Itihaas

Popped down to Itihaas for lunch. Décor was done nicely mostly black but very spacious.
I was given a lunch time menu, which consisted of two choice. A meat variation and vegetarian dish.
I opted for the meat dish, which surprisingly was a large steel dish and small selections of Indian curries.
I was given a large naan bread, and a small selection of white rice.
The selection of curries were a mild almost tandoori like curry, creamy with tomatoes which did lack some spice.
A darker lamb curry which the sauce was very similar to a rogan josh which was slightly richer and had more depth of spices.
A spicy, salty yoghurt which went hand in hand with the curry’s. And lastly a ‘daal’ which was a lentil vegetarian dish.
The large dish lastly and a rice pudding pot which was a nice sweet finish to the flavoursome curries!
Great Lunch, don’t be scared to add a little SPICE!

There’s a four tiered system of Indian restaurants in Birmingham (I’ve decided, it’s not official, you understand). Let’s start at the bottom, tier 4, the dives that are frequented by drunks at 2am for a post lager curry — you know them, the Kohi-​I-​Noor, and the like. Then there’s the tier 3, cheap as chips and tasty, like The Royal Bengal, which we’ve been to many times. Tier 2 are the slightly pricier places with linen napkins, and generally better service and presentation, such as Maharaja and Celebrity Indian. And finally tier 1, which includes Pushkar, Lasan (actually Lasan are probably a special tier 1++), Asha’s, and Itihaas. It is the latter, Itihaas, who have recently had a bit of a makeover and who invited us to a taster evening.
It’s not lost on the owner of Itihaas, Raj, that the location is a bit tucked away from the city’s dining centres, and he wants to draw more people in to eat and drink, and to make it a destination. To that end he’s employed the makeover skills of local interior designers Mr. McQueen to redevelop the bar, to make it feel less corporate. The night we attended the makeover of the bar areas wasn’t quite complete, but having seen photos since it looks like a Nuvo/​MPW type affair but with Chesterfields. Another place in which to be seen.
I can’t comment on how well the makeover has done because I don’t know what it looked like before. What I can comment on is that the main restaurant has an attractive colonial quality (although a zebra skin in an Indian restaurant?), and that the dark wooden panelling and intricate carvings of the private dining «Tiffin» room feels both intimate and impressive.
We were served a set menu designed to showcase the cooking skills and ingredients used by the enthusiastic team. Before dinner we had canapés: the Paapri Chaat was light and crisp with a truly mouth-​watering topping, and the Amritsari Cod was served with a batter so light and well cooked it was hard to tell if it was batter or crisp cod skin we were crunching.
On to starters we tried a spicy chilli paneer, and a fusion salmon and goats cheese samosa.
We also had a Koyla Murgh — that’s tandoori chicken which is served as complete chicken joints hanging on skewers, apparently this is the traditional serving suggestion rather than having it chopped and plated with lettuce.
For mains we had dishes including Kahari Paneer, Makahani Murgh, and lamb chop masala. We also had an impressive dish of Lobster Panchphoran — a whole lobster cooked in coconut curry — not a traditionally Indian dish, but nonetheless it was a showstopper.
I’m not a fan of Indian desserts, and I’m afraid they weren’t able to win me around. We tried a chocolate samosa with apple and ginger, and halwa pastry filled with chocolate and apple which was served with kulfi. There was nothing wrong with them per se but Indian desserts just don’t seem to blow my skirt up. They were served on slate. Ugh. The scourge of many an OCD diner who doesn’t want ice cream running off on to the table.
The verdict — the food was excellent, seriously tasty stuff. The Tiffin room is a gorgeous space for a special occasion, and the rest of the restaurant is also attractive. It is around £40 a head for a la carte dining excluding drinks, which does put it at the top end of the Indian restaurants in my previously defined «tier 1». We’d go back for a special occasion, but for me at least, Lasan has pipped it to the post for Brum’s top Indian restaurant.

Just love this place. Menu that is instructive at so many levels, along with a kitchen that puts the effort into a blend of authenticity and fusion. My fave Indian subcontinent restaurant at this point.

I’m with Erica G. on this one… Definitely not your average curryhouse.
I was meeting a friend for dinner and arrived a little early. After a friendly greeting, I was seated in the bar area and offered a drink whilst I waited. The bar area is very well stocked with a leaning towards the more expensive end of the spectrum. I spotted a lot of different wines (and champagne), whisky and good quality spirits whilst I was sitting and taking in the ambiance.
Once my dining partners had arrived, we were moved to our table in the main restaurant. This is a fine dining venue without the snobby attitude. The furniture and interior are well planned out and create a plush dining experience but it has a warm and welcoming atmosphere (with other diners chatting and hustle and bustle in the background).
After we had, had a couple of minutes to peruse the menu a member of wait staff came to enquire if we were ready to order. As with all the best dining experiences, we had been chatting so much we had barely had a chance to look at the menu. This wasn’t a problem though and we were given as much time as we needed to look through and decide our choices.
We began the meal with some Poppadoms and dip whilst we awaited our starters. The onion dip was truly sensational and had a lovely traditional taste as well as a hint of tandoori in the mix. The Poppadoms were light (and not greasy at all) making them the perfect way to start our meal.
For our first course we opted for some lightly battered and fried fish, spicy prawns, spicy chicken and goats cheese and salmon samosas. Like an Indian style tapas, we all sampled and shared to taste all of the dishes available. Everything was delicious, but I was particularly blown away by the samosas as they were so different to anything I had tried before. Light and fluffy fish with a hint of goats cheese, served in a crisp and very delicate wrapping. Fantastic.
After the starters were finished, we were all too full for mains! After a brief discussion it was decided we would go straight to dessert. One look at the menu and I was in love. «Naan bread and butter pudding» was my choice, but between us we ordered the spicy carrot cake with pistachio kulfi and the chocolate samosas to share and sample. Again, everything was delicious. I was dubious as to whether Naan might be too heavy for a bread and butter pudding, but the light taste of raison and the rich creamy texture really leant themselves to this dish.
I have to say, my first visit to this venue was superb. I haven’t gone directly for the 5 stars as I haven’t had a chance to sample the mains as yet (so can’t comment on the full dining experience), but will be back as soon as the fates allow to give it all a proper try.

Great chicken, lamb curry and sampler platter. My table of 4 had wine, beer and dinner for ~130£

Definitely not your average curryhouse.
If you’re looking for something tasty and special look no further. You might not be familiar with all of the dishes on the menu, but the staff are more than happy to give advice.
You won’t find colour and preservative laden tikka masala here, so step out of your take away comfort zone and try something new.
That goes for drinks too. My partner had a delicious cocktail and I instantly regretted my boring choice of a house white (wine).
The rice with the lamb (I have no idea what it was called on the menu but it was the most expensive order of rice at around £10) was to die for. We actually ordered it by mistake but were glad that we did. It came in a special pot with a lid that probably has some fancy name in Indian, and was more than enough for us both to enjoy alongside our individual main dishes.
The quality of the food is of top dollar rate, and therefore it’s not a cheap meal out by any means. Yet living nearby I’ve noticed that there are always a fair few customers dining here– even midweek when nearby restaurants are completely empty. This measure of ‘bums on seats’ is a pretty reliable confirmation of the value of the food if nothing else.

Ok I just got back from this place, all you people moaning about price and how it ‘not normal’ are complete morons. The price is much the same as any city based Indian that serves quality authentic cuisine.
Secondly the food is completely normal as in any authentic north Indian place, exceptional flavours however I cant help but pick up on what someone said about one of the starters tasting like a Chinese dish, I had to agree however it was still delightful.
I have done all the top spots for curry in town, Rajdoot, LaSan, the list goes on, this is my favourite, prawns were exceptional, I shall be back.
Do not trust these phoney reviews, the average rating of this place has been brought down by people who have visited on a budget or visited expecting a balti with fries, this is for the lover of fine authentic cuisine and I urge you to try it before you diss it!

Itihaas is the epitome of delicious Indian cuisine in classy surroundings. Food aside, the superb furnishing of the restaurant makes it worth visiting alone! They have captured a fine balance between contemporary and traditional Indian with Rajasthan-​style tables and seating in certain rooms, focus on Indian mango wood, original Indian art and doors! Fabulous.
And now for the food! The menu is predominately North Indian cuisine with emphasis on the dining of the Moghul emperors, so you’re literally feasting like a king! The food is rich in flavour, vibrant in colour and displayed in such a way on your plate that you don’t want to ruin it by tucking in!
The service is impeccable. This is no surprise considering they are an award-​winning restaurant with accolades ranging from best in the Midlands to best in the UK. I’d recommend you ask to be seated in the Maharaja Suit, which is spacious and you get to view the adjacent canal.
Superb restaurant!

I’ve been to Itihaas a few times and every time I’m greeted as though I’m a long lost relative of the managers. As well as the warm welcome they insist on putting me at the ‘best seats in house’, which might just be a spiel they act out for every customer as the seats we’re put in don’t seem to differ greatly from any of the other seats.
Anyway, the food is consistently tasty here and the price is worth paying for such delicious food in this otherwise luxurious restaurant. The staff do treat me like family in the respect they allow me and my company to stay there for hours, slowly eating our way through multiple courses interspersed with musings about life.
They also have a Maharaja suite which they insisted on showing me at the end of the night. I presume this was a even more exclusive suite to rent and eat curry in for particularly special occasions or if you money has nothing better to be spent on.
A classy Indian that distinguishes itself from competition with their style, food and service.

This was possibly the weirdest Indian meal I’ve ever been for, only based on the food. We were a large group without a booking and they were great at accommodating us, getting us seated quickly and the staff were super helpful. Then again this is quite a large restaurant anyway.
The restaurant itself is really great looking to the point where you wonder if it’s style over substance and you’re going to have to pay over the odds for it. Price wise though it’s quite reasonable
As a large group we were happily sharing and passing dishes round, the staff were great in helping people make their choices based on they types of spiciness and other foods they liked.
So far it seems like it was a pretty good night but then the food was weird. Some dishes tasted and appeared more like Chinese food and my paneer sauce tasted like tinned ravioli. As I’d had a few drinks I debated this with the staff resulting in much furore and them insisting on bringing out more food, but not in a complimentary, sorry you’re not happy way.
Hopefully you might have better luck than me.

Great choice of not run of the mill vegetarian dishes, which is always refreshing. Portion sizes were quite small but just enough without making you feel obliged to over-​eat. Slightly pricey but the interior is lovely.

I took my girlfriend here for her birthday as we are both lovers of good indian food, and this is the best restraunt for indian food by far. Not the cheapest but the service, food and ambiance was delightful in all ways. If you love food, indian food, it is great. if you are looking for a take away style or cheap place to eat, look elsewhere!

Itihaas used to be my local curry house, given that it’s built into the apartment complex I once lived in. Being a massive fan of eastern cuisine, and intrigued by the swanky exterior and friendly management when I popped in to pick up a menu, I booked my first visit with my girlfriend. Following on from this initial experience, I introduced members of family, friends and workmates to the place, all of whom could do nothing but sing its praises.
For a start off, the décor inside Itihaas is luxurious. Clearly a lot of money was spent fitting the place out with high quality furniture and ornamentation. The staff are impeccably turned out and incredibly polite and friendly, and are helpful in suggesting which of the many fine dishes would best suit someone not familiar with Indian fare. When I booked a staff meal at Itihaas, the manager was very patient with me as I booked and re-​booked, trying to tweak the menu to try and suit everyone. In the end, the buffet they prepared was utterly superb, with enough of each dish for everyone to get a good portion of what they wanted.
The one disadvantage of coming to Itihaas is the price. Given the high quality of the food, the service and the surroundings, you can understand why the menu is a little richer than so many of the other Indian restaurants in town. This is definitely somewhere you book in advance for a special occasion, rather than a place you might stumble at the end of a drunken night, demanding a cheap chicken korma and half a naan.

If you want a cheap balti then go to broad street for the crap and fatty food. I just died and went to heaven when I had the jumbo king prawns.
This place is just amazing. book early for special dates like valentines, xmas etc as they get booked up very quickly.

Not the cheapest place to go but good for a special occasion.
Bear in mind that the dishes are quite traditional so don’t expect to see listings like you would in your normal curry house (chicken tikka, korma, vindaloo etc)
Its won awards and you can tell as the food is really high quality with good ingredients used. The staff were very friendly and I’d definately go back again.
Check out there website for more information.

Good quality food in stylish surroundings. However, a tad too expensive for my likingcall me old fashioned, but I am much more at home in a cheap-​and-​cheery balti house than an expensive up-​market indian.
Still, if you are with someone special and are not feeling the credit-​pinch, worth a go for a pleasant night out.

This restaurant is situated near the canals within the city centre, though not within the main region of the city centre. As you enter, you may find yourself enticed simply by its traditional, yet somewhat modern south asian décor. The waiting staff are dressed in a uniform of a elegant black saree, adding to the atmosphere.
The food is fantastic and is presented decoratively. However, it’s not the cheapest in town! Great place for a special night out with that special someone.