Midlothian curry houses Itihaas and The Radhuni have been listed among the top 10% of the world’s restaurants as the County’s MP congratulated them on winning a national award.

TripAdvisor, which describes itself as the leading global travel guidance platform, has awarded them its Travellers’ Choice certificate, a distinction given to only one tenth of all restaurants reviewed by diners. It is based on ratings collected over the past 12 months.

A spokesperson for TripAdvisor commented: “To earn this honour a restaurant must consistently be praised by customers for the high quality of its food, service and ambiance. Many aspects have to be just right. ”

The 80 seat Itihaas is in Dalkeith and the 130 seat Radhuni is in Loanhead.

Habibur Khan (pictured), Managing Director of both restaurants, commented: “The best judges of any restaurant are its customers. It’s therefore a particular pleasure for our teams to receive so many compliments from them as well as be recognised by such an authoritative organisation as TripAdvisor. We are grateful to our guests for their continuing loyal support.”

The commendation coincided with MP Kirsty McNeill’s letter of congratulations to Matin Khan, founder and Executive Chef of both restaurants, on being named Best Chef in Scotland and one of the top nine in the UK by trade magazine Curry Life.

The Radhuni (front of house staff also pictured), one of only a handful of Indian-style restaurants in Scotland to have been awarded an AA Rosette for culinary excellence, took the title of Best Curry Restaurant in Scotland.

In her letter to Matin Khan Ms McNeill wrote: “To be recognised among the finest curry chefs in Britain is an exceptional achievement and one well deserved after four decades in hospitality marked by your dedication both to your craft and the local community … I have no doubt this award will be followed by many more successes.”

Both restaurants are major supporters of local good causes and sponsor many sports and other organisations.