Pier 39

Sally-Ann Bloomer summed up Pier 39 very well in her review for Birmingham Life: "It's not very often you go out and have a really wow meal. Lots of restaurants know how to charge wow prices but the food rarely lives up to either the amount charged or the flowery description on the menu. But somehow as we wandered into Pier 39 in Mere Green I just knew we were about to enjoy something really special.

The night we visited was probably one of the hottest of the year so far and it was tempting to sit outside on the Continental-style pavement tables. A little peek inside though and we were quickly persuaded in while we looked at the menus.

Pier 39 is the ultimate in stylish and contemporary interior design. We sat on comfy leather sofas, nibbling delicious tortillas from wooden bowls while we were shown the new summer menu. Vicki Horton has this year made transition from manageress to co-owner of the restaurant with her husband Carl and her attentiveness was superb.

There are two menus to choose from in the evening, an a la carte and a table d'hote with two and three course options, both sounding equally delicious.

It's nice to find a menu which offers something a little bit different from the norm but not prepared in such a way that the thing that attracts you to it in the first place is no longer recognisable. For appetisers we chose from wok cooked coconut cream mussels, a seafood bisque, chef's potted pate with ciabatta and homemade chutney and Thai fish cake on a pool of lemon and red onion dressing.

I chose the goats cheese and red pepper tart which was superb, deliciously light and tasty and served on a small green grape salad. Tony chose the hoi sin duck parcels which were drizzled with honey and raspberry dressing, a nice change from the crisp duck he usually enjoys at a Chinese restaurant. So far so good.

We were literally spoilt for choice with our main courses. Dishes ranging from shank of lamb and chicken supreme to fillet steak and medallions of pork graced the menu but there was also a fabulous fresh fish menu, perfect for a balmy summer evening.

So impressed by the choice of fish, Tony chose the oven baked cod with a leak mash and pea oil. The cod simply fell apart as he touched it with his knife and so wonderful was his leek mash and pea oil, he's promised to introduce it to his own repertoire at home.

There were three vegetarian choices on the main course menu and I could easily have chosen each and every one of them. After much deliberation, I opted for the pancake basket, a slightly crisp herb pancake filled with oyster mushroom, sun-blush tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese and asparagus tips - the last three items possibly being my three favourite food stuffs. This was a lovely combination and was simply cooked without any heavy dressing. The pancake was served on a bed of Chinese-style stir fried vegetables which were a perfect accompaniment and very flavoursome.

All of the main courses are served with a panache of potatoes and vegetables and it is the attention to detail which makes Pier 39 score so well, a little sprinkle of sesame seeds on the mange tout was a tasty touch. There is also a good selection of side orders to choose from, including some seasonal asparagus tips with butter or hollandaise, tomato and onion salad, even cheesy mash.

Having eaten every morsel of our first two courses, we took a little break before our dessert but couldn't resist looking at the menu for too long. Again the choice was just too difficult so we did what every sensible diner should do and plumped for the Pier 39 assiette, a selection of their mouth-watering homemade desserts. Our waitress who was also excellent, kindly offered us one each but we really felt one would be ample.

The restaurant likes to use as much seasonal produce as possible and our desserts included strawberries and clotted cream, a glazed tangy lemon tart, a raspberry crème brulee and Tony's all-time favourite sticky toffee pudding, described on the menu as 'hot and nice'. If forced I'd have to say my favourite was the raspberry crème brulee but I was shocked to discover the sticky toffee pudding was pretty good too, I'd always been secretly rather pleased when I thought I didn't like it, glad to have one pud not to be tempted by.

During our meal we enjoyed a bottle of Canepa Sauvignon Blanc, a very tasty Chilean wine which suited our meal very well. The restaurant has a very comprehensive wine list which something for all tastes and pockets including some very reasonably priced house wine. Tony was delighted to see there was also a dessert wine, an Elysium Black Muscat, which he couldn't resist a glass of.

And overall? We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The food was faultless and the service superb. We visited on a fairly quiet mid-week evening but the atmosphere was still pleasant with a mixed selection of diners. Pier 39 would be a perfect place to celebrate a special occasion the dining area feels really luxurious and the food is definitely more than a bit special. Equally the restaurant caters for families too with a children's menu for the under 14s and a slightly reduced Sunday lunch menu offered at a very reasonable £14.95 for three courses.

If you have not been before, give it a try and you won't be disappointed. If you have been before, you don't need me to tell you how good it is."

More information including menus, events and much more, is available on their Website.