I like Spice Merchant, it provides a more traditional twist on the typical Birmingham favoured curries that tend to consist of poppadoms followed by a spicy gravy and meat dish of some sort.
It's an intimate but pleasantly sized restaurant with a bar and frosted windows (so you don't get disturbed by any curious curry-peepers). The staff are very welcoming and colourful characters who make the experience all the more pleasant.
Now to the food. Starters vary between 4 and 6 pounds, main dishes are priced around 6 pounds. So you eat a satisfying curry for around 15 to 20 pounds per person.
I had the Tandoori chops to begin, which were exquisitely flavoured and wonderfully succulent. I had a chicken and garbanzo bean dish to follow. It had quite a rich sauce however it was a pleasing sight seeing something other than gravy and meat in my dish. The appearance of some beans in my dish differentiated it from a lifetime of bean-less curries.
A nice restaurant and another place to visit if you're inclined to curry consumption. read more