Purnell's

A+A (10 April 2009)

Well where to start, a bit about us, we are two couples, early thirties, been lucky enough to eat at some great restaurants worldwide and looking for a special dining experience in England's second city, hence, last night we enjoyed the most fantastic fine dining experience at Purnell’s. Table booked at 715pm for four people we arrived promptly and were warmly welcomed into a modern bar-lounge by the restaurant manger, Mr Burloux. The bar area already had four or five groups perusing over the menus and quietly chatting, the restaurant instantly felt right, not cold and intimidating, but welcoming. The décor is fresh and modern and in keeping with the area, bar was not too hot or cold and we chose to position ourselves on some comfy chairs by the window, mainly so we could see what was going on. The head waitress came to see us, very smiley and happy to help, not stuffy or pompous in the slightest. We settled on a glass of white, two Belgium beers and a still water. All came nice and quick and were exactly what we wanted; the beer is strong at 8%! Some olives were brought over along with the menus and wine list. Mr Burloux then appeared with some pre-meal nibbles in the shape of cheesy puff pastry balls, these were not the most exiting things but tasty nevertheless.

Now came the tricky bit, choosing our starters and mains. Throwing a spanner in the works they had changed the menu a few days before our visit and this was different to the one we had already cast our eyes over on the internet. After much deliberation we chose to eat off the a la carte menu. Unfortunately this did not include two of the key dishes we were hoping to have, namely the egg yolk starter and the beef, two signature dishes. We called over Mr Burloux and informed him of our dilemma and without hesitation he said that it would be no problem to have these dishes, albeit at a small surcharge, which we were happy to pay. So choices were Mrs L had the egg yolk and pork, Mrs S had the salmon and beef, Mr S the ox tongue and pork and I had the crab salad and beef. We relaxed into our beers for 10 - 15 minutes and then a waiter wandered over and asked if we would like to follow him to our table. The restaurant itself is split into 3 distinctly different areas, private dining area, comfy narrow coupley area and the main square restaurant floor. This was where our luck really picked up as we were booked onto the table that we had all spotted but dared not to hope we would get, so into the private dining area we went and up to the spacious table in the window, we felt very lucky indeed. The décor in the private dining area is very modern and classy, high quality furnishings and fittings as you would expect from this type of establishment.

Wine was ordered with the assistance of Mr Burloux, he really was excellent I have to say, I simply told him the kind of wine we were looking for and asked for some suggestions, there was none of the dreaded pointing towards the expensive bottles for the sake of it, he gave me several choices to our budget and I left it with him to pick one, he really knows his wine, we had a great chat about his wines, I found him very professional and approachable. A lovely 30 pound white wine came, and went, and a red was ordered, which was a hand picked Shiraz, 50 pound, worth every penny, best wine I’ve had for ages. Amuse bouche came in the shape a cucumber sorbet with some ricey tasting topping and a sauce, very, very good! Little bread rolls were also served with some very nice whippy butter, these kept coming throughout the evening, wholemeal and white. A bit of chit chat and about twenty minutes after sitting the starters arrived. Crab Salad - fantastic, brilliant combination of flavours and the crab meat tasted so fresh you would never have guessed we were in the city furthest from the sea and just the right size as well. Ox tongue - to be honest I’m not sure, Mr S devoured it so fast I didn't really have time to have a look in, he said it was delightful. Salmon - Mrs S loved this dish, different types of salmon with some very moorish mushrooms, I tried the salmon and it was great, very strong flavour, so fresh. Egg Yolk - very strange in appearance but a ‘must try’ dish, it looks like it shouldn't work but it simply does, asking the waitress she said Mr Purnell’s mother used to make it for him as a child and he used to smuggle cornflakes in his pockets!

All plates were completely cleared of any morsels of food and more wine was poured by the professional, courteous and attentive staff. Again a comfortable time passed as much deliberation was taking place as to whose dish was the nicest, I may be biased but the crab was highly praised by all. Mains then appeared and the wow factor was instant, very well presented. Beef - perfectly cooked, tender, juicy and the accompanying vegetables were firm and fresh and the butternut squash very tasty, Mrs S had much praise for the squash that she made several attempts to convince me to hand mine over, no chance! The liquorice was a great touch, not overpowering, subtle and tangy; even if you don't like liquorice don't let that put you off, its unique and not what you expect. The barley was very lemony, a bit too lemony for Mrs S but I really liked it. There was also plenty of beef, four large chunks layered on each other, quite filling also. Pork - very tasty, moist yet the fatty bits were crispy and so full of flavour. The black pudding crumble added to the dish superbly and the parsnips were raved about. Faultless mains, another bottle of wine appeared and now we were in full flow, a very full bodied French wine suggested yet again by Mr Burloux, 30 pound - very full bodied, bit too much so for the ladies maybe. Menus reappeared after maybe 20 minutes or so and we decided on two English custard egg surprises, the cheese board and a chocolate torte. All arrived together and promptly and the visual impact was fantastic. The burnt English cream is served in egg shells and was so tasty; the accompanying berries were so juicy and large. Only issue is that I wish it was served in emu egg shells instead of hen eggs so there would be more of the cream, it was that good. Chocolate torte was extremely rich and chocolaty, if you’re a chocoholic order this, you won’t be disappointed. The cheese board was a selection of about 7 different types, these were explained by the head waitress, Mrs S enjoyed it but I wasn't convinced she made the right choice, if I’m to be super critical the cheese board was the only element of the meal that didn't quite hit the mark.

The full bodied flavour of the red was proving too much for the ladies so another different bottle was ordered whilst the gents polished off the stronger red. This bottle was a light fruity number suggested by Mr Burloux, again around 30 pound, we gave him a budget and rough description of what we wanted every time we ordered a bottle and let him work his magic. Unfortunately and probably due to the strength of the Belgium beer the names of the wine escape me, apart from the shiraz, I would really recommend putting your faith in Mr Burloux if your unsure, he won’t get it wrong. The ladies enjoyed the new choice of wine; it was a bit more like the Shiraz. So a bit more time chatting and we decided to up sticks and move back into the bar area. Brandies came and went as did coffee all served by the ever attentive head waitress, some more beers and then the highlight of our evening occurred, a chance meeting with Chef Purnell, what a friendly and warm chap, down to earth and approachable. We spoke about his dishes, shared a joke or three, discussed Birmingham city. I have to say that I found his enthusiasm for food and the obvious pride in his team and restaurant fascinating, he emits a cheeky radiance and a confidence in his culinary art which is transferred into the dishes he offers. Bill came in at £480, but this included 4 bottles of wine, 8 Belgium beers, a round of brandies and coffee and the starting drinks. We felt this price was fair and what we expected, remember that you’re paying for the experience, the entire package and this is where the real value is added. So off into the night we wandered, very impressed with the experience we had. We will definitely be back, although only if we can sit in the window again!

Few other pointers - the table next to us had the taster menu, 7 courses, all the dishes were quite small and I guess if you don't like something you’re stuck with it. We overheard them say that next time they would eat from the a la carte. It also seemed to go on and on. The atmosphere was great, nice, classy, professional yet relaxed although it’s obviously at the high end of the eating establishment market at no point did any of our party feel uncomfortable. Ask about the wine if your not sure and don't be shy in asking what something is if you don't know, the staff are very helpful and approachable. At no point were we rushed, I took a while deciding on the dessert so asked for another 5 minutes, this was not an issue at all.

Graham K (3 December 2008)

A friend of mine travelled seventy miles from Sheffield, specifically for his second visit to Purnell's in the last four months and we had lunch there on Tuesday. The service was extremely efficient, polite and friendly, and we found the food as delicious as on our first visit. The lunch time prices, both the set menu and the a la carte, were of exceptionally good value. Each course was beautifully presented and full of superb flavours, which lived up to the promise of the presentation. We found nothing to feel even slightly downbeat about. My friend, who recently had lunch at other prestigious restaurants felt he had enjoyed his lunch at Purnell's at least as much as those other places. I see that a former review speaks of still feeling hungry at the end of the meal, certainly after our lunches we both felt more than satisfied. My friend is planning a third trip to Birmingham to dine at Purnell's early in the New Year, and so am I.

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