Umami Indian Kitchen

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Review

397 reviews

#109 of 2,076 Restaurants in Birmingham££ - £££, Indian, Asian, Vegetarian friendly

+44 121 427 8773+ Add website

Hours

Sun

14:00 - 20:00

Tue

17:00 - 22:00

Wed

17:00 - 22:00

Thu

17:00 - 22:00

Fri

17:00 - 22:30

Sat

17:00 - 22:30

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

397 reviews

#109 of 2,076 Restaurants in Birmingham

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, Indian, Asian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Halal

“Second to none, best Indian food in Birmingham, staff are always so polite, f...”

“Delightful curry, very friendly staff and wonderful atmosphere.”

Special Occasion Dining, Romantic, Groups, Bar Scene, Business meetings

“Birthday meal.”

“Mitzey explained how it was a family business and bought us a free drink whil...”

Location and contact

25 Lordswood Road, Birmingham B17 9RP England

Harborne

+44 121 427 8773

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Does this restaurant offer free wifi?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

CUISINES

Indian, Asian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Halal, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Delivery, Takeout, Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Television, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Mastercard, Free Wifi, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music

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4.5

397 reviews

Excellent

304

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

7wonderss

United Kingdom233 contributions

What a fantastic restaurant.

Aug 2020 • couples

What a fantastic restaurant. In fact I would go as far as to say that this is the best Indian restaurant I have ever been to and trust me I have been to loads! Reason why it’s the best- They run the place like a very professionally and efficiently well oiled machine. We were shown to our seats straight away, and asked if we would like popadoms before we had even sat down and they had brought them out within 2 mins. Big tick right there for efficiency. We then ordered drinks and then the starters and mains. Had the cauliflower pieces to start and they were so good. I then had paneer dish for mains with rice and cheese naan. Wow it was good. My partner had a soy main and that was lush too. Also had non alcoholic cocktail called the ‘good choice’ which was a pinacoloda without the alcohol. Wow it was really awesome, so had to try the alcohol version and that was lush too. We couldn’t fault this place, it’s modern, stylish, clean, Covid safe, the waiting staff were excellent and the chef and bar staff are top notch. If you are ever in Birmingham, definitely worth a trip out to umami in Harborne. I’ll be going again soon. Such an awesome find . We had initially booked Umami’s Indian restaurant a week ago for the last night of the Eat our to help out scheme. However, we will definitely be going again even without the discount scheme as it’s definitely value for money and worth paying full price!

Written 31 August 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Charlie

Birmingham291 contributions

Mess up but great food

Nov 2020 • couples

Had a big error made with our delivery order. Did not turn up for over 1 1/2 hour, we could not get through on the phone, eventually did got left on the side for 10mins while server they chatted. Managed to get through after 67 times of trying, spoke to the manager/owner who apologised and said he would deliver food personally. Our original order then turned up and 10 mins later the manager. I was impressed with his level of service though, very apologetic and refunded our food and gave us a bottle of wine. Food was fantastic, can’t fault it but worth the 2 hour wait, unfortunately not. I would give them another chance due to the mangers sincere apology.

Written 10 December 2020

Lizwat12

24 contributions

Take away in lockdown

Oct 2020 • family

Ordered a delivery last night as we hadn’t eaten at Umami for some time now and we really want to support the local independents. This place never disappoints, quick service, food was absolutely delicious, we ordered a couple of the chicken tikka starters, chicken dansak & chicken saagwala with lemon rice & 2 naan breads beautiful. Thank you so much for the delicious flavours, they even deliver wine and beer, spot on.

Written 20 October 2020

CurryFan

4 contributions

Very disappointing

Mar 2020 • none

Waited almost 2 hours for a delivery from Umami this evening. It is my wife's birthday and our options were limited by the coronavirus crisis. We thought we'd go for a more 'upmarket' curry option given the special occasion. We ordered through the Umami app and chased up the delivery after an hour. We were told that our order was out with one of their drivers (they had grouped a number of deliveries together) and that the food should be with us in 5 minutes. 40 minutes later we phoned again to ask when our delivery might arrive. Again, we were told 5 minutes. Almost 2 hours after our initial order our food arrived. The food itself was awful - grease soaked the bottom of the delivery bag, the food was stone cold and the rice was much too salty. The chicken in the chicken tikka masala was stringy and gelatinous - we left it for fear of becoming unwell. The starter was supposed to be onion methi bhaji but appeared as a solid, cold, congealed mess. We left it untouched. We regularly have Harborne curries - Cardamom, Harborne Tandoori etc. but thought we'd try Umami for a change and because of it's reputation as a more 'refined' option. We were bitterly disappointed and will not be using this restaurant again.

Written 27 March 2020

Jane M

4 contributions

Birthday takeaway

Dec 2020 • family

This was a big occasion takeaway. This was the third takeaway order this year and there was some trepidation because both times previously the orders were wrong, but the food is great so thought would give another go... Another dish missed off the order, rang straight away to ask if could be added, and was assured would be on way. 10minutes later called again (as we were well through meal) to be told, on way, was seconds away, would be 2 minutes, etc etc. When pointed out I could walk 2 minutes to collect was rudely told they'd just refund and hung up call. To be fair manager called me back to apologise but damage done. So lesson is, the food is great but check order off before chap delivering leaves... Personally 3rd time unlucky wouldn't bother again.

Written 18 December 2020

Hati K

1 contribution

Small portion, expensive, bland and had allergic reaction

Nov 2020 • none

To preface this, I should say I have an allium allergy and can't eat garlic or onion. Whenever I order food I ring first and check which dishes are safe for me to eat, with indian places this is usually a korma. I ordered two curries and two naan from umami, it was far too expensive at over £30, the portions (both curry and naan) were half the size of standard curry houses, the food itself was bland and boring, and I still had a nasty allergic reaction to the food, which I was assured had no garlic or onion. Overall, a waste of time and money and I won't be ordering from here again.

Written 28 November 2020

Paul Clifford

Birmingham3 contributions

Well worth the second visit

Jul 2021 • family

After a year , we visited Umami last Saturday and to our surprise, the place was busy and buzzing. The new decor complimented the ambience and bar gave a wow factor to the restaurant. I was impressed with the food as they have now gone to more authentic cuisine then modern fancy foods. Goat meat on the bone was something that reminded my visit to India and my wife tried the mix grill which was worth the money . Well done to the Umami team for making our evening special. Good luck for future . Paul

Written 15 July 2021

Darren A

Birmingham1 contribution

Quality Indian cuisine with exceptional service

Jun 2021 • none

Umami has become our favourite Indian restaurant, and we are spoilt for choice in Birmingham. Hoq and his team do an amazing job, serving delicious food that is on par with homemade Indian cooking. The service is faultless and you are made to feel special throughout. We look forward to our next trip.

Written 12 June 2021

platpeeps

Birmingham616 contributions

Umami Indian Kitchen, Harborne, Birmingham

Jan 2023 • none

Went here for the first time tonight, was tempted in by their wine and dine (2 courses plus a glass of wine for £18.95) offer, and wasn't disappointed. Very friendly welcome and shown quickly to our table. The menus were brought and we were asked whether we would l ike a glass of red or white wine. We opted for the red (both were Chilean, the white was Sauvignon Blanc, the red was Merlot). Reasonable choice of dishes, about 5 in each course - we opted for the chicken kebab (my husband), the lamn shish kebab for me. We both had the Indian Railway lamb curry for our mains, and because we don't eat potatoes, naan or rice, we asked for a green salad each instead. Not a prblem and no extra charge. Both starts and mains were absolutely delicious and we would definitely eat here again. Having eaten at many a much cheaper indian restaurant around Birmingham, we though that the main menu was quite pricey, but if those dishes are as good as the ones we enjoyed tonight, then it would be well worth the extra. We'll definitely be returning (it's a short walk from our home, so easy to get there quickly)) and we hope they will keep their Wine and Dine menu going for a long time! highly recommended!

Written 18 January 2023

Paul Clifford

Birmingham3 contributions

Food really Bland

Aug 2020 • couples

Last Tuesday we went there back again expecting our favourites, but the lamb curry was bland butter chicken was not even cooked properly. We have been there on various occasions but this time it was disappointing. Service was excellent with a good range of cocktails. Will visit again when it’s quieter .

Written 13 August 2020

Swisheavy

Birmingham273 contributions

Just had a takeaway from Umami.

May 2020 • couples

Just had a takeaway from Umami. We would have preferred to eat in but such is life at the moment. Our first visit of any sort. Really good quality flavour rich food. We had the chicken Chittunand and Handi. Both were very good if spicier than the average (no issue, just something to be mindful of). The naan while surprisingly small, was the lightest we’ve had in some time. Very pleasant. There onion asparagus bhaji would have benefited from a little more asparagus. Pricier than the average, but more complex flavours than the average.

Written 2 May 2020

Kam019

Arlesey6 contributions

Fantastic evening at Umami!

Jan 2023 • none

We celebrated a special family occasion at this restaurant last Saturday for 30 people and were delighted with the excellent service and cuisine. The staff were extremely courteous and attentive and went out of their way to ensure a special experience for all and we can't thank them enough for catering for the different individual needs. The food was authentic, packed with flavour, fresh and topped up, not easy given the size of the group. Also grateful for the complimentary drinks - nothing was too much trouble for this team. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for small parties!

Written 11 January 2023

abdul h

Thank you very much for your kind review. We enjoyed having you and your guests.

Written 17 January 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Parsi C

1 contribution

Terrible and uncomfortable atmosphere. The food was poor

Jun 2024 • family

I visited Umami with my partner and daugher in june 2024. The atmosphere was terrible and uncomfortable. The management treatment of staff was appalling, we observed verbal abuse towards waiters, who appeared terrified. Our table was surrounded by 2 waiters for the entire evening, making us feel uncomfortable. The food was was bland, with one dish, the paneer overly sweet, we couldn't eat it. I'm an Indian women and know how indian food should taste like. What they served at Umami was tastless and not quality food. Don't bother asking for a cocktail, because they don't know how to make them. My daughter had previously eaten there and had a the same experience, but we thought that might have been a one off incident, clearly not. I will never eat there again and will tell everyone to avoid going there, because how there treat they staff, like dirt and the standard of the food was not that great. Over priced for poir food. I'll say away and go somewhere else.x I

Written 30 June 2024

M Khalid

Thank you for your review. We understand that you were not satisfied with your recent visit to Umami. Here are some points we would like to address: 1. We recently employed few new waiters and were training them. During this training, the manager may have communicated with them in their native language to ensure better understanding. It is our passion to serve people, and we strive to ensure our diners leave happy. 2. If you are Indian, you may have recognized that our new waiters are also from India. We serve food out of passion while also creating jobs for locals. If you felt uncomfortable, you could have addressed it directly with them. 3. Our head chef, who is fully trained in India, oversees the kitchen. If you were not satisfied with the taste of your dish, it may have been a matter of choosing a milder dish. You can always ask our staff for recommendations or specify your preferred spice level. 4. All dishes on our menu come with full descriptions and are prepared with extra care. 5. We are also known for our cocktails. If you or your daughter had asked, our experienced bartenders—some with over 20 years of experience—would have been happy to recommend one. 6. Freshly made food does come at a cost. In our 5-star hygiene-rated kitchen, we use premium products and spices to ensure your food is 100% safe. Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention. We hope to provide you with a better experience in the future.

Written 3 July 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sherpa23281100952

1 contribution

terrible

Jul 2023 • solo

Home delivery, chicken madras, garlic and coriander naan, 2 chapatti, 2 sheik kebab and other stuff. Chicken madras no heat and swimming in ghee,naan was a chapatti with coriander and no garlic, both chapatti and naan tough, ate some, £25 now in the bin. All cold when received, don't bother

Written 29 July 2023

Abdul Hoq

Hi Sherpa Thank you for making time to write this review, we welcome all reviews. like everything its not everyone's cup of tea. Our chef is only a handful of qualified Indian chef in UK. Our chef is qualified from IHM India, We are sorry your palate is not suited to our cuisine, we don't use Ghee for cooking but vegetable oil, If you would like to give us another try to taste true flavours of Indian cuisine, I will endeavour to make myself available to recommend something suitable to your palate.

Written 31 July 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

TJ from Brum

Birmingham6 contributions

music somewhat overloud - otherwise great

Jun 2022 • none

Harborne prices, beautifully printed menus, lovely music but somewhat overloud, Food descriptions brief (as with most places), so do ask for a fuller description. Menus don't state any allergen info, so do ask for that too. There's a second dining room towards the back, down the corridor, past the toilets. Staff very friendly & efficient, & mostly not intrusive.

Written 3 June 2022

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UMAMI INDIAN KITCHEN, Birmingham - Harborne - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor