A year after it first opened, Purnell’s Bistro is no longer the new kid on the block and is starting to feel at home on Newhall Street. Having rebranded after its first incarnation as The Asquith, the place offers ‘rustic home cooking with an eclectic twist’.
It may have slipped your mind, but this is Glynn Purnell’s second restaurant in the city. While Purnell’s Michelin-starred success has given it national acclaim, its little sister restaurant is working hard to catch up in the ‘excellence’ stakes.
Purnell’s Bistro still houses Ginger’s Bar, which offers a menu of sophisticated cocktails and has an extensive list of hard-to-find and unknown spirits, world beers and curious local ales.
It may have been a lunchtime when we visited, but it would’ve been rude not to look at the cocktail menu - and there was no shortage of great concoctions (with equally great names!) on offer. Cockney Rhyming Sling made with Absolut pear vodka was a tasty delight, and made my usual mango bellini seem rather unremarkable by comparison.
For starters, hubby had the ham hock terrine with homemade piccalilli (£6.50). Lovely to look at, the lightness of the meat was terrific. My starter was a sliver of salmon - equally light and fresh, and bursting with colour.
My main was the slow-braised shoulder of lamb with Moroccan spiced couscous and red pepper purée (£18.25). This was a real stand-out dish, the lamb had a nice kick to it, and I could’ve eaten it all over again!
Hubby had the black treacle glazed pork belly apple, complete with the tastiest creamed cabbage and pomme purée (£15.95). A classic ‘fine dining’ dish, perfectly executed.
Desserts were a pretty white chocolate & crème fraîche torte raspberry with basil sorbet (£5.95). Although large in size, it was polished off quite quickly.
Purnell’s Bistro is a fantastic choice for lunch, ideal for the business-district crowd and a great place for after-work cocktails. I shall definitely return for dinner, and next time be a bit bolder in my choices, as there are so many gems on the menu.
Purnell's Bistro and Ginger's Bar,
11 Newhall Street,
Birmingham
B3 3NY
purnellsbistro-gingers.com/
Telephone: 0121 200 1588
Email: info@purnellsbistro-gingers.com
A year after it first opened, Purnell’s Bistro is no longer the new kid on the block and is starting to feel at home on Newhall Street. Having rebranded after its first incarnation as The Asquith, the place offers ‘rustic home cooking with an eclectic twist’.
It may have slipped your mind, but this is Glynn Purnell’s second restaurant in the city. While Purnell’s Michelin-starred success has given it national acclaim, its little sister restaurant is working hard to catch up in the ‘excellence’ stakes.
Purnell’s Bistro still houses Ginger’s Bar, which offers a menu of sophisticated cocktails and has an extensive list of hard-to-find and unknown spirits, world beers and curious local ales.
It may have been a lunchtime when we visited, but it would’ve been rude not to look at the cocktail menu - and there was no shortage of great concoctions (with equally great names!) on offer. Cockney Rhyming Sling made with Absolut pear vodka was a tasty delight, and made my usual mango bellini seem rather unremarkable by comparison.
For starters, hubby had the ham hock terrine with homemade piccalilli (£6.50). Lovely to look at, the lightness of the meat was terrific. My starter was a sliver of salmon - equally light and fresh, and bursting with colour.
My main was the slow-braised shoulder of lamb with Moroccan spiced couscous and red pepper purée (£18.25). This was a real stand-out dish, the lamb had a nice kick to it, and I could’ve eaten it all over again!
Hubby had the black treacle glazed pork belly apple, complete with the tastiest creamed cabbage and pomme purée (£15.95). A classic ‘fine dining’ dish, perfectly executed.
Desserts were a pretty white chocolate & crème fraîche torte raspberry with basil sorbet (£5.95). Although large in size, it was polished off quite quickly.
Purnell’s Bistro is a fantastic choice for lunch, ideal for the business-district crowd and a great place for after-work cocktails. I shall definitely return for dinner, and next time be a bit bolder in my choices, as there are so many gems on the menu.
Reviewed by Anita Champaneri
4 Stars on Mon, 30 Sep 2013