Celebrity Balti

I always thought Celebrity Balti was a strange name. Perhaps the chef was a well-​known balti chef, or maybe they just got a celebrity du jour to come in and contribute to their menu each week.
Hey, I had to occupy my mind somehow while blocking out the experience of walking up Broad Street, right?
Walking inside, you are greeted by a decidedly monochrome stairwell that for some reason reminded me of an old chapel. At the top, the restaurant spreads out in all directions around you. This disorientated me at first, since there was nobody to greet and seat me, I assumed I was to find my own way to a table. I was intercepted en route and taken to a table next to an already seated party of about ten people who seemed to be on a work do. Why I had to sit there, when the rest of the place was practically empty, is beyond me.
The menu offers a broad range of balti dishes that you can take either as starters or main dishes. There are lots of different kinds of naan bread and other sundries, and there is a good drink selection as well.
The popadoms were decent, but when the main course arrived I wondered if I’d ordered a starter-​sized portion instead! Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the size of the dishes you get at Birmingham’s numerous other balti restaurants, but I was a little taken aback by just how little food I’d been given. I had been debating getting a naan, and was quite relieved I had gone for one, since otherwise I’d have probably left hungry. Perhaps that’s what they meant by «celebrity»!
To be fair to them, the food itself was very good. I had a saag paneer and a chili cheese naan, which were both high in quality if not in quantity. The service was speedy and friendly, and the restaurant interior was well done-​out. I guess if you’re in the centre of town and fancy a balti without caring about the price or portion size, this is a good option. For anyone thinking of making a trip in search of food like this, you are vastly better catered for elsewhere.

Located on the first floor above the Brasshouse in a very central Birmingham location.
The menu contains the usual staples, but also some more interesting dishes like chicken & red pepper samosas; Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) Tikka; spinach fried rice and an assortment of less usual meats like venison, seabass and duck.
Most of the starters cost £4−5 with the main courses typically £9−12. The food was tasty, quite spicy, and everyone seemed to enjoy what they had.
Recommended.