We ate at the Birmingham street food restaurant visited by Prince William and Kate and we've got a bid of advice

What should we choose? Italian, Spanish tapas, Mexican, Thai, or maybe boiled beef and carrots?

Or how about street food, you know the kind of stuff sold by a vendor on a street or a market, fair, or park? Often at a fair and  sold from a food cart, or food truck to eat on the spot. Most countries have them. But in Birmingham, they are rare and even more rare to sit down in a restaurant to a street food menu.

Having perused the interweb, we found what we were looking for. We hoped. A restaurant serving Indian street food – and frequented by royalty –  took my eye.

So, as you do, we settled on a city eaterie that was recently frequented by the Prince of Wales and his wife visited an Indian street food restaurant in Birmingham.

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were at the Indian Streatery in Bennetts Hill in 2023 as part of a visit to the city that brought the area to a standstill

They learnt to cook traditional rotis and admitted secretly trying curry houses around the country

The prince also helped by answering the phone as a customer booked a table.

A royal seal of approval then. So definitely worth a try.

This is not a typical South Asian dining experience. After all, where to you see the likes of Chole Bhatura, The Indian Hotdog, the Canon Hill Park Picnic or Meaty Masala Fries. As well as dishes named after popular Birmingham areas, there are more unfamiliar names on an extensive menu that is suitable for all diners - meat lovers, vegetarian and vegans alike and it is cooked from fresh.

They also offer signature cocktails, vegan, locally brewed craft beers and wines.

Situated n the heart of Birmingham on and close to all three rail stations and the Metro it is a small but cosy venue, with efficient, but not overbearing service.

The restaurant is home to a family of foodies who started as street food traders almost six years ago. They worked the street food scene in Birmingham and around the UK and became firm favourites at the city's Digbeth Dining Club under their street food name The Indian Rasoi.

The owners believe in serving up a traditional, authentic, menu with a concept that bridges the generations

During the days it caters for fast street food roots by day, an alternative for the office worker's diet with a grab and go lunch - where you can ditch your normal sandwich and grab a chicken curry, vegan or lentil hot pot to go, or if a lighter option is what you need go for a Pakora, Samosa or Chicken chaat.

The full menu is served all day alongside lunch, then transforming the former Adams building into a chilled Indian eatery by night.

Heading a team of all female chefs, the head chef and mum of this foodie family came up with the original vision to bring real Indian street food to the streets of Birmingham. (Hence her cocktail name is The Visionary - They have a cocktail for each member of the family based on their personalities. The Dad is the angry Indian).

So looking at the menu, the idea of set meals  didn't seem appropriate and as a group we decided to go for a tapas style selection. Apart from one member, who likes their set meal and she went for a fresh spinach and lamb curry. Having said that we also shared a Vegetable Kofta curry.

It proved an inspired choice. Between us, rather than the set curry as mentioned, between us we went for 12 dishes. Some of the name were familiar and a few a bit offbeat. Basmatic rice and yellow dhal offered a fragrant counterpoint to the chicken and pakora chaat while the palak paneer offered a cheesy alternative.

An interesting dish was chole bhatura, a combo of fried bread with marinated curried chickpeas and various pickles. Tangy and tasty. Another unknown to me starter, Laacha Parantha proved just as interesting. Apparently a favourite at Indian weddings, a tasty flatbread layered with cumin and fenugreek.

The whole tapas-style concept worked a treat, as we dipped in and out of the the various dishes and exotic tastes. One slight disappointment was the lamb curry, which the other half said it was tasty, but was more like a stew. Still you can't please everyone.

A bit of advice...

The service was good and the food good value, although be careful when ordering attractive looking dishes. The cost can mount and the generous servings means you might leave a lot uneaten.

Attentive and unobtrusive staf fin and a cosy, friendly atmosphere, what's not to like. With such a large and varied menu, it would be rude not to try it again. After all, the restaurant mantra is : ‘make sure every guest leaves happier when they leave our restaurant.’

Future plans include potential expansion. Managment team and family member Dhiraj Sharma said: "We are currently looking at acquire another site at the start of 2025. Our grab n go model of quick tasty Indian food which is served 11.30-3pm is a long term goal for us to be the Indian wasabi."

Sample menu

Canon Hill Park Picnic £7.50

Lamb Kofta £8.25

Chole Bhatura £7.95

Yellow Dhal £7.95

Palak Paneer £8.25

Measty Masala Fries £6.95

The Indian Hot Dog £8.50

Pakora Fried Chicken Wings £7