Upmarket Indian restaurant lacks zing

Praza, Edgbaston

From the creators of Pushkar I had expected something with a little more, oomph. Just something distinct and memorable about the place, something to leave me wanting more.

Instead, my guest and I entered a venue which, although looks the part, lacked atmosphere.

Housed in a Grade II-listed building, the venue has been stripped of most of its Georgian character in place of branded and zebra print cushions, intricate bronze lighting and lavish velvet chairs too deep for the purposes of dining. 

Based on the manager’s recommendation we chose the starter platter which included a selection of chicken tikka, murgh hariyali tikka, lamb seekh kebab, salmon tikka, and fresh salad. The meat and fish was of an extremely high quality, seasoned beautifully and well-presented too.

But delicious as this was, it set the bar a little too high for the bland king prawn curry that followed. I was expecting more from the Edgbaston restaurant, given how it positions itself above the standard curry house.

We were encouraged to try the Indian desserts, Gulab Jamun and Kulfi which were presented beautifully. The dense cottage cheese balls with saffron ice cream tasted sweet and fragrant as traditional Indian treats should be.

Aside from the menu, Praza could easily pass for an Italian or a British restaurant in London with its modern swanky décor and quiet, contemporary music.

The restaurant, which is well known for its Indian afternoon tea, was pleasant enough, but the memory won’t linger.