Food critic Jay Rayner reviews new restaurant in Harborne, Birmingham - here's his verdict

Esteemed food critic Jay Rayner recently paid a visit to Harborne’s new fine dining restaurant Cuubo.

Cuubo is a modern British restaurant with Italian influences located on 47 Harborne High Street run by local chef, Dan Sweet. The chef previously worked at one of the city’s Michelin star restaurants, Simpsons in Edgbaston.

The small venue was opened by Sweet in February this year and has already earned rave reviews online from customers.

What did Rayner say about the venue?

In a new review for The Guardian, Rayner hailed the new restaurant, saying: “Dinner here was an introduction to a storming talent announcing itself to the world, one clever, delicious, well-priced dish at a time.”

Rayner described the menu as “Detailed and exuberant. Most importantly, it all makes sense, as if these are ingredients that have been gagging to hang out together for ages.”

The mains include: braised beef, creamed potato, sweet carrots, bacon, crispy onions, beef sauce, stone bass, seaweed butter sauce, potato, lemon, sea herbs. salt-baked celeriac, apple and more.

Reviewing the lunch menu, Rayner said: “The potato is a purée almost as rich and silky as that onion soup; the skin on the sea bream is crisp; the lemon cuts through the shameless and welcome application of dairy fats.”

He also praised the desserts menu - which includes chilled lemon custard, salted ricotta ice cream, lemon curd, pistachio, biscuit,and fennel dessert chocolate délice - for its ‘attention to detail.’

Although he said the menu has an “ability to get it right at all points in the meal,” he did say the crab risotto ‘didn’t taste like crab’, but overall the food critic was extremely impressed.

He even called Cuubo the “most exciting a new restaurant as I’ve encountered in a long while.” It looks like there’s another brilliant restaurant in Harborne!

See the Cuubo menu in full, here.