Dewaan

It's been over 25 years since we last dined here, we used to be regulars back then. Unsurprisingly the dining room has changed and for the better, smart toilets now too. I enjoyed my meal here, and the wife would have done except she found all to be on the hot side. It started well, the poppadoms and chutneys were very enjoyable. We then had a few issues with the menu or rather the ordering. When I asked what the Pathia Diwan Style was like, our waiter told me to read the menu, I wasn't impressed and told him he should ask someone who would know. If you're interested it's the same as most pathias. I opted for a sheekh kebab to share, a balti chicken tikka jalfrezi, and the wife a "safeish" chicken and mushroom balti. The sheekh kebab was quite hot, this I find typical of most Pakistani starters. It was also very firm in texture and I am fairly confident that it had been microwaved. Despite this, I thought it OK but the wife gave me hers after a few bites. It was a similar experience with the baltis, mine was very good and the wife struggled through hers. I think every one of the staff must have asked if the meal was OK, I was going to mention the wife's was a bit too hot for her but she didn't want to make a fuss. No complaints with the sides and the portions were generous. I thought it was reasonably priced, the bill being all the better as you can take your own alcohol. That said, I noticed quite a few taking in their own soft drinks, it's not just here either.

Really simple but tasty balti. As a pure vegetarian ,I'm fussy where I eat , especially after living in Bombay/ Mumbai India for a year. The portions are very generous and the onion bhaji is gigantic- the biggest onion bhaji I have seen in any restaurant, and the cheapest only £2.45 Well done Diwan .

Great food and hospitality! A variety of Balti curries and king size portions!! A nice family run atmosphere!! We had a regular naan, Diwan rice, veggie balti and the chefs recommendation, a duo Balti lamp passanda and chicken rezala. Lasi was fantastic too!!

First with the good: great old school atmosphere... You're not paying for super fancy nonsense here. Just a clean old fashioned restaurant in a warm setting. This is quite refreshing! I wasn't impressed with the condiments... The onion was way too chunky in the onion chutney. The mint sauce didn't have a kick and was rather bland. I feel a pickle tray or working on these two condiments would be a good idea. The mains were truly a pleasure to eat. My lamb jalfrezi and my friends chicken/lamb curry was perfectly cooked. The meat was tender and fell apart without effort. The flavor was still short of a home cooked curry, but it was not far from it. The naan and tandoori roti was cooked to perfection. The naan especially cooked just right, flaked up well and was perfectly soft inside. On price, it's more affordable than the competition. On portion - stick with one balti or karahi between two with starters between two. One standard naan is enough for the average person; get more on the fresh as and when you need it. Thank you :)

This hit the spot! A proper Birmingham balti. The staff are really helpful in offering alternative dishes that are not on the menu. For instance, they made aloo chat Puri as a starter for us, as well as a balti with Naga. They also do a handful of baltis which you can try in 2 smaller dishes (I had the chicken tikka bhuna balti and the lamb dopiaza). Both so lovely. The naans were awesome too (peshwari and a garlic naan ordered). We tried their special rice....omg sooo nice. Tarka daal and saag paneer as sides. Couldn't fault any of it. Definitely a place to go when I come back to visit my hometown. BYOB which is an added bonus I think. Bill came to about £47.