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It’s mine and my g/f’s anniversary this weekend and we fancy going somewhere nice to eat. I’m a resident of the fine city so know a few places but wondered if you lot had any ideas?
Ideally it will not be a big chain and will be busy ish (but not rammed) on a Friday night. Anywhere around Brum or Stourbridge (and surroundings) will be considered.
Anyone?
You'd be better off going to a country pub outside of the city, unless you both like curry or going down the urban hell that is Broad Street.
Actually this place is really nice but it's the wrong end of the city:
http://www.thewhitelioninn.com/thewhitelioninndomain/index.htm
But it's not in the city so that is a huge bonus Ta ta a bit etc....
If you're in Stourbridge/west of the city centre, go for a real curry in a little place in the suburbs like Bearwood. If it looks proper ropey, go for it. If it looks swish, body swerve it.
ah now this is my kind of subject
Cafe Ikon - Ikon Gallery, Broad Street:
Fantactic tapas, great atmosphere and not too close to the main drag. pop into Bank afterwards for a posh cocktail.
Le Petit Blanc - Brindley Place:
JPW's brasserie, classic french cooking. pricey.
my personal favourite and a little leftfield would be [url= http://www.franzls.co.uk/ ]Franzl's[/url] in Bearwood. A true hidden gem. fantastic personal service from chef Adolf and his lovely wife, great bavarian dishes using the finest ingredients and a wood panelled beer kellar downstairs 🙂
Also a bit leftfield is Savannah, an Ethiopian restaurant on Bristol Street. Certainly an experience.
Mike
also what trail monkey said but try Ladypool road for curry. there's a little place near the ttop (it think it's called Princess or something) which is a fantastic Gujarati place. It's Jamie Olivers 'bestest' curry house but don't let that put you off. Basically you are in someones front room and you can bring your own booze
Wow, I'm amazed that Franzl's is still going. It first opened as a French resteraunt in the 70's called La Copper Kettle !! Quite an odd location for a restaraunt too, right in the middle of a res zone with no shops around it.
yes tm - and it was about 500m from our house 🙂
We had a nice meal at the Bucklemaker, its back of snow hill that way.
just make sure they don't sit you near the cheese table, phew!!
The Woodman on the road to Bridgnorth coming from Himley way is meant to be nice.
small world, I grew up in Bearwood ( dries tear of nostalgia )
What type of food do you want and how much do you want to spend?
Have a look at these:
http://www.purnellsrestaurant.com/index.php?notour
http://www.simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk/
http://www.turnersofharborne.com/
Bit cheaper but nice
http://www.thefourstones.co.uk/
http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=811&refid=ppc_ggl&gclid=CPGC-_3WtJoCFQZlswodDjw8cw
if you grew up there i don't recommend you try and go back to The Bear pub, ruined it was
Franzl's still serves the best steak i have had in this country, and that includes a lot of michelin star places i have tried
Petit Blanc's is nice, in Brum centre.
TBH I've just had a lovely bangers and mash and a nice pint of ale at Old Contemptible's on Edmund Street. Realy nice food and it's a gorgeous pub.
If you're more Wolverhampton way there's a place on the Stourbridge road that used to be a beefeater - I think it's Miller and Carter or something like that. Never been myself but the car park is always rammed full.
i also have heard nothing but praise for Franzls in bearwood, the puds are supposed to be out of this world!
I lived near Bearwood for 26 years and never visited Franzl's, even though I passed it daily to and from work.
Sounds like I was missing out!
Still not too far away though. Might make a trip over.
Depends what your after the 'Pie Factory' in either Stourbridge or Tipton is ok, or the curry house (cant remember the exact name but it has some pretty obvious features) in Lye about half way up the high street with a person sized bong in the window and curtains on the ceiling is very good.
Le Petit Blanc closed years ago, as did it's successor, Brassierie Blanc - I work in the offices above it!
Staying with the Brindleyplace theme, I recently had lunch here:
www.edmundsbirmingham.com
And the set menu was fantastic. It's a little more for dinner, but still well worth it - Michelin star standard cooking.
I've also eaten at Simpsons in Edgbaston, and Purnells, and they're both amazing but for different reasons - Simpsons is modern French, Purnells modern with a twist. Edmunds does the middle ground very well. Neither are cheap though.
I've heard good things about Turners in Harborne, but not been yet.
If you like Indian cooking, Itihaas on Newhall Street is the best of the modern Indian restaurants, and Raj Doot (opposite the BMW garage down the road) is graet classical Indian cooking.
The Cross in Moseley does good 'pub' food, as does the Fighting Cocks, and the White Swan (Dirty Duck) is Harborne is good as a more upmarket gastro style place.
For something a bit different, Blue Ginger in Kings Heath is a Singapore/Malaysian restaurant, great food, basic and friendly inside but pleasantly boho. If you like tapas, La Plancha in Moseley and Byzantium in Kings Heath are great, with Byzantium just edging it.
Hope those help - let me know if you want any more detail.
Thanks all, some cracking ideas.
I think it will either be Fritzl's or Purnell's, opposite ends of the foody spectrum but I quite like the look of both.
I'll let you all know how they were.
The Cat pub in enville, does great bar meals and seems to have a well known restaurant hidden updstairs (never seen it advertised but it always seems full)
Dunsley Hall in Kinver - pretty well recommended but be aware you come away skint (£6 for a lager)
Basil's in Kinver - lovely little restaurant, sounds italian but they're not that limited, I love this place and it's always packed.
The retreat in Stourbridge - not been but one of the guys at work says his sons the head chef so wants to drum up business.
Having lived in Brum for 10 years (again nr bearwood) I wouldn't waste my time there!
Word of warning - you won't get into Purnells this Friday.
You need to book a month or so in advance!
To those who discount Birmingham's restaurants, there's some of the best modern cooking in the world going on in the city at present, but it's off the beaten track - well worth investigating though.