Varanasi

Head down to Broad Street in the city centre and you'll find Varanasi tucked into one of Birmingham's better restaurant strips—the kind of place that takes itself seriously without being stuffy about it. This isn't your local curry house doing the rounds; it's proper cooking that respects its ingredients and doesn't shy away from complexity. The dining room has that swish feel you'd expect at these prices (around £40-60 per head without drinks), with service that actually knows what they're talking about when you ask questions. You're looking at a sophisticated crowd here—suits on Friday nights, couples celebrating, that sort of energy.