Birmingham has come a long way from its industrial roots, reinventing itself as one of the UK’s most exciting food cities. Its commercial and financial center is also well known for a lot of creativity and innovation, where food is concerned.
Their dining scene is as bold and diverse as the people who call it home. The city blends Michelin-starred restaurants with street-food grit and everything in between. It doesn’t matter if you are in the mood for a lavish fine dining experience, hearty comfort food, or an adventure through global cuisines; Birmingham always delivers, with a little extra on top.
5 Best Restaurants in Birmingham
1. Adam’s Restaurant
2. Opheem
3. Orelle
4. The Wilderness
5. Bonehead
Best Restaurants in Birmingham
Here’s a list of the city’s best spots to start your dining journey.
1. Adam’s Restaurant
Since its existence in 2012, Adam’s has managed to go from a small dining restaurant to a renowned upscale fine dining restaurant in Waterloo. It has currently garnered a Michelin Star, three AA Rosettes, and an enviable score on many food guides.
At heart, Adam’s is a British ingredients restaurant, made into magic by Head Chef Adam Stokes. With his skills, he has refused to settle for the ordinary and prioritises seasonal ingredients and produce in his menu. The seafood is a testament to good taste, perfectly cooked scallops and pollock, paired with humble root vegetables like turnips, leeks, and red cabbage to spice things up. Game dishes features: venison, pheasant, pekin duck, and veal in ways cooked in a way that blends the old and new. For desserts, have a crème brûlée, a strawberry soufflé, or a peach tarte tatin to go full circle.
What really sets Adam’s apart is its knack for making the familiar feel thrilling again. The chef team makes use of playful, creative techniques to break down simple meals into culinary art. With a Sunday roast that becomes a art on a plate that can be consumed in one mouthful, or radishes served in edible soil. Also a delight for any MasterChef fan.
The restaurant is intimate yet adaptable, stylish without being stuffy. The room is built to fit dining solo, celebrating with a partner, or entertaining a larger group. There is also the Aphrodite bar, where you can dine in a more casual setting, drinks in hand.
Location: New Oxford House, 16 Waterloo Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Hours Open: 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Price Range: £60 – £150
2. Best Restaurants in Birmingham: Opheem
Leading the way for a creative and different restaurant in the center of Birmingham is Opheem. Helmed by the creative Chef Aktar Islam, this two-Michelin-starred flagship defies every expectation of what Indian food in Britain can be. Instead, it presents you with an irresistible offer in return.
The restaurant’s major highlight is its tasting menu. Diners can either opt for the 5-course or the 10-course menu option, depending on how far they want to draw out their pleasure. There’s also a smaller lunch menu for something simpler.
Now, to the food, Islam takes a standard Indian dish and serves it with a delectable twist. Take, for example, his achaari pink fir potatoes with tamarind. The potatoes are cooked sous vide, grilled, aerated through an espuma gun, then deep-fried into crisps, pillows, and croutons. Dishes like the Kekda, a soft shell crab dish, or roasted monkfish are simple meals that have been elevated in texture and taste.
Opheem’s design ethos mirrors its food, elegant and free of design clichés of subcontinental restaurants. The interiors are minimalist, more reminiscent of a simple European restaurant than the plush fabrics and gilded motifs typical of high-end Indian restaurants. Although the design does balance out its minimalism with subtle Indian objects and design motifs here and there.
Location: 65 Summer Row, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Hours Open: 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Wednesday – Thursday)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm (Friday – Saturday)
Price Range: £45 – £160
3. Orelle Restaurant
Located at the top of Birmingham’s tallest building, Orelle is a dining experience that combines breathtaking views with tasty cuisine. This French restaurant combines tradition with modern French cooking by creatively blending tasty dishes with impressive presentation for an amazing dining experience.
Our suggestion is to start your meal with a classic beef tartare or go for the blackberry-cured trout. Both are well-seasoned, fresh, and tender. As for the mains, the Cornish turbot with silky crab bisque is a standout, or the Risotto. There is also the grill option of Fillet, Cote de Boeuf, or Pork Cutlet. For dessert, indulge in crème brûlée, peach tarte tatin, sorbet, and berry parfait to balance out your palate.
Of course, what is a French restaurant without wine? It boasts an impressive wine list and lineup of cocktails. From champagne to different kinds of wine from around the world, there’s also the non-alcoholic option if you are not a drinker.
It’s not just the restaurant that is remarkable; Orelle’s stylish cocktail bar also offers a relaxed but polished atmosphere for those who visit. The bar is ideal for those waiting for dinner, or a pre-dinner aperitif, a post-work drink, and a late-night nightcap. The soaring eight-meter ceiling, large wraparound windows, with its impressive view of the Birmingham skyline make for an unforgettable experience.
Location: 103, Colmore Road, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Hours Open: 12:00 pm – 11:00 pm (Monday – Thursday)
12:00 pm – 12:30 am (Friday – Saturday)
12:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Sunday)
Price Range: £35 – £60
4. The Wilderness
The Wilderness takes a dark, spunky, minimalist aesthetic to a whole new level for a fine dining restaurant. However, the Michelin guide-recommended restaurant is pulling a moody and unconventional take on modern British cuisine.
At the helm is chef-patron Alex Claridge, whose tasting menus are as playful as they are precise. They have a range of ingredients and produce from the Grilled Scallop, Prawn Carpaccio, Mackerel, to the Rare Breed Pork. You can round up your dish with Wasabi, Miso, Yogurt, or Tartar.
Menus change frequently at the Wilderness. Often built around the best of local produce and in season, they come in multiple menu options, depending on the experience you want. Vegetarians, pescatarians, and gluten-free diners are easily accommodated with advance notice, but the kitchen draws a firm line on vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free requests, so plan accordingly.
The vibe at The Wilderness is what really sets it apart from the city’s more traditional fine-dining spots. It’s intimate, theatrical, and unapologetically dark. The black walls, leather, wood, and angled mirrors make the space feel edgy yet elegant. The open kitchen runs along the length of the room, so you can watch the chefs as they work.
The wilderness is that fine dining restaurant you can turn up to with your sneakers, jeans, and not feel out of place one bit.
Location: 27, Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Hours Open: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Wednesday – Friday)
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Saturday)
Price Range: £100 – £135
5. Best Restaurants in Birmingham: Bonehead
Who says the best has to be expensive? That’s the distinct mark that Bonehead is making in Birmingham. Tucked away on Lower Severn Street in the city centre, the independent fried chicken joint has earned cult status. Their concept is simple: great fried chicken, a lineup of craft beers, strong cocktails, and a casual vibe.
The heart of Bonehead is its chicken; the kitchen turns out some of the best fried chicken ever eaten. From the Nashville hot chicken, which brings a fiery kick to the flavour, soy honey wings drizzled with Jack Daniel’s syrup to the classic original fried chicken, the menu is short but packs a punch.
The burgers are another major highlight of Bonehead. The original Bonehead burger is a delicious mess of fried chicken breast or thigh, melted cheese, tangy gherkins, and crisp lettuce, all stacked high on a soft bun. For something different, the Hothead with Nashville seasoning and comeback sauce, or the Buffalo Soldier, are a good try. There are also wings, tenders, and fries to round out the offerings for a heart meal.
Don’t skip the house-made sauces, especially the much-loved comeback sauce and the sides, which include perfectly seasoned fries, fresh slaw, and all the different dips you can have.
Bonehead is not just a restaurant, it’s a hangout spot. The aesthetic is industrial, with black walls, graffiti details, and simple furniture. A heavy rock and metal soundtrack fills the air, adding to the dive-bar-meets-diner energy, especially in the downstairs bar. Upstairs, the dining room is lively, casual, and loud. No booking is required at the Bonehead, just walk in and have a good time.
Location: 8, Lower Severn Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Hours Open: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Monday – Thursday)
12:30 pm – 10:30 pm (Friday – Saturday)
12:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Sunday)
Price Range: £8 – £20
Conclusion
Birmingham did not just earn its name as one of the best food cities in the United Kingdom for no reason. The city is filled with all kinds of restaurants serving some of the best dishes in the UK. From fine dining, refined menus that put a creative twist on normal ingredients and cuisines, to simple, hearty comfort meals that keep you coming back for more. There is always something for you in the city.
