From a classic chicken tikka masala to a super-spicy vindaloo, there's nothing quite like a curry. We have scoured through TripAdvisor favourites and multiple award winners to find the best curry houses from around the UK.

First up, The Maharaja in Stirling has scored a 4.5-bubble rating on TripAdvisor and serves both Indian and Asian food delicacies. Chef specialities include a Bombay Bakra (prepared with fresh spinach, peppers, spring onions and chef’s special recipe). TripAdvisor reviews particularly praise the mixed pakora and chicken. One TripAdvisor traveller commented: “It just gets better and better. The food is superb, the staff are faultless and set meal deals are great value for money.”

For the third year in a row, the Shalimar in Matlock received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2016, so it’s no wonder the restaurant has received a 5-bubble rating. It serves Indian, Asian and gluten-free food. House specialties focus around chicken and lamb, including Malai butter (cooked with almonds, coconut and creamy butter sauce) or Desi (a traditional style of home cooking – like mother used to make – cooked in a spicy sauce).

If you're looking for something a little different, Dishoom is the place. This Bombay-infused London restaurant is so adored you’ll find yourself queuing outside and sipping on a complementary chai tea to get yourself a seat (but it’s totally worth it). Winner of the Best Casual Dining award at the British Curry Awards 2016, head here to feast on the famous black house daal, masala prawns, Dishoom calamari and spicy lamb chops.

Yukti, The Art Kitchen in Liverpool is the proud owner of a 4.5-bubble TripAdvisor rating and some rave reviews to match. The restaurant believes cooking is an art form and wants to marry traditional Indian dishes with contemporary twists. Diners can choose from Indian, Asian, balti, halal and gluten-free dishes. The goan fish curry, mushroom rice and king prawns have received special praise on TripAdvisor.

Tharavadu in Leeds specialises in Keralan cuisine and also has a 4.5-bubble rating. Specials on the restaurant's menu include the Kappayumm meenum and the Malabar Kozhi biriyani. One TripAdvisor review said: “Cannot fault this place. The food is delicious and full of flavour and the staff are very attentive and friendly. This place is well worth a visit!”

Winner of the Best Takeaway Delivery Service award at the British Curry Awards 2016, the Chilli Pickle serves up street food-inspired dishes, perfect for sharing and guzzling down with a beer or two. On the menu, you'll find the likes of a tandoori lamb platter, punjabi aubergine curry and Nepalese village chicken dal bhat.

Koolba is in Glasgow's Merchant City district and has a well-deserved 4.5-bubble TripAdvisor rating. The restaurant specialises in Persian and Indian dishes and there's a special pre-theatre menu available. There’s a vast menu at Koolba, but Indian specialities include the lamb karahi and the Keralan garlic king prawns. One TripAdvisor reviewer said: “Delicious food, friendly staff and excellent service. It’s always a real pleasure to dine at Koolba.”

Urban Tandoor, in the heart of Bristol, has an impressive 5-bubble rating, and it promises to offer customers fine Indian cuisine and dining. Special mentions on TripAdvisor include the soft shell crab, lamb rogan josh, butter chicken and tandoori mixed grill. A TripAdvisor critic noted: “Excellent staff, top quality food and reasonable prices. What’s not to like! If you haven't been, then add it to your list of places to visit!”

Winner of the Best Curry House in the Midlands at the 2016 British Curry Awards, Asha's is owned by Hindi actress Asha Bhosle and is an internationally-acclaimed chain with branches located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Birmingham, Manchester, Kuwait and Qatar. Menu highlights include the Chingri Chaap (breadcrumb-coated prawns marinated in ginger, garlic and spices) and a whole range of kebabs, including the Jaipuri chicken tikka kebab and the Dakshin seabass tikka. Yum.

Acclaimed as one of Southampton's best curry houses on TripAdvisor, the Kohinoor has a 4.5-bubble rating. It serves Indian, Asian, vegetarian, balti and gluten-free dishes. Some special mentions on TripAdvisor include the masala dosa, and South Indian curried dishes with coconut and lime. TripAdvisor soundbite: “The Kohinoor truly deserves its excellent reviews. The food is superb no matter what you order. The staff are so polite, friendly and genuine. You will not be disappointed.”

This restaurant just outside Manchester specialises in authentic Indian street food. It has a 4.5-bubble rating and bags third place on TripAdvisor's list of the top 10 curry houses in the UK. Acclaimed dishes include the dosas, chicken lollipops and street food platters. One TripAdvisor review commented: “Absolute perfection! Delicious food, so fresh and well cooked. I loved the fact that the staff explained the menu. I will definitely go back. It’s the best curry I have had in a long time.”

This Indian buffet restaurant, located in Cleckheaton just outside of Bradford, was the 2016 winner of the Best Curry House in the North East at the British Curry Awards. TripAdvisor soundbite: "This is a buffet restaurant that is at the top of the buffet game. The food here is great. Plates are removed quickly during courses and I always have a good time."

On the East Sussex coast, the Chilli Tree has a sparkling 5-bubble rating. The restaurant offers a fusion of different dishes including Indian, Asian, vegetarian, balti, gluten-free and British. TripAdvisor soundbite: "The food never lets you down. I had a chicken bhuna and it was perfection, so much flavour! I have been to Indian restaurants all over the country and this is the best one I have been to.”

The Shish Mahal Restaurant in Glasgow earns its place at the top of the curry house tree not only for the quality of its food, which is very high, but because it is owned by Ali Ahmed Aslam, who claimed to have invented chicken tikka masala. In the mid-1970s when a customer complained that his chicken tikka was dry, Aslam apparently created a sauce with a tin of tomato soup and gave Britain what is now arguably its national dish.

The awards that plaster the walls of Madhuban in Liss, North Hampshire should be enough to convince customers that this smart restaurant knows what it is about. But it is the presence of a few more unusual dishes like Elaichi Gosht (lamb with ground cardamom and tomatoes) and Jardaloo Sali Bot (lamb cooked with apricots) that will really draw you in. That and the fact you can order online.

When you use the words “curry” and “Birmingham” in the same sentence, you can only be referring to one particular dish: the Balti. Although there is actually a place in North Pakistan called Baltistan, the Balti was a creation of Birmingham’s Pakistani Kashmiri community looking to create a dish with less oil than their traditional food. In 2009, the chefs of Grameen Khana were awarded the coveted title of “Best Balti in Birmingham” by the local press. ‘Nuff said, we think.

Named the most original Indian restaurant in the UK by The Curry Club of Great Britain, this curry house is in a converted Edwardian railway carriage at a disused station and serves up original food to match. TripAdvisor soundbite: "From the outside, it doesn't look all that promising or large, but once inside, you realize that it's spacious and high quality. The curries are unusual and delicious – I had the Sht Kora Delight which had spices I'd never experienced before."

Opened at the start of 2017, Lockhandwala was cooked up by the team behind The Grub Fest, which is India's biggest food festival. The restaurant's focus is on small plates with a healthy twist. You can take your pick from the likes of gujju vaal daal chaat (lentils and black pulses served with yoghurt and chutney) and Vepudo tacos filled with sea bass or cauliflower. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Located in Doncaster, the Aargrah has received 4.5 TripAdvisor bubbles and is popular among locals for its original take on classic dishes for a reasonable price. Menu highlights include the machli masala piaz as an alternative to the classic tikka masala, and pretty much any dish containing the restaurant's award-winning creamy hyderbabadi sauce.

Nisha Katona quit her 20-year career as a barrister so she could follow her dream of setting up her own Indian street food restaurant. Just a year after opening her first Mowgli restaurant in Liverpool, she opened another in Manchester. Her menu shuns any arguments that Indian cuisine is unhealthy as it is packed with fresh and unique flavours and a selection of vegan and gluten-free options. Menu highlights include the bhel puri, omelette wrap and Mowgli sticky wings.

Winner of the Best Curry House in the South East at the British Curry Awards 2016, Maliks is well-loved among locals and travellers alike. TripAdvisor soundbite: "You feel like you are entering someone's front room but the food was far from home cooking! Presentation was great and food was superb."

After opening in 2001, Bokhara Brasserie has been consistently named one of South Wales’ favourite Indian restaurants. If this wasn't enough, it has also been crowned the Best Curry Restaurant in Wales at the British Curry Awards five times. Menu specials include the rara gosht Punjabi (chunks of lamb with mince and liver with grilled chillies and spices).

Since opening in 1995, this Geordie haunt has received numerous nominations for awards in the industry, thanks to its cross between traditional Indian cuisine and fine dining. TripAdvisor users have awarded it 4.5 bubbles, with one user claiming: "This is the best I've ever had. The food was beautifully presented and tasted delicious. The service was excellent and all at a very reasonable cost. Can't wait to go back."

Winner of Best Takeaway in Scotland at the 2013 and 2015 British Takeaway Awards, Cinnamon is well-loved for its unusual and adventurous take on traditional Indian cuisine, which blends Asian food with Scottish traditions. Find the likes of tandooried Scottish king scallops and haddock kebab hidden on the menu, alongside many of the classics.

The first UK-based Indian restaurant to join the elite gastronomic club Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Le Raj has a menu packed full of dishes inspired by Bangladesh and Moghul traditions, including mussels marinaded in garlic and spices and slow-cooked lamb with chickpeas. The restaurant's website boasts many of the celebrities who have visited the restaurant (former prime minister David Cameron and chef James Martin just to name a couple) and promises not to disappoint.

Voted the best Indian restaurant in Belfast on TripAdvisor, Kathmandu Kitchen is a Nepalese and Indian restaurant and has been granted a Certificate of Excellence for its high-quality food and good service. TripAdvisor soundbite: "My husband had a daal dish and proclaimed it as one of the best he had tasted. The food felt as though it was homemade, the naan bread was lovely and made exactly as we'd asked for."

It might not look like anything special from the outside, but it's certainly special in the kitchen. Mt.88 Restaurant, located in Grantham, has been voted the Best Indian Restaurant in the East Midlands by TripAdvisor and has the reviews to match. One diner said: "The service, food and drink was immaculate, our waiter had a great eye for detail. We really enjoyed the tasty spicy bhuna dishes and the naan bread was so fresh and soft it reminded me of my granny's flatbread."

Topping the list of the best Indian Restaurants in Cornwall on TripAdvisor is Kathmandu Palace, located in Truro. You'll find a wide selection of choices on the menu, ranging from the classics to chef's specials such as the Machha Jalfry (monkfish cooked with green chillies, tomatoes, capsicum, ginger and garlic).

The top curry house in the UK, according to TripAdvisor's 2016 top 10 round-up, is Prithvi Restaurant in Cheltenham, which has a 5-bubble rating. The restaurant, which has several awards under its belt, specialises in reinventing Indian and Bangladeshi dishes. The menu changes depending on the seasons, but diners have noted the particularly interesting fusion between Indian and French cuisine.