Category Archives: City Centre

Restaurant review: Wing Wah, Birmingham City Centre.

Posted in Cafés and Restaurants, Chinese, City Centre, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

AD/Gifted meal.

In days of old visiting a restaurant with others apart from maybe Indian would have resulted in myself sitting around for an age looking at my one option on the menu whilst my dining companions took 15 plus minutes (if I was lucky) to decide what they were going to choose.

At Wing Wah a Chinese restaurant near The Hippodrome theatre in the thriving Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, that misfortune certainly doesn’t apply. The Vegetarian and Vegan section of the menu takes up a few pages, so I’m now feeling the scratching of the head whilst I decide and then I decide and decide again only to realise that I need to put my reading glasses on ( because I’m getting on in age) as a be misread the dish I thought I was going to have. Is this stress? Far from it. It’s brilliant to discover, and bravo for Wing Wah for it.

Wing Wah used to be at the Wing Yip centre in Nechells but relocated this year to its new home in the centre of the city.

Inside, it’s a smart, relaxed place with white table cloths and comfy seats set around a mixture of table arrangements.

We sat on this Saturday evening on a half circle table which allowed for good people watching and more private dining.

For Vegetarians and Vegans Wing Wah devotes a whole section of the menu.

Ruth and I chose to share three starter dishes: Sweet corn fritters, Crispy Spring rolls and Deep fried Vegetarian won tons.

All of the above were exceptional appetisers. Snack like, finger foods perfect for grazing on.

The Sweetcorn Fritters ( a North Eastern dish) encapsulated Summer promise. They were sunny and crunchy, with crisp fresh flavours and a real winner.

The Crispy Spring Rolls, a light, thin and crispy skin, airy with real vegetable flavour and very enjoyable.

The Deep fried vegetarian won tons were the perfect appetiser. Crispy bites which were snack like, with a good rounded flavour.

All three were exceptionally balanced and taken together were a lovely way to begin the meal.

For the main section of the meal, we again chose to share three dishes along with a portion of egg fried rice.

The Gai Lan ‘Chinese broccoli’ is one of my favourite ever dishes and this proved to be outstanding. Coated in a beautiful ginger sauce the thick tender stems were tender, crisp and had a beautifully smooth and glossy sheen. Lovely flavours.

The second dish the Aubergines in green pepper and black bean sauce was also lovely with sweet subtle flavours and complimented the Gai Lan perfectly.

The third main dish was the well recommended Caramelised crisp aubergines, which were sweet and crispy bites of loveliness.

These were all eaten with sticky egg fried rice though there are vegan versions.

Our meal was completed by some delicious jasmine tea as we were too full for deserts.

Our meal at Wing Wah was excellent. Their new Vegetarian and Vegan menu has plenty of choice for both, including a substantial “Mock meat’ section which would tempt many diners and looked well thought out and would be worth trying next time.

The service was lovely and informed and attentive and recommended dishes in turn. The restaurant had a good atmosphere and is a lovely venue for a celebration or meal with friends.

For vegetarians it’s a top notch choice and can’t come recommended enough. With so many choices it’s a venue to return too.

A fine addition to the City’s Chinese Quarter.

Thanks for reading,

Wing Wah also do afternoon tea and have private rooms for parties.

Many thanks to Paul Fulford and Dorian Chan for the kind invite.

Advertisement

Birmingham’s oldest wine merchant announces expansion plans.

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, City Centre, Wine by

Connolly’s Wine Merchants has announced plans to expand the business with the introduction of a wine bar. A family owned and run business, Connolly’s has a heritage that extends back into the 19th century and the family have been shipping wine into Birmingham since 1906.

The wine bar, ‘Arch 13 at Connolly’s’ will take residence at the front of Connolly’s’ existing address on Livery Street, where it will continue to retail its extensive range of wine, spirits and beers.

Abigail Connolly, daughter of Chris Connolly, who has run the business since 1980, will spearhead the launch of ‘Arch 13’. She said, “Arch 13 will offer a relaxed and informal atmosphere to enjoy wine and well-paired food. This marks a new chapter in the history of our family business and we’re looking forward to welcoming our customers to our first licensed space.”

Arch 13 is due to open in May 2018. The project will create 2 jobs.

Connolly’s has always been many people’s go to place for wine in the city centre so this expansion is a fantastic treat.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

#arch13 @connollyswinejq

Follow Connolly’s here:

Twitter: @connollyswinejq

Facebook: @connollyswinejq

Instagram: @connollyswine

Connollyswine.co.uk

Connolly’s Birmingham

Arch 13,
220 Livery Street,
Birmingham B3 1EU

Phone:

0121 236 3837

Connolly’s Solihull

379 Warwick Road,
Solihull
B91 1BQ,

Phone:

0121 709 3734

Bar Opus joins forces with Brummie artist for exhibition.

Posted in Bars, Bars and Pubs, City Centre, Exhibitions, Independent Birmingham, Veggie foodie by

Bar Opus, one of Birmingham’s best independent city bars, is exhibiting works by a city-based artist for its fourth art exhibition in support of local talent.

The bar at One Snowhill is showcasing works by Tom Parry, whose art of Birmingham landmarks is sold under the Made On The Canal brand.

Opening on Thursday 22 March, the exhibition will comprise a number of A4 and A3 hand-finished artworks and 3D pictures in different media, including watercolour, paint and ink, that depict landmarks such as the Library of Birmingham, Victoria Law Courts, Alpha Tower and Edgbaston Waterworks.

Tom, a graduate of Birmingham City University, takes up to 20 hours to complete his intricate pieces of 3D art, which involve gradually building up elements of the architecture 1mm at a time and cutting out recesses to create complex layered pieces.

He said: “I pride myself on producing affordable pieces of art and I’m really thrilled that Bar Opus has asked me to submit some pieces for its next art exhibition. It’s an amazing opportunity to have my work in a busy city centre bar and it’s great that the bar continues to support local artists such as me.

”I hope that my art will provoke some conversations about the beautiful architecture that Birmingham has.”

Irene Allen, director, said: “Our customers have loved all our art exhibitions so far and have been very supportive of what we are trying to achieve by showcasing local talent and highlighting truly stunning art. Tom’s works are not only striking to look at, they are also very affordable, which makes them truly accessible.”

Sounds a fantastic opportunity to see some fantastic local affordable art in a fabulous independent bar.

For more information on Bar Opus, visit www.baropus.co.uk

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

Restaurant Review: Pushkar’s Vegan Festival.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, curry, Independent, Indian restaurants, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie, Veggie foodie by

I don’t mind confessing to it but Ruth and I have always had a love for and indeed at one point minor obsession with Pushkar. When we first met we spent so much time eating there that it became our regular place to visit for that time when you needed a bit of affordable class in your life. Of course there were others who tempted our purse strings to loosen and our desire for a Lasan curry got in the way sometimes of the monogamy completely.

Recently due to an arrival of young Hare, it’s well documented in this blog we don’t get out much into the big smoke of the city. In fact we don’t get out that much at all unless I’m reviewing the park or which route is the best to take to take him to school. So Pushkar has been a distant stranger over recent times of our lives. Call it a separation rather than divorce, but that far away feeling felt more distant than a European holiday or a Michelin starred lunch.

So the arrival of a Vegan festival that runs until February 28th, pricked up my ears as a superlative idea, and a blog post came out immediately. Quick work considering my blog absence recently.

Pushkar in my personal opinion is the dining out jewel on Broad Street. It has a welcoming bar, friendly informed staff and has a quality menu of well cooked and tasty high end food. It’s popular for those reasons. The right reasons. The Vegan festival menu though surprised me for its dazzlement and detail. So many dishes that would all fit on Pushkar’s main menu and show a sensitive touch of thought for the plant based way. It demonstrated on paper at least that this could be done. The question though could it deliver?

Things are done elegantly here. An opening course of Chukander Ki Galouti is a lovely beetroot cake with beetroot chutney. Crisp on the outside, soft inside, it melts in the mouth and has a delicate spicing. Made perfectly.

Ruth’s Corn Palak Ki Tiki, chopped spinach filled with spice corn, a lovely tiki, with good flavour and beautifully presented.

Corn Palak Ki Tiki

Chukander Ki Galouti.

A brilliant kesari Puktan Subz, main course shows true skill to balance flavour and spicing without one overwhelming the other. A Butternut squash gravy has depth and immerses the vegetables, green beans, carrot and mushroom to provide a filling main with the heat of the cumin seeds giving a punch. Perfect with the roti and Naan.

Another main the Jeera Aloo Sharkandi is the star of the show tonight. Boiled potato, and sweet potato tempered with cumin seeds, green chilli and coriander leaves is outstanding and finds a true friend in the Kesari main alongside it. A delicious bowl of Loud singing and lip smacking ensures.

We also tried Moong Ki Daal, another lovely dish of yellow lentils tempered with garlic, ginger, and green chilli. A top Daal and full of gentle warmth on a cold night.

Accompaniments included a Corn rice, basmati infused with saffron and Corn which was nice, a Koda Ki Roti, Rag flour bread. A ‘Super Cereal’ which was quite heavy I found but not bad as an alternative to Naan bread.

An Aloo Paratha was more to my liking. A superb dunking in bread, superb with the Kesari Puktan Subz.

Our Dessert of Carrot, coconut Pudding was a triumph of harmonious flavours, gentle and sweet. I loved the flavours. Delicious in every way.

We also enjoyed a vegan friendly Merlot with our food.

Service is informed, attentive and enthusiastic for the menu. A relaxed feel that’s top notch in standard.

So the Vegan festival menu didn’t disappoint.

Dishes are varied, and full of good spicy flavour. The menu shows a thoughtfulness and a lot of technical skill to balance the ingredients, I’m impressed by the restaurants keenness to adapt and present the food in a sophisticated and tempting way. All of the dishes tried were winners and demonstrated that Indian food which is not known necessarily known to be vegan friendly can be developed with some consideration. A beautiful menu that hits the right notes. Pushkar style.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

Our food and drink was complimentary for review purposes to promote the Pushkar Vegan Festivals. All thoughts and words are my own.

Vegan friendly popodoms and sauces are available too. Please ask for them as we had the non vegan variety which were lovely. Hence no photo.

Also there are vegan friendly cocktails available.

Click to access vegan-menu-3354.pdf

Pushkar can be found at 245 Broad Street, Birmingham.

Vegan festival comes to Pushkar Bar and Dining in Birmingham.

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

Pushkar has always been one of my favourite restaurants in Birmingham. Fine hospitality, cocktails and superb food make for an exemplary experience and one Ruth and I have enjoyed on many occasions since it opened. The Veggie dishes are varied and offer plenty of choice and are of the highest quality using the best ingredients and using keen spicing. Fine dining at its best.

Now, Broad Street’s, award winning finest is running a limited-edition vegan menu, bringing an exciting fresh and flavoursome interpretation to veganism.

Head Chef, Vinod Singh has created a menu inspired from his childhood featuring the up and coming super cereal ragi. Generations ago many Indians in the southern part of the country ate ragi in many variations which provides a lot of health benefits which are now over looked. Pushkar are brining this new trend to the fine dining market promoting its nutritional benefits such as high protein content, rich source of minerals containing 5-10 times more calcium than other cereals, its ability to help control diabetes and its anti-microbial, anti-cancer and anti-aging potential. Because of all these benefits ragi is now becoming more renown and is popular in celebrity diets for a healthy lifestyle.

The festival starts from 1st February ending 28thFebruary and features a variety of dishes proving vegan food can be just as exciting and will be accompanied by a vegan drinks menu.

Pushkar’s Head Chef, Vinod Singh commented: ‘Pushkar is known for its fine dining experience and this is giving people the opportunity to experience vegan food like never before and to feature a dish I grew up on and which can benefit people’s health, is great. It is a menu created to show the benefits of veganism and how exquisite the food can be.’

http://pushkardining.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/vegan-menu-3354.pdf

http://isha.sadhguru.org/blog/lifestyle/food/7-health-benefits-of-ragi-6-great-ragi-recipes/

This festival Seems a perfect opportunity to indulge in Pushkar’s scrumptious dishes. You won’t regret it I can assure you.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

You can find Pushkar on Broad Street in Birmingham city centre.

http://pushkardining.com/

All images and information published with thanks from Pushkar.

Hotel Chocolat opens new store on Birmingham New Street with chocolate cafe and Vegan chocolate Christmas range.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, Chocolate, Christmas, City Centre, Drinks, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by



’Tis the season to be jolly and it ‘Tis the season for chocolate. Well maybe. Though it’s certainly the season to over indulge on the good things in life and that includes Vegans too.

Luxury British chocolatier and cocoa grower, Hotel Chocolat, has announced the opening of a brand new store in Birmingham New Street, This latest addition, which opened on the 8th November forms part of the company’s boutique portfolio that boasts locations across the UK, Channel Islands and Europe.

Located slap bang outside the Frankfurt German Market its certainly has the location for a top break from the shopping place to unwind.

This latest opening continues the company’s strong design ethos that successfully marries the dual personalities of Hotel Chocolat – namely the sophisticated, fashion-led side of its stylish products and the earthy, authentic aspects of a hands-on cocoa grower. CEO, Angus Thirlwell explains, “Each and every one of our stores is designed to be a real sanctuary for our guests, which connects with the escapism of Hotel Chocolat – so we go to great lengths to ensure they are restful, elegant places that are easy to navigate. But we also want them to reflect that we are one of the world’s few cocoa growing chocolatiers, which is why you’ll find weathered wooden cabinets going hand in hand with sleek, polished surfaces.”

At Hotel Chocolat you’ll find everything from elegant gift boxes of chocolate to your everyday chocolate fix, all made according to our mantra – More Cocoa, Less Sugar – for a satisfying cocoa hit. Our house white chocolate contains 36% cocoa – more than you’ll find in many milk chocolates – while our house milks are 40% and 50% and our house dark is 70%.

That’s not to mention our range of rare and vintage chocolate bars, which includes single-origin chocolates made with premium cocoa from around the world, and even single-côte chocolate – made with beans from a specific terroir, or growing environment – the cocoa content of which can be up to 100%.

Looking for something unusual? For fans of a particular drink there are our cocoa-infused interpretations such as Cocoa Gin and Cocoa Beer, or our new teaolat: a light, all-natural infusion that blends herbs, spices and cacao shells for a refreshing cuppa that’s tailored to your mood.

Meanwhile, foodies will love experimenting with the range of sweet and savoury condiments, including Spiced Cocoa Nib Ketchup, Cocoa Balsamic and Chocolate Orange Marmalade.

You can also set down your Christmas shopping bags and take a weight off at the café, over a range of drinks such as hot chocolat’s, Coffee Chocolat Lattes and teaolat, as well as snacks including an irresistible seven types of brownies.

With ten types of hot chocolate including the divine sounding salted caramel, there’s plenty of choice.

The Birmingham New Street café is also featuring their NEW cocoa nib Ice Cream of the Gods, which is exclusive to select stores only. Infused with St Lucian Theobroma cocoa nibs, direct translation ‘cacao, food of the gods’.

Their will also be fifteen Vegan items in stock in the build up to Christmas. Hotel Chocolat are building up their range.

You can also have Vegan friendly chocolate in your drinks (darker percentages) with coconut milk been the alternative milk served.

Birmingham New Street café opened on 8th November and there will be a customer shopping day on 17th November. Visitors to the store on customer shopping day will be treated to free chocolate samples, as well as café samples and 15% off throughout the store. That’s as well as being able to discover the range of new season chocolates.

www.hotelchocolat.com

Thanks for reading,

Andy😊

Thanks to Hotel Chocolat for the details and all photos are theirs apart from the external shots of the cafe which are my own.

Restaurant Review: Tom’s Kitchen, Mailbox, Birmingham. A chic, smart place for veggies.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Mailbox, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

So once more Ruth and I were let out of the house together, as parenting duties were suspended for the evening. Not only were we let out but we ambled up to the big smoke (City Centre) nosebleeds in tow and wondered how long it may have been since we ate together in the city centre. Awhile in fact is the answer, so bless Tom’s Kitchen for having us and been trusting with our rusty city etiquette.

I’ve known a few Tom’s in my time. Sound as a pound chaps who’ve been reliable and good to hang around with. My son likes the Tank Engine chap and he says he’s cool so that’s ok with me, though that Controller chap I’m not sure of to be fair.

This Tom is Michelin Starred Tom Aitkens. You may remember him from The Great British Menu. Other outposts of the restaurant are in London and Istanbul.

Tom’s Kitchen in The Mailbox is a natty place. It has a Chic feel, step inside to cosy booths, dark wood, a sophisticated feel and a nice warm atmosphere and you have the makings of a good meal. With its dim lighting It has a nice romantic feel too which gives it an edge in an area of more vociferous chains and pale imitation Food. In fact Ruth and I felt relaxed as soon as we entered.

I start with the insanely good Macaroni Cheese with added Truffle. Loveliness in a warming bowl, not made for pretty photos but a depth of rich cheese, with that just perfect hint of truffle running through, An ingredient when overdone can slam bam ruin a dish in one foul swoop, trust me! A dish to devour and then devour it again, a comfort food award winner, though annoyed i didn’t order any bread to mop up the runaway cheese. Humph!

Now, here’s the thing. I’m not one to order a mostly cold salad like dish in the evening. I’m more of a lunch time punter for that accolade. But then I go and do it. Why? Oh why? Because in this instant I fancied been a revolutionary soul in my own skin. Away from my son, anything goes. Well only if it’s veggie or vegan.

The dish in question was the Courgette Dukkah, fennel and Turmeric. A zingy dish of complex flavours that had a lovely Summery taste. The Dukkah, breadcrumbed courgettes that added a warmth to the cooling salad with fennel. A lovely dish that was well worth diverting from the norm for.

Some quality shared chips.

And, afterwards Chocolate and peanut butter Marquise.

Chocolate decadence, sticky, beautiful and rich with the good things in life. Eat it slow as it’s too nice to rush. Taste it and sigh.

Staff were lovely. Though we sat early evening for dinner we didn’t feel rushed or pressurised to order quickly. Enthusiastic, professional service goes a long way.

There were some grumbles. I’d like to see a vegetarian main course dish on the specials, especially with the abundance of fresh veg produce in Autumn and maybe the mains themselves (apart from

The Dukkah) could be a bit more adventurous and vary and not just follow the burger (though I hear it’s seriously good) or risotto route, though I’m not doubting they would be lovely examples of two fine dishes and well worth trying.

Tom’s Kitchen is an excellent and smart restaurant. The use of fresh seasonal produce is done well. The veggie dishes have simple bold flavours which show off the key ingredients well and demonstrate a real skill in the kitchen.

The dishes follow a British staples line and are comfort food made well. I like the fact the portions are generous and the wine list is excellent and offers good choices that compliment the dishes.

The added cocktail menu that included for us a superb Negroni and dry Gin Martini, are good examples of the quality on offer. They were both done well.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Tom’s Kitchen for Vegetarians. Especially if you

are with meat eaters it’s a good choice to make everyone happy and with dishes made well and changing seasonally it’s well worth discovering.

We also drank a delicious glass of Trebbiano and Sangiovese. Top notch wines.

Thanks for reading.

Andy 😊

Thanks to the lovely PR company Rewired for the invite, and for their patience with the arrangements. Our food and drinks were complimentary (at the restaurants discretion) and all opinions made are my own.

https://www.tomskitchen.co.uk/en/birmingham/restaurant/

Tom’s Kitchen, 53 The Mailbox, Wharf side street, Birmingham, B1 1RE.

Architect-turned photographer to stage first exhibition at Bar Opus.

Posted in Art, Bars and Pubs, Birmingham, City Centre, Exhibitions, Independent Birmingham, Veggie foodie by

Bar Opus this year has demonstrated its support to promoting local artists in its bar through events and exhibitions. They are due to launch their final one of the year this month.

The man who helped to drive city centre redevelopment in Birmingham has joined forces with Bar Opus the leading independent city bar, to stage an exhibition of his

photographs.

Philip Singleton’s Pause Project, which features 12 images of buildings that are in a state of transition, is the third art exhibition that the bar at One Snowshill

has showcased this year in support of local talent.

Philip, the former CEO of Millennium Point and assistant director of city centre development at Birmingham City Council, is studying for a Masters in photography at

the Falmouth University Institute of Photography and says he is looking forward to unveiling his atmospheric images on September 20th.

With a background in architecture and urban development, Philip says his interest in photography grew out of considering the architectural metamorphosis across the

city.

“Birmingham has to be one of the most rapidly changing cities in the country and is a master at reinventing itself,” he said. “I wanted to capture and document what

is happening and have been able to gain access to spaces that are private or hidden away. These aren’t architectural studies; instead, I’ve focused on another layer of the empty, melancholic spaces that people leave behind.”

The photographs include an empty cell in Steelhouse Lane police station; the safe deposit boxes in the former Municipal Bank in Broad Street; the industrial units

at Icknield Port Loop; and the BCU Conservatoire, which has been demolished to make way for the new Paradise development.

To further cement the exhibition’s connection to the city, Philip used Digbeth-based photographic developers Palm Laboratories and framers Harris Moore to create the exhibition.

“Bar Opus has given me a tremendous opportunity to exhibit my work and it has been incredibly generous in its support,” said Philip. “It’s great that a high-quality

independent business in the city is helping emerging local artists and I’m excited to have my works exhibited there in the Colmore BID.”

Irene Allen, Opus director, said: “2017 has been a transformational year for us as we’ve sought to bring the work of local artists into Bar Opus. We’ve enjoyed giving a platform to some incredible artists and our last exhibition of the year is another fascinating study, documenting spaces that we don’t normally see. We’ve no doubt that they’ll be a real talking point for our customers.”

Since the beginning of the year, Bar Opus has showcased the work of internationally renowned artist Sophie Hedderwick, art from Birmingham-born innovators Key & Tam, the creative duo behind LOWLFE, and Birmingham artist and owner of Disorder Boutique Mark Howard.

For more information on Bar Opus, visit

www.baropus.co.ukThe work that both Opus Restaurant and Bar Opus do to support and promote local individuals and issues should be commended and I hope this exhibition is very successful. Take a look next time your around the city centre. And enjoy lunch or a drink too.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

#TastyMorsels: Veggie and Vegan happenings.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Kings Heath, Street Food, Tasty Morsels, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

Beginning on the 20th August The Warehouse Cafe is introducing their Vegan Sunday Roast lunch menu. From 12-3pm every Sunday. With gluten free and kids options. The menu is below.

Get booking.

Vegetarian restaurant Bistro 1847 in the Great Western Arcade are offering 50% off in August. This offer is for up to 4 people on the A La Carte menu.

Offer available from Sunday until Friday. Only available when booked via the link and add August 50 in the comments.

http://uk.resdiary.com/go.aspx?id_message=19967&id_prov=5220&id_subscriber=110029387&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.resdiary.com%2FRestaurant%2F1847Birmingham

 

 

Vegan eatery Natural Healthy Foods have a curry, Jazz night on Sunday 27th August. This is a ticketed event. Tickets are £20. £2 of which will go to charity Animal Healing Trust and horse rescue. Jazz will be from the Mish Mash Quartet.

For menu see poster.

For tickets see below link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/curry-jazz-night-natural-healthy-foods-eatery-tickets-36774336029

As mentioned in the last tasty morsels The Vegan Grindhouse have a residency at 1000 Trades in the Jewellery Quarter beginning on the 15th August until the 26th August. Every day apart from Sunday’s for your street food Americana.

See the menu Below:

http://1000trades.org.uk/aint-nothing-wrong-little-vegan-grind-2/

Mex It Up have a Kitchen takeover ‘Thai it up’ on Sunday 20th August at The Pie Shop in Stirchley. A set menu of delicious Thai Vegan food. From 17.30-21.00. The menu is £15.00 per person.

Starter : Mixed platter of crispy fried tofu, spring rolls and garlic n soy fried beansprouts with dipping sauces.

Main: Veg Green Curry served with rice noodles

Dessert: Sticky Coconut Rice with Mango Sorbet.

The first of a regular series of pop ups for Mex it up.

The Pie Shop is on the Pershore Road.

Digbeth Dining Club regulars The Indian Rasoi are opening up an eatery and cocktail bar in Birmingham city centre. Called The Indian Streatery it’s due to be open from Saturday 26th August.

Their Chaat is legendary and with a plethora of veggie and vegan options it looks set to be one of the best places for meat Free options in the city centre.

It’s to be based in the original Adams restaurant building just off New Street on Hill Street.

Look out for more details on this blog when I have them on menus and a review in due course.


On 26th August Fletchers Bar in Kings Heath have a tapas tasting day. Free samples a plenty from 1-5pm. Well worth discovering.

And, Nyam Nyam, the Caribbean vegetarian and vegan street food trader will be at the Kings Heath Street Food Market this Saturday, 19th August.

Veggie heaven indeed.

That’s all for now folks.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

San Carlo announces new Fumo venue for Selfridges, Birmingham.

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Cocktails, Italian restaurants, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by


Fumo, St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London.

Birmingham's multi-award winning Italian restaurant company, San Carlo Group has announced it’s to further expand operations in the city.
 
The Italian family owned and run group which has 17 leading UK restaurants, including the original and hugely popular San Carlo on Temple Street and the excellent Fumo (open since 2012) on Waterloo Street, is to open a second Fumo restaurant, champagne and cocktail bar at Selfridges in Birmingham this Autumn.  
 
Fumo will be located in Selfridges on the 4th floor with stunning views overlooking the iconic Bullring. With a nod to the popular and critical success of its Fumo restaurants in Birmingham, Manchester and St Martins Lane, London.

Fumo will serve delicious, seasonal Italian small plate dishes known in Venice as cicchetti made to share or eat alone and will incorporate a feature bar which will specialise in cocktails and Laurent Perrier champagne.
 
The £1m restaurant will be the third Selfridges San Carlo Group restaurant – San Carlo Bottega and Gran Café are situated within Selfridges Exchange Square, Manchester.
 
The Group’s success has been built on providing original Italian food using the freshest produce, much of which is flown in from markets in Milan and Sicily. It is this passion for food and attention to detail that has seen Fumo on Waterloo Street scoop several awards since its
launch 5 years ago including Best Italian Restaurant at the BFDH Awards and Les Routiers Restaurant of the Year.
 
A further 16 individually designed venues are located in Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool, Leeds, Roundhay, Bristol, Leicester and London and further afield diners enjoy San Carlo restaurants in Qatar, Bahrain and Bangkok.
www.sancarlofumo.co.uk
 
Follow Fumo on social media:
Twitter:
@SanCarlo_Fumo
 
Facebook
@SanCarloFumo
 
instagram
@SanCarloGroup

I've visited Fumo numerous times on Waterloo Street and always found it a bustling and lovely restaurant with excellent food, cracking cocktails and with good veggie options the new venue is sure to be popular.

I Look forward to Fumo opening in the Autumn.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

 About San Carlo Group www.sancarlo.co.uk
Winners of 36 industry and consumer awards, San Carlo Group is renowned for great food and a star-studded clientele; from celebrities and sports stars to business leaders and high profile politicians, the multi-award winning San Carlo Group was founded in Birmingham as a family business by Carlo Distefano in 1992.


Courtesy of San Carlo group.