In the beginning was the Balti Belt but now Birmingham is fast developing a new culinary quarter. Anyone for dinner in the Delhi District?

A new generation of upmarket Indian restaurants has become established in the city’s business core, based around Colmore Row, offering an upmarket alternative to cut-priced bhuna baltis.

Their menus promise dining sophistication and the interiors speak of a designer lifestyle rather than a stripped back student chic.

However, the trend has prompted one leading restaurateur to warn aspiring chefs they need to ensure they have the skills to compete at this level and steer clear of “vanity projects” serving “bastardised Indian food.”

The latest opening is Saffron, the third in a small group of restaurants with ambitions to make a mark in Birmingham’s quality dining sector.

Situated in Colmore Row, in the former Caffè Uno site by Victoria Square, Saffron is a two-minute stroll from Asha’s, which has made huge strides in the past 18 months.

The area is also home to the multi award-winning Lasan in St Paul’s Square and Itihaas in Fleet Street, which has built up a reputation for upmarket Indian dining. City stalwart Rajdoot is not a million miles away, in George Street.

The concentration of restaurants, using authentic Indian cooking techniques, spices and eye-catching presentation is in stark contrast to the bargain balti houses of Sparkhill and Sparkbrook, where Pakistani-inspired food, developed by immigrant communities during the 1970s, rules the roost.

An average two-course meal in the Balti Belt, which nudges into Moseley, might be £10-£15. In the Delhi District, the cost per head is £20-£40 and upwards.

Although the price difference is partly explained by the provision of alcohol (for cultural reasons, balti restaurant often operate a bring-your-own policy) it also reflects the style of cuisine, the quality of produce and comfort levels.