Birmingham has long been famous for its South Asian cuisine, with a proliferation of curry houses, balti restaurants and Indian eateries. However, there are a few that have risen above the crowd and carved out a superior niche. Itihaas is one of them.
Well-placed at the boundaries of the historic Jewellery Quarter and the Colmore Business District, Itihaas has long been popular with hard-to-please corporate professionals. Nowadays, however, it is also attracting growing admiration from Birmingham’s army of dedicated food lovers.
The atmosphere is calm and refined, with the antiques and decor designed to recreate the Old World decadence of colonial India. Plush leather seating and a well-stocked cocktail bar welcome you upstairs, and the aptly-named Maharajah Suite offers canalside views and an opulent taste of how the other half lived back in the days of the British Raj.
The commitment to history is reflected in the menu, which features options such as ayurved jhinga (£16.95) – a dish inspired by an ancient Indian recipe. Prawns are cooked in a sublime blend of basil, dill, coriander and lemongrass to create unforgettable flavours. The diversity of Indian cuisine, often lost amid the typical tikka masalas and vindaloos elsewhere, is fully explored at this restaurant. With a raft of interesting dishes hailing from Kerala in the south, through Mumbai and north to the Punjab, Itihaas is the place to rediscover authentic Indian cuisine.