From Birmingham's Balti Triangle to Manchester's Curry Mile, our restaurant experts know where to find the finest korma and the tastiest jalfrezi. But some of our favourite Indian restaurants are those that are using traditional techniques alongside a dose of imagination to spice up their menus. Modern Indian kitchens are among the most exciting in the country at the moment, so here's our pick of where to sample the UK's most ingenious curries. Call us to book tables, and don't forget that our restaurant team is always eager to hear about members' favourite restaurants.
The Spice Cube
The Gate, Newgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5TG
Guide price: £20 to £30 a head
During the days of the Raj, first-class passengers on India's trains were treated to a special travellers' meal made from tender lamb cooked in a curry leaf and onion gravy. The British Empire is no more, but now curry lovers can sample this first-class dish at Newcastle's the Spice Cube. The Indian Railway Lamb Curry is one of many unusual dishes on chef Dinesh Rawat's menu, which also boasts the Steamed Roller Chicken, a dish apparently inspired by a tragic union between a hapless bird and a piece of heavy construction machinery.
Spread over two floors, the high-ceilinged space is decorated in steel and glass, with bright pastel shades and dark woods adding warmth to the sharp fittings. It's a buzzy restaurant, and the sense of fun on the menu extends to the friendly staff, who are more than happy to talk through the kitchen's inventive use of ingredients, from kerwala water to rose petals. And don't forget to try a portion of the masala chips for a spicy take on the French fry.
Lasan
3-4 Dakota Buildings, James Street, St Paul's Square, Birmingham, B3 1SD
Guide price: £30 to £40 a head
The balti - as all curry lovers know - has been Birmingham's greatest contribution to gastronomy, but Lasan aims to ensure that it won't be the city's last. This Jewellery Quarter restaurant is tastefully grown-up, with sober furnishings and little to capture diners' attention on the pale walls, but there's nothing austere about the dishes that emerge from the kitchen, which blaze with flavour and colour.
The Lucknowi Rogan Josh is lamb stewed in yoghurt and spiced with mace and cardamom, then delicately scented with crushed rose petals; Hiran Dhingri, a pot-roasted venison steak, is complemented with a ginger garlic purée and spiced mushroom mince; and Mans Ke Shooley comprises a smoked lamb fillet marinated with hung yoghurt and mustard oil. The flavours are deftly balanced, and this precision extends to the presentation of each plate.
What's more, Men's Health magazine recently voted Lasan one of the healthiest restaurants in the UK, giving diners a green light to explore the menu with gusto without worrying about their waistbands.
Lasan Eatery (1355 Stratford Road, Hall Green, B28 9HW) is the more laidback sibling of its formal elder brother and offers a slightly more traditional, though no less tasty, menu.
Almas Indian Brasserie
34-36 High Street, Dore, Sheffield, S17 3GU
Guide price: £20 to £30 a head
Almas Indian Brasserie isn't quiet about its commitment to progress: the menu boasts a section titled ‘Evolved' which puts an Indian spin on different cuisines around the world: a British lamb shank is slow-cooked in a thick, unctuous sauce, the duck in plum sauce is a tribute to Chinese cooking, while the French-bistro classic of mussels in a tomato broth is given a zesty citrus kick. But Almas also does the classics well, albeit with a twist - for example, the onion bhajis are served with a punchy pesto of coriander and chilli.
Even during the week this crisp, minimalist restaurant is buzzing with satisfied diners - proof that those who evolve are the ones that thrive.
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill
1312 Leeds Road, Bradford, BD3 8LF
Guide price: around £20 a head
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill has perhaps the most traditional menu of our choices, but by focusing on dishes that are rarely seen in the UK it's proved that the past has much to offer progressive taste buds. Paya are sheep's trotters that are cooked for hours until the meat is meltingly tender, red snapper is gently marinated to amplify, rather than alter, its taste and lobster is cooked in a secret blend of dishes from Baluchistan province in Pakistan.
All the dishes are authentic Asian food, with some traditional additions from North Africa, but that's not to say Zouk is without innovation. It's ‘sigri' method of cooking uses a charcoal grill to burn off fat while capturing flavour, which makes its dishes a healthy option that doesn't compromise on taste.
The contemporary open-plan dining room has a sociable bustling atmosphere, and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's worth stopping by to sample Zouk's tea selection and one of the desserts, all of which are hand-crafted by a French pastry chef from Brittany.
With a new outpost in Manchester (Unit 5 Quadrangle, Chester Street, M1 5QS) and plans to extend its empire to Milan, world domination is surely around the corner.
Bokhara Brasserie
Court Colman Manor, Pen-y-Fai, Bridgend, Wales, CF31 4NG
Guide price: around £20 to £30 a head
Winner of the Welsh category of the British Curry Awards 2008, Bokhara Brasserie is situated within Bridgend's Court Colman Manor hotel, a Georgian mansion surrounded by acres of Glamorgan countryside. The warm terracottas and burnt oranges of the venue contrast with the manor's more restrained décor, and its menu similarly adds a touch of heat to the grand surroundings.
Bokhara's open kitchen allows diners to see the skilled chefs preparing the naans and firing up the tandoor, but despite the tempo it's slow food that's at the core of Bokhara's philosophy. Dishes can take up to 24 hours to prepare before they are ready to cook, and many are cooked in separate stages to enrich the flavours: the Dal Makhani involves simmering lentils overnight in a ginger and garlic paste, while the Raan - e - Khandar is a whole leg of lamb marinated overnight, grilled in the tandoori and then cooked in fresh aromatic masala.
All this makes Bokhara a venue that's worth taking time to savour, and for diners who want to make a night of it we can book rooms at the manor too.
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