Purnell's Bistro And Ginger's Bar

Atmosphere was lovely, staff were fab and the food was out of this world truly the best steaks we have ever eaten (and we’ve tried a few) Glynn was also very lovely a truly wonderful experience one we will be repeating again �

Introduced to Zomato by my new found foodie - Spice it up with Sam - I was inspired to write down a few lines on my lunch at Purnells Bistro...

a beautifully warm Friday afternoon in my old stomping ground Newhall St, Birmingham. I was expecting to find Gingers bar buzzing with suits, banter and beers. Instead, there were just the two of us ... and no Guinness!

That said, it did make for a good environment to get acquainted with Mr Sam and hear about his fascinating travels and eating without the need to shout from a distance of three feet.

My first thought on the menu was that we may need to go for a top up meal staight after - I was not surprised therefore, to hear that Sam was sitting in a curry house no less than fours after we finished lunch.

But seriously, the food was exquisite! The service exceptional and the setting very chic. Great place for a business or a social lunch if you have work to do in the afternoon - unless, of course, you sample the wines which are equally delightful.

I had the Lamb croquette with split beans and mint - wonderfully tasty. Followed by the pot roast chicken, confit tomato, Red Pepper – Chorizo – Butter Bean & Goats Cheese Cassoulet. The chicken had been carved into what I can only describe as "fingers" but was succulent and surrounded by flavour.

I would return soon, but know that there is whole world of food out there, and although I have sampled much of it - I have written about none... yet!

Since opening just over one year ago, Purnell’s Bistro in Birmingham has been offering a menu of sophisticated cocktails and what it calls ‘rustic home cooking with an eclectic twist’.

It was founded by Glynn Purnell just around the corner from his other venture, Purnell’s Restaurant. Managed by Pete Casson, the bistro offers relaxed yet elegant drinking and dining on Newhall Street in Birmingham city centre.


The Setting
The previous separation between Ginger’s Bar, with its range of creative cocktails, and the restaurant area, has given way to a unified Purnell’s Bistro. The soft lighting, the rich leather chairs and the warm, polished wooden floors all contribute to an atmosphere of casual glamour.

The Cocktails
The drinks menu is what draws a great deal of the venue’s clientele. At the weekend visitors come for leisurely drinks, while on weekday evenings the bar attracts a lot of traffic from the surrounding Colmore Business District. They pop in to enjoy a long list of concoctions using ingredients like kaffir lime leaf, rose water bitters, maple syrup and ginger wine.

Here are some examples:

Honey & Pear Configuration / £6.50

Absolut Pear Vodka, Briottet Fig Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Honey Water

Kaffir Gimlet / £7.00

Kaffir Lime Leaf Infused Beefeater Gin, Roses Lime, Lime Zest, Chartreuse Rinse Ginger’s Original

Rhubarb Mumble / £7.50

Napoleon VSOP Brandy, Briottet Rhubarbe, Frangelico, Lemon Juice, Vanilla & Cinnamon Sugar

See the full cocktail menu

The Bistro
Purnell’s Bistro dishes up a menu loosely inspired by rustic British fare. Your pork bellies, ham hock, bread and butter puddings are presented in dainty ways and brush shoulders with more exotic ingredients hailing from further afield.One classic example is English chicken thigh with polenta, sun-dried tomato, black olive and marjoram.

A sample menu:

Starters

Ham Hock Terrine Homemade Piccalilli £6.50

Tomato Tart Sweet Caramelised Onions, Goats Cheese, Chives £6.50

Potato Rösti Black Pudding, Poached Egg Yolk, Bacon Dressing £7.25

Mains

Slow Braised Shoulder of Lamb Moroccan Spiced Couscous, Red Pepper Purée £18.25

Roasted Sea Bream Fricassee of Leek, Glazed Shallot, Potato & Gruyere Terrine £16.95

Black Treacle Glazed Pork Belly Apple, Creamed Cabbage, Pomme Purée £15.95

Puddings

Orange & Apricot Bread & Butter Pudding Vanilla Ice Cream £4.95

Lemon & Lime Posset Cassis Sorbet £5.50

White Chocolate & Crème Fraîche Torte Raspberry & Basil Sorbet £5.95

I meet with friends this lovely spot quite often! This is the best place to dine. I visit this spot regularly. The cooking is very good, the staff members are helpful and the charge is fair. I like going in this restaurant to have a good supper.

Lovely spin off bistro from Glynn Purnell. The menu was quite limited for us as most items contained his favourite ingredient, pig. The asparagus was perfectly cooked and our Chateaubriand was lovely, but looked smaller than the other steaks so I would order the sirloin next time. Our desserts were lovely but small. The Sunday lunch menu looks good. Easy to get to from city and paid Street parking available right outside (free in evenings and bank holidays)

Great Sunday lunch at great value! Very attentive staff and lovely venue.