Tropea
Birmingham, West Midlands
Best Local Restaurant: Central & East of England
‘I'm not sure why I'm writing this,' noted one regular in support of this endearingly charming Italian eatery, 'it will alert even more people to visit and it's already difficult to get a table.' Located in the well-off Birmingham suburb of Harborne, Tropea (named after a small town on Italy’s Calabrian coast famed for its onions) has struck just the right chord with locals, offering a simple, bright and cheerful dining room (plus some pavement tables), an all-round energetic buzz, attentive, welcoming service, gentle pricing and a sure hand in the kitchen. There’s much to like about Kasia Piatkowska’s seasonally changing menus and it might be hard to choose between small plates such as a plump cushion of creamy burrata strewn with strawberry, rocket, pistachio and basil oil, a superb vitello tonnato, or the exquisite homemade pasta dishes that, for many, are ‘the stars of the show’. We were tempted by the pappardelle with lamb ragù but plumped instead for Sardinian culurgiones – dumplings stuffed with pecorino, potato and mint, served in a rich tomato sauce which had us wiping our plates clean. Larger sharing dishes range from satisfying portions of braised pork cheek with orange, potato rösti and savoy cabbage cooked in wine to a ‘superb’ barbecued duck breast or aubergine parmigiana – another fabulous rendition of a classic, and a sure-fire success at inspection. A pleasingly summery lime panna cotta with poached rhubarb made the perfect finish. The concise, all-Italian wine list is on-the-money too, opening with 500ml carafes of house red or white for £18.
Dining Information:
Wheelchair access, Credit card required
27 Lordswood Road, Harborne, Birmingham, West Midlands B17 9RP
0121 427 9777
