Harden's survey result
Summary
“Simpsons remains the doyen of Birmingham restaurants and Luke Tipping continues to serve menus made up of lovely, often unimpeachable, dishes”, according to fans of this very long-established hotspot, which has been a go-to destination for celebratory Brummies for over 30 years. “To hold a Michelin Star for 26 of those years is an amazing accomplishment, and the kitchen team led by Luke and the wonderful front of house team create a memorable experience not to be forgotten”. Occupying a fine old Georgian house, “the spacious interior with the view of the leafy Edgbaston garden is delightful” and the service is “friendly but with just the right level of formality to ensure the diner feels that he/she is dining somewhere rather special”. “There are menus to suit all pockets” (starting from a lunchtime à la carte for £49.50 per person) but some say “the full ‘Prestige’ tasting menu [for £140 per person] is highly recommended as it usually contains the best dishes and the team are long practiced in delivering many great pleasures to the table”. Not quite all diners are bowled over though. A London visitor found “perfectly executed food, but no wow factor” and a more local long-term fan thought it “not what it was, if still a good night out”. Some slight disruption is maybe to be expected, as the restaurant went on the market in 2025 (no buyer announced as of October) – a number of reporters opine that “even with Andreas retiring, hopefully Luke will continue to lead the kitchen brigade for a few more years” and “carry on reaching the heights of excellence”. Top Menu Tip – “excellent lobster and king prawn raviolo with salsify and lobster and pepper sauce, magnificent roast sirloin pavé with all the usual Sunday lunch accompaniments well prepared and then a perfect soufflé (passion fruit) with Chantilly cream”.
Summary
“Birmingham‘s most long-standing fine-dining restaurant is still going strong after 31 years, under the continuing leadership of Andreas Antona & Luke Tipping” and some locals see its strong performance in recent times as something of a “comeback”. “The setting in the old Georgian house in Edgbaston is of course a pleasure to visit and the view into the small but attractive garden adds to the ambience when the light nights of summer are with us”. “Chef Luke delivers a thoughtful menu using high quality ingredients and perfectly judged cooking” and results are “stylish” and “delicious”. “Careful” service all the while leaves diners feeling “very well looked after”.
Summary
Some would say “the doyen of Birmingham fine-dining restaurants” – fans feel that “owner Andreas Antona and chef Luke Tipping still deliver the best fine-dining experience in Birmingham, even after so many years” at this gracious-looking Edwardian villa “in leafy Edgbaston”. And even those who feel it’s “not the market leader it once was” say it’s “very good all-round”: “service is very good and delivers the high-quality dishes the Birmingham diner expects in a setting that’s excellent and very relaxing”.
Summary
Andreas Antona’s attractive Edwardian villa in posh Edgbaston remains one of the city’s most commented-on dining destinations, and all accounts are upbeat, with numerous reporters having their “best meal of the year here” and declaring it “a real experience”. A 10-course tasting menu is available for £130, but they haven’t ditched à la carte here, sometimes enhanced with competitive wine-inclusive deals. Chef Luke Tipping’s cuisine is “top class” , service is “particularly impressive” and there’s “a lovely atmosphere”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Simpsons?
20 Highfield Road, Birmingham, B15 3DU
Restaurant details
Simpsons Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Good overall experience. Food perfectly executed. It no “wow” factor. "
Prices
| Wine per bottle | £40.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
20 Highfield Road, Birmingham, B15 3DU
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 6 pm‑12 am |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 6 pm‑12 am |
| Friday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 6 pm‑12 am |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑5 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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