Rewind back just over 20 years to when Butler’s Balti House – Sheffield’s first balti restaurant – relocated to Broad Lane and the area is unrecognisable to today. Investment in recent years has seen a new road layout as well as a good number of high-rise buildings spring up in the area giving it a cosmopolitan feel and its own identity. You’ll now find restaurants, brewhouses, coffee shops, offices and scores of accommodation. 

Not wanting to be outdone, Butler’s Balti House has undergone a small transformation of its own, with a new look luxe interior complementing the already high-quality food.

White and grey marble-effect walls are now completed by blue furnishings and gold accents, including the gold-themed VIP area at the bottom of the large Kashmiri and Indian restaurant.

Some things don’t change, however, and that’s the warm welcome you always receive from the staff there, many of which have been with Butler’s for a good number of years. 

The menu is familiar and includes everything from tandoori grills and masala specialities to chef’s specials and desi-apna Kashmiri style dishes. All dietary requirements are catered and clearly highlighted on the menu.

As the name suggests, balti dishes are the restaurant’s go-to dish and you’ll find almost 20 to choose from. But more of that later. 

Drinks are always a good place to start and we begin with a bottle of Cobra beer for my wife whilst I tried a new addition to the menu – Indian King beer – which is brewed in nearby Chesterfield and was crisp, light and worked really well with the spicy dishes. 

We crunched our way through plain popadoms (£1 each) and a mixed pickle tray (£3.50) before tucking into dishes of paneer pakora (£6) and king prawn butterfly (£8.50). The cheese is made in-house, coated with spiced gram flour and deep fried and was delicious, combining really well with some left over raita from the pickle tray. My wife’s prawns were crumbed and deep fried but retained a juicy firmness that worked so well with a subtle hint of spice. 

You can’t visit Butler’s without trying one of their balti dishes so we opted for the special mix balti (£14) and the murghi chole saag (£14). Both arrived at the table served in the cast iron dishes they were cooked, which is said to enhance the flavour.

The mixed curry contained chicken tikka, lamb and mushroom and was served in a rich, slightly spicy gravy whilst the spinach-based one had those fresh flavours as well as extra texture from the firm chickpeas. It was a good combination and worked really well with a sauce that had enough kick without being overly hot. 

We complemented both dishes with a simple pilau rice (£3.50) and a coriander-filled dhania naan (£4.50), the latter perfect for mopping up those last vestiges of sauce. 

The new look has added more style to an already established restaurant but it’s the food that keeps everyone coming back for more. It’s still top-drawer. 

Butler’s Balti House

44-46 Broad Lane, Sheffield S1 4BT

Tel: 0114 276 8141

https://ysl342.wixsite.com/butlersblati