Two Indian restaurants in the West Midlands have been named among the best in the UK in Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards: Best of the Best Restaurants for 2026. Varanasi, on Birmingham's Broad Street, took third place in the fine dining category, while Solihull's Lavang came third in the casual dining category.
Varanasi, which made headlines when actor Johnny Depp visited for a curry, was one of ten restaurants listed in the fine dining category. Edinburgh's The Witchery Restaurant topped that list, and was the only UK restaurant to make the global listing, appearing alongside venues in Singapore, Vietnam, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Casual dining winners
Lavang, based at 884 Old Lode Lane in Shirley, Solihull, was also third in its category, behind Casa Brazilian Rodizio in York and Makars Gourmet Mash Bar in Edinburgh. The list of the top ten casual dining venues in the UK also includes Green Gates Merchantcity in Glasgow, Vincenzo Trattoria in Manchester, Andy's Greek Taverna in London, Balti Curries in Falmouth, Cornwall, Copper Mahal Contemporary Indian Cuisine & Bar in Andover, Hampshire, Momo Hub Mother Nepal in Glasgow, and Tower Tandoori Restaurant in London.
The inclusion of Balti Curries in Falmouth at seventh place has been noted as controversial, given that Birmingham is considered the home of the balti, a dish invented in the city.
Fine dining list
The full fine dining list for the UK includes The Witchery Restaurant in Edinburgh, Bustronome London, Varanasi in Birmingham, Fenix Manchester, Northcote Restaurant in Langho, Lancashire, Peter Street Kitchen in Manchester, Melton's in York, Baluchi in London, Restaurant Dom in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, and Brasserie in Farnborough, Hampshire.
According to Tripadvisor, the awards use visitor reviews to rank restaurants, splitting winners by category, including casual, date night, hidden gems, vegan and vegetarian, and fine dining.
Customer favourites
At Varanasi, tandoor and biryani dishes are among customer favourites, while Lavang is known for its charcoal grills and baltis. Varanasi is located at 184 Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1DA, and Lavang is at 884 Old Lode Lane, Solihull, B92 8LW.
