The Chameleon Restaurant & Bar | Central Birmingham

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 décor at The Chameleon creates a seductive ambience at dinner that insists you luxuriate and indulge. 
 
food

Former Hotel Du Vin chef Dave Gill has designed a menu for all tastes.  You can order everything from pizza to kobe fillet steak – a rarity for Birmingham restaurants. I opted for the kobe fillet steak tartare with quail egg yolk and white truffle oil as my starter. This dish is not for everyone but kobe beef is a delicacy and I’m glad I took my opportunity. The richly flavoursome red raw beef was tangy and zesty. In comparison, however, the polenta crusted scallops with seaweed and squid ink risotto felt lacking in flavour.

When it came to the main course, the pan seared fillet of salmon on saffron mash with a lobster and crayfish bisque sauce was pleasant, but the stunning goats cheese and caramelised red onion gnocchi with wilted baby spinach and white wine cream sauce was divine. This was simply the most delicious pasta dish I’ve enjoyed in a quite a while. I thought I had no room left for dessert, but polished off every crumb of the hot treacle tart with crème anglaise, ending dinner in decadent style. 
 
drinks 

A classic cosmopolitan was the perfect pre-dinner drink and made to the Chameleon standard being neither too sour or sweet. A generous range of mocktails is also available.  A bottle of South African drostdy hof chenin blanc nicely offset our rich meal. The wine list boasts a good selection of both Old World classics and the finest of the New World to give the impressive cocktails a run for their money. 
 
As befits a place as proudly glamorous as The Chameleon Restaurant & Bar, there are some fabulous star turns on the restaurant menu. Overall, expect an A-list dining experience.

You can enjoy exclusive discounts at The Chameleon, as well as over a hundredrestaurants across Birmingham and the UK, with a Gastro Card. Click here to find out more.

Have you visited The Chameleon Bar & Restaurant in Birmingham before? Tell us what you thought here

MY DINE BIRMINGHAM | Steve Denyer from Heart FM

Steve Denyer’s Heart FM Drivetime show keeps thousands of commuters company across the West Midlands during the week, while at the weekends he broadcasts to a national audience. The famous Birmingham-dweller shares his favourite places to eat and drink around the city:

Breakfast

Having lived in central Birmingham for nearly seven years, I have been thoroughly spoilt for choice when it comes to eating and drinking out. 

With my new training regime I have to walk about quite a bit! On a recent walk I discovered a little gem hidden behind Birmingham’s Broad Street in Canal Square. Ju Ju’s is the perfect place to wake up over a cooked breakfast and watch the world pass by. I love taking my iPad down and catching up on social media over some delicious food.

Lunch

By mid-morning I’m usually at The Cube. The Club and Spa is the perfect place for a coffee, a massage or just a dip in the pool followed by a steam and a sauna. And of course, the new Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Birmingham upstairs is worth a visit for its great views of the city.

I’m a firm believer in a bit of retail therapy before my show. I find it impossible to shop in Selfridges without succumbing to the wonderful food on offer. Ekachai, the Thai restaurant in the food court, always gets me first.  I can recommend their delicious tom yum chicken soup or their legendary duck salad - it always works a treat before I head to the Heart FM studios to get ready for my show.

Dinner

I get to finish work every night at 7pm which is perfect timing to meet friends in town for some dinner (my favourite part of the day!) I’ve long been a fan of The Loft Lounge on Bromsgrove Street. I love it here; it’s chilled, the lighting is low and the new menu offers everything from unhealthy burgers to very healthy Asian style stir fries and tasty salads. It’s the kind of place where time whiles quickly away. Quite often, before I know it, it’s 11pm and I’m being asked to leave!

You can enjoy exclusive discounts at The Loft Lounge and many more restaurants nationwide with a Gastro Card. Click here to find out more.

Have you visited any of the venues mentioned before? Tell us what you thought here

Pure Vintage: A tea party twist to Christmas in Birmingham

[by Sanjeeta Bains]

It’s official: high tea is now high fashion. And only the finest vintage china will do for an extra special brew. So with Christmas poking its sparkly head around the corner, Birmingham’s Bluu Bar has teamed up with Kiss Me Cupcakes and The Vintage Tea Cup to offer city slickers a sweet alternative to the humdrum Christmas lunch and office do: The Christmas Vintage Tea Party.

Amid candlelight, guests can enjoy a wide selection of canapés, Christmas-inspired cupcake flavours such as rich fruit and brandy buttercream and chocolate Baileys, mince pies and, of course, copious amounts of tea in 1940s and -50s tea china. Savour these delights to the sound of festive tunes from that golden era playing in the background. 

After a few spirited parlour games, and a few cocktails (served in teacups), you’ll be ready to hit the dancefloor!

Personal parties of friends and families are also welcome to indulge in this festive seasonal treat for Birmingham. Dali Cheema, creative director at Kiss Me Cupcakes, tells us: “We want to create a really memorable and unique Christmas experience for our guests.”

To book or get more details about a combined cocktail or cupcake decorating masterclass, call Katy or Dali on 07793 361 1096/07523 139 269, or visit The Vintage Teacup website. 

Browns is coming to town: Birmingham’s Spiceal Street to host chic bar & brasserie chain

[by Ahmed Ahmed]

Bullring Birmingham announced last week that the swanky Browns Bar & Brasserie is set to feature in its ambitious new project at Spiceal Street, which will see a swathe of new dining and drinks establishments coming to the area currently under construction by St Martin’s Church.

Visitors to other parts of the country may already be familiar with the elegant and contemporary atmosphere that Browns strives to create. As the chain’s first presence in the West Midlands, the new development at Spiceal Street will bring a varied modern menu and a particularly special list of cocktails to what many hope will be a new hub of evening life in Birmingham.

It appears that, right from the beginning, Spiceal Street has been planned with input from members of the Birmingham public. Tim Walley, General Manager at Bullring, explained: “When we began this development in autumn 2010 we asked our visitors what restaurants they’d like to see and were overwhelmed with the response.”

He added: “The need for independent restaurants was recognised and we also received requests for a bar and grill that perhaps wasn’t already in the city.”

The inclusion of Browns in the project seems perfectly calculated to fulfil this demand.

Pan seared black pearl scallops and confit of Suffolk pork belly are just two of the many delicacies on the decidedly upmarket Browns food menu. And with an array of alluring cocktailsstarting at just £4.25, including the elderflower and cucumber collins and the sapphire rosato, Browns looks certain to add a dash of vigour to the Birmingham bar mix.

You’ll have to wait until November 2011 to get a taste of what Browns has to offer, but in the meantime, read the menu and find out more by visiting their website

Have you been to a Browns before? Tell us what you thought here

veneto select @ the chameleon | italian

1 victoria square | birmingham b1 1bd | 0121 643 2233

[by Ahmed Ahmed]

For many Birminghamians, The Chameleon will need no introduction as a bar. Pleasantly parked a stone’s throw from the fountains of the Council House, this established drinking hole is now launching a new range of Northern Italian foods sourced by gastronomer Neil Walker, one half of Veneto Select. The venue hosted a tasting event last Friday to mark the occasion.

location

The Chameleon Bar and Restaurant is just off Victoria Square.

Click here for Google map.

atmosphere

Filled with a smart yet cheery clientele enjoying drinks at the end of the working week, The Chameleon had the air of a place where business meets pleasure. The polished decor in both the bar and restaurant area, combined with a relaxed atmosphere, make this a place you can enjoy with both friends and professional partners.

food

Having ordered at the well-stocked bar, I was joined by Neil, who elaborated on his love of Italian cuisine, and explained Veneto Select’s mission to bring high quality products into a British market saturated with the ‘mediocre.’ The highlights of the range included il tartufo, a pecorino cheese made in the traditional way with sheep’s milk, and improved by the addition of white truffle. The taste was beautifully rich and slightly nutty, the truffle bringing almost a hint of mushroom to the flavour.

Then there was a deliciously sharp salsa verde, a rustic Italian green sauce made with parsley and vinegar, and smeared onto a slice of crusty bread. Also recommended is the carne sala. Despite my initial apprehension (I’m not usually a fan of raw meat!), this delicate beef carpaccio was surprisingly moreish, and seasoned with select extra virgin olive oil from a small farm in the Veneto region.

service

The tasting was in buffet form, and so judgement on table service must be reserved. However, the bartender was friendly and, even better, nice and prompt with our drinks.

verdict

Somewhat of a Birmingham institution as a bar and restaurant, The Chameleon will be hoping for success in its latest foray into the deli business. We think it stands a good chance thanks to its new partnership with Veneto Select.

To learn more about what’s on offer at The Chameleon, visit their website here

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts on The Chameleon or Veneto Select here