London me, wasn’t really inspired by Indian food. I’d had a few Indian takeaways at University and always found them unappealing to my palate. I was desperate to find something that filled the gap like other Asian food did, and in 2014 I had my first proper Indian meal at a catered event and it was really good!

Fast forward to 2016, I’ve moved to Birmingham, echoed as one of the largest Indian food hubs outside of India and I’m once again on the search for a perfect plate of Indian food to get my taste buds going. Here´s my review of Itihaas Restaurant in Birmingham!

Itihaas is positioned in the Colmore-District-Jewelery-Quarter meeting point of Fleet Street, overlooking the canal. Set over two floors, the interior is beautifully adorned with wood, dark browns, burgundy and finished green leafy plants in the corners.

As a discerning wine lover, and huge fan of back bars, I was particularly impressed with the attention that was given to the bar display. The Whisky counter and vintage wine books on display really struck a chord with me!

My guests and I were greeted promptly and shown to our table. After a long, hot summer’s day, we decided on Prosecco to cool us down and whet our appetites!

We read through the menu, and learnt some history about Itihaas at the same time. Itihaas is the Hindi word for history.

One of our guests was dairy free, and it was great to see how the wait staff were able to devise alternative menus on the fly.

I greedily ordered for starters the Millionaires Ghol Gapa, crispy wheat shells filled with spiced potatoes and chickpeas, sprinkled with Champagne infused tamarind water. They also had what could be described as the mini noodle pieces you find in a Bombay mix. I also had the Mirchi Murgh, delicious, juicy, tender and oh so succulent chunks of baby chicken, tossed in fresh crushed ginger and garlic and pan-fried with fresh chillies, coriander and pepper. Can you tell that this was my favorite?

The Mirchi Murgh really was divine!! After this, all became a total haze as the food kept coming and I might have gone into a mild food coma after that heavenly chicken starter!

For my main course I had the Mirchi Lassoni Jinga on a bed of crispy noodles. I cheated as this dish was actually a starter from the Indo-Chinese section of the menu. With lots of rice and breads on the table this was perfectly sufficient for me.

I didn’t have any wine besides the Prosecco, however I did have a couple of really nice cocktails. I’m also a sucker for the pretty copper cups!

I’m happy that this meal was my reintroduction to the Indian food. It’s a bit of a reminder to try and give something another go. On this occasion this really served me well and I can say that I am a fan of Indian food. Well done Raj Rana a huge thumbs up!

If you are looking for an Indian meal in The Midlands or more specifically Birmingham or even a reintroduction to traditional Indian food, please give Itihaas a try. You will not be disappointed! My suggestion is go with a small group and you can share all the dishes from the centre.

As always my writing, my views.

Winepressgirl x

Who: Itihaas Restaurant
What:A modern Indian restaurant with a large Whisky collection. Some may call the
style fine dining.
Where: 18 Fleet Street, Birmingham, B3 1JL
0121 212 3383 / www.itihaas.co.uk / www.twitter.com/itihaasindian

The restaurant did not know I was reviewing them, and I went with the intent of 
paying for my meal and drinks. The bill was however, kindly provided
complimentary by Raj and his team. Many thanks!