Sixteen restaurants in and around south east London have been named as finalists for the Asian Curry Awards, the national honours widely known as the “Curry Oscars”.
The awards celebrate the very best of the UK’s Asian and Oriental restaurant, takeaway and catering industry. Organised by the Asian Catering Federation (ACF), the annual programme recognises excellence across a wide sweep of cuisines — from Indian and Bangladeshi to Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean — alongside the chefs, restaurateurs and businesses judged to have made a significant contribution to the sector.
This year, 213 finalists have been shortlisted across more than 46 award categories, all of them nominated by members of the public. The trophies on offer range from Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year and Takeaway of the Year to regional honours and specialist cuisine categories. Twenty-one of this year’s finalists are based in London — and 16 of them are in south east London, underlining the region’s heavyweight presence in Britain’s Asian food scene. Awards recognition is nothing new for the capital’s curry houses: earlier this year, restaurants in Sutton and Croydon were named among the contenders for another set of “Curry Oscars”.
From long-standing favourites to new arrivals
Among the south east London contenders are long-standing neighbourhood favourites such as The Bombay in Orpington and Babur in Forest Hill, alongside more recent arrivals including The Khans Indian Restaurant, which opened in Blackheath this year.
The full list of south east London finalists spans four areas:
Lewisham
- Panas By Sujan Katuwal MBE – Blackheath
- Saffron Club – Blackheath
- The Khans Indian Restaurant – Blackheath
- Babur – Forest Hill
Bromley
- iNaga – Bromley
- Bombay – Orpington
- Indian Essence – Orpington
- Indian Valley – Orpington
- Indian Diner – West Wickham
Bexley
- Mahan Indian Takeaway – Bexley
- The Jasmine by Spice Nouv-Oh! – Bexleyheath
Kent
- Sher E Bangla – Longfield
- The Bombay – Swanley
- Tulsi Restaurant & Bar – Westerham
- Shampan @ The Spinning Wheel – Westerham
Beyond restaurant and takeaway categories, the programme also honours individual achievement and industry leadership, with accolades including Asian Chef of the Year, Curry King, Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Awards.
Judging and the Mayfair gala
Over the coming weeks, judges from the Asian Catering Federation — including some of the world’s leading chefs and restaurateurs — will assess the finalists before selecting the overall winners.
The winners will be revealed at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair, London, on Sunday, November 15. The event will be hosted by BBC news presenter Samantha Simmonds alongside former Apprentice finalist Anisa Khan, who will present the awards to the businesses and individuals judged to have set the benchmark for excellence across the industry over the past year.
Chairman of the Asian Catering Federation Yawar Khan said the awards “set the standard for excellence across all aspects of our industry”, adding that organisers were “delighted to see public voting increase year on year”. He also paid tribute to the charitable spirit of the trade: “Alongside the excellent cuisine we champion with these awards, we also take time to celebrate the achievements of individuals and recognise the generous contributions they make to their communities through their charitable giving and their time.” He added: “I look forward to meeting all the finalists in Mayfair on Sunday, November 15, to present these awards.”
Hospitality remains one of the capital’s most competitive sectors, and a national shortlisting can be transformative for an independent restaurant. For the sixteen finalists — and for diners across south east London — the countdown to November’s ceremony has begun. The boroughs’ dining scenes continue to draw attention for launches as well as awards, with new restaurant openings making headlines across the capital this year.
