Birmingham is famous for a lot of things: Bulls, Black Sabbath, Cadbury, canals, and the Industrial Revolution. It’s also one of the most exciting food destinations in the UK—and it’s not just because of the Baltis either. From iconic Indian cuisine to incredible Italian restaurants, mouthwatering Michelin stars to exciting street food, there’s something for everyone. So check out the very best restaurants in Birmingham that you have to try at least once in your life.
1. Opheem
If there’s only time for one restaurant to try in Birmingham, it has to be Aston-born Aktar Islam’s Opheem. Birmingham’s first ever Two Michelin Star restaurant and the first-ever Two Star Indian restaurant in the UK, Opheem pushes the boundaries of what Indian food can be. Describing itself as “progressive Indian cuisine”, the modern fine dining menu covers many regions of the Indian subcontinent, throwing in the odd Persian and Arabian influence, too.
Opheem, 65 Summer Row, Birmingham B3 1JJ
2. Simpsons
In the leafy suburbs of Edgbaston sits a Georgian mansion that houses Simpson’s restaurant, Birmingham’s oldest Michelin restaurant. It started in Kenilworth in Warwickshire but moved to Birmingham in 1999 and hasn’t looked back since. Between the lunch and dinner menu, tasting menu, plant-based menu and children’s menu, there’s plenty to choose from too.
The food itself aims to respect classical tradition but is a contemporary take on British cuisine, “combining influences from around the world in dishes based on fabulous impeccably sourced seasonal ingredients.” While huge glass windows line the walls, so that you can enjoy your meal looking out onto the beautiful garden.
Simpsons, 20 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, B15 3DU
3. Adam’s
What, another one? Yes, Birmingham is blessed with Michelin-starred restaurants, all worthy of your time. (Even if it’s just for a special occasion.) Named after the chef, Adam Stokes, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Natasha, Adam’s is sleek, sophisticated and comfortable. Classically cooked, quality dishes served in an approachable environment are what Adam’s aims for. An a la carte menu is served alongside two tasting menus, with a world-class wine list also available.
Adam’s, New Oxford House, 16 Waterloo St, Birmingham B2 5UG
4. Grace & Savour
Is it technically in Birmingham? We’re not sure. But the Grace & Savour in Solihull is too good to be ignored. The West Midlands’ newest Michelin-star restaurant only opened in February 2022. But it has taken no time to prove it is one of the best restaurants in Birmingham. Partly due to its unique concept, but mostly because of the amazing food and setting.
Based in Hampton Manor, the idyllic countryside retreat, Grace & Savour offers a fifteen-course tasting menu. All are served from an open kitchen, with a commitment to locally-grown, ethical and bio-diverse ingredients. Before you’ve even begun to try the food, you’ll be free to tour the garden where everything is grown for this immersive dining experience. Plus, you can also experience the restaurant’s cookery school while you’re there.
Grace & Savour, Hampton Manor, Shadowbrook Ln, Hampton in Arden, Solihull B92 0EN
5. Tropea
Be it the braised octopus or aubergine parmigiana, at Tropea, each plate is designed around a star ingredient. These sharing small-plate dishes are heavily influenced by Italian street food. And use only the finest, seasonal ingredients, either from Milanese markets or local suppliers. Expect plenty of fresh pasta, seafood and regional specialities, from fresh day-boat fish to venison.
Tropea, 27 Lordswood Rd, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9RP
6. Riverine Rabbit
How good is Riverine Rabbit? Well, head chef Ash Valenzuela-Heeger won the MICHELIN Guide’s ‘Young Chef Award’ for her “vibrant cooking” in 2025. Hailing from South Africa, the small plates menu heavily focuses on wild game and seafood, as well as offering substantial vegetarian options for plant-based guests–with ingredients sourced with sustainability in mind.
7. Cuubo
What started life as a sort of fine-dining takeout, has now become one of Jay Rayner’s favourite new restaurants. Funded through Kickstarter, Cuubo is best described as “Modern British with an Italian accent” – with a simple and seasonal menu that caters for all.
CUUBO, 49 High St, Birmingham B17 9NT
8. Land
Vegetarians and vegans are better represented on the food scene than ever these days in Birmingham. Those on a meat-free diet should look no further than Land. The fine dining restaurant focuses on seasonal vegetables to create colourful plates where the vegetables shine, proving that meat doesn’t have to be the star of the meal. Whether you eat meat or not, this is easily one of the best restaurants in Birmingham, and expect seasonal plant-focused dishes inspired by flavours from around the world.
Land, 26 Great Western Arcade, Colmore Row, B2 5HU
9. Albatross Death Cult
It was Albatross Death Cult’s founder, Alex Claridge, who called it the “weirdest restaurant in Brum”, and we haven’t found a good reason to correct him yet. The Jewellery Quarter dining spot is an omakase-style seafood restaurant that seats only 14 guests in its kitchen. There’s also only one sitting per service, with all dishes served by the chefs, and an ever-changing, experimental menu of roughly 12 courses.
Albatross Death Cult, 1 Newhall Square, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 1RU
9. Shababs
From fine dining to family-sized sharing naans. Yep, we’re heading to the Balti Triangle where the best restaurant serving Birmingham’s iconic curry has to be Shababs. It might not be the originator of Birmingham’s iconic balti curry, but Shababs is the best still serving it in Brum and beyond. There’s a huge menu to choose from, but every main dish is cooked balti-style – which means cooked quickly over high heat, like a stir-fry – all somewhere between £10 to £15. Shababs is a rite of passage for every Brummie.
Shababs, 163-165 Ladypool Rd., Sparkbrook, Birmingham B12 8LQ
11. The Wilderness
Birmingham and heavy metal go hand-in-hand. So it wasn’t going to be too long until someone fused it with haute cuisine. The Wilderness in the Jewellery Quarter brings rock ‘n’ roll to fine dining. Ran by Alex Claridge, here you’ll find innovative and surprising tasting menus set to the soundtrack of punk and heavy metal – and, as if it couldn’t get any more Birmingham, it’s also set in a restored factory.
The Wilderness, 27 Warstone Ln, Birmingham B18 6JQ
12. Lasan
Seeing as this is Birmingham, there has to be more than one curry house among the best. (We could fill a whole list of the best Indian restaurants in Birmingham, in fact, we have.) Lasan is legendary throughout the country.
Having shot to fame in 2010 after winning Best Local Restaurant in the UK on Gordon Ramsey’s The F Word. It’s also a record six-time winner at the British Curry Awards, with its first in 2002. Maintaining such longevity, Lasan clearly has a winning formula that consistently places it among the best restaurants in Birmingham.
Lasan, 3 – 4 Dakota Buildings, James Street, St Paul’s Square, B3 1SD
13. 670 Grams
If you’re looking for the coolest restaurant in Birmingham, then it is undoubtedly 670 Grams. Set in the ultra-hip Custard Factory, where graffiti decorates the walls, this is fine dining that won’t break the bank but will break boundaries. Expect influences to come from anywhere, stretching as far as Europe to Asia via your local takeaway. Kray Treadwell was awarded the ‘MICHELIN Young Chef Award Great Britain and Ireland’ in 2021, so the innovative chef and his restaurant are definitely ones to watch.
670 Grams, 4 Gibb St, Deritend, Birmingham B9 4AA
14. Asha’s
If you want to dine like a celebrity in Birmingham, you don’t want to go to one of the Michelin restaurants. It’s Asha’s that everyone in Hollywood is talking about. Tom Cruise stopped by during the filming of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, sitting in the middle of the restaurant and ordering two tikkas!
Other famous fans include Jack Black, P!NK, Steven Gerrard, Ed Sheeran, Cliff Richard and The Rolling Stones. The MICHELIN Guide describes it as “a stylish, passionately run Indian restaurant with exotic décor,” and highlights its Tandoori Kebabs as a speciality. Asha’s is as close to fame as many of us will come.
Asha’s, 12-22 Newhall St, Birmingham B3 3AS.
15. Orelle
Do you fancy dining in the clouds? Enjoy panoramic views while you eat at Orelle. Unbeatable views of Birmingham and modern French cuisine make it not just one of Birmingham’s best restaurants but the most romantic too. Located on the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row, it offers a contemporary take on classic French recipes, celebrating the best of British produce.
Orelle, 103 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 3AG
16. Harborne Kitchen
In 2022, The Good Food Guide described Harborne Kitchen as “packing mass-appeal into posh nosh,” and we have to agree. It opened in 2016, offering contemporary and creative British cuisine at affordable prices. Whether you’re just in the mood for something simply delicious or after a carefully curated culinary experience, Harborne Kitchen has it all. Whatever you choose, though, the diner’s enjoyment always comes first.
Harborne Kitchen, 175-179 High St, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9QE
17. Satori
After the best sushi in Birmingham? Satori blends Japanese tradition and contemporary cooking for a unique experience. Tuck into everything from sushi and sashimi platters to premium A5 Wagyu beef and signature Miso Black Cod. There’s an emphasis on food presentation too, often served on kintsugi-inspired plates, all complemented with an extensive selection of sake.
Satori, 2C St. Mary’s Row, Wake Green Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9EZ
18. Eat Vietnam
Stirchley has quietly become one of the coolest areas in Birmingham. But what about its coolest restaurant? Well, that has to be Eat Vietnam. The umami-packed traditional Vietnamese restaurant constantly reinvents its dishes, so repeat visits are a must to keep up with an ever-changing menu. Barbecued pork shoulder served in a coconut curry, or salt and pepper tofu with noodles, are our current favourites. But you have to try the Marmite and PB chicken wings (also served as cauliflower wings) for a serious savoury flavour bomb.
Eat Vietnam, 1422 Pershore Rd, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2PH
19. Chung Ying Cantonese
Chung Ying Cantonese is Birmingham’s oldest, and still its best, Cantonese restaurant with the largest selection of dim sum in the UK. Opened in 1981, it is the beating heart of Birmingham’s thriving Chinatown. Offering all the favourites, ranging from exotic cuts to Cantonese classics, fresh seafood to a wide selection for vegetarians and vegans. For an authentic taste of Hong Kong, that’s a locals’ favourite, you have to make this your next restaurant visit.
Chung Ying, China Quarter, 16-18 Wrottesley St, Birmingham B5 4RT
20. Chakana
Out in Moseley, you’ll find Birmingham’s first Peruvian restaurant. You won’t find many restaurants elsewhere in Brum, or the UK for that matter, like this. But expect punchy, vibrant and colourful food with classic dishes like ceviches, tiraditos and causas. With dishes designed for sharing and a relaxed environment, Chakana is made to be spent with good company. It’s also home to one of the largest ranges of pisco (a Peruvian spirit) in the country.
Chakana, 140 Alcester Rd, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8HT
21. The Oyster Club
Fish isn’t for everyone, but one of the best seafood restaurants in Birmingham is easily The Oyster Club. Celebrating oysters (Jersey Rock, Maldon Rock and Rossmore Native) and caviar (Exmoor, Oscietra and Beluga), you can simply sit down and tuck in with a glass of wine or two.
But the restaurant – another one from Adam Stokes – is beloved for its small plates and mains, from crab bisque and steamed mussels to halibut and Dover sole. For the ultimate fishy frenzy, order the shellfish platter to share, with lobster, king prawns, langoustines, clams and mussels.
The Oyster Club, 43 Temple St, Birmingham B2 5DP
22. Plates by Purnell’s
Look, we may have lost one of the greats when Purnell’s closed in 2024, but The Yummy Brummie’s spin-off restaurant is helping to fill the hole if left. Plates by Purnell’s is his relaxed, tapas restaurant (inspired by Glynn’s time spent in northern Spain) serving “small plates, great wine and cocktails.”
Plates by Purnells, 119 Edmund St, Birmingham B3 2HJ
23. Tiger Bites Pig
Money isn’t everything when it comes to the best restaurants in Birmingham. Sometimes simplicity is everything, and that’s exactly why we love Tiger Bites Pig. These Taiwanese bao buns, rooted in the street food of East Asia, are made fresh every morning. It’s an intimate space, where you can watch all the food being prepared in front of you, too.
Two or three make for a fantastic meal, with red braised pork belly, buttermilk fried chicken and crispy duck among our favourites. But vegans should try the equally ‘meaty’ tofu and oyster mushroom. If that doesn’t sound enough, Tiger Bites Pig’s hearty rice bowls topped with a protein of choice, spicy veg, house pickles and a cured egg yolk also feel like a steal without short-changing you on flavour.
Tiger Bites Pig, 34 Stephenson St, Birmingham B2 4BH
24. SOI 1268
Those with a finger on the pulse of Birmingham’s street food scene will have heard of Buddha Belly. The Thai food vendors have taken over kitchens all over the city, winning countless awards in the process. Now it’s got its a restaurant to call its own, SOI 1268. Still serving Thai street food in this cosy neighbourhood spot in Stirchley, SOI 1268 is full of flavour, tradition and secret family recipes. Tuck into everything from classics like beef massaman curry and pad cha het (a spicy mushroom stir-fry) to BBQ aubergine nahm dtok and pork pa lo (a Thai stew).
SOI 1268, 268 Pershore Road, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2XU
25. Hockley Social Club
Is this cheating? Because Hockley Social Club isn’t technically one restaurant but many! Home to multiple rotating kitchens, serving the city’s best street food, Hockley Social Club is always new and exciting. Past kitchens have included the award-winning Buddha Belly, Yardbirds with some of the best fried chicken in Birmingham and the seriously Instagrammable Urban Cheesecake. Plus plenty more, all showing off the breadth of Birmingham’s sensational street food scene.
Hockley Social Club, 60 Hampton St, Birmingham B19 3LU
We’re sure some of you are screaming right now—’What about this place!?’ This city is teeming with incredible eateries everywhere, with more popping up every day. But hopefully, our guide to the best restaurants in Birmingham keeps you satiated for now.