All the south London restaurants shortlisted for ‘curry Oscars’ at national awards

We’ve rounded up the 16 south London Asian restaurants named in the top 200 shortlisted in the Asian Curry Awards 2023 – and where to find them.

The Asian Curry Awards brings together Britain’s best Asian restaurants, featuring contestants representing Asia's rich and diverse cuisine, including Indian, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian and Sri Lankan restaurants.

Restaurants are nominated for a range of awards in different categories, from fine dining and newcomer of the year awards, to types of cuisine such as vegan and Asian fusion.

Known as the “Curry Oscars”, restaurants are nominated by the general public before being assessed by judges from the Asian Curry Federation (ACF), before the winners are announced at an awards ceremony.

This year the Asian Curry Awards announced a shortlist of over 200 venues from across the UK, which the public will have a chance to vote on before the list is narrowed down to the top 100 restaurants for the judging phase.

A total of 16 Asian restaurants across south London were named as finalists in this year's awards, with 11 restaurants in south east London and five across the south of London.

Here’s a roundup of them: The south east London finalists:

• Babur, Brockley

• The Bombay Restaurant, Orpington

• Chai Naasto, Beckenham

• Champor-Champor, London Bridge

• Heritage, Dulwich

• Saffron Club, Blackheath

• iNaga, Bromley

• Indian Diner, West Wickham

• Indian Essence, Orpington

• Mahan Indian Takeaway, Bexley

• Panas Gurkha Restaurant, Lewisham

The south London finalists:

• Curry Leaf, Old Coulsdon

• Dhaba Indian Street Food, Battersea

• The Pepper Tree, Clapham

• Thali Ho, Surbiton

• Rosa’s Thai, Waterloo

The final winners will be announced at the awards ceremony set to take place November 19 at the Grosvenor House in London later this year, hosted by BBC news anchor Samantha Simmonds.

ACF Chairman Yawar Khan said: “We’re seeing some remarkable innovation by pioneering restaurateurs, adapting to challenging trading conditions and more sophisticated customer preferences.

“Afternoon chai, weekend brunch, more use of quality local produce – especially seafood and game, are now being widely served.”