I've been eating curry in Southport for the best part of thirty years. I know which ones have been consistent for a decade and which ones peaked two years ago and are coasting on their reputation. This is the honest list.
What Southport's Indian restaurant scene looks like
Southport has a decent cluster of Indian restaurants — mostly concentrated in the town centre and along the roads just off Lord Street. The quality varies considerably. The best ones tend to be the longer-established independent operations, often family-run, with menus that go beyond the standard British Indian takeaway template. The less good ones are fine for a weeknight delivery but not what you'd travel for.
What to order and what to look for
- →Lamb dishes tend to be the most reliably good — slow-cooked, properly spiced
- →Biryani quality separates the serious kitchens from the shortcuts: it should be fragrant and made to order
- →House specials are usually where the chef shows what they can actually do
- →Vegetarian and vegan menus have improved significantly across all the better places
- →Bread quality — fresh naan from a tandoor oven is non-negotiable at a serious place
When to book
Friday and Saturday evenings get busy. For the better restaurants, booking a table is always sensible — the ones worth going to tend to fill up. If you're visiting during a major event (The Open, the Flower Show), book well in advance. Indian restaurants in Southport don't always appear on OpenTable or Resy — call ahead.
Town centre — the main concentration
The town centre around the roads behind Lord Street has the highest concentration of Indian restaurants. It's worth walking the area before you commit — you can usually tell a lot about the kitchen from the menu boards and the state of the dining room through the window. Look for restaurants that are busy on a Tuesday evening: that's the most reliable indicator of consistent quality.
Takeaway vs sit-down
Southport has several Indian restaurants that do an excellent takeaway trade and a more variable sit-down experience. If you're after a proper evening out, always opt for a restaurant that's clearly focused on the dining room — separate kitchen, proper service, a wine list. The ones that are primarily takeaway operations with a few tables in the front tend to be less satisfying as a sit-down experience.
🍛The best Indian restaurants in Southport are the ones where the menu hasn't changed much in ten years — not because nothing has improved, but because they've already found what they're good at. Consistent is underrated.
What the locals order
If you want to eat like someone who knows the town: lamb rogan josh or a slow-cooked karahi, fresh naan, a side of daal. Keep it simple. The kitchens that can execute the classics well are the ones worth returning to. The complicated house special with twelve ingredients is usually covering for something.
Looking for more places to eat in Southport? Our restaurant directory covers every category — from Indian and Italian to fine dining and seafood.
Browse all Southport restaurants →Terry
Chief Editor, SouthportGuide.co.uk — Lives in Churchtown with his wife,
four kids, and Frank the bulldog.
