The Bilash has been underscoring its reputation as the Black Country’s premier restaurant with a string of appearance’s in the nation’s top eating-out guides.

It’s latest achievement is its biggest – an entry in the prestigious Michelin Red Guide.

Considered the definitive guide to eating out, the UK edition of the guide has just been published. The Bilash is the only Black Country restaurant to make the grade and be included.

Although it has not been given one of Michelin’s much desired stars, the mystery inspector who visited the Bilash some time over the last 12 months felt its food was good enough for inclusion in the guide, which lists the country’s top 1,787 restaurants. The Bilash’s nearest rival, apart from restaurants in Birmingham, is the Bell & Cross pub at Clent.

The Bilash’s entry gives it two crossed knives and forks, a sign of comfort, and notes its “locally renowned” Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine.

The Bilash has been the only Wolverhampton restaurant to feature in most of the quality restaurant guides in recent years. But the Michelin entry takes it into the premier league of UK restaurants.

Just a few weeks before the Michelin Red Guide was published, the Bilash featured in the latest Harden’s Guide, UK Restaurants 2007, another comprehensive assessment of 1,700 eateries nationwide.

Scoring well, the Bilash was described as providing “wonderful, innovative food served up with some panache”. It described this Indian restaurant near the Civic Centre as “an amazing” find for first-timers.

The praise in Harden’s Guide comes after similar comments from the most recent Which? Good Food Guide 2007, which had particular praise for the restaurant’s Goan Tiger Prawn Masala signature dish. The Bilash Champagne Lounge and Asian Grill, is in Bennetts Hill, off New Street, in the city centre.

In a bid to win some of Birmingham’s corporate clients, the new restaurant is offering two courses for just £16.95 in the evening and £11.95 at lunchtime, including pilau rice, salad and coffee.

* The new Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2007 is in shops now, priced £15.99.

By Simon Penfold