The ARK Birmingham in Birmingham

Had a booking for today, travelled all the way up from kent, and really looking forward to going, turned up and they were shut. It was supposed to be for a special occasion, so that was ruined for us not impressed. They shouldn't be booking in reservations on days they are shut. Had booking reservation confirmation via email and everything.

I went with my friends last year and the food was superb. Tried calling them now to reserve a table, but no one is answering and online booking shows unavailable always. Just an update on 19 aug 2024, we have now decided to go to some other place for dinner as no one responded on given numbers and email. Poor experience 😕

This place is closed down. We had a reservation on Saturday. Got there to find shutters down and was told by restaurant next door the restaurant is CLOSED although they still are taking reservations online which is very odd

New restaurant for me, and I would recommend a visit if you are in the area. The food was very good with great flavour, and the portions were an ample size. I also think the price was good for a city centre venue, although the wine was a little expensive.

Fantastic Indian Food in a unique setting right in the centre of Birmingham. Good staff, some unique dishes which we tried, look forward to returning to sample more of the menu.

Best Indish restaurant ever ! Outstanding food and perfect service! Great

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the excellent authentic food and in particular the five star service from Arun

The Ark in Birmingham offers a delightful culinary experience with delicious dishes like kebabs, lamb chops, naan, and fish pakora. Each dish showcases excellent preparation and flavors, making for a memorable meal. The service is commendable, with attentive and friendly staff enhancing the dining experience. The decor adds to the ambiance, creating a stylish and comfortable setting. However, the portion sizes are somewhat disappointing given the price, which is the only downside to an otherwise fantastic meal. Despite this, the quality of the food and the overall experience make The Ark a worthwhile visit. Adjusting portion sizes to better match the prices could elevate it to one of Birmingham's top dining destinations.

Lamb Biryani was EXCEPTIONAL, chef did magic ✨

Who said there was no good food in England? Both the food and cocktails are great.

Fast, friendly service and excellent food. Also, a restaurant that also has an excellent dessert menu. The dessert taster platter for two is highly recommended.

Very rude manager. Did not allow 11 people

We were group of 10 people starter was okay bit I felt it was warm. The main course was nice. Lamb shank sauce was nice, but the meat was dry. It was a moist. overall it was good definitely will try again to see if there’s any different.

1st time not last short&sweet Food stunning Restaurant beautiful Atmosphere vibrant Staff Arun stand out cannot believe I have never found this place before stunning place

Such lovely food! We went on a Friday night - it's such a shame it's so empty!

ITS INDIAN CUISINE BUT FOOD IS TO SWEET WASTE OF MONEY

Fantastic food. Exceptional nan bread. Jason the manager really goes above and beyond. He has a great passion for his work as do his team.

The sit in experience is great and the staff are very friendly and helpful, but the small and somewhat pricey leaning portions that aren't the most worth it for take-away.

Great food, service and athmosphere

Great amazing food restaurant very cosy staff wonderful will be taking our son there soon for a meal great little gem hidden away

Vile owner who steals ppls money screws ppl out of 1000s rip off thief stay away

Went here a couple of weeks ago, food is well presented with plenty of options. Staff were attentive and friendly.

One of the best currys I've ever had, lovely setting and very friendly staff too. I absolutely recommend it. Also the Bombay Aloo is to die for.

A jem of a restaurant. Fantastic interesting food which actually 'tastes' nice (not your typical run of the mill Indian). A lovely modern comfy venue with great friendly staff. Arun was particularly helpful in recommending dishes for us to try. If you're in central Birmingham, it's definitely somewhere to eat. I would have taken pics, but I ate it too quickly 😁

Amazing restaurant, great food, service, staff are really polite and helpful would definitely recommend

Amazing food ALWAYS. Go there you won't be disappointed.

Be warned! If you can't make your booking for any reason, even illness, you will be charged £10 a head! Booking small print theft! I've never been to this place, and I never will be going after this.

Didn’t had any food- Not mentioned on the website that they won’t be catering a’la carte on the Valentine’s Day. The Valentine’s Day menu was having very poor choices. No grill items on the main course. Not helpful.

Amazing place, delicious food , nice and hot, beautifully presented. lovely host.

Absolutely amazing and enjoyed everything about it

Great food, great services. Would definitely recommend.

The food was good however the portions are extremely small for what you pay for. The ambience is not of a “fine dining” restaurant. I think the service could be significantly improved by training their staff in how to build rapport with customers, explaining the menu, etc…when we asked for new cutlery for our mains we were asked “what cutlery do you want?” When we clearly only had a knife on the table. We then had to request spoons for each curry so we could serve ourself. I’d expect this service in Nando’s not at a restaurant that charges the prices it does. Unfortunately the service was very poor and it’s overpriced hugely.

Truly the best Indian cuisine restaurant in Birmingham

Lovely fish curry and samosa started. Calm and peaceful atmosphere. Great service from Arun. Will surely come back and fully recommend the restaurant for Indian food lovers. The best I've had so far. Miguel

Visited here on the 23rd December with a group of 13 and one 4 year old and what a great experience we had. A special thank you to Jason. I made the reservation enquiry 4 weeks prior and Jason was great in helping organising our reservation. With such a big group we had their set Christmas menu and even though we had a few dietary requirements Jason was able to offer and accommodate everyone's needs. On the evening the service was great and our whole party thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It was the perfect end to a lovely day spent enjoying the Christmas Market and really got us all into the festive season. Thank you.

We went to the so called bar/club area By all means it can be someone’s favourite night but it wasn’t for me. I walked in and walked straight out and I ask for a refund as I explained it’s not for me. I got refused the refund. The explanation was that the owner will take It off the staff which I don’t believe. I actually believe I was talking to the owner. However I would ask everyone to have a look before you pay. Male orient (which you may like ), drinks out of plastic cups, sticky floor, NOT my cup of tea.

I am not sure how I haven't discovered this fine Indian restaurant sooner. To be fair the ARK doesn't exactly shout Indian food does it. Tucked away in John Bright Street, the entrance could be easily missed and looking in, the staircase is a bit imposing. Pity if you pass as it is easily up there with the likes of Asha's, Pushkar etc. It's all down to personal preference of course but for me, and the wife, it doesn't get any better than The ARK. Prices for some dishes do look a little high, conversely some of the main courses including two cocktails for £12 are very reasonable. In a nutshell we couldn't find fault with anything, the slightly Chinese looking decor, service by Arun, or the food and ambience, all were as good as it gets. 12.5% discretionary service charge. We went again some 12 months after the above review. Internally I couldn't see that there had been changes. Unfortunately it looks as though they had a problem with their heating as they were several industrial heaters dotted around. The service wasn't bad but our waitress wasn't that clued up on the drinks or the menu. To be fair to her the menu isn't very informative and I didn't notice any allergy information. However I did notice that the sheekh kebab starter was an eye watering £13.95. Alternatively you could have an Ark Special Curry for £11.95. I therefore suggest you read the menu carefully. Likewise the drinks menu, I noticed a 'Two for one all day everyday' offer on the cocktails as we walked in but when I tried to order it I was told quite abruptly told that 'we don't do it anymore'. I would also suggest that adding the strengths of the beers would be helpful. The poppadums basket was a bit miserly but apart from that I enjoyed my food. The wife was less impressed as her meal turned out to be creamy after she specifically requested that she doesn't like cream added to her curries. When queried with someone in authority I was informed that they need to do it when you request a dish to be on the milder side but beware that there medium heat here is hotter than most places. Not a problem for me but may be for some. The room was very noisy due to a couple of largish parties so I couldn't recommend it for a romantic night out. Indeed given the temperature in the room you will be hard pressed to take your coats off. The lights were much brighter than before which did show up a few rough edges.

I went to this nightclub on new year’s eve and the bouncers there were so rude. They literally asked everyone to get out of the club in the rudest way possible at 1am. I confronted them and told them they were so rude after which they got angry and I felt threatened and unsafe. I have never tried the food so can’t comment on that but it’s the worst nightclub experience I ever had specially after paying £20 for entry. Never going there again.

Came here for the first time with friends, excellent service and lovely food, Tish looked after us, very friendly polite and professional! Would come here again

Never received from delivery driver. Didnt come

I organized dinner for my pals on Christmas eve and it was a gathering of 18 people. Arun worked with me to customize the set menu and other details from the moment I reserved the table. On arrival we had a warm welcome by Arun and he showed us our beautiful table with extra heating on. His assistance was outstanding; everything from accommodating our last-minute alterations to shifting us to a VIP table at our friend's request was impeccable. Restaurant is spacious and beautifully decorated. The food was delicious, flavorful and authentic. Will definitely visit again :)

The venue is decorated but all of that becomes irrelevant when they don't have heating. Staff mentioned the heating doesn't work so it wasn't a one off, it was freezing in there. It just ruined the evening as all you can really focus on is how cold it was.. food was average, nothing special, service was OK.. they asked us straight away what we wanted to drink.. I hadn't even sat down properly.. starters weren't hot and was average. They don't give you wipes at the end which should be standard if you are trying to portray yourself as a posh venue. Overall I wouldn't really go back, neither would I recommend it. Its out of the way and not worth the journey and hassle.

It was an alright place. Friends built up the hype. The food was decent but nothing special. A bit pricey but not terrible.

The food was SUPER, and the waiter 'Arun' and all staff were very kind and helpful. The place was crowded but they managed to make space for us - 17 people.

One of the best Indian restaurants in Birmingham. Great food and excellent service by Arun. Great value for money!

Decent quality but not good value for money. £15 for a mixed platter starter that was literally just one piece only of 4 starters lost in the takeaway box and the fish in the pakora was cheap bland Basa.Lamb methi had cream or thick full fat yogurt added which made it more of a Passnda. Not what I consider to be a Methi Gohst…I’m unlikely to return to order again.The search for a reasonably priced, quality Indian takeaway continues.

The food was very good and tasty. We have ordered garlic Naan, Paneer butter masala , kids meal and chips. The Naan was so soft and tasty , i haven’t eaten a naan like this before in my life. The service and staffing was excellent. Ambient lighting and well decorated restaurant welcoming christmas. A NCP car parking facility is available next to this restaurant may be 5 min walking distance. Metro access available as well. Visited this restaurant as a part of my visit to the birmingham christmas market. Wasn’t an expensive restaurant. I will highly recommend this restaurant. I haven’t given a 5 star rating recently and this restaurant and staffs deserve it.

A really good quality Indian with great food

I feel really bad writing this review, but after giving several chances to redeem themselves and failing I feel I need to put this out. The decor in the restaurant was dismal for a high quality restaurant, the place was freezing cold, with a portable heater running. The waitress was non interactive made mistakes after mistakes, not once apologising. Her colleagues had to step in and resolve the issues. One gentleman I am presuming was the manager was great and polite. The waitress did not even say goodbye, just turned her back on us. It was an awful experience for a group that I was trying to impress. Very disappointed!! On a positive note the food was excellent. Every dish was to perfection.

A lovely venue, superb food, service brilliant. I thoroughly recommend a visit. Great stop before going to the Alexander Theatre.

The food is ok, but the service is the worst in this restaurant. I was appalled by the 45-60 minutes delay in serving the dishes and sometimes the staff forgets to give the order in the kitchen. The worst thing is the behaviour of one of their staff members named Jason. The young lad seems to lose its temper on customers rather than apologising for the incessant delays in orders. We had no option but to pay halfway through our dinner and leave for a better place. The management should consider re-training their staff and especially their manager (Jason).

Booked for a 18th birthday party with 21 guests in the VIP area, advised that we would have to go for the set menu due to the party size, and we weren't disappointed! 3-courses, with choice of meat and vegetarian options that were continuously replenished throughout. Jason was our host, and from initial booking his customer service was excellent. We were late for our booking due to serious traffic congestion in the city centre, but this was accommodated and no fuss made. My only negative was the lack of facilities for the less able bodied or those with mobility issues, upstairs venue with no lif, and a further flight for the toilets - needs to be addressed 😔 Would definitely return with large or small group. Food and service excellent 👍🏽

High quality standard food, service was fab and atmosphere was amazing..

Too much expensive and quantity is really less and taken lot of time to serve

I am editing my review after 10 months especially having an horrendous experience today. The server didn’t pass on the full order in the kitchen and kept us waiting for an hour. After inquiring about our order status twice, they said they couldn’t prepare it after an hour of us waiting and asked for another 15-20 minutes. We had no option but to cancel the remaining order. Jason, the Manager had already scanned our Groupon coupon in the beginning which was worth more than the order value as we had to cancel it due to their inefficiency to deliver. We respectfully asked Jason to let us pay for the bill as we wouldn’t like to redeem our voucher. As opposed to apologising on behalf of his staff, he said it was our mistake to accept the table to sit before our scheduled booking. I am utterly DISAPPOINTED by this behaviour of JASON. I have been a repeat customer here but I assure I AM NEVER GOING TO THIS PLACE EVER AGAIN.

Really hard to get a good/decent priced curry in the city centre (without going to Balti Triangle)- would recommend! Service was great and food was amazing!

Enjoyed the food very much. Everything we tried was delicious. The service was on a great level and very private atmosphere.

We had a Friday evening show at the Alexander theatre, Ark is a stones throw away from the theatre so in we went for early dinner & drinks. Ark is a very classy & tastefully styled Indian restaurant, we were early so the restaurant was empty but we were welcomed in we received great service & the food was delicious.

Jason & Ash looked after us all evening. We had some fantastic cocktails to celebrate my partners birthday, and will be coming back again soon.

I’m a curry critic, and this is the best curry house I’ve found in Birmingham so far!! Definitely recommend.

Awesome food and prices. They chutney platter was impeccable. Halal restaurant as well

We were a group of four over 50s, so between us have eaten a good many curries in a good many places. We all said that it was the best Indian food we had tasted. My Chicken Kahuri could not have been better.

Excellent taste with a great mix of spices 😋

The most delicious food I ever eat… The flavour, the taste, the texture, the spices all melt in your mouth.. gives you memories for ever … thanks for this excellent experience…

Great service and speed of delivery.

Really liked this place. Staff is great,and decor looks lovely. We have had a platter which was delicious, the dessert was also good. The main was slightly not as good as expected. Overall, this place is a gem in the city, I would definitely recommend it. Plus, cocktails are awesome.

Great environment overall for a good time and delicious food.

Food was spot on....place to be evening night out

Authentic Indian food! The best taste and quality of Indian food I have tasted so far! Excellent service and very calming ambience.

It was very good. The food was some of the best indian i’ve ever had. I had the Paneer Karahi and it was a really good sauce base, not too hot spicy but good flavour. The vegetable samosa was a really good starter that we shared and the goolab jamun was exquisite.

Food and service was amazing. Santhosh(server) had great customer service

Food was amazing very good price and service amazing

Had the special chicken curry, chicken was tender and delicious and the curry delightfully spicy. Also tastes the butter chicken of a companion which was also delicious and flavorful.

Early evening booking so very quiet, hence no particular atmosphere but that suited us. Food extremely nice, 3 of us ate & each had a different meal - each very nice & each tasted quite different. Have already recommended The Ark to friends & will definitely be going again

Bit of an odd one this. Visited based on Tripadvisor reviews. Couldn’t have alcohol due to licensing issues at the time (hopefully sorted now but worth checking). This was ok though as we were told about this when we arrived and offered the chance to bring our own in. Very few people in restaurant so no atmosphere (we were there on a Sunday late afternoon so maybe not the busiest time). The food was actually very good and that’s what many of us visit a restaurant for! We had a mixture of starters and mains and the lamb dishes stood out for me, very nice and filling. Can’t complain about any of the dishes served. Staff were friendly enough and service ok. Quite a pricey option for an Indian meal in Birmingham, probably reflective of the restaurant’s location in the city centre and nightclub above.

Amazing food and service. Some of the best Indian food I’ve ever tasted and presented beautifully. Will be back when I’m next in Birmingham.

The food tasted relatively good, but it was expensive for the amount of food you got. It also took an excessively long time to get the food (35-40 minutes). They also added a service charge of 12.5% ​​without informing either in the menu or when they brought the bill. However, they informed us that their alcohol license had been revoked and asked us to go to the other side of the street if we wanted to drink alcoholic beverages. The toilets were unclean and the acoustics in the restaurant were poor.

The food is 10/10 it was a great atmosphere, staff was really friendly and attentive and overall the food was amazing , really tasty would definitely go back !

Amazing food, great presentation, friendly and welcoming staff who are very attentive. Night life is great overall the perfect place to be on a weekend. Highly recommended

Wow. Couldn't have been more impressed. Place looked amazing and expensive, yet the bill for us was absolutely reasonable. Food quality was amazing - flavourful, well presented. We were also well looked after. Could not have asked for more. Top 5 Indian restaurants ever.

The food we had was really tasty and can tell the chef is top notch. Arun the waiter very friendly and looked after us. Very impressed with the Ark.

This place is a hidden gem 💎 food is absolutely amazing, perfect taste n flavour. Very calming place to go as a family or couple, fine dining. My only criticism 😔 is that they served pompadoms before they took my order and I'd eaten them before my order was taken...which left me twisting my fingers waiting for my food...im a small lady with a big tummy lol 😆 BUT food was amazing n I will go back 110%

Didn't realise this place was on John Bright Street. The staff were attentive although slightly inexperienced. Food was fantastic. I would recommend it.

The atmosphere was so so peaceful and lovely , the whole place was beyond spotless . The presentation and taste of the food was excellent, I had Lamb Saag Wala which was mild and se delicious. .Impeccable service from the staff and especially Arun . A perfect night and would definitely recommend extremely highly , Thankyou

Where is my food? I have not received my order?

Poor rating mostly because it doesn’t make any sense to be asked for 12.5% service in a place like this for such rudimentary basic service. The food though is excellent and I am hoping to order take out from this place! My compliments to the chef and kitchen staff. The ambiance with the kitsch deco and weird music definitely reminds you that this is a generic nightclub warming up for the night.

Great food and ambience. The best Indian food i have tasted in the UK. Special mention for Grisha for excellent service and the manager, Arun.

Great service and wonderful Indian food.

What a lovely resturent ! Food was amazing and the customer service was above and beyond! Had a amazing time at this place! Can’t wait to be back

Arun was quite hospitable and made us feel at home. The food was authentic and delicious. Enjoyed the experience.

There's a lot to like about this place, largely food related. It feels like you're walking upstairs into a nightclub. The interior is an odd mix of neon light strips, a water feature then wooden/metal effect furnishings. The star dishes were the chicken hariyali and traditional tandoori chicken starters. Absolutely soft and delicious, with oodles of flavour. Highly recommended and excellent value. The chicken biryani was fairly tasty, and the chicken chettinand was flavoursome. Both served piping hot, excellent. Areas for improvement: 1. Poppadoms - the three dips were tasty but really tiny portions, see pics. Poppadoms plain only (no spicy). 2. Background music. Very strange classical music versions of modern songs (Ed sheeran meets violin). Very weird and didn't enjoy it. It did improve slightly towards the end when it moved away from violin renditions. 3. Service was friendly but inexperienced eg, plates weren't cleared very quickly (it wasn't busy and there were 3 staff mainly at the bar), cutlery didn't arrive until the food was being delivered. What I do object to is the (ok, optional) 12.5% service charge. If you are going to offer silver service to compete with restaurants like the Ivy, Opheem, Orelle etc then 12.5% is justified. But the service is a mile away from this. Management take heed if you want to improve the foot fall. There's lots of other Indian restaurants from which to choose. If the above was improved I would return but otherwise would only use here for a takeaway.

Our server was Arun and he gave us an experience! Everything was tastefully done, the wine paired nicely, and we left with huge smiles on our faces! He even tracked us down to return our left behind hat! Thank you Arun and The Ark for a dinner we will talk about many times later!

Good Indian Food taste can be expected with the available options and I had an amazing experience by enjoying the food like Achari soya, Veg platter and haweli along with nice ambiences I am very Happy for the good customer satisfaction service provided by Santhosh and Arun.

This is well worth a visit. Ignore the exterior. Inside is well presented and the food is top quality.

Excellent place. Great cocktails!

Delicious food and pleasant ambience. Amazing service by Grisha and other staff members. Recommend must visit the place.

Booking was on 27.05.2023 for my brothers 21st. The service from making the inquiry up to the service received on the day was impeccable. Jason accommodated our dietary requirements without issue ahead of the booking and ensured the menu was tailoired to our needs. He also confirmed this with each dish as it was brought out on the day. Jason was polite and efficient, but also made us feel welcome and regularly checked up on us. Other staff members we had the pleasure of being served by were also excellent, Ayush was diligent and accommodating of requests made on the day. In terms of the dishes, the presentation and flair of each course made the experience all the more enjoyable, with smoke from dry ice being a nice touch. The food ordered was authentic Indian cuisine with a lot of attention and effort having gone into the presentation and the flavours. A particularly nice touch were the pomegranates with the aloo tikki as part of the starters. Each dish on the set menu had their own separate spice base to them which did not over power what came next which was excellent and the portions were large with plenty to go around. This can be packed up to take with you if you can't finish it. The selection of cocktails and mocktails are plentiful and would recommend the citrus based mocktail to those who don't drink or want to try something different. The restaurant is clean and decor is minimalist yet elegant, with enough going on to capture your attention between courses. The night was rounded off with a special dessert for my brother on his birthday and I cannot thank Jason and his team enough for the effort that was put in to make the evening special. Last but not least I would like to thank Zook for the pick up and drop off in the Rolls Royce and for his lovely company whilst travelling. Looking forward to the next booking soon!

Hidden gem in brum First time been to ark restaurant & it was beyond our expectations…. Me & my husband as a hard core foodie would like to give 5/5 for food,the presentation,ambience & service Desi lamb curry was cooked to perfection & wild prawns were so delicious,,, will highly recommend this place I am definitely visiting this restaurant for trying more variety … truly hidden gem in the heart of Birmingham Show less Date of visit: April 2023

This place is a perfect fine dine for couple or families. Ambience and service deserves maximum points. Food quality is great however quantity is less but then that's typical of fine dines. Our host for the night was Grisha, such a lovely and cheerful host! She did help us in ordering and advised on quantities which is always a help! Would definitely visit again.

Must visit Indian restaurant in Birmingham. After long time we thoroughly enjoyed the vegetarian food. And food are little bit expensive for a given quantity but they wroth it! Thanks Arun for excellent service. Highly recommended for someone who wants to try authentic India curries. Planning to visit again soon.