In line with current trends B26 is one of the new breed of Indian restaurants that dispense with trying to evoke an atmosphere of India in favour of a more modern feel.

It actually feels more continental café than metropolitan eatery and is set in a wonderfully open and airy space, enhanced by its brilliant white décor.

The food also has an individual quality and there is plenty on offer you certainly won’t find on your average high street Indian Restaurant menu.

To start we shared three different starters, an unusual sounding imli imli imli, a hot sweet and sour dish that featured an even more unusual combination of ingredients in the shape of chicken, lamb and prawns. It also came with salad and a medley of sauces. It proved a wonderful combination of exciting flavours and a refreshing change from the staple starters.

Also commendable was a chicken tikka stir fry with salad and rice (usually a main course dish). By the time myself and my dining companion had polished off the tikka tikka tikka (Chicken Tikka, Lam Tikka, Chicken legs and seekh kebab) we were starting to get concerned we might have over-indulged but these starters were just too good to be left unfinished.

Fortunately by the time our main courses arrived we both felt we had just about enough room remaining. My companion’s opted for chicken balti on the basis of assessing whether B26 could also get the basics right (It is Birmingham after all and the balti is probably the city’s signature dish) and declared it a hit.

My Tandoori king prawn jaipuri was another hot and sour creation in a tangy sweet sauce with nice al dente red and green peppers. I enjoyed it immensely and some new takes on the accompaniments helped it go down exceedingly well. We shared garlic chilli rice and a memorable coriander and red onion naan. We followed a recommendation to have a side vegetable dish and the fresh okra tawa proved a splendid selection.

Although the dishes at B26 have a lightness about them that suggests the chef is not too heavy on the ghee, we were still too full to sample anything from the dessert menu. This was a shame as there’s a sweet trolley offering a great choice, including a fruit salad made from Bangladeshi fruits and more besides.

B26 is well worth a visit but make sure you leave just enough room for the desserts.

To Book call 0121 742 0085