Gordon Ramsay has named a Birmingham restaurant as having “some of the best cuisine anywhere in the world.” Joining Zoe Ball on Greatest Hits Radio, the celebrity chef talked about everything from Christmas dinner to his early days working with Marco Pierre White. He was asked for “the best food city in the UK right now?”
“I’m going to say Birmingham,” said Gordon Ramsay. “I lived there as well for a short time, but the food is off the charts there. Opheem is the two-star Indian restaurant, and it’s some of the best cuisine anywhere in the world.”
While best for his TV appearances on Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and The F Word—on which Birmingham’s Lasan won the title of ‘Best Local Restaurant in the UK’ in 2010—it’s easy to forget how qualified the established chef is. He’s been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall in his career, so he knows good food when he has it!
Opheem
Of course, Gordon Ramsay isn’t the first person to throw praise on Opheem. Opened in 2018 by Aston-born Aktar Islam, it became the UK’s first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant outside of London in 2019, before becoming Birmingham’s first restaurant to be awarded two Michelin stars in 2024.
“It’s incredible to achieve,” said Aktar Islam at the time. “My journey started 31 years ago when I was kicked out of school. It just goes to show what this industry can give someone with no prospects. Here I am. Anyone who says this industry has no future or has no opportunities, I’m proof that it’s bullshit.”
Many Indian regions are represented on Opheem’s modern fine dining menu, drawing on Persian and Arabian influences too. Choose between 5 (£145pp) or 10 courses (£195pp), with a seasonal tasting menu that journeys from Delhi to Kerala to Stratford Road in Shirley. A lunchtime à la carte menu is also available.
To book your table, head to the Opheem website.
