(key - * 1 Michelin star, ** 2 stars, *** 3 stars; B - Bib Gourmand; P - Michelin plate).
The 1980s
Rajdoot 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990.
Lorenzo 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
La Capanna 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985.
Pinocchio‘s 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
La Gondola (Sutton Coldfield) 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986
La Caverna (Sheldon) 1980. 1981, 1982
Giovanni’s (Kings Heath) 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985,
La Copper Kettle (Bearwood) 1980
Manor House (West Bromwich) 1980, 1981
Sloans 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Jonathan’s 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985. 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Dynasty 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
La Bon Viveur (Sutton Coldfield) 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
Franzl’s (Smethwick) 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Plough and Harrow 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Henry Wong (Harborne) 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Maharajah 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Days of the Raj 1989, 1990
Henry’s 1989, 1990
Lombard Room (Kings Norton) 1989,1990
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| Henry Wong restaurant, Harborne |
The 1990s
Sir Edward Elgar’s (Swallow Hotel) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Sloans 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995.
Days of the Raj 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994.
Maharajah 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995. 1996, 1997, 1998.
Henry’s 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Henry Wong (Harborne) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996.
Dynasty 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
Lorenzo 1991, 1992.
Franzl’s 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
Lombard Room (Kings Norton) 1991, 1992, 1993. -, -, -, 1997, 1998, 1999
Purple Rooms (Hall Green) 1993, 1994.
Number 282 (Hyatt Regency Hotel) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
Leftbank 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Shimla Pinks 1998, 1999, 2000
Gilmore 1999, 2000
Oceanic 1999
Metro Bar and Grill B2000
Le Petit Blanc B2000
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| Shimla Pinks, Broad Street. |
Sir Edward Elgar’s (Swallow Hotel) 2001, 2002.
Number 282 (Hyatt Regency Hotel 2001.
Bank 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Gilmore 2001.
Metro Bar and Grill 2001, B2002, B2003, B2004, B2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Henry’s 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Leftbank 2001.
Le Petit Blanc 2001, B2002, B2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.
La Toque D’Or 2002, B2003, B2004, B2005, B2006.
Zinc Bar and Grill 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
Mizan (Hall Green) 2001, 2002.
Simpson’s *2005, *2006, *2007, *2008, *2009, *2010
Jessica’s 2004, *2005, *2006.
Paris 2005, 2006.
Shimla Pinks 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Cafe Lazeez 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.
Buonissimo (Harborne) 2003, 2004, 2005.
Liaison (Hall Green) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Opus 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Lasan 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Fino 2006.
Pascal’s B2008, B2009, B2010.
Purnell’s 2008, *2009, *2010
Brasserie Blanc 2008.
Lazeez Signature 2008.
Asha’s 2009, 2010
Edmund’s 2009, 2010
Turners (Harborne) *2009, *2010
Loves 2010
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| Le Petit Blanc, Oozells Square |
Simpsons *2011, *2012, *2013, *2014, *2015, *2016, *2017, *2018, *2019, *2020
Purnell’s *2011, *2012, *2013, *2014, *2015, * 2016, *2017, *2018, *2019, *2020
Opus 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Opus at Cornwall Street 2015, 2016, 2017, P2018, P2019, P2020
Asha’s 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, P2018, P2019, P2020
Edmunds 2011, 2012.
Asquiths 2011.
Turners (Harborne) *2011, *2012, *2013, *2014, *2015, *2016, *2017, Turners at 69 P2018
Loves 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
Lasan 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, P2018,
Bank 2011, 2012.
Carters of Moseley (Moseley) 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, *2016, *2017, *2017, *2018, *2019, *2020
Bistro (Hotel Du Vin) 2012, 2013.
Brasserie (Malmaison Hotel) 2012.
The Asquith 2013, Purnell’s Bistro 2014, 2015, 2016
Saffron 2013, 2014.
adam’s *2014, *2015, *2016, Adam’s *2017, *2018, *2019, *2020
Fumo 2014, 2015, 2016.
Waters on the Square 2015, 2016.
Two Cats Kitchen 2017.
Andy Waters (National Exhibition Centre) 2017
The Wilderness P2018, P2019, P2020.
Folium P2019, P2020
Harborne Kitchen (Harborne) P2019, P2020
Opheem P2019, *2020
Legna P2020
The Oyster Club by Adam Stokes P2020
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| Two Cats Kitchen, Warstone Lane |
Trends come and go. The 1970s were dominated by an obsession with Italian restaurants with a single south-Asian restaurant (Rajdoot) being recognised as the decade drew on. This pattern continued in the early 80s only perhaps more so. French style restaurants had their place but only the Rajdoot was allowed to fly the flag for south Asian cuisine for the first half of the decade.
Neighbourhood restaurants with varying cuisines were not ignored in the eighties and Maharajah and Days of the Raj joined Rajdoot in being recognised as homes of worthy south Asian food as the decade moved on. Chinese restaurants, led by Dynasty, were also beginning to have their moments in the sun.
As the nineties began Rajdoot fell out of favour and Maharajah became the flag bearer for south Asian cuisine and then it too fell and was replaced by Shimla Pinks. The Sir Edward Elgar at the Swallow Hotel became the real dominant restaurant in Birmingham as the era of great European food began, previously the Plough and Harrow had been esteemed by Michelin for a short period.
But at the start of the new millenium Sir Edward Elgar’s, surely at one time the closest restaurant to becoming Birmingham’s first Michelin star holder, fell by the wayside and for a short period French-style cuisine was in style but modern British started to come into its own. Andreas Antona’s Simpsons moved to Birmingham and in 2005 joined Jessica’s with its chef, Glynn Purnell, in being awarded Birmingham’s first ever Michelin stars. It was not long before Purnell moved on to open Purnell’s, his own restaurant, and Jessica’s became Birmingham’s first Michelin-starred restaurant to close.
By then most non-European/modern British restaurants were ceasing to appear on Michelin’s Birmingham listings and modern British food had arrived in grand style. Purnell’s and Turners in Harborne became Birmingham’s new starred restaurants in 2009 and these were followed by Adam’s in 2014 and Carter’s of Moseley in 2016. Richard Turner effectively gave up his star in 2017 but Aktar Islam returned Birmingham to its five star status in 2020 when his Opheem became Birmingham’s first-ever south Asian restaurant to be honoured with such recognition.
And so into the 2020s.
Addendum - Is Raymond Blanc the gastronomic equivalent of Nostradamus? Well look at this paragraph from the Birmingham Mail from February 2008 when Le Petit Blanc in Birmingham was closing down:-
As many as five Michelin-starred restaurants? Not far wrong there, mon fils.
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