Babul's Darlington wins Northern Echo Best Curry House 2024

The popular Indian restaurant on Skinnergate has been named the Echo’s Best Curry House 2024 with a convincing 65% of the vote.

First opening in 2022 it has gone on to become one of the town's hottest eateries, and has now beaten off nine competitors across County Durham and Darlington after being nominated then voted for by Echo readers.

Owner Shuhel Ahmed said: “It’s a hell of an achievement.

Shuhel Ahmed (right) with his staff outside the Darlington restaurant. (Image: STUART BOULTON) “This year has been a crazy year for awards – we’ve won six and this makes it seven. This one tops it off, like the cherry on the cake.

“The great thing about the Northern Echo award is it’s a local one. To be the best curry house voted by the Northern Echo readers is a testament to the hard work the staff and kitchen has put in. It proves that we’re doing the job right, making sure the food and service are great.

“Thank you very much to everyone who voted for us, and thank you to everybody that’s dined in Babul’s in the past two years.”

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Recent award wins include being crowned restaurant of the year at the third North East Bangladeshi Awards and the best restaurant in the North East at the Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards (ARTAs).

Babul’s was founded by Rafique Uddin Babul in 1995 as Spice Island in Barnard Castle before being rebranded in 2019. It expanded to Darlington three years later. Rafique sadly died in 2023 - but his legacy lives on, and he was recently named a "special British curry legend" by Curry Life Magazine at its London awards.

(Image: STUART BOULTON) It was rebranded to Babul's in 2019 before the Darlington restaurant opened its doors for the first time in late 2022.

The Barnard Castle branch was also shortlisted in the top 10.

Babul's in Darlington. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

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Shuhel added: “I’m sure across County Durham and Darlington we’re looking at 100+ Indian restaurants, there’s about 12 in Darlington alone. For both ours to get into the top 10 is a hell of an achievement and for Darlington to win it is unbelievable.”

The restaurant has big plans in 2025, with Shuhel teasing they are looking to expand.

“We have got plans in motion for expansion, we’ve got plans for maybe a takeaway, maybe another restaurant, and maybe a food van, so we’ve got quite a few options,” he said.