This Oudh 1722 Borough preview by London Reviews covers the first London restaurant from Aktar Islam, the chef behind Birmingham’s two-Michelin-starred Opheem, opening 1 May 2026 on Union Street.
Last updated: 30 April 2026 — Independently researched and written by the London Reviews team.
Preview article based on pre-opening information.
Oudh 1722 Borough — At a Glance
| Restaurant Name | Oudh 1722 |
| Chef | Aktar Islam (Opheem, Birmingham — 2 Michelin stars) |
| Address | 66 Union Street, Borough, SE1 1TD |
| Cuisine | Awadhi (royal courts of Lucknow, northern India) |
| Opening Date | 1 May 2026 |
| Setting | Three-storey townhouse (formerly Lupins) |
| Nearest Tube | Southwark (Jubilee line) — 5 min walk; Borough (Northern line) — 7 min walk |
What We Know So Far
Opheem made history as the first Indian restaurant in the UK to earn two Michelin stars, so Aktar Islam’s move into London carries genuine weight. Oudh 1722 focuses on a specific and relatively underrepresented cuisine in London: Awadhi cooking from the royal courts of Lucknow in northern India. This is the food of the Nawabs — slow-cooked, richly spiced, and historically elaborate, with techniques like dum pukht (slow cooking in sealed pots) and a particular emphasis on kebabs, biryanis, and kormas of a subtlety you won’t find in your average high-street curry house.
The restaurant takes over the three-storey townhouse on Union Street previously occupied by Lupins, which gives it an interesting, characterful space to work with. Borough is already one of London’s strongest dining neighbourhoods, anchored by Borough Market, and the addition of a Michelin-pedigree Indian restaurant fills a genuine gap in the area’s offering.
This is one of the most anticipated openings in London this spring, and for good reason. If Islam can translate the precision and depth of Opheem into a London setting — with its higher rents, different audience, and more competitive landscape — Oudh 1722 could quickly become one of the capital’s most important Indian restaurants. We’ll be back with a full review.
Related London Reviews
- Dishoom King’s Cross Review — Indian Restaurant
- Maai Clapham Preview — Nikita Pathakji
- Lady of the Grapes Borough Preview
Disclaimer: This is a preview article. London Reviews does not accept payment from the businesses we cover.
