Category Archives: Cafés and Restaurants

6/8 Kafe Craft Beer festival 10/11/12th November, plus discount.

Posted in beer, Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Cake, City Centre, Coffee, Coffee Time, Craft beer, Independent Birmingham, vegan, vegetarian by

Scaffolding is a necessary pest, a bit like slugs eating my veg or wasps in the summer. 

I once went to Florence and the great cathedral was covered in the stuff. How annoyed was I. The same happened in Rome with The Trevi Fountain. I was not amused. 

But then it comes off, as if by magic the structure below appears, more beautiful, brighter and and all is well. 

This is what 6/8 Kafe hope now their monstrous outdoor cover has been taken down and to celebrate they are having a craft beer festival. Well why not, they deserve it. Let’s toast progress! 

Sitting at the back of House of Fraser on Temple Row 6/8 Kafe is an independent coffee shop of some repute in the city and a innovator of the fine art of the Barista.

Festival organiser and proprietor Dav said:

”Our festival is about enjoying local beer with the amazing people that make them.

”It’s about tasting, learning and enjoying everything about craft beer. 

The line up includes: 

On Thursday ‘meet the brewers’. 

Burning Soul Brewing:

Bringing OCT IPA 6.7%

Mount Olympus Pale Ale 5.2%

Insert [Blanc] Single Hop Ale 5.2%

On Friday there is a ‘meet the brewer’ session with Twisted Barrel Ale who are launching their annual winter special ”Dark Knight Rises” and a Belgian Dubbel at Six Eight.

http://www.twistedbarrelale.co.uk/


On Saturday two Black Country brewers Sacre Brew at 6pm and Fixed Wheel are at the festival. 

Fixed Wheel will bring ‘Carbon Black IPA 6.8%, ‘Coffee Fix ‘6.1% and ‘Single Speed Equinox’ 4.5%.

Sacre Brew will bring  3 beers: Sloe Loris, Wendigo, & Donkey’s Years! 

Throughout the festival they will have live acoustic musicians appearing and playing to their hearts content. 

Tracks like down with the scaffolding should be popular on the playlist. 

http://www.sacrebrew.com/

Home

Tickets are £3.66 or £2.66 using my discount   ANDY_H at the checkout which will get you your first pint and access at the event. Enter the promotional code at the link. Andy_H.

Here: 

http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=JuO6H&m=gcE2TaB8ITvENEE&b=VsnXDFvrrJivKpZnMQMmMQ

https://www.facebook.com/events/1618496268450152/

Also present will be Digbeth Dining Club favourites Stufo providing the food. 
http://www.stufo.co.uk/

http://www.sixeightkafe.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1618496268450152/

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊


Veggie burger watch: The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Independent, Kings Heath, Organic, vegan, vegetarian by

The Kitchen Garden is one of my favourite places to visit. Be it breakfast, lunch or just a piece of cake and cup of tea, it covers all bases and covers them in a cosy cosseted kind of way. Just taking the walk through the winding path through the garden centre and past the organic food shop feels reassuring and lifts the gloom on a cloudy rainy day. 

Entering this tranquil oasis there’s an abundance of choice for Vegetarians and Vegans and all with a nod to local and ethical sourcing. I’ve tried and reviewed most of the key elements to the hot veggie food menu for breakfast and brunch, but had never tried the veggie falafel burger that at £7.95 is competively priced and decent value. 

The better veggie burgers have a balance of flavour and hold well in the bun. For this The Kitchen Garden falafel burger is a success with a good falafel filling that with the halloumi makes a filling burge that has a nice depth and isn’t too stodgy. 

The chips though aren’t the best. A bit cool, a bit off coloured and rubbery for my liking and not to the standard I’d like with this decent veggie burger. 

It Came with coleslaw and a nice original salad including chick peas, lettuce and red onion, which I liked as it wasn’t too powerful a flavour with the burger. 

Falafel burger at Kitchen Garden 

The Veggie Falafal burger is a very decent choice of lunch time indulgence at The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath, and if their chips could be as good as their sister Fletchers next door then this dish would be amongst the best in the area. I suppose that’s something to work on and proof that a good chip goes a long way in making a fantastic burger meal perfect (Or certainly near). 

The Kitchen Garden is a lovely cafe and this veggie burger is well worth eating again. 

A good lunch time meat free choice. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

We paid for our food and drinks ourselves. My opinions are honest as always. 

Welcoming The Physician, a new venue for Edgbaston. 

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Cafés and Restaurants, Cocktails, Edgbaston, Food, vegetarian by

The growth in restaurants and bars in the Edgbaston village area in recent years is one of the significant success stories of the new found Foodie confidence in Birmingham. From the pioneering Simpsons to El Boracho del Oro, The High field, Blue Piano, the new Comida @ 21 Edgbaston and Cocktail bar The Edgbaston are providing Birmingham with places to eat and drink for the smart diner. Now another new restaurant is due to open soon, welcome to The Physician. 

Brunning and Price restaurant group are currently breathing new life into what was once the Birmingham Medical Institute building on the Calthorpe Estate within Edgbaston Village on the corner of Harbourne and Highfield Road.

The building was taken over in 1957 by the BMI. It once housed the extensive library before it moved to more modern facilities and when the chance came to take on such a wonderfully characterful property, it was an opportunity not to be missed by Brunning and Price.  

Lisa Rogers has recently been appointed as its General Manager and is keen to open the doors in order to get to know everyone and become a full and active member of the local community.

Lisa is new to the area, hailing originally from Southampton, she has worked within pubs since the tender age of 18, spending over 20 something years behind the bar and the last 12 of those in London as a pub manager. She jumped at the chance to run the Physician as it will enable her to live out 3 of her loves, great wine, good food and a love of history, as well as bringing her to her boyfriend Noel’s hometown to be closer to friends and family.

Lisa is joined at the Physician by Rachael Perry and Andy Harris, both will become Deputy Managers and compliment the team with Rachael’s love of wine and Andy’s love of real ale and a shared wealth of local knowledge being born and bred in the area. Our new head chef Ashley Kilroy joins us from Stourbridge and will head the kitchen team whose job it is to create daily menus which will have a core of modern British cooking and where possible use great local suppliers.

Now that the management team is in place they are busily looking for enthusiastic, personable people to make up the rest of the 40 strong team.

‘’We are looking for lots of local ‘crew members’ to work in the bar, or waiting, kitchen and maintenance roles. You don’t need to have experience, just genuinely love working with people and being generally ‘hospitable’, we will happily teach the rest if needed.

 To apply, for any role, please send your CV with a covering letter telling us about you and what makes you tick to Jan@brunningandprice.co.uk, check out our website http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/physician/ or find us on Facebook’’

‘’I’m really looking forward to creating our menu, finding some great new local suppliers and forming relationships. I love the idea of running beer and gin festivals and evenings where customers can meet local brewers or distillers to find out more and taste what’s on offer locally. We are fortunate to have a wealth of brewers in the area to choose from and I would love to hear from our customers about what they would like us to stock. The pub has a great bar at its heart and I hope that it will be a hub of local life.’’

The pub will have 2 private dining rooms seating around16 people in each. The bar is at the heart of the building with a mixture of rooms that incorporate lots of nooks and crannies to hide in or views out to the newly formed courtyard garden through the new Orangery.

Dogs will be welcomed in the bar area and we are busy mapping suitable circular walks from and to the pub so that customers can take in the many sites in this extremely historical part of town before they settle back with us to dine or quench their thirsts.

They plan to open in early November. We will update the website and Facebook with any notable dates and plans as they are finalised so we encourage anyone who is interested to follow our progress there.


  

BRUNNING AND PRICE INFORMATION

They are a group of 55 pub restaurants that were founded in the North West of England and North Wales, however, through popular demand and with the assistance of an A to Z they have now ventured further afield and have a substantial branch of the family in the South.

Each pub has its own style and flavour, though you’ll find good cask beers, freshly cooked food, decent and affordable wine and a good shelf of malt whiskies throughout. They like to think they run informal places for people who like to meet, eat, drink and talk in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.

Looking forward to The Physician opening in November. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

The Physician, Harborne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3DH.

 

 

Bottomless brunch comes to The One Elm, Stratford Upon Avon.

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Brunch, Cafés and Restaurants, Stratford Upon Avon, vegan, vegetarian, Warwickshire restaurants by

  

One of the hippest food trends has hit Stratford-Upon-Avon. Bottomless Brunch has arrived at The One Elm in Stratford, as the perfect antidote to the morning after the night before and a saviour to rumbling tummies everywhere.

From now on, every Saturday morning from 9am until 3pm you can enjoy two hours of delicious bottomless dining plus soft or stiff drinking with plenty of the good stuff to fill you up and set you on your way. It’s all available at the busy town gastropub that’s just a stone’s throw from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, as Mat Faulkner, general manager of The One Elm explains.

 “We’ve all been there – a Friday night out with a few beers too many and a heavy head and rumbling stomach the next morning,” he says. “Now it doesn’t matter if you’ve slept in and missed breakfast as well because if you can find your way to the pub, you can make it all good again by tucking into bottomless brunch at The One Elm. Our brunch menu is packed with bottomless good stuff, with something for everyone whether you fancy a healthier kick-start, a cracking full English or anything in between.

Free-range local eggs and bread come from the Brown Sugar Bakery. Wash it all down with a cup or two of single origin Rwandan filter coffee or tea of the Yorkshire, fresh mint or green variety. And if there’s nothing for it but hair of the dog, go for Bloody Marys, Brunch Punch and Mimosas.

 “We’ve created Bottomless Brunch as the saviour not just to Friday nights out but also for anyone in search of food satisfaction,” continues Mat. “So if you’re in town with friends and family and want to refuel or are starting a day’s sight-seeing in Shakespeare country, come along and do brunch with us first to get your day off to the best possible start. Hangovers are optional of course!” he says

   
    
 

For us veggies there’s plenty of choice. 

Try out: 

Breads:

Toasted Bloomer & Preserves 3.00
Eggy Bread, Strawberries, Natural Yogurt 4.50
 
Granola:

Summer Berries & Natural Yogurt 4.50
Superfruit, Honey Yogurt, Chia Seeds 4.50
Almond Milk 4.50
 
Pancakes or Waffles:

Blueberry & Ricotta 5.75
Superfruit, Natural Yogurt & Honey 5.75
****************************************
 
Bagels:

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Hummus 5.50
 
Muffins:

Veggie Haggis Muffin 4.00
 
Free-range Eggs Benedict With Spinach 7.75
Smashed Avocado & Poached Eggs on Sourdough 6.50
****************************************
Full Cooked:

Veggie Haggis, Spinach, Eggs, Tomato, Mushroom & Beans 9.00.

Bottomless Brunch is served every Saturday from 9am to 3pm at The One Elm in Stratford. A two hour Soft Bottom slot costs £15, and a two hour Stiff Bottom costs £20. 

 To view the menu please go to 

Click to access bottomless-brunch-menu.pdf

To bag a table for brunch, please call 01789 404919 or visit the website. 

The One Elm is at 1 Guild Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV37 6QZ. 

http://www.oneelmstratford.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/theoneelm

@theoneelm


Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

The One Elm, 1 Guild Street, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV 37 6QZ.

http://www.oneelmstratford.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italian and New York favourites: Birmingham’s Marcos New York Italian launches new menu 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Cocktails, Gastro Card, Italian restaurants, vegetarian by



A few months ago Ruth and I had the pleasure of visiting Marco’s New York Italian near Birmingham Airport and the Genting Arena/NEC.

 We found excellent hospitality and good food and cocktails with a good choice of vegetarian dishes on the menu. 

Now Diners at Marco’s New York Italian in Birmingham can now enjoy a host of exciting new dishes, as the restaurant unveils its brand new mouth-watering menu.

 Located at the Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport, Marco’s New York Italian is a concept that combines quality with comfort, allowing guests to enjoy traditional American Italian cuisine in a modern dining environment.

On the menu you’ll find dishes such as Macaroni di Funghi with poached egg, Spaghetti Napoletana, Penne Arrabbiata, sharing boards, pizzas, bruschetta, American Style nachos, pizza bread, and cool cocktails. 

Inspired by Marco Pierre White’s Italian heritage and love for New York, the new menu, which launched on Monday 12th September, uses Marco’s famous cooking techniques to create a unique dining experience that appeals to guests of all ages.

 Conor O’Sullivan, restaurant manager at Marco’s New York Italian in Birmingham, said: “We are extremely excited to have launched our new menu, which combines guests’ favourite dishes and a host of delicious new dishes, expertly prepared by some of the most talented chefs around.  

 “Our new menu gives our returning guests a selection of exciting new dishes to try, while guaranteeing an enjoyable experience for diners who are visiting Marco’s New York Italian for the first time.”

 Commenting on Marco’s New York Italian, Marco Pierre White said: “If I had to choose only one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Italian. My mother was Italian and I spent a lot of time in Italy with her when I was a boy.

 “My New York Italian is all about creating a comfortable environment for friends and family to relax and enjoy some of my favourite Italian and American foods.”

Marco’s New York Italian is part of the Black and White Hospitality’s extensive restaurant portfolio, which also includes Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse & Bar Grill in Birmingham, Mr. White’s English Chophouse at Hotel La Tour in Birmingham, Bardolino Pizzeria in Birmingham, Bellini & Espresso Bar and Wheeler’s of St James’.

Hopefully I’ll get back soon to try the new dishes out.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Marco’s New York Italian, Holiday Inn, Coventry Road, Birmingham, B26 3QW.

tel:0871 20663 209007

http://www.hiairport.co.uk/

http://www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk/restaurants/birmingham-airport

My previous review for The Gastro Card:

https://t.co/AMwyOyzFwL

You can receive a discount of 10% with The Gastro Card. 

To buy see link: 

http://www.gastrocard.co.uk/

All photos courtesy of Holiday inn and Marco’s New York Italian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adams urges diners to Love Food Give Food in aid of Action against hunger.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Charity appeals, City Centre, Independent, Independent Birmingham by

  

Adam’s on Waterloo Street in Birmingham City Centre has joined forces with the UK food industry to support Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food appeal, calling on food lovers across the nation to eat out and help raise crucial funds towards the fight against child hunger.

Menus and venues across the country will be supporting Love Food Give Food this year as hundreds of restaurants nationwide unite to collect funds and support Action Against Hunger’s vision of a world without hunger. The appeal will also mark a significant moment for the humanitarian organisation as it celebrates 18 years of partnership with the UK food industry.
By adding on a voluntary £1 donation to their customers’ bills, restaurants were able to raise £330,000 for Action Against Hunger last year.

Diners can make a huge difference by eating out at Adam’s where customers will be given the opportunity to add a small donation to their bill.
By treating yourself at Adam’s you will be providing vulnerable communities with access to safe water and helping families in some of the world’s poorest countries to feed themselves and their children for generations to come.

Adam Stokes from the eponymous Michelin starred restaurant said, “Helping this cause is very important to me, I love food and through food you can bring happiness and joy. By this small donation on each bill we can very quickly raise money to help people who are less fortunate and hopefully bring to them a little bit of that happiness and joy.”
If you really love food, why not show it by sharing? Head to Adam’s and turn that culinary passion into action against hunger. For more information on what’s going on during the campaign, and how you can get involved, visit actionagainsthunger.org.uk.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Birthday season at Veggie 1847 Birmingham.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Independent, vegan, vegetarian by


1847 Birmingham will be three later this month. The time has certainly flown by and Head Chef Tony and his team have certainly moved the restaurant forward and raised the game. 

When Birmingham welcomed 1847 it was certainly a turning point for Vegetarian food in the city. With innovation and seasonality central to the ethos of 1847 it’s certainly cemented itself as a must visit in the city, and some of its deals across the year speak bargain in a major way. 

1847 also offer a full Vegan menu. 

1847 are also planning a refurbishment of the whole site within the next couple of months. Exciting times! 


 1847 Bristol will also be one in October and 1847 Brighton one in November.

To kickstart their birthday season they’re offering two courses plus a small glass of wine for £1847. *

*T&C

You Must book online at  ahttp://www.by1847.com/ and quote “Birthday” in the booking comments.

For maximum tables of two people

Available in Manchester & Birmingham Sun – Fri & Bristol & Brighton everyday throughout September.

Bristol not open Monday & Tuesday

Full contact details, locations and menus can be found on the website.

Happy Birthday to one of Birmngham’s best and most innovative restaurants. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊



All photos courtesy of 1847. 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Get ready for Ramen at Selfridges, Birmingham. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Ramen, vegetarian by

   
 

Birmingham is certainly becoming a much more interesting place to live for veggie friendly dining. Though not fully vegetarian Tonkotsu has a decent amount of options in store. 

Tonkotsu is one of London’s best-loved Ramen bars and it opened a restaurant in Selfridges in Birmingham’s Bullring on 5th September.

Its the first Tonkotsu outside the capital and the team is very happy to be partnering again with Selfridges after becoming a popular choice for shoppers in the Oxford Street store.
Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish containing stock – usually pork and chicken – with a special wheat noodle and toppings including marinated egg, slices of pork, wakame seaweed and bean shoots. 


Vegetarian options: include: 

Hyashi Ramen: 

Cold noodle salad served with refreshing sesame ponzu dressing.

Shimej and Shitake Mushroom Hiyashi Ramen £9.50

Ramen: 

Miso of Shimaj- Mushroom ramen

(Rich kanbu and Shitake stuck with miso base and classic homemade noodles) 

Bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and mangetout topped with seasoned egg Shimaj and Shitake. £11.00

Katsu Curry: 

Veg Katsu curry: Sweet potato, courgette and aubergine Katsu. £8.75

Gyoza:

Shitake and bamboo shoot £5.75

Sides: 

Such as Tenderstem Brocolli, Edamame beans, Japanese Pickled cucumber, Homemade kimchee.

Tomatsu is proud to make all its noodles in-house thanks to their bespoke noodle machine, giving a fresh, springy noodle. 

Tonkotsu is the name of the richest, porkiest ramen dish – serves a variety of completely authentic, delicious, short-menu ramen with various starters, sides, artisan Japanese beers and whiskies to complete the menu.  

In addition  Tonkotsu Birmingham will serve katsu curry, perfect for a mid-shop pit stop. Japanese and British lagers and ales will be on offer along with house cocktails and wines. All dishes will be available to take away.

Tonkotsu is a group of six London restaurants, including Selfridges Oxford Street Foodhall, serving ramen with homemade noodles in slow-cooked broths, along with craft beers and cocktails. For locations, check out http://www.tonkotsu.co.uk/

Business partners and friends Kensuke and Emma opened Tonkotsu Soho in 2012 after hunting around London for a decent bowl of ramen and not being able to find one. Japan is full of ramen-ya and there are plenty in New York and over the world, so why not in London? Ken and Emma believe in keeping things simple, having a few dishes done very well and serve cocktails, Japanese and British beers and a couple of great wines.

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

For locations see:

Home

  
  
For the menu see above.

All images courtesy of Tonkatsu. 

Urban pop up #JQ Vegan night 1st September, Birmingham. 

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants, Independent Birmingham, Jewellery Quarter, Pop up's, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

  

There’s something Vegan friendly happening in September in the Jewellery Quarter. 

The next in the #Urbanpopup at their Jewellery Quarter branch sees them celebrating all things Vegan. 

The menu is Thai themed and will include 5 courses tasting menu plus drinks to match for £39. Everything been vegan friendly. 

Tickets are £39 plus booking fee if booking online. They can also be brought at the JQ emporium or via Eventbright. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/urban-pop-up-vegan-night-tickets-27028607292

Courses as follows; 
1. Tom Yum Soup. 
2. Tempura Smoked Tofu with Ginger and Lime Dipping Sauce.

3. Mango and Kale Thai Green Curry with Jasmine Rice.

4. Coconut and Rasberry Mousse.

5. Chocolate and Orange Salted Caramel Tart.

Looks a good menu. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Love Gin? Get to Gin Fields at The High Field Edgbaston, Saturday 13th August. 

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Cafés and Restaurants, Edgbaston, Events, Gin, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

 

Could gin be the drink of connoisseurs? On the rocks, with a slosh of tonic or as part of a perfect martini, gin is the ideal Sunner drink. That clear liquor, the backbone of these irreplaceable drinks and others in between. 

Well, 

The High Field in Edgbaston is staging a fabulous festival for the grown-ups that’s all about celebrating the great drink that is gin.

So if you do love a refreshing gin cocktail or classic gin and tonic and want  to learn a bit more about this great English tipple in the glorious surroundings of a gorgeous city gastropub garden? Then get to The High Field in Edgbaston on Saturday 13th August for Gin Fields.

 Gin Fields is a fabulous festival for the grown-ups that’s all about celebrating the great drink that is gin. The entire afternoon and evening will be dedicated to it, and there’ll be oodles of ways to try Mother’s Ruin as well as discovering things you never knew about gin.

 Sidle up to the big outside bar and take a peak at the fantastic selection of premium gins on offer. There’ll be favourites from the High Field’s list like Brockmans, Hendrick’s and Whitley Neill as well as a few special guest appearances from some rare and unusual gins. Look out for Salcombe Gin, a smooth and delicious gin handcrafted in Devon using 13 different botanicals, the finest English wheat spirit and pure Dartmoor water and Brilliant Gin, a delicately flavoured artisan small batch spirit, alongside William Chase GB and Big Boss Gin.

Expert gin makers from some of these top distillers will also be on hand to share their love of gin and chat to you about its heritage, character and flavour, and then it will be down to the serious business of tasting. 

Sip on a refreshing gin and elderflower slush puppy or a fruity gin bramble or shake things up with a sensational gin and pink grapefruit. Cool down with a Jude’s G&T ice cream and lollies from Birmingham newcomers Creamed Pops. There will also be the ultimate G&T as well as cocktails galore. Listen to sounds from the DJ who will be spinning the decks all afternoon and pick something tasty from the BBQ to go with your gin.

 “We’ve all got a soft spot for gin here at The High Field and our grand gins always slip down a treat,” says The High Field’s general manager, Sarah Robinson. “But this time we’re making it really special by turning our whole garden into a celebration of the drink. Whether you fancy a drink that’s long or short, refreshing or sweet, gin is just great and we look forward to mixing you the perfect one at Gin Fields,” she says.

Tickets for Gin Fields at The High Field cost £10 and are only available on the door on the day, Saturday 13th August, from 2pm. Entry fee includes a G&T on arrival, gin tasters and a keepsake Grand Gin glass for mixing the perfect gin at home. Gin Fields ends at 6pm and will be held indoors in the event of rain.

Driving after Gin Fields is definitely NOT an option so it you fancy making a night of it, why not book one of the comfy rooms at The High Field Town House right next door?

Simply book by going to http://www.highfieldtownhouse.co.uk or emailing Bookings@highfieldtownhouse.co.uk

The High Field is at 22 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, B15 3DP. Tel: 0121 227 7068. 

http://www.highfieldedgbaston.co.uk/ Highfield@peachpubs.com @_TheHighField http://www.facebook.com/TheHighFieldEdgbaston

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

  
The High Field Garden. 

Above Photos  courtesy of The High Field with thanks.