If you’ve been craving a curry lately but weren’t sure where to find a cracking one, we’ve got the answer for you. That’s because the winners of the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards 2025 have been revealed, and some incredible spots were recognised. The awards took place on October 6 in a glitzy ceremony at the Hilton, Park Lane in London, where a whopping 75 restaurants received accolades.
The overall winner, hailed the Champion of Champions, was Nu Delhi Restaurant Lounge in Belfast, a high-end Indian restaurant that serves classic favourites such as Masala as well as cuisine ‘never before seen in Northern Ireland’, according to the website.
Nu Delhi, which was also named the Northern Ireland Restaurant of the Year, has garnered some impressive reviews online with a score of 4.8/5 on Tripadvisor and 4.5/5 on Google. Among its 5,515 five-star reviews on Tripadvisor, a user known as macdaddy1010 claimed it was the ‘best Indian in Ireland and UK, hands down’. They continued: ‘Amazing service and exceptional food. Will definitely be back.’ Similarly, Kelly B wrote: ‘A must-go!! Every aspect of our meal was perfect! We’ve been to loads of curry houses around the UK and I can say hands down, this one is the best.’ And Jack T wrote: ‘Best Indian in Belfast. Food was absolutely unreal! Service was so friendly and amazing. Great vegetarian options and affordable prices for top quality food!’
This win was followed by RISHI’S at the Slate & Grain Brasserie and Bar, in Hackbridge, Wallington which won the National Chef of the Year award, and Kaani Kaana in Chelmsford which was named the National Takeaway of the Year. Two other big winners on the night included The Bombay in Swanley which was hailed as the Newcomer of the Year and My Delhi in Newcastle, which was awarded Streetfood Restaurant of the Year.
Speaking about the awards, Mohammed Munim, founder of ARTA, told The Sun: ‘Despite the ongoing challenges faced by the sector – from rising costs and labour shortages to recent changes in immigration rules affecting skilled chef recruitment – we continue to celebrate the resilience, creativity, and excellence of the Pan Asian restaurant and takeaway community.’
The best Indian restaurants in the UK according to ARTA
Here’s a closer look at the full list of ARTA winners, broken down by location:
- Northern Ireland Restaurant of the Year: Nu Delhi Restaurant Lounge, Belfast
- South Wales Restaurant of the Year: 1988 Indian Restaurant, Sully, Penarth
- North Wales Restaurant of the Year: Junction Tandoori Restaurant, Llandudno Junction
- South West Restaurant of the Year: Royal Jaipur, Landford, Salisbury
- North East Restaurant of the Year: Soho Tavern, Gateshead
- West Midlands Restaurant of the Year: Café Tamarind, Balsall Common, Coventry
- North West Restaurant of the Year: Wild Ginger Restaurant, Littleborough
- Surrey Restaurant of the Year: Bay Leaves, Epsom
- East Midlands Restaurant of the Year: Spice Lounge, Brackley
- East Anglia Restaurant of the Year: Shilpa Indian Restaurant, Papworth Everard, Cambridge
- South Central Restaurant of the Year: The Paradise Balti House, Petersfield
- Kent Restaurant of the Year: The Bombay, Orpington, Green Street Green, Orpington
- Essex Restaurant of the Year: Kelvedon Spice, Kelvedon, Colchester
- South London Restaurant of the Year: Saka Maka, Hither Green, London
- City & East London Restaurant of the Year: Bengal Village, London
- North London Restaurant of the Year: Taste of Goa, Finsbury Park, London
- Hertfordshire Restaurant of the Year: Raj of India, Welwyn Garden City
- Sussex Restaurant of the Year: Tamasha, Lindfield, Haywards Heath
- Scotland Restaurant of the Year: Masala Twist, Glasgow
- Central & West London Restaurant of the Year: BKC – Biryani Kebab Chai, Marble Arch, Tyburnia, London
The best Indian Takeaways according to ARTA
- Essex Takeaway of the Year: Kaani Kaana, Chelmsford
- Hertfordshire Takeaway of the Year: ChilliGo, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross
- Surrey Takeaway of the Year: Jalsha Indian Takeaway, Ashford
- East Anglia Takeaway of the Year: Urbanchai, Cambridge
- Wales Takeaway of the Year: Saffron Kitchen, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran
- South West Takeaway of the Year: Black Peppers, Bristol
- West Midlands Takeaway of the Year: Spice Nation, Hollywood, Birmingham
- Scotland Takeaway of the Year: Gurkha Kitchen, Fraserburgh
- Kent Takeaway of the Year: Sher-E-Bangla Indian Takeaway, Longfield
- East Midlands Takeaway of the Year: Shipon Tandoori, Chesterfield
- South London Takeaway of the Year: Samrat, London
- North West Takeaway of the Year: River Beal Indian Takeaway, Milnrow, Rochdale
Other winners at ARTA 2025
Aside from Indian restaurants, four other locations were honoured at the awards. This included Maneki Ramen in Worcester which won Japanese Restaurant of the Year and Yakitori House in East Kilbride, Glasgow which was named Asian Fusion Restaurant of the Year. Troia at London’s Southbank was crowned Turkish Restaurant of the Year and finally, Tarana Bar & Indian Restaurant in Las Palmas, Spain, was the European Restaurant of the Year.
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