Aktar Islam to open Oudh 1722 in London
CHEF Aktar Islam is set to make his London debut in spring 2026 with the opening of Oudh 1722 in Borough.
Best known as the chef behind Birmingham’s two Michelin-starred restaurant Opheem, Aktar will bring a focused exploration of Awadhi cuisine to the capital, a historic regional style shaped in the royal courts of northern India.
Oudh 1722 will be housed across three floors of a listed Victorian building in Borough. The restaurant takes its name from the Awadh region, alongside a year that references the historical roots of its culinary traditions.
A London home for Awadhi cuisine
The menu at Oudh 1722 will centre on Aktar’s interpretation of Awadhi cooking, a cuisine originating in Lucknow, long regarded as one of India’s great culinary centres and recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
Dishes will draw on the defining characteristics of the region, including silken kebabs, intricately layered biryanis and richly aromatic curries. Central to the cooking will be traditional, time-intensive techniques such as dum pukht, where ingredients are sealed and slow-cooked over a low flame to build depth and complexity of flavour.
Speaking about the project, Aktar said: “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.”
Aktar Islam’s career and influence
Aktar began cooking at the age of 13 in his father’s restaurant and has since spent more than two decades reshaping perceptions of Indian cuisine in the UK. He rose to national prominence after winning Great British Menu, before going on to open Opheem in Birmingham.
Opheem has since become one of the most significant Indian restaurants in the country, holding two Michelin stars and standing as one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK - and four worldwide - to achieve the distinction. The restaurant is widely recognised for combining Indian flavours with British produce, classical technique and a fine-dining framework.
With Oudh 1722, Aktar brings his cooking to London for the first time, positioning the new restaurant as a dedicated platform for Awadhi cuisine rather than an extension of Opheem’s approach.
A significant London opening
The Borough opening marks a notable moment both for Aktar’s career and for London’s dining landscape, offering a rare, focused exploration of a regional Indian cuisine that has historically been underrepresented in the capital.
Further details on menus and opening dates are expected to be confirmed ahead of the restaurant’s launch in spring 2026.
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Aktar Islam to open Oudh 1722 in London
