Sky high dining at Orelle French restaurant in Birmingham City Centre - but is it really top notch?

It’s the stunning French restaurant that prides itself on offering top level food and service in Birmingham.

Towering above many of the city’s established venues helping Birmingham win acclaim for being the ‘UK’s most exciting food destination’ you’ll find Orelle on the 24th floor of skyscraper 103 Colmore Row - the former NatWest House near the Council House in the city centre.

The super glamorous restaurant opened amid a fanfare in mid October and it’s proving to be a popular haunt for people looking to drink and dine in style.

Business people, creatives, influencers and more are among those who have already visited - and it’s had some rave reviews. But is Orelle really top notch - and how expensive is it? BirminghamWorld was delighted to be invited to find out. Here’s what we found.

The venue

So 24 floors is a long way up, no surprise there! It’s three more floors higher than Marco Pierre White’s sky restaurant over at The Cube - but don’t fear, there are plenty of lifts, no need to use the stairs!

In fact the entry to Orelle is almost a story in itself as you go through the cocktail bar on the ground floor. It’s a stylish spot, with a staff member ready to greet you as soon as you approach to check your reservation. You can also visit the ground floor venue for drinks an dl light meals without booking, we were advised.

There’s a glistening bar centred in the middle of the decadently decorated lounge featuring comfy settees and bar stools - a chic place to chill if you’re not looking for dinner.

As we were all set to dine we were helpfully shown the way to the lift. It can take longer than you think to be transported all the way up to floor number 24 - but what a sight when you get there.

The views from Orelle really are stunning - we arrived at night time amid the twinkling city lights brightening up the darkness complementing the buzzing atmosphere inside. Our five star service continued as we were invited to place our coats in the cloak room and taken to our window seat.

With floor to ceiling windows in the double level restaurant the starry sky outside helped to light up the stunning venue with its showpiece jewel artwork, created by a local artist inspired by the nearby JQ.

Equally beautiful is the autumnal flower displays and burnt orange upholstery - a very beautiful place to dine. You can book a table just for cocktails too, we were advised.

Food and drink

Orelle prides itself on offering a contemporary take on classic French dishes, while showcasing the best of British produce.

So it was exciting to see the menu - aided by our handy table lamp - it really was a dark night!

There seven delicious starters and mains to choose from - each equally as appealing, it was a difficult task to select only one from each!

Meat, fish and vegetarian dishes were all included. For my starter, I eventually decided up on Betterave to start - which featured heritage beetroot, burned apple, ricotta, smoked almonds, truffle dressing. The calorie count was easily in sight, and I must admit that did help me to make my choice.

It really was an impressive dish. So pretty and colourful - and a decent portion too. A sassy selection of sharp to mellow flavours and solid and fluid textures made it a grand start to dinner.

My friend chose the Saint-Jaques - featuring roasted orkney scallop, Jerusalem artichoke, golden rais, and veloute. I must admit I did have a little food envy, but satisfied myself that I would know what to try next time. Prices started at £15.50 for starers.

For my main meal I chose Porcelet, which was made up of suckling pig, compressed belly girolles, smoked almond, grelot onion and plum. Again, it was a generous portion, packed full of flavour, perfectly tender meat and tasty vegetables.

My friend chose the same and we shared a side order of pommes frites and buttered cabbage - which I can highly recommend. Mains prices began at £19.50 and sides were £5.50 each.

Desserts are super special at Orelle, served from a charming glass trolley - so you get to look before you choose. They all looked amazing, but I selected Vanille - a mousse au vanille, cassis compote and marshmallow. While my friend chose Paris Brest - pistachio cream and salted caramel. All desserts are priced at £10.

As you can imagine the wine list was extensive with bottles from around the world, served by the glass and bottle. We decided to stay in France for our drinks and chose a bottle of Reisling Reserve, Cave de Turckheim, which was among the cheaper options at £39 - and was divinely delicate and dry.

If you’re looking for a special occasion dinner, Orelle is definitely worth a trip - the food is hearty and comforting, the drinks are superb and the surroundings are unique. For more information go to: Orelle