Birmingham is home to some of the most diverse hospitality settings in the entire United Kingdom. Host to a wide variety of lively food festivals and events, this is an ideal spot to celebrate some of the best food and drink England has to offer.
As the second largest city in the United Kingdom, Birmingham is simply unignorable. It is indisputably a centre of foodie excellence, and the city’s five Michelin star restaurants only attest to the high-quality cuisine found here. Here’s our top 11 best restaurants in Birmingham city centre.
From the always surprising and creative Southside to Brindleyplace’s charming canals, there are plenty of portions on Birmingham’s hospitality plate for city-goers to sample. Try out our other city guides: “17 Best Restaurants in Dublin”.
Adam’s Restaurant
Kicking off with a Michelin-starred venue, Adam’s is one of Birmingham’s best restaurants in the city centre.
The brainchild of Chef Adam Stokes serves to please. A taste for luxury and richness makes this one of the city’s fine delicacies. Inside, a subterranean floor opens up to present some visual treats: a theatrical open kitchen, replete with chef’s table; a wall of wines, host to every colour — bottle green, apple red, and olive black. Waterloo Street is certainly proud to host such a glamorous setting.
Did you know that bookings are essential at Adam’s Restaurant? Restaurants can ease the pain for customers with an online reservations system that doesn’t cost a penny.
Restaurant Folium
Some say it is a hidden gem found only in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, but rest assured, Restaurant Folium is no rare diamond. This one is as home grown as a Birmingham bun.
The idea behind Restaurant Folium’s style is simplicity, but without detracting on flavour and taste. Using fresh ingredients means that the menu varies from day to day, according to whichever British produce is available, making this one of Birmingham’s most exciting and surprising venues to visit.
Purnell’s
Glynn Purnell’s restaurant on Cornwall Street is both experimentally playful and traditionally classic. This is one top spot that has learned to integrate well with its own national heritage. Most particularly, Purnell’s “Great British Menu” firmly establishes this restaurant as a proud member of Birmingham’s more traditional hospitality settings.
Go for the Tasting Menu to sample the best of British: spiced carrot panisse to start, a Scottish halibut in parsley and tartar to finish.
Perios Brindleyplace
For a food experience that dares to venture across the Atlantic Ocean, Perios is Birmingham’s best answer to Mexican cuisine.
Among restaurants Birmingham canal, a friendly atmosphere at Perios introduces customers to great evenings ahead. Every Google review, for instance, takes care to mention Perios’ impeccable service. Brilliant burrito bowls, quality quesadillas, and firesome frijoles are all favourites at this location, so it certainly cannot be missed.
Grand Central Kitchen
A neat, well-ordered, black-and-yellow façade shows the extent of Grand Central Kitchen’s humble presentation. The somewhat lacklustre look may throw many off guard: for this is usually rated Birmingham’s best restaurant, with the marks to prove it (i.e., Grand Central Kitchen has a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence).
Recent professional review says the best item to go for is the English fry up — a typical dish that this Birmingham favourite does best.
Dishoom Birmingham
We’ve mentioned Dishoom’s other branches in other English cities, such as London, and this one does not detract in quality. Located centremost among Birmingham’s best restaurants, Dishoom snugly sits beside the city’s pride and joy: for instance, Dishoom neighbours some of the city’s most historic buildings, such as the neoclassical Birmingham town hall.
Prepare for Birmingham’s best Bombay dishes and special plates. Dishoom has it all, from Hindu to Parsi traditions, such as the House Black Daal, specially cooked with care over twenty-four hours. Dishoom cooks to perfection.
Tattu Restaurant and Bar
The building that houses Tattu is heaped in history. As a grade II* listed building, the Grand Hotel is of national historic importance.
Yet the restaurant’s style is the complete opposite. Amazingly, Tattu is contemporary. First class Chinese cooking brings guests back time and time again. Paying tribute to the idea of Yin Yang (the Chinese philosophy of balance), Tattu offers an incredible array of well-prepared dishes — who can resist names like sugar salt crispy squid and Shaghai black cod?
Bantu Bar and Grill
Bantu, proud and punchy, has a house motto: “There’s something here for everyone”. Bringing the best of central African cuisine to the streets of Birmingham, menu items like the Moroccan lamb chops and South African Milk Tart establish Bantu as a sort of food heaven, settled in Fleet Street, making it one of the best restaurants found by Birmingham canal.
Isaac’s
Down in Brum central, Isaac’s is unashamedly American. The streets of New York meet with the streets of Birmingham in this city centre favourite, also located in the grade II* listed Grand Hotel. If you ever visit, go for the Heroes section of the menu, which boasts the best of New York style cuisine, like meat-feast burgers and hotdogs that are movie-star handsome.
Sushi Passion
The best sushi in Birmingham is readily available in Great Western Arcade. What makes Sushi Passion special is quite simple: the All Sushi Association of Japan has given the premises a stamp of approval. So authenticity is key here. Guests can sit in Japanese-style “Tatami” seating, complete with beige mats and mahogany-coloured tables.
With tuna, eel, and salmon selections freshly ready on the menu, it is hard to say no to whatever Sushi Passion has to offer.
The best restaurants on Birmingham canal are also some of the best in the entire United Kingdom. Check out more top-quality restaurants found in England’s capital: “The Best 7 North London Restaurants to Visit”.
If you liked this article about Birmingham’s best restaurants city centre, why not learn more about a free restaurant reservation system? Birmingham’s top restaurants can all enjoy the great features associated with reservation systems — SMS messaging, table management — without having to spend a penny. Read more about a free drinks pre ordering system, exclusive to Carbonara App.
