Discover the Top Restaurants in Birmingham from Anita

Our resident food columnist Anita, gives our readers the top places to eat in Birmingham including Lobster Peninsula, Edmunds and Indico.

Our resident food columnist Anita, gives our readers the top places to eat in Birmingham including Lobster Peninsula, Edmunds and Indico.

LOBSTER PENINSULA

Following a formidable revamp and renovation, a brand new seafood restaurant has brought new life into Birmingham’s Futurist Cinema.

The cinema dates back to the early 1900s and officially opened in July 1919, making it one of the oldest cinemas in the country as well as being the first cinema in Birmingham to screen “talkies” following the revolution of sound within cinema.

It stopped functioning as a cinema in the 1990s due to the rise of the multiplex cinema and then lay derelict for years. The new owners of the restaurant have taken great care to maintain the historic features of the building’s architecture whilst also breathing new life into the space.

Now it has been transformed into an impressive looking restaurant, which takes up half of the original theatre space. The Mediterranean influence is evident in the Spanish restaurant style tiling on the bar, but the design emphasis is very much on keeping the grandeur of the Futurist Cinema.

Situated on John Bright Street by the Alexander Theatre, diners enter by a sweeping granite grey staircase with an impressive French chandelier hanging overhead. This leads up to a casual bar area that can hold 60 before the main 88 cover restaurant.

The nine strong kitchen team is led by Head Chef, Saming Saetang; a Brummie of Thai origin. His menu uses top quality seafood sourced from Scottish shores from the Bullring market.

Appetizers include such delights as Lobster Bisque and Lobster Chowder – a delicious creamy soup with vegetables and chunks of lobster served with crusty bread. Or you can enjoy a Sharing Platter of calamari, blanch bait and wedges; Chilled Oysters, Steamed Mussels, Garlic Prawns or Honey and Lemon Chicken Wings.

The offering is definitely upmarket and the mains include some incredible sharing platters such as Silver Platter – a variety of chilled seafood and tropical fruits at £25pp. As you would expect, the most expensive is the Gold Platter – grilled lobster, calamari, prawn skewers, white bait, mussels, fries, spicy rice and salad at £49.

Or if it’s just Lobster For One you can have Lobster and Crayfish Scampi and Chips or the Lobster Peninsula Surf and Turf, which is bound to delight seafood lovers.

Leading the whole operation is General Manager Nuno Peres said, “We have put together a strong wine list and ten classic cocktails including Old Fashioned, Martini and Sidecar.”

Oh and just one more thing, on the top floor is a fabulous state of the art 200 square metre nightclub which will only open on Fridays and Saturday nights until 3am.

Lobster Peninsula – a great place to eat, drink and play!

EDMUNDS

Last month, the team behind Edmunds  rebranded their Brindleyplace restaurant as ‘Edmunds Bistro de Luxe’ to focus on classic French country cuisine, cooked in a modern style, whilst showcasing the ‘Best of British’ ingredients.

Celebrating the individual regions of France, the new dishes will be priced individually and guests will be able to enjoy the new menus lunch and dinner.  Head Chef Didier Philipot commented, “My passions are seasonality, sourcing and flavours. In my home country of France the regions showcase the food of their land, the “Terroir” which influences the ingredients and flavours of every dish, sourcing the perfect ingredients from wherever they are best, and recreating those dishes for the modern palate is what I do best.

Edmunds Bistro de Luxe will appeal to more people at more times and menus will be much more accessible. Starting from simple daily French country soups through to starters from just £7 and mains from just £15. They will also be offering a Prixe Fixe lunch menu and early evening 2 courses from just £19.

The new offering from Edmunds Bistro de Luxe, comes straight off the back of the restaurant receiving two AA rosettes.

INDICO

A fabulous new dining experience has descended into the suburban delights of Shirley Solihull. Visitors to the Parkgate Shopping Centre on Stratford Road will be able to delight in the culinary joys of indian street food and the vibrancy of the sub continent.

The new venue is reminiscent of a movie scene from Monsoon Wedding, the walls are adorned with Bollywood style pop art and the ceiling covered with a multitude of colourful umbrellas.

There is street art on each wall that has been hand painted by a variety of street artists from around the world using different styles but similar theme of Indian street life.

In the corner is the open kitchen in sunshine yellow made in the style of a wagon, set over two floors with a mezzanine level and bar area seating 140, it really is a feast for the senses.

The menu has been inspired by authentic street food of India you will be able to enjoy dishes such as gol gappa (puffed hollow pastry rounds filled with seasoned potatoes and chilled mint flavoured water), and pav bhaji (a typical Mumbai style anytime meal, a spicy blend of mashed vegetables with light battered toasted bun).  The opening of Indico has been highly anticipated and is sure to be a roaring success.

 

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