London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

William takes restaurant booking and Kate tries darts during visit to city

William takes restaurant booking and Kate tries darts during visit to city

Princess of Wales was complimented on ‘very solid’ throwing action
The Prince of Wales took an unsuspecting customer’s restaurant booking on the phone as he and the Princess of Wales visited an Indian street food restaurant in Birmingham.

William answered the unexpected phone call and took a booking for two while he and Kate were being served a range of Indian dishes at Indian Streatery in Bennetts Hill on Thursday.

After negotiating over the time of the booking and giving the customer directions, William said: “He knows where you are now, I probably sent him somewhere else in Birmingham so I apologise.”

At 2.15pm, the customer Vinay Aggarwal and his wife Ankita Gulati, a husband and wife visiting from London, arrived at the restaurant ahead of their train home at 3pm.

Mr Aggarwal, a software engineer, said he had “no idea” that William took the call.

He said: “It’s pretty amazing and a surprise. I didn’t know at that moment, but it’s a very nice surprise.

“Obviously (I will be telling everyone), it’s not something that happens often.

“I didn’t recognise his voice at all, this is the first time I was listening to him on the phone, so I genuinely thought someone was taking the booking for me.”

Asked about the unexpected phone call, restaurant owner Meena Sharma said: “All of us around him were really surprised he actually picked up the phone and actually said ‘this is the Indian Streatery’, and there was a genuine person on the other end wanting to make a booking.

“But I think he probably could have a role as a front of house manager, we could probably employ him to take phone calls in future as he did a really good job.”

During the visit, which comes as part of a wider tour of the country ahead of the King’s coronation, Will and Kate said they “love curries” and “secretly try lots of curry houses around the country”.

In the first of two stops in Birmingham, Kate said food is “so nostalgic” and said she “loves spice”.

Meanwhile, William said he preferred milder food, adding: “I’m a masala man.”

When asked whether their children enjoy Indian food, Kate replied: “Absolutely, they love it.”

After being introduced to Mrs Sharma and her husband, Rakesh, William and Kate met front of house staff before heading into the kitchen to prepare rotis, a traditional flatbread.

They took part in a cooking competition, which was judged by the restaurant’s head chef and co-owner, Meena Sharma.

He also asked staff for their top tips on preparing rice as it was always “soggy” when he made it, with Mrs Sharma, who opened the restaurant in 2017 and runs an all-female kitchen, telling staff not to give away the eatery’s recipes.

The couple were served portions of traditional Indian street food including pani puri, black dahl, methi chicken and balpuri chaat.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also both tried their hand at darts during their visit to Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter – with one fellow competitor praising Kate for her “very solid” throwing action.

During a visit to The Rectory bar on Thursday, William and Kate chatted for more than half an hour with local business owners and workers from the city’s creative industries sector, before taking to separate oches in the cellar bar.

The royals also both chatted with Birmingham-born TV presenter Alison Hammond during the visit to the pub’s 180 Club, which has four interactive darts booths.

Hundreds of well-wishers greeted William and Kate when they arrived at the bar, overlooking the 18th century St Paul’s Square, and remained there for a lengthy walk-about as they left.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×