Description: I was more than happy on Valentines Day this year when a shopping trip into Town yesterday ended with a scrumptious meal at Bank restaurant in Birmingham's trendy canal area.
The interior of Bank is gorgeous. It's very trendy but also has a beautifully traditional feel to it; there are loads of sparkly spotlights and silver decorations dotted around the dining area, and this is combined with fashionable wooden flooring and fabric wall décor. Bank is very pleasing on the eye and has a lovely calm atmosphere, which I believe can be directly attributed to the wonderful interior design.
Table sizes range from cosy tables for two right up to massive oval tables which will easily seat 12 or more diners. Seating arrangements are brilliant; the tables are well spaced and leave plenty of room to get around the restaurant itself and the chairs are so comfy I could have fallen to sleep after I'd eaten my pudding! The tables are all set out beautifully with crisp white tablecloths, sparklingly clean silverware and small vases of exotic looking fresh flowers. This all makes a meal in Bank seem so much more special that your usual pub restaurant.
I ate from the Fixed Price buffet menu, which is a three course meal. This menu is very good with plenty of choice for all courses. For my starter I chose Carrot & Coriander Soup which was warm and hearty, just called for on a cold February day. The soup was thick and delicately spiced, the coriander was used sparingly with just enough to compliment the rich carrot-cream flavours. Absolutely wonderful, and the soup being served with thick crusty bread made it almost a meal in itself.
But of course, soup is not a meal so I immediately embarked upon my main course - Grilled Grey Mullet with Crushed Herby Potatoes and a Citrus Dressing. Now, if like me, you think of Glen Hoddle's dodgy 80s hair style when you hear the word mullet you might not be expecting too much from this dish. But you will be surprised. The fish was wonderfully cooked with a delicate char grilled flavour, it was a meaty fillet and surprisingly tasty and attractively served. The potatoes were fabulous; crispy 'bits' of potato, almost a rosti style dish which had a tasty blend of mixed herbs adorning each individual piece of spud. Gorgeous. The Citrus Dressing drizzled over this meal really made the dish. I could detect flavours of lime and orange in this creamy, slightly sticky sauce. It complimented the delicate flavour of the fish and potatoes perfectly and added a lovely bit of zing to my meal.
Portion sizes in Bank are pretty good so I was feeling slightly stuffed by the time I'd finished my main course, but I still had room for pudding. Obviously. The Vanilla & Strawberry trifle is absolutely divine; a fruity jelly topped with a wonderfully rich vanilla custard and vanilla cream. The large pieces of fresh strawberries mixed into the jelly adds a much needed tartness to this otherwise very sweet pudding, while the addition of the vanilla makes the dish seem much lighter than it really is. Fabulous, if Bank wasn't as upmarket as it is I'd have probably licked the bowl!
Mark ate Chargrilled Calves Liver which was served with sautéed potatoes, onions and Parma ham. This meal cost £16.50, but was worth every penny as it was such a massive amount of food that he didn't have room for a starter or dessert! The calves liver was deliciously tender and (the bit I nicked off his plate) melted in my mouth in a way only perfectly cooked liver can. The sautéed aspects of the meal weren't overly greasy and were delicately flavoured with a gorgeous selection of herbs.
As well as being such a fantastic restaurant, Bank is also a well respected bar which serves a full range of tipples. All your usual lagers and beers are available, along with a fully stocked top shelf and extensive wine menu. Prices are marginally more expensive that nearby pubs but then at Bank you're paying for the quality atmosphere and excellently decorated bar. I definitely recommend having a liqueur coffee with your meal, the Tia Maria one is particularly good.
Bank definitely isn't the cheapest restaurant you'll find in Birmingham. The fixed menu is probably the most cost effective way of eating here, and this is available every day at lunchtime and dinner. I noticed the restaurant serves a good kids menu which costs just £5.95 for two course and consists of food which all children love such as Chipolata & Mash or Chicken & Chips with ice cream to follow. For an adult to eat a starter, main meal and pudding I reckon you'd be paying around £25 which isn't bad value considering how fantastic the food is and the sheer amount of food which will be on your plate. Our total bill came to £47 which included our food, a couple of drinks each and a tip.
Staff are excellent at Bank. They're very attentive and knowledgeable about both the menu and drinks which are available, and are extremely professional in both their manner and appearance. I believe my meal was enhanced by the good waiting staff as it made this feel like a 'special' meal.
Bank is completely accessible to disabled visitors and families with pushchairs thanks to the ultra wide spaces between tables, easy to access disabled toilets and on-the-level dining areas. Children are welcome to eat here until 7pm and colouring books are provided to keep them amused while waiting for their food to be served. Bank is open for breakfast from 7.30am on weekdays and food from varying menus is served until around 10.30pm, although the bar is open until 1am at the weekend.
To find Bank simply make your way to the canal area of Birmingham near Broad Street, which is well signed posted from all directions in the City Centre. Brindleyplace is located near to the International Convention Centre and National Indoor Arena, so you really can't miss this majestic looking building.
Bank (Birmingham)
4 Brindleyplace
Birmingham
B1 2JB
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