April 2013
3 posts
Restaurant VMF | Fine Dining | Aston (Villa Park)
Restaurant VMF (Villa Midlands Food) is a fine dining restaurant offering locally-sourced food, and based in the Directors’ Suite at Villa Park Football Stadium.
[by Charlene Price]
My husband and I travelled by car to the restaurant and at first had trouble working out where we ought to park. Fortunately, the staff were very helpful and soon pointed us in the right direction. I thought this...
Shanghai Blues | Chinese | Chinatown, Southside
When I went to dine at Shanghai Blues I realised that this was the same restaurant that had put a flyer through my door two weeks earlier. I had initially been impressed by the menu so was excited to find out whether this Chinese restaurant in Birmingham would live up to my expectations.
[by Daniella Genas, CEO of Birmingham hospitality and social enterprise, Aspire4U]
When I arrived at the...
March 2013
4 posts
Adam Stokes: The new Michelin Star Chef in...
Birmingham’s holy trinity of Michelin-starred chefs – Richard Turner, Glynn Purnell and Andreas Antona – are joined by a fourth on Friday 12th April. That’s when Adam Stokes, a Lincolnshire chef who earned his Michelin Star at Glenapp Castle in Scotland, finally opens doors at the much-anticipated adam’s restaurant.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
When I joined Adam at the site on Bennett’s Hill a fortnight...
Blue Piano | Singaporean | Edgbaston
It’s always intriguing to try a restaurant whose name doesn’t give you any indication as to what will be on offer. The Blue Piano, in Edgbaston, is a South East Asian restaurant situated on the busy Harborne Road. The owners are from Singapore, and wanted to bring the diverse Oriental cuisine of this island – taking in Thai, Cambodian and Malaysian influences – to Birmingham. When I got the...
The Manic Organic Cafe | Vegetarian | Kings Heath
The Manic Organic Cafe is nestled in the suburban side streets of Kings Heath, Birmingham, echoing a feel of London’s Notting Hill or Clapham, and only a minute from the main High Street. If you’re looking for vegetarian restaurants in Birmingham, Manic Organic Cafe is a calm retreat with a 100% vegetarian, organic offering.
[by Anna Rose]
atmosphere
Although it’s quite a small venue,...
Bodega | Mexican & South American | Centre
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
Bodega Bar and Cantina, on Bennett’s Hill, was the first restaurant ever reviewed on this site, nearly two years ago. Back then it had only recently opened. By now, it has become pretty well-known for its Latino-inspired street food and range of cocktails, not to mention the sweet potato fries, which some people (myself included) swear by.
But after shaking things up with a new...
February 2013
5 posts
Fleet Street Kitchen | Barbecue & Grill |...
This Sunday was never going to be a day of rest for our stomachs, after being invited to the brand new Fleet Street Kitchen in Birmingham. Replacing the old Bluu Bar on Summer Row, the new venue has been widely trumpeted as the latest word in casual yet upmarket dining, with a definite carnivorous bias thanks to its Spanish-style barbacoa, a large showpiece barbecue filled with lumpwood...
The Godfather of Birmingham Dining
Birmingham is spoilt for fabulous dining options, but it was a certain Sicilian back in the nineties who instigated the city’s restaurant evolution. Exclusively for Dine Birmingham, Sanjeeta Bains (pictured, centre) was invited to un buonissimo pranzo with the Godfather of Birmingham’s culinary scene…
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
Chairman of the San Carlo Group, Carlo Distefano (pictured, left) recently...
Fiesta del Asado | Argentinian | Edgbaston
On a bitterly cold snowy night I ventured to the recently opened Fiesta del Asado. Claiming to be Birmingham’s first Argentinian restaurant, it has a fine pedigree, backed by the owner of famous Indian restaurant Lasan. As a steakhouse, Fiesta del Asado offers barbecued food cooked over wood in an open plan kitchen.
[by Gary Weir]
atmosphere
Situated next-door to the...
Chung Ying Garden | Cantonese | Southside
(Chung Ying Garden owner James Wong indulges his musical side)
Happy Chinese New Year! As the Year of the Snake came onto the horizon, we visited one of Birmingham’s oldest Chinese restaurants to tuck into some traditional food from the modern superpower.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
atmosphere
Don’t expect anything fancy. Chung Ying Garden’s regulars presumably head there because of the menu, rather than...
Franzls Restaurant | Austrian | Bearwood
After Birmingham’s Polish bolthole The Karzcma was ‘discovered’ recently by The Guardian’s Jay Rayner, Alvaro Docio of British Local Food shares his experiences of another little-known local gem with oodles of character.
Situated in the quiet residential area of Bearwood, this is the only Austrian restaurant in Birmingham. Away from the busy city centre, Franzls offers a...
January 2013
3 posts
Delicious New Menus at Harvey Nichols Birmingham
This is a sponsored post about the dining options at Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols Espresso Cafe is the perfect place to take a relaxing break from your retail therapy and enjoy breakfast, brunch, delicious lunches and luxurious afternoon tea.
With its focus strongly on great tasting local food and drink, the menu features produce sourced wherever possible from the nearby counties of...
Exclusive Birmingham Restaurant Offers for 2013
To beat the January blues, we’ve teamed up with The GastroCard and arranged 20 exclusive Birmingham restaurant deals – each one coming to just £13. How’s that for a Happy New Year?
A host of top Birmingham restaurants, bars and hotels have laid on special offers that will run from 20th January to 13th February 2013.
Examples include dining offers such as Two courses and a glass of wine for £13,...
The Harvey Nichols Supper Club | The Mailbox,...
New Year, new places to eat. We went along to the first night of the Harvey Nichols Birmingham Supper Club (Jan 7 – Feb 8). Avoiding the January sales temptations in the Mailbox was the first mission. That accomplished, Sanjeeta and I made it into the ‘Champagne bridge’ where an early evening view of the city lights helps to whet your appetite. But would the luxury department store deliver in...
December 2012
4 posts
Turkey Stew | Christmas Leftovers Recipe
Food blogger and experienced cook Jo Brigdale of Jo’s Kitchen shares her favourite way of making the scraps from the festive feast go further.
Although I ordered the smallest turkey I could this year, there are still plenty of leftovers. My favourite things to do with the extra bits are hot turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce, turkey curry and turkey stew. Here’s my...
“Birmingham has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any English city outside...”
To sum up, the theme of things to do in Birmingham before the End of the World (whenever that may be) boiled down to three: Eat, Drink and Be Merry!
Before we run out of time, here are the recommendations you gave:
Brummie chef Glynn Purnell’s venues got quite a few mentions, as did some other Birmingham bar favourites…
And once you’re fed and watered, it’s time to...
Digbeth Dining Club | Street food | Digbeth
Having commented on a previous review or two I was asked if I would like to provide a review for a restaurant in Birmingham. I had a few ideas, but for my first piece, I chose one of the latest foodie projects in the city - Digbeth Dining Club (DDC), in Spotlight Bar.
[by Gary Weir]
The Digbeth Dining Club aims to bring the street food concept to the Birmingham area. Each Friday, two or three...
November 2012
5 posts
Mount Fuji | Japanese | Spiceal Street
[by Charlene Price]
atmosphere
Mount Fuji is a small, informal and contemporary restaurant located in Birmingham city centre, on Spiceal Street. I like the bar stools and long counters, as it gives a diner or coffee-shop feel, although there are a few tables for larger groups. I like to sit at one of the tables along the window so I can watch the world go by while I eat my sushi. food
To...
Le Truc | French | Southside
Out of the ashes of Chez Jules came a new and quite different kind of restaurant. Le Truc is located in Birmingham’s Southside district, part of the Arcadian complex. Despite its position in the midst of Chinatown, this new venue is assertively, flamboyantly and even a little mockingly, Frenchified.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
atmosphere
A visit to the restaurant’s tumblr website or a scroll through the...
When Chefs Attack!
Food blogger who caused a Twitterstorm talks to Dine Birmingham
by Ahmed Ahmed]
James Isherwood is the blogger (and food journalism student) who got a shock last week when he posted a less than complimentary TripAdvisor review of gourmet chef Claude Bosi’s restaurant Hibiscus, later added to his food blog, Dining With James.
Not only did the chef in question tweet him a very angry...
Jamie’s Italian | Spiceal Street, Birmingham
Although Birmingham boasts an exciting culinary scene, it is also sadly brimming with chain restaurants. But any dining establishment attached to the celebrated Jamie Oliver should have something extra to offer patrons…
[by Sanjeeta Bains] atmosphere
As I came in gloved and scarfed up against the November cold, the cosy rustic feel of the low-lit bar area charmed me. If only there had...
Jamie’s Italian Birmingham | Spiceal Street
Although Birmingham boasts an exciting culinary scene, it is also sadly brimming with chain restaurants. But any dining establishment attached to the celebrated Jamie Oliver should have something extra to offer patrons… atmosphere
As I came in gloved and scarfed up against the November cold, the cosy rustic feel of the low-lit bar area charmed me. If only there had been a few fairy...
October 2012
4 posts
Nick the Gastropreneur
The Whisk founder and ex-Apprentice on success in the food business
Nick Holzherr, The Apprentice 2012 candidate, came in at number three on Sir Alan Sugar’s famous ’12-week job interview’. Now based in Birmingham, Nick is preparing to launch his latest foodie business venture. We caught up with him at Gingers Bar (pictured below) to talk dining, turning a profit, and finding a decent...
Rodizio Rico | Brazilian | The Cube, Birmingham
Located in fabulous canalside complex The Cube, Rodizio Rico serves up a true Brazilian flavour in food, fun and atmosphere.
[by David King]
atmosphere
Lovely views of the canal and rustic decor make for a relaxing, laidback atmosphere. There are red and green sided cards on the table. Green means you want meat brought to your table, while red means you’re good, for now. The card...
Paul Hollywood: Our chat with the 'Bread' TV chef
Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood revealed his new solo TV plans in an interview at the Birmingham NEC…
This year’s Great British Bake Off may be ending this week, but we won’t be mourning Paul Hollywood’s absence from our screens for long. The 44-year-old star has been given his own BBC show, ‘Bread’.
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
Paul will be presenting Bread, a six-part series...
Itihaas Restaurant | Selfridges, Bullring
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
Birmingham and curry go hand-in-hand. Despite the wealth of cuisines from around the globe, this city will always be famed for its Indian culinary connection. Which is why a recent trip to the new Itihaas restaurant food stall in Selfridges was doubly disappointing. It’s rare for hot food to leave me cold, but on this occasion, it unfortunately did.
atmosphere
The strength...
September 2012
4 posts
Restaurant-Supermarket deal: fuel discounts for...
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
Going out for dinner at one of twenty-one restaurant branches could now save you money on fuel, as Morrisons supermarket announces a new deal linking three things most of us can’t do without: grocery shopping, filling up on petrol and enjoying a meal out.
Being chains, the restaurants in question are known less for their uniqueness than for their attempts to bring...
High Tea at Aalto Restaurant | Hotel La Tour,...
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
In this year of high national spirit, I thought it was high time to look into Birmingham’s new-found passion for that quintessentially British meal, high tea. Quite a few venues are now offering special teatime menus, and on a torrential August afternoon, I went to take shelter and sample the spread at Aalto Restaurant, in the Hotel La Tour.
atmosphere
Just a few steps up from...
"I've Put the Yum in Brum!" - Birmingham celebrity...
[by Ahmed Ahmed | Film by Solar Pictures]
Birmingham’s acclaimed Michelin-star winner and television chef Glynn Purnell has announced two new national TV appearances in an exclusive interview with journalist and presenter Sanjeeta Bains for DineBirmingham.co.uk.
Known for his previous roles in Great British Menu and Saturday Kitchen, Glynn Purnell revealed for the first time that he had recently...
Yorks Bakery Cafe | Colmore Business District
Lifestyle blogger Lisa from Glamour in the County gave us her impressions of Birmingham’s newest independent cafe…
I had arranged to meet a good friend for breakfast early on Saturday. I thought it would be easy to find somewhere in Britain’s second city that offered a nice breakfast menu, but every venue that I checked didn’t open until 10am. Then I remembered a tweet I had seen...
August 2012
2 posts
Your votes are in! And the winner is...
These are the Top 3 Great British Dishes, voted for by you, the Dine Birmingham readers. Thanks for taking part!
Here are the voting stats, and some tips on where to tuck into these classic meals in Birmingham.
1. Fish & Chips (50%) | Chamberlains Quality | Oldbury
An award-winning, family-friendly establishment specialising in traditional fish and chips, while also serving up a variety...
Which Great British Dish is a Winner?
Whether you’re a sports fanatic, or a champion foodie, it’s a great time to celebrate all things British.
We want to know your favourite food from this Fair Isle…
The Top 3 meals will be announced next week, plus tips on the best Birmingham venues to find them in…
July 2012
2 posts
The Mirage Fusion Restaurant | Broadway Plaza
The Mirage Fusion Restaurant is housed inside Broadway Casino, located in Birmingham’s Broadway Plaza. Any chef of such an array of cuisines (Italian, Indian, Chinese and Thai) can expect to invite scepticism, but this is one high-stakes gamble that pays off.
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
atmosphere
The signing-in experience puts Mirage into a superior realm of exclusivity. ...
Top chefs reveal tips for Birmingham Food Fest...
As Birmingham Food Fest returns for a second year, the city’s culinary elite have created a series of short videos letting foodies into a few of their secrets in the kitchen. Some of Birmingham’s top venues are represented, including the celebrated Indian restaurant Lasan, the jazz-themed Jam House and the Michelin-starred Purnell’s.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
A host of different events are planned for the...
June 2012
4 posts
International jazz star to perform for Birmingham...
The 28th Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival will bring musicians from across the globe to the city. One star act, The Daryl Sherman Trio, is set to leave behind the exclusive jazz bars of Manhattan for a special dinner performance at Birmingham’s Hotel La Tour.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
The hotel’s recently-launched Aalto Restaurant (read our review) will be refreshing its gourmet...
Deolali Bar Restaurant | Indian | Moseley
Located in the heart of Moseley, Deolali is a gem in the crown of Birmingham’s fine Indian dining, which sparkles all the more for its reasonable prices.
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
atmosphere
With its exposed brickwork and high ceilings, the restaurant has a cosy yet classy feel. Sadly, the music playing on our arrival let the ambience down. There’s a time and a place for Michael Jackson tunes and...
Birmingham chefs in Marco Pierre White's TV...
Chef Pawan Handa, from the Horseshoe Restaurant in Hall Green, will be popping up on screens across the country this Thursday (14th June) as she faces gastronomic giant Marco Pierre White in new series Kitchen Wars.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
Taking to the road in his ominously named ‘Battle Truck,’ Marco Pierre White scours the United Kingdom in the search for top-class culinary talent. The chef’s...
Jojolapa | Nepalese | Colmore Business District
Jojolapa is the first Nepalese restaurant in Birmingham, located on Newhall Street. In a city well known for the cuisine of Nepal’s much more famous South Asian neighbour, the restaurant has held its own with discerning diners, so it was high time we tried it ourselves.
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
atmosphere
There’s a buzzy vibrance to the place which contrasts fabulously with the moody low-lit interior,...
May 2012
3 posts
Jubilee Gin Fest at The Jekyll & Hyde*
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
The Jekyll & Hyde, Birmingham’s famous gin specialist, have chosen to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a Jubilee Gin Fest. The four-day festival will be devoted to the ever-so-slightly aristocratic tipple, gin. A special Gin Flight menu and a range of gin-themed prizes are planned for the Royal occasion.
When?
Wednesday 30th May – Saturday 2nd June 2012
Gin...
MY DINE BIRMINGHAM | Tara Tomes from NEC Group
We persuaded local gastrophile Tara Tomes, Consumer Media Relations Manager at the NEC Group, to share her top tips on the best restaurants in Birmingham.
Birmingham is an absolutely fantastic city to host people, be they friends, family or colleagues. The city has everything you need to satisfy your tastebuds, and that’s one of the things that makes it unique. You only have to read some of the...
Aalto Restaurant | Hotel La Tour | Central...
The talk of Birmingham should be all about Hotel La Tour. This new £24 million development comprises a four star hotel and a first class restaurant thanks to a menu inspired by Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing, and a superstar service.
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
atmosphere
Located in a part of town waiting patiently for its own moment of regeneration glory, the hotel reception is unremarkable. But...
April 2012
4 posts
New Start for the New Inn: Harborne pub...
Birmingham’s leafy suburb of Harborne is the spot chosen for the latest dining and drinks venue from Bitters ‘n Twisted group. The people behind the popular Island Bar, Bodega and Jekyll and Hyde have teamed up with Marston’s to turn a longstanding traditional pub into a new bar and grill outside the city centre.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
The New Inn, located just off Harborne’s high street, has...
Blue Ginger | Malaysian & Singaporean | King’s...
Having gained some notoriety when it was featured as a hidden gem in Olive Magazine a few years ago, Blue Ginger in King’s Heath, Birmingham specialises in providing authentic Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine.
[by Laura Creaven | image courtesy of The Single Gourmet and Traveller]
atmosphere
Although it was mid-week when restaurants are traditionally quiet, Blue Ginger was nicely busy, with most...
Metro Bar & Grill | Colmore Business District
Metro Bar & Grill is an independent restaurant and drinks venue situated in the heart of Birmingham’s commercial and business quarter, Colmore Business District. Established in 1997, it is an excellent venue for business as well as leisure meals, with a branch open in Solihull as well.
[by Tahreen Kutub]
atmosphere
Metro Bar & Grill has a really classy, modern and stylish interior. The...
4 tags
March 2012
4 posts
5 tags
Local chef to compete in prestigious gourmet...
Ed Atwell (pictured), Sous Chef at Birmingham’s gourmet Loves Restaurant, is set to compete in a prestigious national cooking competition, going up against chefs from around the country for the chance to win a career-changing Michelin-starred experience, along with other coveted prizes.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
The Roux Scholarship was founded almost two decades ago by famed chefs Albert and Michel Roux...
The Chameleon Restaurant & Bar | Birmingham City...
The Chameleon is renowned in Birmingham for its quality cocktails and is the ideal evening location for a spot of sophisticated fun on the dance floor. But discerning diners run the risk of overlooking the restaurant, which would be a great shame.
[by Sanjeeta Bains]
atmosphere
With its glamorous lighting and upbeat music, the sophisticated decor at The Chameleon creates a seductive ambiance at...
Chamberlains Quality Fish & Chips Restaurant |...
Chamberlains Quality Fish and Chips is located on the outskirts of Birmingham, doing justice to its ambitious name by scooping a top prize at this year’s National Fish & Chip Awards. We think the cosy family atmosphere, and the wealth of choice beyond classic haddock and chips, makes Chamberlains the perfect choice for a Mother’s Day meal.
[by Ahmed Ahmed]
atmosphere
The interior of the...
