In spring 2026, one of Britain’s most influential chefs, Aktar Islam, will make his London debut with Oudh 1722 in Borough. Best known as the chef behind Birmingham’s two Michelin-starred Opheem – one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK, and four worldwide, to hold the distinction – the new opening will focus on Awadhi cuisine, a historic style shaped in the royal courts of northern India.
Named for the Awadhi region and a year that nods to the roots of its cuisine, Oudh 1722 will be set across three floors of a listed Victorian building in Borough. The restaurant will present Islam’s interpretation of Awadhi cooking, originating in Lucknow – long regarded as one of India’s great culinary centres and recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy. The menu will explore the region’s defining dishes, from silken kebabs and intricately layered biryanis to richly aromatic curries, prepared using time-intensive methods such as dum pukht, a traditional technique in which ingredients are slow-cooked over a low flame to gently build depth and flavour.
Starting his career in his father’s restaurant at the age of 13, Islam has spent more than two decades reshaping perceptions of Indian cuisine in the UK. With Oudh 1722, he brings this experience to London for the first time, giving Awadhi cuisine a dedicated home in the capital.
Of the launch, he says: “Awadhi cuisine represents a rich culinary tradition I have always deeply respected, yet one rarely seen in its authentic form here in the UK. With Oudh 1722, the intention is to bring the flavours of Awadh to London, drawing on the techniques, generosity and sense of hospitality that defined the Nawabi courts of Lucknow.”
