Four restaurants across Sutton and Croydon have been shortlisted for the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards 2026 — the national honours affectionately known as the “Curry Oscars”.
Kanteen and Madol Doova in Wallington, Panahar in South Croydon and Rishi’s in Slate & Grain in Hackbridge have all made the cut in the awards’ Surrey regional category, putting south London firmly on the culinary map ahead of the ARTA Grand Finale at the London Hilton on Park Lane on October 12.
The Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards celebrate restaurants and takeaways serving Asian cuisine across the UK, recognising food quality, service, value for money and the overall customer experience. This year more than 1,250 businesses were put forward by customers, with only the top ten in each of the awards’ 17 regions progressing to the shortlist. Those shortlisted are judged on customer nomination scores, Google and Tripadvisor reviews and food hygiene ratings before taking part in a regional cook-off — so reaching this stage is an achievement in its own right.
Kanteen on Stafford Road in Wallington is in the running for Regional Restaurant of the Year – Surrey. The Indian restaurant’s menu takes in curries, biryanis, tandoori dishes and vegetarian options, with dishes including Malabar chicken and mutton biryani sitting alongside jackfruit biryani, soya chaap biryani and a range of thalis. It also lays on a weekend brunch, serving the likes of Punjabi choley with paratha, bun omelette and stuffed parathas.
Also shortlisted for Regional Restaurant of the Year – Surrey is Madol Doova on Manor Road in Wallington, which specialises in Sri Lankan cooking. Its menu features lamprais, fish curry, coconut roti, pol sambal, crab fried rice and aubergine moju, alongside vegetarian and vegan options including jackfruit dishes and lentil curries. The restaurant has been on a mission to bring Sri Lankan food and culture to Wallington, and earlier this year applied for permission to sell alcohol and provide live and recorded music later into the evening.
Over in South Croydon, Panahar – Bangladeshi & Indian Cuisine on Limpsfield Road is flying the flag for the borough. Dishes such as Nally Gosht lamb shank, Bengal Chicken Sagerana and Lamb-E Shatkora sit alongside more familiar Indian favourites at the restaurant, which is based at 316 Limpsfield Road.
Completing the local line-up is Rishi’s in Slate & Grain Brasserie and Bar at 6 Spinning Wheel Way in Hackbridge. Led by chef Harish Suresh — known to regulars simply as Rishi — the venue serves Indian cuisine alongside street food, sharing dishes and a Sunday roast, with plates including Chettinad chicken curry, lamb rogan josh, biryani, pani puri, Punjabi samosa chaat and a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Rishi’s arrives with pedigree: Suresh was crowned National Chef of the Year at the 2025 ARTA awards.
Although all four are based in Sutton or Croydon, they are competing in ARTA’s Surrey regional category, and are among ten businesses vying for the regional title. The awards aim to recognise the contribution Asian restaurants and takeaways make to the UK’s hospitality industry, with customer nominations playing a central role in deciding the shortlist — a sign that each of the local restaurants has a loyal following firmly behind it.
For diners in Sutton and Croydon, the announcement is a welcome boost — and a reminder of the strength in depth of the area’s food scene, from Wallington’s Indian and Sri Lankan kitchens to South Croydon’s Bangladeshi flavours and Hackbridge’s award-winning brasserie. It comes at a mixed time for Croydon’s restaurant and bar scene, which recently saw the town centre’s Slug & Lettuce put up for sale weeks after its sudden closure.
Whether or not they lift the trophy on October 12, the four restaurants have already done the boroughs proud — and the shortlist adds to a busy autumn for London’s food scene, with a free three-day food tasting set to take over Shoreditch later this month.
