A 100-year-old landmark Birmingham hotel abandoned for the past decade will reopen tomorrow as a Nigerian restaurant called Empress. The former Dogpool Hotel in Stirchley has been revived by husband-and-wife team Olusegun Akande and Oyetola Isla, who aim to showcase the richness of their national cuisine. Olusegun says: “We saw potential in this historic site […]
Birmingham high-rise restaurant Orelle is changing its name to 24 Stories as the Evolv Collection – originally Conran Restaurants and more recently D&D London – modifies its structure with the introduction of a series of mini-brands. 24 Stories – on the 24th floor of Birmingham’s tallest office building, 103 Colmore Row – combines with 20 Stories […]
Birmingham’s popular Taiwanese-inspired restaurant Tiger Bites Pig has opened a branch in Brighton following a successful expansion into larger premises in Brum last year. The new venue is in the home city of co-founder Harry Roper, Brighton-born and and bred, who linked up with his partners in the Imposter Group – Ed Shawcross and Max Williams […]
An upscale modern Greek restaurant has opened in Birmingham’s Colmore business district, having taken over a former All Bar One corner site in the Grade II listed Cornwall Buildings. Cylla – named after the man-eating sea monster of Ancient Greek myth, also spelt Scylla – aims to present a “sophisticated approach to Mediterranean dining”, with classic Hellenic […]
Former MasterChef: the Professionals winner and leading Midlands chef Stuart Deeley launches a new restaurant next week at Mallory Court country house hotel outside Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. Birmingham-bred Stu, who won MasterChef in 2019, worked at Mallory Court early in his career after studying at Halesowen College. He has had roles at some of […]
Chef David Taylor is to double his footprint at Hampton Manor luxury hotel near Birmingham with the opening next week of restaurant Kynd, following his success with Grace & Savour on the same Warwickshire estate. Grace & Savour opened three years ago, quickly establishing itself as a Midlands powerhouse and rising to number 30 on […]
Chef-restaurateur Andreas Antona has put his landmark Birmingham restaurant Simpsons on the market to mark his retirement after half a century in the industry. Simpsons, set in a Georgian house in leafy Edgbaston, is for sale at £850,000. Andreas, now 67, founded the restaurant 31 years ago, setting a new standard for dining in the […]
Glynn Purnell has announced the shock closure of his high-achieving Birmingham restaurant Purnells – number two in the Harden’s 100 list of Britain’s best restaurants as recently as 2022. Known as ‘the Yummy Brummie’, Glynn pitched his flagship in the business quarter very much as a culinary expression of his native city. He had given no […]
One of London’s most heavily trailed openings of the year has been postponed indefinitely with the news this week that Brad Carter is no longer involved with the Undercroft project in Mayfair. Brad closed his hit Birmingham restaurant Carter’s of Mosley last year, and in April announced that he would open Undercroft in the crypt […]
The French-owned, fantasy Italian Big Mamma group is to open its first UK restaurant outside London in Birmingham, taking over the former Vinoteca site in the Paradise development on Chamberlain Square. La Bellezza, a 150-cover trattoria with a 25-seat terrace, launches later this year and follows Gloria (pictured), Jacuzzi, Circolo Popolare, Ave Mario and Carlotta, […]