Best restaurants in Birmingham
Published 14 May 2024

Following extensive refurbishment, this highly personal restaurant in Digbeth’s Custard Factory has acquired a dazzling new look. Gone is the dark, monochrome, graffiti-themed space with pumping music; in its place, 670 Grams now channels the light, bright tones of a modern, minimalist gallery, where art, clean lines and references to the city’s diverse cultural heritage create a cool, intimate vibe. There have been changes in the kitchen too, with the arrival of Manuel Ribiero (ex-Moor Hall, Whatley  Manor), who joins chef-patron Kray Treadwell and his wife Sacha at the stoves. Together, they create globally inspired tasting menus, ‘playfully plated’ bite-sized dishes featuring ingredients that are reimagined and reinvigorated with a touch of wit as well as wisdom. The ‘welcome broth’ offers ‘roasted bones and nostalgia’ in a bowl, while koji onion, cauliflower and homa dare (Japanese sesame dipping sauce) are bedfellows for Peterhead cod. A one-size-fits-all wine list offers easy drinking at fair prices. In short, 670 Grams is ‘a bold, brilliant reminder of why independent restaurants matter’.

Although centrally located close to Birmingham's New Street station, Adam’s feels like a tucked-away destination among the grand Georgian buildings of Waterloo Street. Behind the imposing plate-glass frontage, you’ll find a smart bar area with plush purple-velvet bar stools and a black-and-white tiled floor that leads into the elegant dining room. Seated at one of the well-spaced and simply dressed bare wood tables, you’ll be treated to a finely honed fine-dining performance, given by a team made up mostly of suited-and-booted young men. Expect lots of po-faced patrolling as five- or seven-course tasting menus are delivered (there is also an à la carte option), but the atmosphere is nevertheless convivial and lively for a restaurant of such serious gastronomic intentions.

The kitchen has seen head chefs come and go over recent years, although it appears to be firing on all cylinders under the current joint custody of Adam Wilson and Simil Gurung. One of the highlights of a recent visit was a superior 'surf and turf' that paired perfectly cooked leg and breast of quail with a plump langoustine. A fragrant yet restrained lemongrass sauce and spicy peanut relish completed a memorably delicious dish. While you might also find a light dusting of coffee on the morel foam coating an gigantic Orkney scallop, the cooking leans more towards classicism with combinations such as chateaubriand with a bordelaise sauce.

There’s a decent measure of creativity here, but the food always remains crowd-pleasing rather than ground-breaking, with impressive technique adding to the pleasure of beautiful-looking desserts (French gariguette strawberries alongside a lozenge of almond sponge topped with a delicate strawberry-sugar tuile filled with caramel mousse, for example). Serious Bordeaux lovers with deep pockets will particularly appreciate the wine list, especially as selections by the glass and bottle do not attract a service charge. Bargain hunters won’t find much under £50, but a full page of wines by the carafe provides consolation.

First find your restaurant. With very little signage and a hidden square to negotiate, diners are unlikely to eat here on a whim; a visit is booked in advance and eagerly anticipated. Billed as an ‘experimental’ venture from Alex Claridge and the team behind the Wilderness, the neutral toned space follows current fashion: no distinction between the fully open kitchen and the dining room; hard surfaces (wall, floor, kitchen counter) and 14 unyielding counter stools providing close-up views of the action – namely the preparation of what is primarily a multi-course, Japanese-inflected seafood tasting menu.

Service is warm and welcoming, but it pays to give careful attention to the announcement of each dish – no menu is offered until you leave. And it’s all effortlessly modern. A tartlet of mackerel is infused with a hint of heat from jalapeño, while slivers of wild, line-caught sea bass are enlivened with a whisper of smoke and seaweed, and the sweetly acidic flavours of yuzu vinegar – just the sort of bite-size morsels one wishes came in a serving of 10. Dishes are inventive but restrained, classical yet able to embrace broader influences: take a simple layering of brown-crab custard with finger lime, apple, white crabmeat and a few leaves of oxalis or a translucent roundel of lightly cured Cornish cod, wrapped in autumn truffle and served in a hot-smoked bone broth with yeast butter and egg yolk.

Each flavour blends tantalisingly with the one preceding it, so a plump, sweet scarlet prawn in a delicate, chilli oil-infused broth (made from the head) might be followed seamlessly by hamachi poached in brown butter with a dashi, sesame and ginger-based broth. Wines are chosen with the food firmly in mind, but given the lack of menu information, wine matching (or tutored advice from the sommelier) seems a sensible way to proceed.

A favourite among some of Birmingham’s top chefs (Aktar Islam from Opheem is a well-known fan), this spot tucked around the back of New Street station’s hulking metallic shell is the place for getting your hands dirty. Black-painted, heavily stickered walls and a heavy metal/rock soundtrack set the tone for some outrageously good buttermilk fried chicken (tenders, thighs, breast, etc) with punchy seasonings. Otherwise, choose a platter of wings or one of the chicken burgers ('hothead', buffalo', 'lizard king') and, if appetite allows, add a side of waffle fries piled with coleslaw, gherkins and their signature ‘comeback sauce’. Service is fun and friendly and, happily, wet wipes are delivered with the bill. Cashless; walk-ins only.

Peru comes to Brum in the shape of Chakana, the first solo venture from chef Robert Ortiz (ex-Lima in London). Located in the city’s Moseley district and housed in a former Lloyd’s bank (the safe is now a private dining room), this neighbourhood restaurant is an airy, plain and comfortable space with stripped wood floors and thick, rustic-looking wood tables. Food-wise, the ‘ambitiously sized’ carte delivers ‘creative and exciting’ dishes such as braised squid with Andean potato stew, crispy artichoke, seaweed and anchovies, or duck escabeche with plum and beetroot sauce and vegetable saltadito. Starters are mostly riffs on marinated fish, perhaps a visually arresting, incredibly fresh scallop tiradito – a citrusy, bright-red tiger’s milk sauce of hibiscus and rocoto peppers cut with another vividly yellow tiger’s milk, all squiggled around slices of incredibly creamy shellfish. Others have commented on the tasting menu, with highlights ranging from ‘excellent’ tuna quinoa nigiri (a take on sushi involving potato rather than rice) and sea bass ceviche with beautiful coloured chillies, different types and textures of corn and a sweet potato purée to superb 24-hour confit suckling pig with crispy crackling, plantain, charapita chillies and 100% Amazonian chocolate. Chakana may be Peruvian, but it also serves up a very decent Sunday roast combining the best of native produce with British lunching traditions. To drink, a mix of South American and European wines starts at £24; otherwise, the list is very strong on pisco-based cocktails.

Playing a starring role at the Artisan Market in Edgbaston, Chapter covers a lot of bases in one stylish, streamlined package. Weekend breakfasts should start the day as you mean it to go on, a smart bar with glitzy cocktails opens out to a terrace for drinking in the Birmingham sun, and dining takes place in a smartly attired room with op-art banquettes and an open kitchen. It all looks great (or 'annoyingly photogenic, if your partner insists on snapping') and the whole show is run by a team of impressively knowledgeable staff. Menus (fixed-price or carte) deal in the kind of modern brasserie dishes that city-dwellers love to eat: Caesar salad made with smoked mackerel; ham hock rarebit; chicken ballotine with couscous and chimichurri; market fish in, say, curried cream or lemon and caper butter. Simple bistro desserts won't lack for takers when it comes to strawberry pavlova or a chocolate and pistachio mousse topped with raspberries and a brandy snap. Sunday roasts are an invaluable local amenity, especially for locals who are partial to crackled pork rack or dry-aged beef rump with Yorkshire pud, perhaps served with a side of cauliflower cheese. Drappier Champagnes head up a by-the-glass wine list that isn't pedantic enough to give vintage dates, even for the reds.

Occupying the ‘bow end’ of the astonishing boat-shaped One Chamberlain Square building overlooking Birmingham Town Hall, this branch of Dishoom is nothing if not eye-catching. Inside, its take on a Bombay’s classless Irani cafés also pays homage to that city’s Swadeshi Market with all sorts of exhibits, paraphernalia and archive material – or you can enjoy priceless people-watching from the vast outdoor terrace.

Roll up early for buttery maska buns with hot chai or a chicken kathi roll, lunch on a couple of small plates (perhaps a pau bhaji or a chicken and mango salad), or feast on tandooris and grills such as the ‘perfectly spiced’ masala prawns. These share the billing with various ‘Ruby Murrays’, mutton pepper fry and the house special – in this case Goan monkfish curry strewn with curry leaves.

Of course, you can always go down the traditional curry-house route (spicy samosas and light bhel puris followed by a ‘succulent’ chicken biryani) but feedback suggests that this is less rewarding and far less fun than hands-on sharing. To finish, opt for something sweet and soothing such as a creamy kulfi. Drinkers are also spoilt for choice, with a bewildering array of cocktails, sodas, international wines and esoteric beers (one fan recommends the Dishoom IPA, ‘a very worthy and refreshing brew’).

One of the first wave of restaurants and bars to move into the upcoming ‘foodie oasis’ of Stirchley (a few miles to the south of Birmingham city centre), this ‘brilliant independent eatery’ sits on the site of a greasy spoon café (the original sign is still visible). Chef/owner Ming Nham was in the music/fashion business before taking to the stoves and it shows in the restaurant's cool soundtrack, buzzy vibe and hipster clientele. Here is a super-relaxed, friendly and comfortable venue serving food that's 'easy to get excited about'.

The commendably short and very reasonably priced menu (plus daily specials) could promise anything from ‘turmeric fried fish’ with pickles and nuoc cham to Marmite and peanut-butter chicken wings with a deep umami hit from the yeasty love-it-or-hate-it spread. Otherwise, the short weekly line-up homes in on noodles and curries: the former (served at room temperature) might include BBQ pork shoulder with house pickles, fresh herbs and peanuts, while the latter features meaty cuts as well as salt-and-pepper tofu.

Desserts are ‘locally made by Odi and Moo’. To drink, half a dozen low-intervention, organic and vegan wines sit alongside beers produced in collaboration with the Birmingham Brewing Company – their EVN Yuzu lager works particularly well with the food. There's a popular terrace outside. 

Competition is fierce in B3. Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter has a thriving restaurant scene but Ben Tesh and Lucy Hanlon’s well-established Folium more than holds its own. The interior style – pared back, comfortable – suggests a perfectly confident but low-key neighbourhood venue, yet it’s the setting for some ambitious culinary action. Working solo in the open-to-view kitchen, Tesh’s vision is an entirely personal one, a masterclass in ingredients-led cooking delivered without any sense of ego or overcomplexity.

Dishes on the tasting menu (long and short versions) are composed to bring out the best in prime (often luxurious) ingredients, and Tesh has the confidence to leave well alone when the components are in striking harmony. A whisper-thin ‘burnt onion’ wafer curled around a dot of intense chicken liver parfait makes a sublime mouthful, ditto a pillowy croquette of Mayan Gold potato topped with a light, creamy smoked cod roe and dotted with beads of pike roe. The teaming of exquisitely flavoured A5 wagyu sirloin with nothing more than grilled endive and a rich, glossy sauce is masterly, while the sweetness of turbot plays beautifully against a foamy ponzu sauce of delicious depth – best appreciated by mopping up with the accompanying deep-fried bread roll.

A delicate run of ices makes the perfect, light finish, from whipped marshmallow and yuzu juice, strewn with crispy rice for texture to a rich, creamy toasted hay, caramel and rye confection. Lucy Hanlon runs front of house with great charm, while Folium's enticing offer is completed by an efficient, wide-ranging wine list.

At first sight, Land doesn't look like one of the most consistent addresses for plant-focussed dining in Birmingham city centre. Sensibly dressed in muted grey and green, the small, shop-fronted dining room sits discreetly in an elegant Grade II-listed Victorian shopping arcade – the penny only drops when you take a look at the menu. The food may be strictly vegetarian/vegan, but leave any preconceptions behind – it’s a real one-off.

A broadly based clientele gives the place plenty of enthusiastic support: ‘The food looks great, tastes great and is great value for money – and I'm not a vegetarian either,’ is a common refrain. Expect a choice of four- or six-course tasting menus offering a mix of global ideas and a galaxy of flavours, kicking off with bites of potato crisp layered with fragrantly spiced pumpkin, coriander, beetroot and apple, topped with yoghurt and tonburi seeds. Elsewhere, a boldly flavoured char siu carrot with spring onion and delicate rice mousse, sprinkled with crisped wild rice set the tone for our lunch.

If the kitchen strains under the challenge of working without butter and eggs, it doesn’t show – the standout for us was a delicate, tender leek dish with a luscious, rich tapioca and dashi sauce topped with beads of seaweed caviar. And the ‘non-butter’ that arrived with the bread was a revelation. We loved the finale, too – a delectable chocolate, balsamic and blackberry confection. Service hits just the right note, and staff give sound advice when it comes to the thoughtfully constructed list of mainly low-intervention wines.

There is a genuine feeling of affection radiating from the many readers’ reports we receive for this cutting-edge Indian restaurant. To be sure, it’s an unashamedly smart destination and visitors appreciate the comfortable, softly lit lounge and the dining room’s elegant neutrality as well as the sense of theatre provided by the spectacular open kitchen.

Birmingham-born Aktar Islam has been pursuing his own path here since 2018, his culinary style vigorous and imaginative, a mix of aspirant riffs on familiar Indian recipes and stellar British seasonal produce. Once you’ve snagged a reservation expect clever textures, thrilling contrasts and exact spicing. From the palate-awakening shot of cucumber, green chilli and apple juice served with snacks such as an ethereal oyster emulsion with perfectly judged chilli broth and coriander oil to petits fours that might include a pistachio-crumbed madeleine straight out of the oven, the chef’s intricately realised multi-course menus pulse with innovation and flavour.

Sublime tandoori sand carrot jumbled with mini lentil pakoras is given added vibrancy with mint and coriander, while other stand-outs range from aloo tuk (pink fir potato with mango and tamarind) to a tantalising slice of tender hogget loin fringed with beautifully flavoured fat and served with its slow-cooked shoulder – made all the more memorable by a subtle hint of heat that lingers gently on the palate. Beyond these anchor points, we were equally delighted by a buttery, flaky just-baked milk bread, and an intriguing ‘After Eight’ chocolate finale involving pine ice cream and mint compôte.

Service appears to have thawed since our last visit; the front of house staff and the chefs who delivered dishes to our table were on the ball and warmly welcoming. Drinks impress too. Cocktails blended to match the cuisine are a particular strength, and the wine list – also carefully tailored to complement the spicing– flies you first-class around the world, with by-the-glass choices from £16.

Sai Deethwa and James Fitzgibbons are the enterprising husband-and-wife team who created a cult following for delicious Thai street food with their food van, Buddha Belly. Now settled in a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, they have brought authentic Thai cuisine to a suburb renowned for thriving independent eateries, their popularity among Brum diners undiminished. Soi 1268 is everything you hope a neighbourhood restaurant will be, run with unmistakable warmth and genuine, relaxed hospitality. And the food is exceptional. It's bold, vibrant, and packed with flavour, whether the incomparable beef massaman or spicy chicken panang. Local craft beers, well-executed twists on classic cocktails, and a brief wine list round things out.

The low-key, glass frontage doesn’t give much away, but Trentina is truly a local diamond, a cheerfully informal addition to Birmingham's vibrant Jewellery Quarter scene. Inside, it looks and feels sparsely contemporary. Here you will find big flavours on a short menu that leans heavily on the daily use of the pasta-roller. Dunwood Farm beef bolognese with pappardelle or Devon crab and ricotta ravioli are simple, satisfying and good value. Courgette fritti with aïoli or Cobble Lane fennel and garlic salami could open proceedings, while dessert choices are limited – say a creamy tiramisu or various soft-serve ice creams. A brief, reasonably priced all-Italian wine list offers just one option by the glass/carafe.

This love letter to Italian regional cooking not only serves its neighbourhood brilliantly, but the fun now extends to an additional bar for counter dining, which provides even more opportunities for socialising. The feel is of a modern refettorio with a sleek navy-blue frontage and a cool, softly lit interior. Brilliant staff go out of their way to make sure everyone has a good time and the food is tailor-made for happy mixing and matching, kicking off with inspired antipasti selections such as Roman-style arancini or burrata with strawberries, pistachio and basil oil. Pasta is a sure-fire hit (pappardelle with rabbit ragù, for example), while main dishes are robust and rustic along the lines of lamb shoulder with braised peas and Tropea onions (of course). Anyone leaving without having bitten into one of the bombolone (filled doughnuts) has missed a textural sensation. Not surprisingly, Italy is the reference point for an approachable wine list with plenty by the glass or carafe; also ask to see the prestigious 'cellar list' of fine vintages.

In the heart of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, this confident wine and tapas bar thrives on accessibility, warmth and fair value. A vibrant, cramped, white-tiled space with high stools to perch on, it’s the kind of place where ‘you pop in for an hour or two and end up there the whole night’. The kitchen’s repertoire of sharply executed Spanish-inspired food runs from small plates of jamón Ibérico, boquerones and pinxo morú (lamb brochettes) to assorted chargrills – pork chop with PX sauce, a massive chuleton rib steak or whole sardines (priced by weight) with aïoli. The never-off-the-menu Basque cheesecake is hard to trump. Modest prices extend to an illuminating list of Spanish wines.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? The old Clash hit poses its punky question during an early course at The Wilderness. Stay, because this Birmingham restaurant is cool, unconventional and a spot worth knowing about – although its all-black paint job, mirrors, scrawled aphorisms and pumping soundtrack will not work for everyone. A tip before you wander, lost and late, on Warstone Road: the (black) Wilderness sign is hung high up, above the one for the neighbouring 24 Carat Bistro. In concept-land, being hard to find seems to be as important as the colour of the paintwork. Found it? Then settle in. The welcome from an exceptional front-of-house team overflows with relaxed warmth – they are knowledgeable, adaptable and welcome feedback. The chefs seem subdued though; the Wilderness theatre, on our visit at least, emanates from the floor not the kitchen. The six- or nine-course menu is called ‘All Pleasure is Fleeting’, a reference to spontaneity and ever-changing dishes. Thankfully, the pleasures of dinner don’t fleet. Beetroot ice cream is memorably sweet-savoury, its flavour nudged into technicolour by a green-chilli pesto that’s lip-smackingly bright and finely balanced; there are tiny cubes of beet underneath, while a smooth ajo blanco punches with garlic. Memorable too is a mushroom ragù, a tangle of savouriness from morels, girolles, chestnuts and cordyceps on top of chawanmushi (announced as ‘posh mushroom custard’). A cluster of puffed potato scraps adds a little texture. Other ideas could benefit from more of that texture, but how lovely to see the invention that has gone into these two vegetarian dishes. Turbot, dry-aged on the bone to accentuate its flavour, has been barbecued – 'fleetingly' – and finished with burnt butter. Smokiness whispers through the pale dish, a little smoked eel adding silvery glimmers. An aerated sauce made with more smoked eel is brightened with dashi, enriched with cultured butter and splashed with roasted bone oil. It’s an involved and thoughtful creation that’s deeply delicious. Among the wine pairings, the savoury-spicy notes of a punchy Georgian Saperavi are a particular triumph with the venison – seared and tenderly pink muntjac loin coated in cocoa and cep powder. There’s a delicious suggestion of autumnal wood fires and blackberries in the accompanying sauce, a piece of eight-hour cooked belly and a faggot made from the trimmings. Equally delicious is the glorious Banyuls served with a dessert of frozen Tahitian vanilla-infused mascarpone covered with an intensely treacly PX sherry reduction. It’s heady stuff. A poppyseed brioche seems more breakfast than dinner but brings welcome textural substance as proceedings draw to a close.

A real diamond in the rough, you might easily walk past the unprepossessing front of this Chinese café without realising the delights that await within. However, step inside the tiny DIY-decorated space and grab a chair at the counter overlooking the open kitchen, and you’ll witness magic at work. James Kirk-Gould, formerly head chef at that high-rise 24-hour London restaurant Duck & Waffle, now offers extraordinarily good-value Chinese home cooking in this Birmingham suburb – currently in the sweet spot of gentrification (it's still scruffy and cheap, but there's cool stuff to do and eat here and a palpable sense of community). Kirk-Gould is helped by front-of-house partner Cassie, whose fudge-making business next door provides the sauce for the soft-serve ice cream that is the café’s only pudding. Eating here feels a bit like having dinner with friends, partly because of the warm welcome but also because the menu is so short that you more or less have to eat what you’re given. If that’s the much-praised fried chicken, served crisp and crunchy in a puddle of chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorns with, say, a side of smacked cucumbers, beaten about and then macerated in lightly spiced sesame oil, you will marvel at the freshness and flavour. The equally brief drinks menu offers Tsingtao beer, plus green and chrysanthemum tea if you want to stay authentic. Just like the food, the bill will astonish you for all the right reasons.