Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to Eat
EXPENSIVE
Purnell's
CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH The cooking of Glyn Purnell is
bold and innovative, but despite the Michelin star, his two-course lunch menu is
Birmingham's best bargain. You dine in a room with arched floor-to-ceiling windows,
a chic, contemporary setting with a bar and lounge area for diners only.
Purnell's dishes might include such main courses as pigeon rolled in licorice char-
coal, tamarind, and roasted duck liver, served with coco and Savoy cabbage. The salad
of Devonshire crab—with apple and celeriac mayonnaise and smoked paprika honey-
comb—is a real delight, and the desserts are just as playful. Think burnt English
custard egg surprise with a warm autumn fruit crumble, hazelnuts, and quince sorbet.
55 Cornwall St.
&
0121/212-9799.
www.purnellsrestaurant.com. Reservations required. 2-course lunch
£22; 3-course lunch £26; 2-course dinner £38; 3-course dinner £46; 8-course tasting menu £68. AE, MC,
V. Tues-Fri noon-4:30pm; Tues-Sat 7-9:30pm. Closed 1 week at Easter, last week in July, 1st week in
Aug, and 1 week at Christmas.
Simpsons
CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH/FRENCH The grandest and
best dining in Birmingham, set in an impressive Georgian mansion. Michelin-starred
chef Andreas Antona purchases his ingredients fresh every day, using only the finest
of seasonal produce. Specialties are forever changing, but main courses might include
a magnificent home-salted cod, with crispy-fried whitebait; or a more elaborate cutlet
of suckling pig, with roasted parsnip purée, Savoy cabbage, apple fondant, crispy
black pudding, and sage-and-onion sauce.
20 Highfield Rd., Edgbaston.
&
0121/454-3434.
Fax 0121/454-3399. www.simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk.
Reservations recommended (required Fri-Sat). Main courses £25-£29; 3-course lunch £35, 3-course
dinner £38. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-2pm (to 2:30pm Sat-Sun); Mon-Thurs 7-9:30pm; Fri-Sat
7-10pm. Closed Dec 24-27 and Dec 31-Jan 1.
Turners of Harborne
FRENCH/CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH Birming-
ham's third Michelin-starred restaurant offers a subtle contrast to the other two, with
chef Richard Turner conjuring up a menu that is contemporary and cutting-edge but
inspired by classical French cooking. Rabbit is served with croustillant of confit leg,
Puy lentils, carrots, tarragon sauce, and mustard foam, while the filet of halibut
comes with pearl barley, garlic, snails, and parsley. Don't miss the soufflé served with
prune and Armagnac ice cream for dessert.
69 High St.
&
0121/426-4440.
www.turnersofharborne.com. Reservations recommended. 2-course
lunch £22, 3-course lunch £26; 3-course dinner £50. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues-Fri noon-2pm and 6:45-
9:30pm; Sat 6:45-9:30pm.
MODERATE
Asha's
INDIAN High-quality meals and low prices make this one of the best
Indian restaurants in the city. It's named after singing legend Asha Bhosle, who came
up with the concept and remains associated with the chain. The menu features all
the usual Indian regional classics, but with a contemporary twist: The peppered garlic
prawns come with salad drizzled in raspberry citrus dressing, and the sensitively
spiced curries are served with mounds of white rice and thick sour cream. The house
specialty is Tandoori kebabs, perfect for sharing—try the fiery Jaipur chicken tikka.
Edmund House, 12-22 Newhall St.
&
0121/200-2767.
www.ashasuk.co.uk. Reservations recom-
mended. Main courses £13-£24. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Wed noon-2:30pm and 5:30-10:30pm; Thurs-Fri
noon-2:30pm and 5:30-11pm; Sat 5-11pm; Sun 5-10pm.
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