Akram Kashmiri Restaurant in Birmingham

Wow! I'm still reeling from just how disappointed we all are by our visit to Akram's last night. We are BIG Asian food fans willing to travel some distance to get the most authentic food. We were recommended Akram's by an Uber driver (on our way back from our usual eaterie) and were genuinely excited at what we were told. On arrival it was truly 'heaving' and we did have to wait over-time for our booked table; but were so excited we just took it in our stride. The staff were friendly and hugely efficient - operating like a well-oiled machine; which they needed to in order to keep on top of the service! After possibly the best Papadoms and Pickles selection I think we've seen to date, our main courses arrived; within 30 seconds of the Paps being cleared away; again, a well-oiled machine,,, We all ordered different dishes; a Balti Fish and Vegetable Karahi (if memory serves); a Balti King Prawn Karahi; a Chicken Dansak and a chicken Tikka Masala. On serving, our first reaction was 'this doesn't look appetising or filling'; served in large balti dishes, the Chicken and Prawn dishes literally looked like a few lonely pieces of meat in a alternately thick / watery or gloopy sauce. But we reserved judgement for the 'taste-test.' On the Dansak - even the pineapple in the sauce was utterly tasteless; The Tikka Masala tasted of nothing other than sugar; The Fish and Vegetable Karahi was 1. devoid of any flavour and 2. almost completely devoid of any fish... The King Prawn Karahi was to put it mildy; completely tasteless... though labelled as 'Spicy'. I actually used salt and pepper to try to give it some flavour as truthfully, I've tasted spicier Oxo based gravy... The King Prawns were totally overcooked and I even let someone else taste 1 to see if they could recognise the flavour... "Water - it tastes like water" was the unsolicited and objective input; yes - I don't know if they were fresh-water prawns (is that a thing) or had been marinated in fresh water - but it was genuinely the first time I have tasted - tasteless prawns; and I've eaten in 108 countries... To their credit, when the staff came to clear up, they asked if everything was ok and I politely told them how disappointed we were with the food for which the staff-member apologised. If someone had served me a glass of wine as disappointing as the food was, it would've gone straight down the sink. Nothing tasted 'bad' such that we could really complain; but then nothing 'tasted' of anything... Truthfully, our go-to places are The S'oak (Selly Oak), The Masala Merchant (Moseley) and Tamasha (Harborne / Edgbaston). The first listed is by far the best and best value. We noted that none of the customers in Akram were actually Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani - which really should have been our warning. Great staff; great service; just tasteless and overcooked food. Cannot recommend and genuinely, we feel so disappointed as to feel 'cheated.'

I went here tonight with some friends - great service and hands down the best curry I've had in many years. Absolutely the best peshwari Naan I've had in my life. My friend and his father had a medium naan to share and could only finish half of it, it was massive and delicious! I'd hugely recommend visiting if you're in the area, this was fantastic!

This restaurant is not our local one but worth the drive to and we visit about once a month and have taken different friends here also. This is a busy restaurant and even if you book you may have to wait a little while. However the food is worth it and you don’t have to wait long for it. They also don’t skimp on portions They have had the same waiting staff for years so they are very knowledgeable about the menu and if you need something adapted they are obliging. Friendly staff tasty food I will continue to visit regularly

So it was pretty busy in the restaurant from I arrived for a meal with around 12 of us. The layout feels very cramped. We were sat at long line or table more less against the wall kind of. Then another long table behind us. Also full. There were other smaller tables dotted about I just didn’t like the way it was laid out personally. As if just felt cramped to me personally. The lady’s toilets aren’t the prettiest, there were mirrors above both sinks the one mirror was cracked and chipped at the edge. Not a good look. I always judge a place by the atmosphere, layout, decor, toilet facilities, food and customer service. So I ordered something light as I’d already ate and was about to drink alcohol, so I just got a chicken tandoori salad. The chicken its self was sooo nice. Cooked well and packed full of flavour but this wasn’t what I expected to see on my plate. A tablespoon full of salad and a chunky thigh of chicken. Thought I had the wrong food for a minute. I expect to see salad tossed with meat chunks or strips. I told one of the waiters and he just said this is the tandoori salad 🙄 I went on to tell him this is NOT what a person would expect to see (in a polite way of course) when the menu clearly says chicken tandoori salad. He basically disagreed and smiled it off like it was a joke or something. The salad portion was a joke. I give my child more salad than the table spoon full on my plate. I couldn’t be bothered to disagree with the man about what a basic salad with chicken should look like. The worst was the end when we’d all finished paying for our food. I could see another group of people had just arrived. We literally just paid for our food. Some people were still finishing their last drink or getting things together to go shortly and we were basically told there are people waiting to have this table and can we basically leave now. LOL wow I found that soo rude like wtf we all pay and you rush us out. I’ve been to some very very nice restaurants and payed money for my meals and drinks and I’ve been to standard ones like this but never have I been told we need to leave for some other people to sit at our table lol. I would go back to be honest but as a take away just for the fact the food that I had was nice and I’d eat it again AS A SALAD it should have been. I’d also make a point of asking them to make sure it’s a salad please else that would be my very last time going. My friends complained about it after we’d all left the restaurant and got some money off the next visit. A little courtesy wouldn’t go a miss and never rush paying customers. It’s very rude. Didn’t get a chance to take any pictures as I was confused by what was on my plate..

Went on a Friday evening. It was really busy, glad we’d booked a table. Food here is lovely, service is good. Plenty of choices on the menu. Also byob.

Service was lovely, just food was disappointing

Wonderful meal, great atmosphere, very attentive staff, good and fast service. Would recommend to everyone who likes excellent Indian food

great for casual dinner with friends/family. portions are big and the staff was very understanding with all my questions

Nice food. This is probably the best chicken tikka masala I had. I definitely say this restaurant is the best on the pershore road as they have a variety of Indian restaurants it stands out from the rest.. Great food.

Great food, highly recommended! Unlike other Indian restaurants in cotteridge Akrams is actually open at a decent time and is deservedly busy

Food was quite asty and there was a good selection. Restaurant was clean and quit busy with a good atmosphere. The staff were attentive and quite quick with the service, checking everything was ok. Glad to see they don't auto add a tip like a lot of places do. My only complaint was they put poppadoms and the dips on the table which we assumed were free as we hadn't ordered them but the poppadoms were £1 each and then dips (that we hardly touched) were £2.50 - bit naughty that was.

Went here for a colleagues leaving do- they were superb. The accomodated a large group (about 35 of us- midweek booking) with no fuss, and were happy to take ammendments to the numbers up to a couple of days before. We ordered off the regular menu. The food was excllent- correct and served by polite and pleasant staff. Everyone had a reallly good time. Even the bill splitting worked out fine with a mix of cards/cash! Everyone reported the curries were piping hot- fresh and very tasty. The large naans were great to share between friends. We have used them before for Christmas socials, and will do so again.

A real Hidden Gem. This is one of the only proper Indian Restaurants left. Always excellent food and great service!!!

Visually great but menu felt Anglified. Reasonable prices and polite staff, pleasant evening.

Best curry I've had in ages, would definitely go again

Been coming here since I was young, I picked up an order for me and my partner tonight and Akram was extremely friendly even during a brief encounter. By far the best service and food!

Food was really nice, friendly and very polite staff, very good atmosphere 😉

Wow..... Been here plenty of times and the food is always fantastic however on Saturday 24th I had the most amazing mixed meat / chicken Pathia. Honestly, this was the best tasting Pathia I have ever eaten. This is my usual go-to dish but the first time I tried it at Akrams but will be my order everytime, moving forward. Food aside, staff and atmosphere are spot on. We never struggle for parking (on street) when we go. Off licence opposite to get your drinks. Highly recommended this restaurant!

Such an amazing place to go, all the staff are amazing and make you feel welcome. Me and my partner go here a lot now as the food is really good and the atmosphere is so lovely. Definitely recommend

Undoubtedly the best curry I have ever had. Outstanding menu with amazing naan and rice options. Friendly staff and the possibility of BYOB. Thanks a lot, looking forward to returning in the future

Fancied a balti after watching a tiktok video. Chose Akrams and did not regret it one bit. A taste sensation! Have been back twice since.

My regular weekly jaunt over from Redditch, banging Balti and the owners are great. Always go for a lamb tikka and mushroom chilli garlic karahi with garlic butter naan. Out here in Turkey drooling about it right now, the first thing I'll be doing when I get home.

First class balti in Stirchley offering welcoming, efficient service. Wide range of options for vegetarians, clearly labelled. Excellent veggie sharing platter. Reasonably priced and filling.

This is such a lovely restaurant, great atmosphere. Amazing food and exceptional service. We needed for nothing and so attentive

What a find. On a trip to Birmingham we wanted a proper Balti and this was fairly close to our accommodation. Absolutely excellent. Not only were the Baltis superb and generous portions but all the sides were great as well. The staff were so welcoming and friendly we felt like regulars. Very busy with local people. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it - there is an off licence across the road for you to get your drinks and again very friendly people there as well. Worth going back to Birmingham just to come back here for a Balti!!!!

Lovely service and atmosphere created by the staff! Amazing food 10/10 would recommend - I’ll be a new regular I am sure!

I have a friend from France visiting and decided to come here as I thought it would be a nice experience and we were met with friendly faces right from the outset, so helpful. We hadn't booked a table, so went on spec and we were found a lovely table near to the window at the front of the restaurant. Nothing was too much trouble for them. We both had a fantastic meal and my friend really enjoyed his first taste of Indian food and no doubt will want to return.

Lovely food and a very good choice on the menu. Not licensed, however a good off license across the road selling a range of beers and wines. Staff very friendly and attentive.

Food a little gentrified for those looking for a 100% authentic experience But service still very polite and hospitable. Atmosphere is nice and food is still fresh and enjoyable.

Exactly what I ordered the best naga lamb with the garlic bread Really delicious Great staff and relaxed atmosphere

The food was brilliant and excellent customer care, always feel welcome there. The people who work there are great and very polite, and ask if everything is alright and If you are like me and can't handle spies they will make very mild for you to enjoy as well.

Fantastic food and service. The chicken shashlik is amazing!

Very good food! Extremely impressed.

Food is amazing and the staff are very friendly, in my opinion one of the best curry houses in Birmingham, the only negatives I have to say is the parking is not great and the area is not the nicest but that is not the restaurant's fault, honestly the food here is great and again one of the best curry houses in Birmingham.

I think I'm slightly addicted to Akrams! The food is always delicious, the restaurant is spotless and the service is always perfect! I've been fortunate to live most of my life in the UK Balti capital this is my favourite place to eat it by far! A must visit if you're in Brum!

Excellent food and excellent service. Did not disappoint as been coming here for years. Well recommended.

Amazing food but a very quick turn around 👍

Great atmosphere, tailor-made dishes to suit our taste. We had Archari Chicken, Lamb Bhuna, and chicken Karahi. Excellent service as well.

Absolutely delicious Vindaloo, my wife had a butter chicken and was delicious also, great customer service also highly recommend.

Lovely people that run this restaurant, food is excellent. I feel like the atmosphere could be a bit more authentic, but then I'm a Brummie girl from 70's/80's so maybe I'm a bit old fashioned!

honnestly, there was nothing worth going there. We got the rest of food, we had toanage

Use this restaurant alot food is always to a good quality. Would highly recommend

Great food and good atmosphere. A well run family business. The quality and palate of food is really good. A gem in the heart of Stirchley village that you would not hit a miss attending! The food portions were generous, the staff were very attentive to our needs and they asked us repeatedly if we needed anything. I recommend the Butter chicken dish for the little one and their Keema dishes for the adults. But in all good experience…

Always a good curry! Have Been eating here for years and never disappointed!

Brilliant it's been along time since I've had a Birmingham curry fabulous

Very good place to dine and enjoy good food.

Such fab food. Can bring your own alcohol. Would always recommend ❤️

Great food. Good value. V friendly staff. 5 star hygiene rating. My favorite Indian restaurant. Even better now all the menu is clearly marked with vegetarian/vegan symbols. Whats not to like.

The food was nice but very oily. Service was almost too quick as I didn’t even finish my starter and they were taking my tables plates away. Food was fairly quick but everything seemed rushed. Right at the end, the guy told us it was ‘Cash only’ which they could have told us earlier. Overall didn’t get a good atmosphere.

Great service really nice caring people tbh, food really decent and did gluten free for daughter , thanks Akrams, we will return.

We recently moved to the area and found this gem pretty quickly. Now we visit as often as we can. The food is always amazing and the service is very friendly. I can't recommend this place highly enough

We came here for an eid celebration with family, and we are so happy we chose to celebrate here! From the moment we entered the managers Iftikar and Nazir were fantastic. They answered all of our questions about the menu and quick to give suggestions based on our preferences. When the food arrived it was sizzling hot and tasted fantastic, not one item was missed! For dessert you must try the coconut ice cream it is one of the best I have ever tasted! Throughout the meal staff were attentive and never too far away should we need anything. I cannot reccomend Akbars enough. A 5 star service and food local establishment! Thanks for a great experience, we can't wait to come back.

Best food in Birmingham by far. Highly recommend

Always have a great time here Perfect food and excellent customer service

Been here many times food is always amazing the people are lovely would recommend

Brought some friends tonight to iftar with me on a Monday night, nice to see a mix of Muslims and people out just as normal, the atmosphere was calm and 50% full. We had chicken korma, mutton biryani - asked for this a little hotter - was lovely. My friend had the tandoori chicken sizzler and naan - it was really juicy. Food was just great, satisfying is how I would describe it. 4/5 for service just because the staff, including the owner, looked really rushed off their feet. We were served by a really nice youth white waiter and were really pleased. IDK if I would visit on a weekend as I think it would be too busy, but tonight was just right

Good typical balti house with a large menu even does slimmers world curry's

Not as good as before. Brought some work colleagues they ordered prawn on puri and came out bright red, never seen it look like that before. Nann bread was flat not light and fluffy. Tandoori mixed grill and mixed biryani were excellent.

Excellent food excellent service lovely friendly staff

One of the best curries I have ever eaten. House-made chutneys, giant buttered naan, a perfectly-spiced chicken tikka balti, and amazing prices. Do not miss.

Another lovely meal at Akrams really enjoyed it as always. Lovely atmosphere and waiters are all very friendly and look after you well.

Rubbish service came over when was not even finished and asked for plates, hate being disturbed when eating.Place was so cold no hearing on yet they had tens of radiators. Food definitely not tasting like kashmiri but okehatever and for the price wow wow wow absolutely extortion because they give the most child portion in the world. I choked when the 20 grains of rice i ordered came on a tiny tea cup plate. Avoid this place save your money go toLahori village

Amazing food and great vibes..! Akram himself even showed us how they make their famous table naan which is a must try for any visit! Thanks 🙏

Been a few times now curry's always spot on.great service friendly staff so busy

Akram's undoubtedly sets itself apart with its exceptional staff, renowned for their friendly and accommodating demeanor. Stepping into Akram's feels akin to a culinary journey through one's homeland, thanks to the warm and welcoming atmosphere fostered by their dedicated team. Moreover, the culinary offerings at Akram's are nothing short of extraordinary, leaving patrons speechless with their remarkable flavors and impeccable presentation. For those eager to explore the diverse and delectable tastes of Indian, Pakistani, or Kashmiri cuisine, Akram's emerges as the quintessential destination. During our visit, we had the pleasure of indulging in the Akram's Tandoori Speciality with Salad and the Balti Chicken Bhuna, both of which proved to be delightful gastronomic experiences. The ambiance at Akram's is equally inviting, providing the perfect setting to unwind amidst a discerning clientele. Additionally, Akram's stands out as an exceptional venue for socializing, attracting a cream crowd seeking to savor exquisite flavors in a relaxed environment. Notably, patrons have the option to bring their own alcoholic beverages, provided they request permission beforehand. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend experiencing dinner at Akram's at least once; the combination of unparalleled hospitality, delectable cuisine, and inviting ambiance is sure to leave a lasting impression. With their commitment to making guests feel at home, Akram's truly excels in providing a memorable dining experience.

Discraceful taste less food stale popadoms . Never tasted bad food like this before will never eat here again

Just met up with some friends here and the place was buzzing. Super service, friendly staff, great vibe and food was gorgeous even though mine was a little less spicy than I would have liked. Will definitely be coming back.

Came here last night with family for a meal best curry place about polite staff as well and decent price for 4 adults one kid £95 legends

Amazing fresh food but very expensive 😫

Outstanding meal. I have never had a Balti this good.

Havn't been for a few years but had a great meal & excellent service again

Excellent all round. One of the best locals about by a country mile

Went here on boxing day in 2023 had a nicely cooked fresh korma with rice and garlic with cheese naan bread. A bottle of cobra went down real good nice curies and helpful staff to assist your needs.

Been coming here for 15+ years, everything is perfect, can't fault anything!

Excellent curry (and I say that as someone who usually dislikes curry), quick and polite service and good value. Large portion sizes: large and varied starters particularly and for desert we got SUCH a big slice of extremely delicious cake. That was probably the nicest cake I’ve eaten all year. My only tiny criticism is that the music was a little too loud, but still a very very good restaurant. This is my new favourite place to dine whilst in Birmingham. Two thumbs up! 👍👍

Visited with friends for a meal. The service was very good. The food was lovely.

Excellent customer service. Food out quickly and when it came out the order was delivered perfectly.it was absolutely delicious , the cheese garlic naan was the best ever ! I had mushroom and paneer balti . I asked for it hot and it was hot . We went as a party of 5 , one had a meat vindaloo. Others had a variety of dishes and sides that were all amazing...We are a hard lot to please but this was so good I felt I had to recommend it. I will say book in advance there's no free tables and I'm not surprised. Very reasonably priced for Excellent food. Thank you for a lovely meal

Chance visit while looking for a Curry. Everything was good about the visit. A busy popular restaurant, so it has the vote of the people. I will visit again & when I have tried a wider selection of dishes will probably upgrade my review. Don't know where to go, definitely try Akrams first & decide for yourself. Update... I have returned at a quieter time, tried additional dishes. Still maintaining good food & good service, Increasing rating to 5 star.

Great food Great service, best food in Stirchley. Can't wait for my Xmas Dinner.

Very good BYOB curry house. Great off license opposite. The large peshwari naan was delicious, sweet (maybe honey on top?!) and big enough for 3 people. My paneer tikka masala was very tomatoey, not the best I’ve had but I have very high standards! The butter chicken, paneer madras and chicken and spinach were all delicious. Poppadoms really fresh and loved the gravy boat of mint sauce. Highly recommend! Very reasonably priced too

Best Kashmiri restaurant in Birmingham! Pleasant staff and service. High quality

Great food and atmosphere. The chef special was delicious.

Great time, great service, great food

Food not good,and to noisy.Will stick to my local next time.

Visiting a friend in the area. Arrived at the restaurant by chance and saw it had good reviews. I had a Tandoori Chicken Jalfrezi and Tandoori Rotis. It was delicious. The staff were polite and friendly.

Really nice resteraunt in Stirchley. Nice relaxed atmosphere good staff very friendly. Had Lamb tikka balti garlic and corriander nan and onion fried rice as main. Really nice food and at a reasonable price. Will be going back soon.

Very nice, but could be a little more friendly, other than that lovely food, lots of seating,..

We’ve just moved into the area recently and thought we’d give this place a go. As soon as we walked in a gentleman was ready with menus to greet us. We were seated within seconds. The service, the atmosphere and the food was great! We ordered one garlic naan, lamb bhuna, mutter paneer, chicken biryani, yoghurt. Honestly no complaints and we’ll both be back. Thank you

Went as a group of 8, which was easily accommodated. All the dishes were nice and service friendly. They have gluten free and veggie options which were good, and catered to dairy free on request. BYOB

Had the karma was a bit spicy which is unusual for karma normal just sweet

I was introduced to this restaurant by a friend, and it did not disappoint. I had meat samosas for my starter which in my experience can be highly variable at different places and these were excellent; they were succulent without being greasy and you could taste that they were high quality lamb mince. I then had a king prawn and mushroom balti korma with a peshwari naan and they were both superb, hot and tasty and nice portion sizes. Service was friendly and efficient. Prices were very reasonable. Cannot fault anything, will be returning in the future.

As always great food, great service. Never disappointed.

My starter was well overcooked (prawns where tough and dry, awful. My balti sauce was OK but the 4 little king prawns where overcooked and chewie. My partner had 2 starters instead of a main. Sorry to say this but there nan was not much bigger than a fat pancake. Bring back the Romona which was in Alcester, best belt house ever.

Came here for the first time last night, which will definitely be the last. We chose here because of the great reviews and the good hygiene rating. First impressions were good we were seated quickly even though they were busy. Quick service but with the impersonal feeling of pack them in and get them out. I am baffled by the excellent reviews as our food was appalling. We both ordered a balti king prawn bhuna, however when it came it was very sparse on king prawn with about 3 very small obviously frozen and then extremely overcooked rubbery prawns. For £15 for a balti I expected to get fresh king prawns. The sauce was nowhere near authentic, I have had better curries from the supermarket, my coriander naan was stone cold and stale. When paying the bill the waiter asked for a tip, the only tip I would give is to serve fresh produce and give people what they are paying for. To top it all I have had severe stomach cramps all night. I would recommend to avoid this place.

We have eaten here a few times now. The food is really good, offering a vast amount of dishes on the menu. The staff are really friendly and make you feel very welcome. If you wish to rest between courses they are more than willing to delay your next course. Definitely worth a visit!!!

lovely staff and environment, food was lovely and it had a great vibe

We travel 10 miles for this curry house because the food and service is consistently good. Try it you won't be disappointed.

Fantastic service. Food amazing. I'm sure the portions have reduced slightly in size. I'd still go again in a flash.

Brought my Aussie partner home for a visit and wanted to show her a proper British Birmingham curry experience. Proper nostalgia. Delicious hot fresh food! Alcohol license and a great beer shop across the road with a wide selection of crafts. Really nice staff.

Really tasty curry, tender chicken and flavoursome sauce. The large naans are huge. Kind service too, we'd definitely return!