the uninitiated for over 50 years. 1962, the year the M5 began to be built, connecting Birmingham to north Gloucestershire, and the year the Beatles made their first TV appearance, also introduced Taj Mahal to the world. Decades later, the service is still uniformly excellent, and the Indian cuisine is to die for. Or at least make a reservation for. Their dishes speak for themselves, but if you want something special from this superlative Birmingham Indian restaurant, we strongly recommend you head down to Norfolk House in the city centre and turn to Taj Mahal’s house special main courses, and the Tandoori Garlic Tikka Chilli in particular.