A South African restaurant with a Michelin touch is coming to Stirchley, Birmingham

An independent restaurant with South African roots and flavours with seasonal British produce is set to open in a south Birmingham suburb.

Riverine Rabbit, named after the Karoo Desert's elusive riverine rabbit, is a nod to owners Ash and Erin’s ongoing endeavour to support sustainable farming practices. The restaurant was originally created by Ash and her sister, Mandy, in Cape Town, and is now spearheaded by Ash and Erin Valenzuela-Heeger. Ash is no stranger to Birmingham having worked with Brad Carter at Michelin star Carters of Moseley, which is now in Westlands. She started her career at the age of sixteen working part-time as a prep chef in a local restaurant, before enrolling at cookery college. She has also worked with Luke Dale-Roberts of The Test Kitchen, listed as one of the World’s Best 50 Restaurants, in South Africa. Co-owner Erin is a Materials Scientist by day and will take up role as Front of House Manager at Riverine Rabbit by night.

The highly anticipated independent restaurant from Cape Town, South Africa will open at 1464 Pershore Road, Stirchley.

What to expect from the Riverine Rabbit?

Provenance remains central to the menu, with Ash taking time to get to know farmers and producers locally and further afield in the UK to ensure that The Rabbit is sourcing ingredients with consideration and sustainability top of mind.

The menu will be made up of up to 16 small plates and will take in favourite dishes from Riverine Rabbit’s series of pop-ups over the summer, including the Crab Muffin. There will be a heavy focus on Wild Game, as well as seafood, and a substantial vegetarian offering for plant-based guests Guests will be able to order as many or as few dishes as they prefer. On Mondays, an affordable Prix Fixe menu of four courses for £30 (with optional add-ons) will be available. The full menu will be released later in December. The restaurant interiors will be simple and stripped back, allowing the dishes to take centre stage. The wine list is predominantly South African in origin with beers exclusively supplied by Glasshouse. A wide range of alcohol-free options will also be available.

Ash and Erin, said, “It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here, to say we’re keen to open our doors is an understatement. We’ve worked hard to create an informal space for our guests to enjoy our ethos and food. There’s no pressure or restrictions, we want our guests to order as many or as few dishes as they fancy, and to just come along and enjoy The Rabbit.”

How to make a reservation at The Riverine Rabbit?

Riverine Rabbit will open bookings for its new Stirchley-based restaurant in Birmingham at noon today (December 11) and bookings will be available from 5th January 2024 with the restaurant potentially opening beforehand. The restaurant will open its doors Mondays to Fridays for dinner only.