Asian Restaurant Awards 2025: Raval Gateshead best in fine dining

Raval Indian Brasserie & Bar, located near the Tyne Bridge in Gateshead, has been crowned Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year at the prestigious Asian Restaurant Awards 2025.

The ceremony, held in Manchester and hosted by BBC journalist Samantha Simmonds, celebrated the best in Asian cuisine across the UK.

The inside of Raval, Gateshead(Image: RAVAL)

The award was described by Raval’s manager, Nas Islam, as “a proud moment not only for our team but for Newcastle, Gateshead and the wider North East.”

He added: “We are humbled and grateful to the Asian Restaurant Awards for this recognition. To be named Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year is an honour we never expected.

"This award belongs as much to our guests and our community as it does to our staff.

The chefs at Raval(Image: RAVAL)

"Without the support of the people of Newcastle, Gateshead and the wider North East, we would not be here.”

The Asian Restaurant Awards recognise restaurants that consistently deliver quality, creativity and outstanding service.

For Raval, which blends traditional Indian flavours with modern fine-dining flair, the accolade reinforces its place among the UK’s most visited restaurants.

Representatives of Raval at the Asian Restaurant Awards 2025 in Manchester(Image: RAVAL)

Nas Islam said the team see such recognition not as an endpoint, but as motivation to push further.

“We see awards not just as achievements, but as reminders to keep raising the bar," he added.

"We are proud to fly the flag for the North East on a national stage, and we will continue to work hard for every guest who walks through our doors.”

Earlier this summer, Raval was also listed among the Top 100 Asian Restaurants in the UK at a ceremony held in the House of Lords.

The venue itself is steeped in history, based in the Snowball & Son building, once dubbed the “Harrods of the North.”

Today, the brasserie neighbours the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead and the Glasshouse International Centre for Music, making it a landmark in its own right.

Raval has previously earned recognition from the Asian Curry Awards and the British Indian Good Food Guide.