The Bombay, Swanley, and Spice Village, New Ash Green, are among 19 Best Restaurant winners at the Curry Life Awards. Three local names are Asian Curry Awards finalists.

Two restaurants in the district have won Best Restaurant of the Year at the 2026 Curry Life Awards. They are The Bombay in Swanley and Spice Village in New Ash Green. The organisers published the full list of winners on Monday. (Curry Life, Britain’s curry stars shine at the 17th Curry Life Awards)

The award is shared. Curry Life named 19 restaurants across the UK in the Best Restaurant category, so neither is the single best in the country.

The awards

The ceremony was held on Sunday 4 October at the InterContinental London Park Lane. Curry Life magazine says 41 awards were presented in four categories:

  • Editor’s Choice
  • Best Restaurant
  • Best Chef
  • Best Takeaway

Customers voted first. Judges then chose the shortlist and the winners, the organisers say.

The two district winners are:

Restaurant Address Award
The Bombay 23 to 25 High Street, Swanley Best Restaurant of the Year 2026
Spice Village 29 The Row, New Ash Green Best Restaurant of the Year 2026

The addresses are from the Food Standards Agency’s register. (Food Standards Agency, food hygiene ratings, Sevenoaks, Spice Village) Spice Village was given a hygiene rating of 5 on 4 September.

The Bombay, open since 2025

The Bombay opened in Swanley in 2025. It is a sister restaurant to The Bombay in Orpington, a family business of more than 40 years run by brothers Shahjahan Miah, MJ Miah and Kobir Hussain. Curry Life described the Swanley restaurant in July 2025 as seating up to 110, with a cocktail bar and eight signature dishes not served in Orpington. (Curry Life, The Bombay breaks new ground, 22 July 2025)

“There’s nothing in Swanley that is similar to what we are offering,” Kobir Hussain told the magazine at the time.

The restaurant’s own website shows a Curry Life Awards plate for Best Newcomer of the Year 2025. (The Bombay Swanley)

Three district names on the Asian Curry Awards shortlist

A separate competition, the Asian Curry Awards, has published its 2026 finalists. Three are in the district:

  • The Bombay, Swanley
  • Shampan @ The Spinning Wheel, Westerham
  • Tulsi Restaurant & Bar, Westerham

(Asian Curry Awards, 2026 shortlist)

The shortlist is long: it names 228 restaurants and takeaways from across the UK. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on Sunday 15 November at Grosvenor House, Park Lane. The public can vote on the awards website.

What it means for diners

Both winners are easy to reach. The Bombay is on Swanley High Street, and Spice Village is in the shopping parade at The Row, New Ash Green. Check opening hours and book with the restaurants directly.

For more places to eat, see our Sevenoaks restaurant directory. Our September food hygiene round-up lists the district’s latest ratings.

Sources

Image: dishes at The Bombay, Swanley, from the restaurant’s own website (thebombayswanley.co.uk).