A County Durham curry house has been named the best restaurant in the North East, beating out other contenders from around the region.

Currylife magazine has named Babul's in Barnard Castle the Best Restaurant in the North East at their glamorous annual restaurant awards in London on Sunday (October 15).

The restaurant has been running for 28 years on Market Place in Barnard Castle, and boasts a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor.

Read more: Indian restaurant Babuls wins at prestigious awards night

The Northern Echo: Babul's team at the awards in London, October 15.Babul's team at the awards in London, October 15. (Image: BABULS)

This is just the latest achievement for Babul's after they scooped Innovative Restaurant of the Year at the Asian Restaurant Awards on July 31. 

For staff member Zac Ahmed, this new accolade is an incredible achievement for the restaurant which has always tried to maintain innovative.

He said: "We have taken a lot of risks and we have moved away from the norms of what is expected from a traditional curry house.

"We have gone against the grain and predicted trends to stay ahead. So when we win an award like this it really cements in our minds that we are doing something right.

"It really means all of our hard work isn't for nothing, and this puts us up there with the top restaurants."

For Zac, the award is a special moment but one he wishes could be shared with his father Babul, who named the restaurant after himself and sadly passed away this year.

He said: "My father passed away this March, and he saw the struggles of the business as we tried to build it into what it is today. 

Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just £5 for 5 months for a limited time only here.

"He got to see the Darlington restaurant open and the hype around that but he never got to see how popular it is now and what a sleek operation it has become.

"Both restaurants have gone from strength to strength with the number of awards it has received and its reputation as a whole. It's bittersweet - we wish he was here but we have dedicated the awards to him."

Babul's second branch, located in Darlington has recently celebrated its first anniversary. On Friday (October 13) the team and customers gathered to celebrate the occasion.