West Midlands
Brum, black tie optional
Worth dressing up for
Updated
Birmingham takes its big dinners seriously, and few of its best rooms are stuffy. The Jewellery Quarter has The Wilderness, its sister Albatross Death Cult around a fourteen-seat counter, and the calm, minimalist Folium, with Opheem’s modern Indian cooking on its edge. In the city centre, Adam’s is the polished choice and Land does a vegetarian tasting menu, while 670 Grams brings a punk spirit to Digbeth. Satori in Moseley does Japanese food, and Grace & Savour at Hampton Manor, a short train ride out, is the full country-house treat.
Our picks
Opheem
Summer Row, city centre
Address: 48-65 Summer Row, Birmingham B3 1JJ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Book the tasting menu at Aktar Islam's Michelin-starred restaurant, modern Indian cooking, on the edge of the Jewellery Quarter.
Why it's a good date: The one to save for an anniversary: Birmingham's love of spice at its most refined. Book well ahead.
Adam's
Waterloo Street, city centre
Address: Adam's, New Oxford House, 16 Waterloo Street, Birmingham B2 5UG- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book the tasting menu at Adam Stokes's Michelin-starred restaurant, a smart, art deco-styled room on Waterloo Street.
Why it's a good date: Polished and luxurious without feeling stiff, with a cocktail bar to start in. A safe bet for an anniversary; book a few weeks ahead for weekends.
The Wilderness
Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter
Address: The Wilderness, Unit B, 27 Warstone Lane, Birmingham B18 6JQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Go for Alex Claridge's playful tasting menu, with a loud soundtrack, at the Michelin-starred restaurant in a restored Jewellery Quarter factory.
Why it's a good date: Dark, moody and a bit rock and roll, so it's fine dining for people who don't like fine dining. Good for a big birthday; book well ahead.
Albatross Death Cult
Newhall Square, Jewellery Quarter
Address: Albatross Death Cult, Newhall Square, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B3 1RU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Take two of the fourteen seats around the kitchen counter for a fast-paced run of seafood dishes from The Wilderness team.
Why it's a good date: You sit side by side and watch the chefs work, which makes it a really fun night out. With so few seats, book as soon as you know your date.
Folium
Caroline Street, Jewellery Quarter
Address: Restaurant Folium, 8 Caroline Street, Birmingham B3 1TW- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book the tasting menu at Folium, a calm, minimalist restaurant in the Jewellery Quarter run by a small, close-knit team.
Why it's a good date: Quiet, intimate and focused on the food, so it suits a date where you want to talk. Have a drink in one of the Jewellery Quarter's bars first.
670 Grams
Gibb Street, Digbeth
Address: 670 Grams, The Custard Factory, 4 Gibb Street, Birmingham B9 4AU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Go for chef Kray Treadwell's creative tasting menu in a graffiti-covered room inside Digbeth's old Custard Factory.
Why it's a good date: Punk spirit, music turned up and serious cooking: a special occasion that doesn't feel formal. Afterwards you're in the middle of Digbeth's bars.
Land
Great Western Arcade, city centre
Address: Land, 30 Great Western Arcade, Birmingham B2 5HU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Try an inventive vegetarian tasting menu at Land, a small restaurant in the Victorian Great Western Arcade.
Why it's a good date: Plant-based cooking that's genuinely exciting, whether or not either of you is vegetarian. The arcade itself is a lovely walk-through on the way in.
Satori
St Mary's Row, Moseley
Address: Satori, 2C St Mary's Row, Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9EZ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Book a Japanese dinner of sushi, sashimi and grilled dishes at Satori, the buzzy fine-dining spot in Moseley.
Why it's a good date: A smart night out in the suburbs, with a menu made for sharing. Moseley's village centre has good bars for a drink before or after.
Grace & Savour
Hampton Manor, Hampton-in-Arden
Address: Grace & Savour, Hampton Manor, Shadowbrook Lane, Hampton-in-Arden B92 0EN- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Head out to Hampton Manor for David Taylor's Michelin-starred tasting menu, served from an open kitchen.
Why it's a good date: The full treat: a long, seasonal menu in a country-house setting a short train ride from the city. Stay the night if you can, and book as soon as dates open.
Quick answers
Which Birmingham tasting menus aren't formal?
The Wilderness in the Jewellery Quarter plays a loud soundtrack, and 670 Grams in Digbeth's Custard Factory has graffiti on the walls and the music turned up. Both are serious about the food without any stiffness.
Is there a vegetarian special occasion restaurant in Birmingham?
Land, a small restaurant in the Victorian Great Western Arcade in the city centre, serves a vegetarian tasting menu.
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