Oudh 1722 will focus on Awadhi cuisine, a historic style shaped in the royal courts of northern India.
The restaurant will present Islam’s interpretation of Awadhi cooking, which originated in Lucknow – long regarded as one of India’s great culinary centres and recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
Details are currently limited, but 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.
Oudh 1722 - which takes its name from an alternative spelling of Awadh - will be set across three floors of a listed Victorian building in an as-yet-undisclosed location near Borough Market.
“Awadhi cuisine represents a rich culinary tradition I have always deeply respected, yet one rarely seen in its authentic form here in the UK,” says Islam. “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.”
Launched in 2018, Islam’s Birmingham flagship Opheem is one of just two Indian restaurants in the UK to hold two Michelin stars, alongside London’s Gymkhana.
Born in Birmingham to a Bangladeshi family, Aktar Islam began his career working in his father’s curry house before progressing through British Indian restaurants and broadening his approach with experience in European kitchens.
He went on to open his first restaurant in Solihull aged 21, later becoming a key figure in Birmingham’s dining scene through his work with Lasan Group and television appearances, including The F Word.