Birmingham is a foodies paradise - it has so much good quality and variety to offer. Whether you want pub food or fine dining - there are many amazing restaurants in and around Birmingham that are ready to meet your desires.
And, locals aren’t the only ones who want to try out the dining scene. Some of these restaurants, pubs, and cafes have been applauded by food critics from some of teh countries most renowned London based food critics.
The Observer food critic Jay Rayner, cookbook author and Royal stepson Tom Parker Bowles, the Guardian food writer Marina O’Loughlin and Grace Dent, The Times food critic Giles Coren and food critic and former host of the BBC’s The Late Show Tracey McLeod have visited Birmingham with varying regularity to taste the amazing food that we have to offer.
Not all of their visits are to Michelin-starred restaurants either. The eateries they have reviewed and visited will fit a range of budgets and moods.
So, here are the 13 restaurants in and around Birmingham recommended by London food critics:
1. Chakana, Moseley - Jay Rayner
Chakana in Moseley was included in the Michelin guide, which underlines the amazing standards that the place keeps up to. Food critic Jay Rayner visited the restaurant in 2021. Rayner called the Peruvian eatery a “genuinely exciting restaurant”. He wrote that the Andean potato stew rocked him back in his seat. “It is another head-turning beauty: a heap of buttercup-yellow potatoes, dried and smoked, are dotted with cubes of purple potato, and laid with green leaves, deep red flowers and black grapes. I expect it to be one of those hugely comforting, solid adventures in carbs, but there is so much more going on here. It is a journey into the savoury.” (Photo - Google Maps)
2. Yikouchi, Stirchley - Jay Rayner & Tom Parker Bowles
Both Jay Rayner and Tom Parker Bowles visited Yikouchi in Stirchley after reading about it on the Birmingham food blog - Meat and One Veg. The restaurant in Chancer’s Cafe is run by James Kirk-Gould and his wife Cassi who lived in China and offer Sichuan-style home food. It’s walk-ins only and both the food critics have written highly about it. Rayner called it a highlight of his food journey in 2022. Rayner called the restaurant an “utter joy”. Parker Bowles said: “Kirk-Gould makes no claim to authenticity, yet this is seriously good cooking. Stuff to make the heart sing and belly roar. Oh, and one of the best, and best-value lunches I’ve had in months.” (Photo - Google Streetview)
3. A La Mexicana, Bearwood - Tom Parker Bowles
Parker Bowles visited this restaurant in Bearwood in 2021 having read about it in the Meat and One Veg blog. He described the restaurant as a “home-style, family-owned place you’ll find all over Mexico.” He added: “But to have somewhere this wonderful, in a distant Birmingham suburb, is nothing short of miraculous. Viva Mexico. Viva Bearwood. And viva la familia Galindez.” (Photo - Google Maps)
4. Land, Birmingham City Centre - Jay Rayner
Vegan restaurant Land located in Birmingham City Centre’s Great Western Arcade was included in the Michelin guide since opening in 2019. The restaurant was reviewed by Jay Rayner in 2020 and he wrote: “Land is designed to take you somewhere new. Even the wine list is calculated to encourage experimentation.” (Photo - The Relationship Co.)