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Tag: Birmingham Restaurant Reviews

Restaurants in the Birmingham area review by our experts.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Lost And Found, Birmingham

    ★★★★☆ | The Lost And Found, Birmingham

    The Lost & Found recently refurbed the whole of bar and restaurant area, and when I entered, there was a lot to catch the eye.

    When I arrived, Jack offered us a friendly reception and took me round to see the new Bookcase bar. He also explained how it is for private hire. The upstairs terrace bar was a stunning new addition where folks could a have drink without needing to book. This is named The Gallery which is adorned with leaves etched into the ceiling.

    Jack showed us to our table and I had a great view of the whole bar. The bar has changed its position towards the back creating more room for diners and drinkers to take a more centre-stage. I also noticed more room between tables, so there is more of intimate feel with each party. The cosy, Victorian feeling never left.

    I cannot help but get excited when I think of the cocktails we had. My first drink was TO BETTY’S FOR TEA containing Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin – Tea Edition, Briottet Crème de Bergamote, Teapot bitters, Egg white, Lemon juice & sugar syrup, Milk & cream (£8.95). Served with a chocolate digestive, said the menu, but I think they ran out of chocolate ones today, but it’s just as well I like plain digestives too. This was a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate – it was like drinking cheesecake. Dunking my digestive was definitely a good shout, thanks Jack! My lady friend, Danni put my manlihood to shame with her OLD FASHIONED cocktail, persisting of Bourbon/Rye whiskey/Rum of your choice, Angostura bitters, Orange peel, Maple syrup (£8.95). She said the advice for sweet whiskey was a good one. She must have liked it, she ordered it twice!

    For starters, I had the SMOKED SALMON gin & tonic pickled cucumber, lemon cream cheese and malted brown bloomer (£8.50), and Danni had the LIGHTLY DUSTED SQUID Asian slaw, sriracha mayonnaise and charred lemon (£7.50). My salmon was a work of art – colourful, symmetrical, and so much fun. Though petite in size, it sure satisfied the first bouts of hunger; while my friend’s starter was a mixed bag. The portion was very generous, and I had to help her finish – this is not a bad thing! However, as much as the salad was scrumptious, the squid was very tough and rubbery resembling mini boxing gloves. It was hard to cut and chew; don’t know if it was an old animal or overcooked? A small shame as the rest of the dish was dreamy.

    We both opted for steak mains. I had 8oz FILLET served with confit tomato and your choice of peppercorn sauce, Béarnaise sauce or garlic butter (£24.00). I went with peppercorn sauce as I always do, and a side of Fried potatoes, garlic mayonnaise & rosemary (£3.50) while Danni had the 8oz SIRLOIN STEAK served with confit tomato with garlic butter (£18.00) and a of Blistered green beans, chilli, garlic & sesame seeds (£3.50). Both steaks delivered in flavour and presentation, and it had us feeling very full by the end. The fried potatoes were very moreish too. But, there is always room for pudding, is there not? Jack described some dessert options and warned they are not what you would expect. True he was. EARL GREY PANNA COTTA with blackberries and mini shortbread biscuits (£7.00) was a delicious, neat pudding. Small portion but it was accompanied by a very tasty and citrusy cocktail called Haymans Old Tom Gin for an extra £3. However, the star of the show was Danni’s MILLIONAIRE’S SHORTBREAD with dark chocolate, sticky whisky caramel, honeycomb and a rich chocolate ice cream shortcake (£8.00), it was a field day for the senses. I use the field pun unashamedly since the dessert resembled a wild brook. It was beautiful to look at and very tasty too.

    Meanwhile. my second cocktail was a palate-boggler, still not sure what to make of it; it was called SANTIAGO SWIZZLER, containing QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan Mezcal Espadin, Velvet Falernum, Briottet Crème de Mûre, Damson plum jam, Plum bitters and Lime juice (£8.50). I didn’t recognise many of the ingredients, but I took a gamble. Danni didn’t like the taste of it, and I asked Jack about it who said it is a very popular drink during Christmas time, but almost extinct from the menu. I don’t think I would have it again, yet intrigued by its eclectic bursts of flavours and colours.

    What I always love about The Lost & Found is the atmosphere- the music was on point with the swing-style beats. The service is always on point and overall the food was delicious, fun and unexpected, with minor errors in cooking with one dish.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Lost and Found: Bottomless Brunch, Birmingham

    ★★★★★ – BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH LAUNCHES AT THE LOST & FOUND

    The weekends are for great nights and slightly late mornings, and of course good food to awake your spirits, as well as supping on some alcoholic beverages at lunchtime and forgetting the week. The Lost & Found take this occasion seriously with their Bottomless Brunch bonanza.

    The choices of Bellinis, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, in any order, are a delightful motivation to get out of bed on a Sunday morning. From 11 AM to 3 PM, you can indulge yourself in as many Prosecco glasses in a two hour booked period. The Bellinis were moreish with a raspberry floating in each glass – having one of my five a day (in abundance). What is lovely about the brunch food menu is that there is something there for any appetite. From delicate porridges to hearty breakfasts, one can take pleasure in eating rich, tasty and well-presented dishes. The hearty ‘English breakfast’ was incredibly delicious with tasty sausages and poached eggs cooked to perfection. My plus one opted for a bun-less ‘Bacon & cheeseburger’ with a fried egg and skinny fries, and according to him the dish was oozing with flavour and juices, and it definitely did not need a bun.

    What contributed to the superb event was the Victorian backdrop and out-of-time ambience that The Lost & Found encapsulates very well. The mood is just terrific for a Sunday brunch and chill. Josh looked after us again, and I must say his dedication and attention to detail rivals any other host I have met. Josh took time to explain to us how the menu worked, putting us at ease when making a decision, as well as letting us know in advance that due to staff shortage the meals may take longer than we might expect. Also, Josh made sure we were well and truly Bellini-ed and I was left feeling very fuzzy and cosy sitting comfortably in the booth.

    For just £22 per person, you are getting a very good experience with endless drinks for two hours, plus good quality, top-notch food and with an ambience that provides an escape for a weekend.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Smashburger, Wednesbury

    ★★★★ | Smashburger, Wednesbury

    Smashburger launches the first site in the Midlands, and what a messy affair it was!

    The method of smashing is a unique way of enhancing flavour into the burger as the meat is cooked in its freshly pressed juices. The result is a delicate, intense and a full-flavoured burger inside your soft bun. According to General Manager Colin, the ingredients are prepared and cooked fresh every day, and the burgers are almost smashed to order. Situated at the heart of Gallagher Retail Park in Wednesbury, this restaurant is certainly worth a sharp right on your way out.

    The Beef Bacon Cheeseburger, made with Applewood smoked bacon and American cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and red onion served on a multi-grain bread is probably one of the best burgers I have had in my mouth. The bread was soft and complemented the burger beautifully soaking up the juices and sauce oozing out of the burger. There is no way to avoid running mustard/ketchup sauce down your hand as it is a truly messy encounter. The sour pickles married well with the tangy mustard and galvanised the whole meal – Fourth of July happened in my mouth. My plus one had Spinach, Cucumber & Goats Cheese Beef Burger on a brioche bun which was very well presented and it had plenty of fresh vibes to it.

    What was very impressive about Smashburger was the excellent customer service experienced throughout the joint. Chloe was particularly pleasant and very hospitable offering us to try the churros at the end which was an offer you could not refuse. The atmosphere was very busy but the staff bantered and looked after every customer with genuine care.

    There was a problem with the fryer as a couple of items of the meal were slightly over-fried, particularly the Haystack Onions, and the Churros also were overly cooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. It was not a happy ending, but I would read this book again! I would like to think it was a one-off blip.

    The service was second to none. The quality and concept of the burgers through smashing was ingenious. The highlight for me of it all was the Oreo Hand-spun Shake – O.M.G! The best chunky shake I have had – it is going to take a lot to beat that!

  • Afternoon Tea Review | Lost and Found, Birmingham

    ★★★★ | Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea and Tipples

    Afternoon Tea is a delightful, British experience which we do not often do. The fresh sandwiches, the warm scones, the ever-flowing tea and the high-end service is something of a treat nowadays. The Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea at Lost and Found takes all you know about tea and cranks it up a notch – and all for just £18.95 per person.

    To start off our afternoon marathon, we were greeted with a glass of prosecco each with a raspberry, and Josh provided us a warm and friendly service throughout. The menu for the Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea consists of meaty, bulky and monster sandwiches which were packed with flavour and you could taste the freshness with every bite. Crispy chicken and chorizo on a ginormous baguette halved was spectacular – fresh rocket and well-cooked chicken with just the right amount of chorizo that let the southern style chicken take centre stage. The glazed ham and homemade chutney baguette was very rich on the palate and the sweetness of the chutney really complemented the meat with an added crunch from the lettuce. The egg, mustard and cress sandwich was a really nice light and fluffy mix to the board. My favourite thing that went in my mouth, though, was the scotch eggs – what a highlight! The egg was cooked perfectly and freshly which had the yolk running and put your knife through, with delicious batter and pork paste full of flavour and the combination together sent fireworks. The feta cheese and caramelised onion pastry was another delicate yet fierce competitor for the palate. The pork scratching on chilli jam was okay, I found the scratching too hard to chew and it was just one on each ramekin with loads of chilli sauce underneath – not sure how I feel about this one. The scones were average, did not really stand out as a feature, but popcorn Tiffin was superb. The teapot was very big which meant we probably got about 5 cups each which was enough to go with until the food-athon was over.

    You can opt for any of the Afternoon Teas and attach a Tipple, where you select from one of the three cocktails to spice up the experience for an extra £5. It is definitely worth doing that.

    In the end, it was too much and we had to admit defeat – doggy-bagging half of the crispy chicken and chorizo baguette and two Tiffin cakes. I must say, I had the sandwich for my lunch the day after and it was equally as tasty and fresh as the day before. It shows that good ingredients and care is put into the afternoon tea platters. Presentation wise, it could have been more ornate considering the grandiose nature of Lost and Found with its botanical themes in the décor. I was half expecting some leaves to contribute to the aesthetics, but the whole tea was served on one slate board. It looked great, but I could have done with separating the cakes from the sandwiches for practicality.

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Beefeater Bar+ Block Birmingham

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Beefeater Bar+ Block Birmingham

    A sincere, surprising, and delicious treat was had at the Beefeater Bar + Block, rivalling every other I have ever been to. There was an immediate warm welcome from a staff member who said that someone would be with us right away, and right away he was.

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  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: Hotel Du Vin Bistro

    It seems the loving care and attention of medical staff from the old Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital have been passed down to the attentive staff of the new Bistro at Hotel Du Vin. I say new as, despite opening in 2007, a few years is nothing in the history of this incredible old Victorian building. ★★★★

    CREDIT: Hotel Du Vin Bistro
    CREDIT: Hotel Du Vin Bistro

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  • Restaurant Review: Slug and Lettuce @ Brindley Place, Birmingham

    Slug and Lettuce is a cocktail bar that serves food, and it is a place where I have always had a good time, having booked it for my birthday a couple of years ago. Last night was the first time I had ever eaten there, and it was my guest’s first time there too. (more…)

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: Las Iguanas in Resorts World Birmingham

    Last night, I travelled to the exotic and vibrant Las Iguanas with high expectations, for I had already been before, and had always had a good time.

    This visit, however, exceeded every expectation I had. It was my friend’s first time, so was great to relive the Las Iguanas experience once more.

    A fiery start was had when we arrived at the bar to understand it was happy hour, slogan of which read: “Create Your Happy Hour”, with a choice of 25 cocktails to mark 25 years of Las Iguanas. With mixologist Kevin’s help, the first hour was a truly happy one, imbibing rum and ginger based cocktails that had some heat kick.
    The happiness ensued as we finished our cocktails (Dark’n’Stormy x2, and a Ginger and Orange Caipirinha) to be escorted by a very friendly front of house member of the team who took us to our table, enthusiastically explaining everything on the menu ensuring we knew what to do.

    The mixture of Latin music and the effervescent energy of the staff contributed to an atmosphere worthy of the tropics. The mood was certainly heightened once Josh, our waiter, had introduced himself and by offering to help us choose some Tapas to try for starters. We took Josh’s recommendations and ordered Gambas (king prawns in garlic, lemon and chillie sauce); Nachos; and Pato Taquito (roasted duck with caramelised onion rolled in a flour tortilla, with a spicy cranberry salsa), all of which only cost £15. The prawns were a sensation with an incendiary edge that lingered warmly on the palate, with a zest that equalled the fire of the chillie. This was my plus-1’s favourite dish of the night, having spooned the remains of the sauce and come close to asking the waiter to doggy-bag the rest. For me, the duck was the winner with tender and meaty chunks, dipped in a cranberry salsa ingeniously corrupted by chillie. After many a dip, I don’t think cranberry and chillie should ever be divorced from each other again!

    Being a returnee, I went for my favourite dish at Las Iguanas which was Marinated strip-steak Fajitas (£15.95), while my guest had the Sea Bass (£13.50). The sound of the steak sizzling was part of the Fajita experience at Las Iguanas, where you can hear it come before you see it. It was accompanied by generous sides (guacamole, soured cream, jalapeños, tomato salsa, cheese) all to go on my warm and soft wheat tortillas. The Sea Bass, according to my friend, was of a rustic nature, appeared and tasted fresh and was as comforting as a stew on a cold winter’ day (appropriate of course!)
    After finishing all our food, I was teased by the dessert menu, but had no room for more; a shame as I would have loved to have tried either the Dulce de Leche Macadamia Cheesecake, or the Aztec Chocolate Fudge Cake, which appeared particularly special with it being made with spiced orange sponge.
    Las Iguanas did itself proud again, with an excellent atmosphere, to-die-for food, and second-to-none service, especially from Kevin and Josh who both went out of their way to satisfy our queries and make us feel at home. We are already talking about the next trip. If you want a hot experience in a wintery season, go to Las Iguanas!

    Reviewed by: Alex Da Silva | @AlexMDaSilva

    Address: Las Iguanas – Ground Floor, Resorts World Birmingham, Pendigo Way, Birmingham, B40 1PU

    Website: http://www.iguanas.co.uk/

    Star Rating: *****

    Cost Rating: £££

    Tipping Policy: An optional 12.5% service charge will be added to your bill.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Tapas Revolution in Grand Central – Birmingham

    Last night, I went on a palatable trip to Spain with Tapas Revolution in Grand Central – Birmingham, restaurant of which was started by the passionate and Spanish food enthusiast Omar Allibhoy.

    Tapas Revolution has been around since 2010, with three existing restaurants in London, and now Tapas Revolution Birmingham has made a grand opening in the second city, and boy – what a gem it is!

    Specialising in Spanish food, in particular Tapas – food that is prevalent in most regions of Spain where various dishes are displayed to share and sample at leisure, this restaurant combines tradition and modernity within a contemporary setting, with an oval-shaped bar where you can grab a sneaky dish, to a spacious dining area with view to the whole of Grand Central, adorned with quirky wooden features, that made you feel at Spanish home. In this space, we had a table to fit all of our Tapas choices.

    I went along with my Spanish friend, who was slightly dubious about authentic Spanish food situated in Birmingham, but with a warm welcome from the service team, and a later introduction from Omar himself, we succumbed to the pleasant atmosphere. My partner’s face lit up as soon as he saw La Socarrada on the menu which is a beer renowned for its rosemary and honey tones, but it was a close match between that beer or the ‘er Boquerón’ famous for using sea water during the brewing process, so after all this, I knew he had been won over.

    We ordered few Tapas, all of which were priced below the £6.00 mark, and in fact all Tapas come under this price, which makes it flexible to have fun and be unashamedly creative when choosing different combinations. We went for: Torreznos con mojo dulce (crispy belly pork, with spicy sauce), Croquetas de Bacalao (béchamel croquettes with deep-fried cod), Pulpo a la Gallega (steamed octopus with paprika potatoes) and Patatas Bravas (deep-fried potatoes with spicy tomato and alioli). All dishes were sublime and tickled the taste buds: the winner for me was the crispy belly pork in spicy sauce which was perfectly cooked and seasoned to the point of being able to order five dishes of Torreznos.

    When our Tapas arrived, we were greeted by the friendly and bubbly Omar who took pride in asking us about our thoughts and took time to share his story of how Tapas Revolution came about. The most surprising fact learned was that Tapas Revolution is the only restaurant in Grand Central to have cooks start at 6am to have the finest food prepared and made for the opening time.

    I was so impressed with the whole experience, from the atmosphere, the service, and was extremely inspired by the Omar’s hard-work and dedication to his restaurant, as he told me that he comes up and down on a weekly basis to cook, manage and serve Tapas to the highest standard and at a very modest price.

    I am already forcing my colleagues to go and visit, and picking dates on my diary to go back!

     

    Reviewed by: Alex Da Silva | @AlexMDaSilva

    Address: Tapas Revolution –Grand Central, 68A East Mews, Birmingham, B2 4XJ

    Website: http://www.tapasrevolution.com

    Star Rating: *****

    Cost Rating: ££

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Rugby Burgers @ West 12 Bar & Grill

    Last night, I had the pleasure of dining at West 12 Bar & Grill, at Birmingham Marriott Hotel, just in time for the opening of the Rugby World Cup. For the duration of the Rugby season, the Marriott Hotels are hosting #BurgersandBubbles, motto of which is: ‘designed by champions, served with champers.’ Celebrating Rugby events in style, Marriott and International Rugby Players have collaborated into creating the bravest, beefiest and bulgiest burgers I have ever held in my two hands.

    My dinner partner and I decided to go head-to-head with the two available Rugby Burger options. So, representing Australia, my guest went for The Burke burger, designed by the Australian fullback Matt Burke himself, who must have been a huge fan of sweet and sour, for the concoction of beef burger, grilled red onion, beetroot and pineapple behaved rather saucily in my partner’s mouth. At home, I represented New Zealand with the Hardman burger, created by Brad Thorn, the lock of the team, and I have to say, if I had even attempted man-handling the burger, it would have given me a locked jaw. Thankfully, we were both given steak knives to tackle the scrummy masterpieces. The Hardman was smoky and earthy with the venison, crispy streaky bacon, fried egg and tomato chutney combination. It was a draw, for both burgers equally delighted the taste buds of the burger captains.
    Our evening was made extra special by the restaurant team, who did nothing more but care for us. It was very kind of the Hotel General Manager, Gordon Tyler, to personally welcome us, joke about the world cup and assuring us that we were very welcome at West 12 Bar & Grill. He told us, ‘it is a very exciting time of year for rugby fans,’ and though we are not dedicated Rugby fans, we were soon in the mood for celebrating. Our waiter Sam led the team with care, dedication and a pleasant smile that went with every course. He was very passionate about the wines that he let us sample, and was very good listener while we shared our views about each one. It was not quite around the world in eighty glasses, but as we gargled the tasters, it felt we were being transported to the climates of the hot countries of Chile, Italy, Spain, France, where the wines were made. Our favourite was a red wine which accompanied the red meats deliciously, and though the name has escaped my mind, it was a combination of a Shiraz and Cabernet, and boy did it dance around our heads.

    I take my hat off to the chefs, who talentedly infused the finest ingredients by presenting both the starter and the main with formidable style and elegance, and the meaty burgers that made us fall-back and made us feel slightly self-conscious that our hands were not qualified to master the handling of the meat in between the two gigantic sesame-seeded buns.

    England beat Fiji 35-11, last night. So, it was an all-around successful night.

    Reviewed by: Alex DaSilva

    Address:

    Telephone: +44 121 452 1144

    Website: Click here

    Star rating: ★★★★★ (explained)

    Cost rating: £££ (explained)

    Tipping policy: Discrectionary 12.5% added to you bill
    by Alex Da Silva