Food glorious food. One of life’s greatest pleasures and the one thing we all have in common.
Being home to 10 Michelin-star restaurants (yes, you’ve read that right) and a buzzing street food and independents scene, the West Midlands is the perfect destination to indulge whatever your flavour.
Here’s a sneak peek at the top 10 stars across the region:
Adam's - Birmingham City Centre
Adam's is a contemporary British fine dining restaurant serving modern dishes created to the very highest professional standard. Owner and Chef Adam Stokes heads up the award-winning restaurant, which holds a string of accolades including a Michelin Star, three AA Rosettes and a score of 7 in the Good Food Guide.
The restaurant was awarded a Travellers’ Choice award for the sixth consecutive year and October 2019 saw Adam's rated Number 1 Restaurant in the UK, 6 in Europe and 10 in the world on TripAdvisor - with reviews like that you’d be daft not to pay them a visit!
Don’t just take our word for it…
Absolutely amazing dining experience
The food here is amazing. I had food from the vegan menu and it was so good! We went for the three course menu but the staff kept bringing out little taster dishes. I just can't fault anything. The staff were amazing, so attentive and knowledgeable, nothing was too much trouble. It is definitely an experience eating here. We were there for 2 and half hours so we really got our money's worth. I would definitely recommend for a special occasion!
Specialties include:
- Cornish crab, apple, dashi and lobster tempura
- Wagyu brisket and sirloin with chimichurri, grelot onions and chive
- Valrhona 64% Manjari, teriyaki caramel, peanut and mascarpone
7 course tasting menu starting from £95 pp
Why not make a real night of it and check yourselves into Malmaison, located just around the corner, meaning you don’t need to worry about that ‘too full’ feeling for the long journey home!!
Carters of Moseley - Moseley, Birmingham
Welcome.
That’s is a really important word to Carters. It’s not just a greeting. It’s their aim.
Carters prides itself on being a true representation of British flavours, developing their menu around the different seasons and led by the local ingredients inspired by home-grown producers. You’re not just getting any ordinary fine dining experience at Carters, you’ll be enjoying their philosophy of sustainability as you enjoy their eclectic dishes centred around 3 key principles;
Simple: Quality food needn’t be pretentious or complicated. Carters has taken it back to basics, Using seasonal product from trusted local suppliers, they create delicious dishes with a traditional British influence that you can taste.
Affordable: Fine dining should be available to everyone. So Carters has created a quality dining experience that’s reasonably priced.
Fun: Because that’s how food, cooking and dining should be!
Specialties include:
- Razor clams with Old Winchester and pepper dulse
- Belted Galloway with wasabi and turnip
- Cider soaked Tamworth fat cake with cream cheese
4 course tasting menu starting from £50 per person (Tuesday to Thursday)
Opheem - Birmingham City Centre
“Opheem is just me. Unleashed’ Aktar Islam
Chef Aktar Islam will be a familiar face to those in the West Midlands, having made a name for himself as one of the city’s leading chefs. After appearances on Saturday Kitchen, Great British Menu and Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word (Lasan, where Aktar was chef director, won Best Local Restaurant on the Channel 4 show), he’s something of a TV personality, too.
Growing up in Aston, North Birmingham, Aktar comes from a humble and hardworking family, starting off working life in his Dad’s restaurant at the age of 16. With a mission to cook the “food of Kings and Emperors”, that’s how Opheem was born.
Focussing on Indian culinary traditions married with modern techniques, this is fine dining with dialled-up flavour. Not to mention the instagrammable interiors that have graced the grid of many visitors since it opened last year.
Top tip: Make sure you arrive a little early before your reservation to enjoy a pre-dinner tipple surrounded by the stunning cherry blossom tree forms the centrepiece of the separate bar and lounge area.
Specialties include:
- Soft shell crab with caraway seed tempura and crab shami
- Herdwick lamb pavé with confit shoulder, charred broccoli and bone marrow sauce
- Passion fruit with Manjari chocolate
5 course tasting menu starting from £65 per person
Purnell’s Restaurant - Birmingham City Centre
Purnell’s Restaurant is a chic, contemporary fine-dining restaurant run by Michelin starred Chef Glynn Purnell. Many of you may recognise the ‘Yummy Brummy’ who frequently hosts BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and has graced many a red carpet promoting the city he is proud to call home.
“In my restaurant, I like people to laugh and enjoy the food. I like the presentation to be flamboyant… Food should be colourful, romantic and funny… it should be like a rollercoaster when you’re eating it. This ethos is what defines the plates served at Purnell’s.”
- Glynn Purnell
Diners will enjoy the lively and colourful décor that’s been designed around Glynn’s personality and to compliment the food. Dishes include ‘Haddock and eggs - with Mom Purnell’s remix’ from their vibrant tasting menu or try a new experience in their ‘Living Room’ where you’ll be served dishes that reflect Purnell’s vision of cooking; in Glynn’s words - Brummie Tapas.
Specialties include:
- Cheese and pineapple - emotions of 'soixante-dix'
- Sirloin of beef with smoked carrot
- Opalys Valrhona white chocolate, mango and lime
6 course tasting menu starting from £75 per person
Did you know? If you’re in the mood for more of a bistro option, make sure you check out Purnell’s bistro and Ginger’s bar just around the corner. Offering a menu loosely inspired by rustic British fare, from pork bellies to bread and butter puddings, it’s rustic home cooking with an eclectic twist.
Simpsons - Edgbaston Village, Birmingham
Having held a Michelin-star since 2000, Simpsons is an informal, contemporary and elegant restaurant that reflects the spirit of fine dining today. Headed up by dream team Andreas Antonas and Luke Tipping, the restaurant has earned a reputation for offering one of the best dining experiences in Birmingham.
Located in the tranquil Edgbaston village just outside of Birmingham city centre, the bright and modern dining space offers a true luxury experience, inspired by the colours and shapes of nature and dishes that showcase the very best of what’s in season.
But the luxury doesn’t stop there, as guests can relax and unwind in the stunning on-site bedrooms, complete with all the details to make your experience an unforgettable one. Finish off your stay with a Eureka Kitchen experience where you’ll learn the skills it takes to cook like an award-winning chef, finished off with a 3-course lunch of the dishes that you’ve prepared earlier (how very Blue Peter).
Specialties include:
- Sea bream tartare with wasabi ice-cream
- Rump of lamb with smoked cod's roe and tamarillo
- Lemon meringue pie soufflé with hazelnut ice cream
8 course tasting menu starting from £95 pp
Top tip: Make the most of your time in Edgbaston Village and book the ‘Foodie City break’ package. This two-night short break includes a two-night stay with breakfast at one of the Village’s boutique hotels, an 8-course tasting dinner menu with paired wines at Simpson’s and a unique wine tasting experience at Loki wines.
Peels Restaurant at Hampton Manor - Solihull
“Dinner at our hours is more than just a seat at the table. It’s an invitation to settle in for the evening.”
A hidden gem nestled in 45 acres of parkland walks, secret paths, formal gardens and a historic landscape, Peel’s Restaurant makes for all the ingredients of an unforgettable experience.
The restaurant is set in the historic courtyard of Hampton Manor, a 19th Century country house situated in the quaint village of Hampton-in-Arden in Solihull. Independently owned and family-run, Hampton Manor has been recently restored and developed into a stylish hotel with 15 individually designed bedrooms that you’ll never want to leave.
Praised for their ‘refined and original combinations’ by The Michelin Guide, the restaurant, led by local boy Rob Palmer, was awarded its star in 2017 - which came as no surprise to those guests who had paid them a visit since opening.
Specialties include:
- Crab XO with white beetroot, coriander and lime
- Longhorn beef, St George’s mushrooms, kidneys and parsley
- Chocolate, sherry and vanilla
4 course tasting menu starting from £80 pp
Top tip: Make sure you travel with ease with West Midlands Railway with direct trains from Birmingham New Street to Hampton-in-Arden from just £2.50.
Pensons at the Netherwood Estate - Worcestershire
The 1,200-acre Netherwood Estate sits on the Worcestershire-Herefordshire border and plays host to a delightfully converted barn overlooking arable farmland. Old agricultural artefacts unearthed during its restoration adorn the walls and, while the interior is design-led, it also has a certain rustic charm.
Chef Lee Westcott moved from London and his experience shows in measured, Scandic-style dishes which deliver well-balanced flavours. He uses the finest ingredients, sourced from the kitchen garden and the local area, including rapeseed oil, flour and honey from the estate – and foraging, fermenting and pickling all play their part.
Don’t be fooled by the understated presentation, as the modern dishes are much more complex than they may first appear. The sourdough with marmite butter and roasted yeast is a hit, and the lunch menu is a steal.
Specialties include:
- Scallop, yeast, apple and monk's beard
- Herefordshire Herdwick lamb, potato and turnip
- Sheep's yoghurt, apple and dill
7 course tasting menu starting from £80 pp
Salt - Warwickshire
Set in the heart of town is this lovely little restaurant with whitewashed walls, exposed timbers, flagged floors and a wood-burning stove to keep things cosy in winter. Its simple look and laid-back atmosphere are in perfect harmony with the honesty and purity of the cooking, as is the friendly, fuss-free service.
To really get in on the action sit in the rear of the two rooms, opposite the open kitchen, where you can watch the chef crafting assured, unfussy dishes which showcase precise techniques and restrained originality. First-rate ingredients are carefully sourced and flavours are clear and defined. The weekday lunch is great value and the weekend tasting menus show the chef’s creativity to the full. In warmer weather, arrive early for drinks beside the raised beds in the small courtyard.
Specialties include:
- Carrot cooked in chicken fat with pickled carrot and chicken skin
- Barbecued Mangalitsa pork rump with white shallot purée and wild garlic
- Baked chocolate délice with peanut parfait and kalamansi
5 course tasting menu starting from £50 pp
The Royal Oak - Warwickshire
The Royal Oak started out as a drinks shelter catering for the workmen building the local church and is reputedly one of the oldest pubs in the country – Oliver Cromwell supposedly stayed here before the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.
It’s a charming place, with a lovely atmosphere and plenty of character, from the cosy, traditional bar to the bright, airy dining room. Richard Craven has a passion for British produce and the cooking follows a strong ‘farm to fork’ ethos, with produce coming from small producers in and around the nearby hills and estates. He favours organic and wild ingredients and game is often shot to order. Dishes are created with obvious care and skill and have an unfussy, tried-and-tested style, relying on the quality of the ingredients to do the talking. Richard’s charming wife Solanche looks after the service.
Specialities include:
- Pig's head & black pudding lasagna with hazelnuts and cider reduction
- Red deer with venison suet pudding, carrot, elderberry and purple sprouting broccoli
- Yorkshire rhubarb with caramelised white chocolate and fennel
4 course tasting menu starting from £55 pp
The Cross at Kenilworth - Warwickshire
When you first catch sight of this pub’s smart exterior, you’ll just know that they take things seriously here – and when an eager member of staff greets you, settles you in and explains the menu, this initial impression is confirmed.
Further proof comes on your plate: skilfully executed, classical dishes showcase prime seasonal ingredients, and dishes not only look impressive but deliver on flavour too. This is, after all, a mature and confident kitchen team who know how to treat their produce with respect. If you’re seated in the back room, which opens onto the terrace, you get to watch the kitchen team in action; the bright, airy room next door used to be a classroom – a fact alluded to by the eye-catching wall lamps shaped like hand bells. The front bar, meanwhile, with its adjoining snug and wood burning stove, makes a cosy place for a beer and a homemade sausage roll.
Specialties include:
- Crispy duck egg with cured ham, celeriac purée and chicken jus
- Roast loin of lamb with Jersey Royals, seaweed butter and lamb jus
- Hazelnut praline soufflé, blood orange ice cream and caramelised white chocolate sauce
5 course tasting menu starting from £75 pp
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