Solihull is well known to be the nice part of Greater Birmingham, much more greenery, bigger houses, better schools. It’s where many tend to graduate to when life makes us feel a little bit ‘grown up’.
It has nice schools, nice shopping, nice town centre. It was all a bit …. well nice. Nothing much exciting happened, especially not in terms of restaurants anyway. I mean, we all got excited when Carluccio’s opened!
However, change has been on the horizon for quite a while now, and now something exciting has been brewing with the arrival of the Tap and Tandoor writes DLUXE Dining Correspondent Anita Champaneri.
The Saddlers Arms pub, off Mell Square, has been revamped and re-imagined into a light bright modern pub in hues of peacock teal. But it’s not just any old pub, it’s a welcoming pub with a friendly atmosphere, serving quality craft beers and lip-smacking Indian food.
But don’t be mistaken, this is not a desi pub, (I’ve been to a few desi pubs and found them terribly over-rated), this has a welcoming character, and the quality of food is of a high standard.
We started with a delightfully rich and creamy butter chicken. I really did not want to go for the ‘usual’, but I am so glad I did, made with free range chicken you can feel the plumpness in your mouth. To accompany it, we had perfectly cooked portion of cumin rice and a light fluffy garlic naan.
Staff recommended the lamb chops, which sizzled with taste, slightly charred, but perfectly pink in the centre. We also had the naan sliders, which were far too big – probably better if they were served as mini paratha versions – as they are listed as starters.
The chicken wings were a tasty delight, moist with good kick of sizzle and spice to it.
Indian food does tend to be a bit of a carb overload, so the bhindi fries were a good option. Not over fried or greasy but light and crispy.
My friend (an expert on beer and wine) was very impressed with the selection of craft beers and ales on offer, especially the Beavertown, Tropigamma. Lots of tropical fruity notes such pineapple, mandarin, papaya, passion fruit, guava and mango which is ideal in the summer heatwave.
Another great discovery was the Hawaiian brand Kona, very rare in the UK. The Big Wave golden beer was awesome and will certainly have your taste buds tingling. It’s bursting with tropical fruit flavours, and with a quick, clean finish that makes you want to drink this beer again and again.
Silhillians will be pleased that the humdrum pub on the Warwick Road is long gone ,and now it’s a lively place that can seat 80 downstairs with a small outside area, perfect for soaking up the summer sun. The upstairs is just about to be opened as private dining rooms – available for meetings as well as celebrations.
Tap & Tandoor, a place you are bound to be back time and time again.
