Andrew Glen - Williamson
We are in the area and staying just up the road at the Grand Hotel. We walked around and found this restaurant. Service was friendly and welcoming from the moment we arrived at the door. We didn't have a reservation, but the lady on the door quickly found us a table. The waiters and waitresses were all very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the menu. Making suggestions on what to order and how much to order. The food was delicious, all freshly made and perfectly cooked. We really enjoyed our time here. Thank you!
Camilla Thomas
The food was amazing. Service was polite but not friendly!! Not sure how they justify the 12.5% service charge hence why we didn’t leave a tip. Couldn’t help but notice how unimpressed the older couple at the next table were by my and my husband’s appearance, several loud comments about tattoos and if I got a pound for everytime I heard “inappropriate” I’d of got a free meal. Of course no fault of the restaurant.
Grace M-H
Lovely restaurant. Recommendation is 5-6 dishes for 2 people. We shared 4 dishes and had a dessert each which we found to be sufficient. I often find that in higher end restaurants they can rush you and be less attentive if you’re not spending lots of money but, despite our obvious intention to keep it cheap (asking for tap water and less dishes than recommended), the staff were lovely and very welcoming. I did not feel rushed at all. The food tasted great, bruschetta tasted very fresh and the calamari was delicious. Definitely recommend!
Drosia Arampatzi
Excellent service, the food was absolutely delicious and the restaurant is beautiful! Would definitely recommend this place! Can’t wait to go back again!!
Anastasia Galanova
A lovely atmosphere and very tasty food. One of the best black salt sea bass that I’ve ever tried. They make a whole show out of it. Highly recommend!
Roni Fantham
I've visited Fumo a few times over a few years and it never disappoints. The staff are always lovely, efficient, informative and quick. The restaurant is elegant and clean. This time I took my daughter for a lunch treat. Fumo is not the cheapest place to eat out but it is somewhere for a lovely occasion. The food is well cooked, nicely presented but most importantly delicious! We had a lovely time and at no point did we feel rushed to finish and leave. I will definitely be finding a reason to revisit and share a slice of their amazing pistachio mousse cake. Divine!
Charlie Heyes (Chaz)
Cannot recommend this place enough, some of the best food I have eaten in a long time. There was a slight mishap with the atmosphere as some of the customers (a group of women) were shining a ridiculously bright light to take pictures. Though this did give my table something to chuckle at. Will definitely be coming back :). We didn't book as I accidentally booked at its sister restaurant for 10 and my girlfriend was hangry so we came to Fumo's and they were able to squeeze us in
AK
Really nice place, clean and friendly. Obviously not halal so opted with the Margherita pizza and the chips. One of the nicest pizza’s I’ve had. Price is decent, they do recommend ordering more since portion is small but personally I didn’t need to. I enjoyed it.
Julia M
Food and atmosphere was amazing. Service was excellent. Short ribs is a must if you eating in. We really liked it. We Had amazing night and good memories, would go there again. Thank you
Karin Waske
Food was lovely, portions were on a smaller site. The staff was amazing as we had booked but turned out it was for a different branch. We had to wait a little while at the bar but then were given a table.
The only downside was the level of noise...
Marc Longo
Visited here on the 28/01/2022 for my wife’s birthday, and I must say it was incredible. The food was so tasty and we will definitely be returning for more. The staff were really friendly and even made the effort to bring out a vanilla cheesecake with a candle in for my wife. Many thanks see you again.
Rui Borges
Very beautiful restaurant.
Very good atmosphere.
Very good food.
Susan Harris
First time trying Fumo, staff was very tentative, you order like you would like tapas which I didn't realise, plus side the food was piping hot.
A bit busier for mother's Day but still great service.
Abazuom Somtochukwu
Fumo, the environment is so nice, you don't need to book always, nice customer service and decoration.
If you are so hungry and you go to this restaurant just know that you will be getting a little plate of food. If you have a huge appetite then your getting four plates (a receptionist literally told us this because their food is small) that's why I gave them a four star.
The toilet is so clean and nice.
Not sure if there is a parking space as the restaurant is on the road.
And it is accessible for wheelchair people(as there is a stair chair lift(just like in care home) for those who can't use the stairs (old people or disabled people).
The names of the dishes in the pictures are;
Black ravioli
Lasagne
Chicken pizza
Meat And One Veg
The fit-out for Fumo at Selfridges is said to be one million sterling. A crazy amount of money for any restaurant, but a particularly obscene sum given (and yes, the clue is in the name) that it is within the confines of a shop. When I initially heard the plans, I thought the owner had lost his marbles. And now that I’ve sat inside the fourth floor restaurant, it is clear that someone else has found them and sold them back to him at a massive profit. It is a mass of polished calacatta, the kind that I sell for a day job and wonder who is buying it at the sort of money it commands. Answer: Here. It smells of money. Of high heels with coloured soles, of oversized handbags with padlocks, and of perfume made from the tears of Romany gypsies. I may have made the last bit up. Even the tables are thick marble, ours a large disc in the centre of the room big enough for six big gents and six bigger egos.
Qt_anj
Over hyped over priced. They look at the label on your coats and jackets when you hand them into the cloakroom. very average food. Will definitely spend more than approx £50 for two...we spent around £70 and were still not full, tiny portions.
Debeyan
Absolutely divine every time I go there! Food and atmosphere is great. <br/>Service is great<br/>The bar is wonderful<br/>Great for romantic meals or birthdays
Michelle.to28
The sister company to San Carlo so already came in with high expectations. The food was absolutely exquisite, really made me want to chew my food slowly to saviour every bite and let me tastebuds take it all in. The lamb chops in particular was great. I would however request for bigger portions, I know they are tapas style, but some were tapas children size...
Cumapolat
Çok güzel bir mekan. Garsonlar İtalyan. Yemekler küçük porsiyonlarda gelmekte. Ortalama 5 farklı seçenek 2 kişi için doyurucu olacaktır.Gnocchi Gorgonzola şiddetle tavsiye edilir..Yediğimiz her ürün çok lezzetliydi..
Nicky B.
I visited Fumo with my family yesterday evening to celebrate my son's departure to university. Fumo is an Italian tapas restaurant (yes, Italian!), and cocktail bar. We arrived at 7.00 and it was fairly quiet but there was good music playing and the atmosphere was fun, with cheerful waiting staff with Italian accents aplenty.
The restaurant had lovely lighting and beautiful marble tables, along with quite a glitzy decor. We all found the room temperature a bit too cool due to the air conditioning settings being a bit low so I'd recommend you to wear layers of you go there.
We ordered bread and olives, rocket and Parmesan salad plus 2 tapas dishes each from an extensive menu. The dishes were delicious but some tapas portions were particularly small so we had to order a further round of tapas dishes. In all we had 12 small tapas dishes plus the olives, bread and rocket salad, plus 1 drink each. The bill was approx £130.
Buy the time we left the place was packed out and the atmosphere was fantastic.
Overall we had a lovely evening, although the experience was over a bit too quick.
We ordere
Harry Z.
Worst experience I ever had. I ordered a spaghetti with lobster and it came undercooked. The waiter offered me to bring me another one, nevertheless, they just reheated the whole thing and brought to me as if it were an new one. Please! I was even able to see the the place where I bit.
Ling Y.
I went with my friend for lunch, both our first time and we were seated quickly. Our table was in the corner table but sat with our backs to the main area. I think I would preferred to sit looking in rather than watching people coming out of Louis Vuitton making me jealous with their store bags lol
Service was good but had to listen carefully to understand the menu as its tapas style. We ordered a few things and the waitress recommended few things.
The pizza was not that good, we had the chicken one, it had no taste.. Quite bland. The meatballs were tasty. We had scallops too which were quite salty.
I prefer San Carlos to be honest.
Ziggy T.
Made a reservation online but was accidentally filtered to San Carlo a block away. They own both places.
When we arrived at Fumo the hostess was extremely RUDE and PISSY! . Are you that popular that you don't need new money or costumers? Finally got the answer we needed to go to San Carlo down the block, decent food RUDE waiters!
Emily C.
It usually is nice every time I have been , however, it gets a 4 star for my latest trip. I had the lobster special , which was watery and had no flavour. Whenever I order , it has been nice yet a little expensive. But this special needs to be improved.
Sean B.
Came here for a birthday meal. Cocktails were exceptional and food was up to the usual Fumo standard.
We had booked for a party of 7 but had been placed on two circular tables pushed together. There wasn't a lot of room but we made the best of what we had been given.
The staff sang happy birthday and presented a cake we had brought with us with candles. They also offered to serve the cake up for us at no extra cost.
Excellent service and I shall be returning again.
Caroline C.
Despite living only round the corner, it took me years to visit this place for some reason! I was really pleased my friends suggested it! We went at 6.30 on a Saturday evening. Unfortunately you can't book a table (which is deliberate to get you to buy more drinks at the bar I think), we were early enough, so when we were told our table would be 40 minutes we weren't too worried. We sat over looking the picturesque cathedral square and had a drink. They had a great cocktail list, but I chose an interesting sounding white wine-it didn't taste so great. Never mind. Service was quick, they encouraged us to buy more, but we held fast waiting for our table, which was 50 minutes. Orders were taken quickly and food came quickly and all at once, more like tapas than the traditional starter, main, dessert order, but that was fine for us. Most main meals were around £10 and other dishes around £6, which seemed fine. The quality of all our dishes and the breads was good too.
The atmosphere was buzzing and it felt like a good place to be, though I felt slightly under-dressed!
I would like to visit again soon!
Ting N.
The food menu here is pretty extensive. I love the concept where food comes out when it is ready, without the restrictions of defined courses.
The food has always been enjoyable here. I can recommend the calamari, as well as the gnocchi.
The cocktails at Fumo are very good. I recommend the rossini, though if they are running short on fresh strawberries, I wish they would offer me a different cocktail than making it sub par.
If you are a fan of sweet things, then definitely order the dessert platter to share with someone. It's a lovely assortment of their desserts, which comes nicely presented. Another one for Instagram fans.
If you have dietary requirements beyond vegetarian (ie gluten, dairy etc), then you may find the menu, and service here lacking for you in my experience.
Worth noting that Fumo don't take bookings except for parties of 6 or more. Though we have rung ahead by 20 minutes previously just to check their availability and the staff have been helpful in advising us.
Alex L.
I can't believe how disappointed I was with Fumo. Despite the excellent reviews and always busy appearance, mediocre food and lackadaisical service were the order of the day for us.
We visited one mid-week evening and were seated almost immediately; the restaurant was at approximately fifty percent capacity: busy but not boisterous. A good start!
After a few minutes we'd ordered a bottle of white and a selection of small plates and sat back to soak in the atmosphere. The wine arrived promptly and was good; the ice bucket was positioned out of sight and reach, a sign that the waiting staff/sommelier will be attentive and not let your glass run dry. That assumption was soon proved false: after a wait of nearly 20 minutes for any sign of food, my glass had indeed run dry and I'd had to go on an excursion for my bottle. Surely the reason we let restaurants charge £40 for a £10 bottle is the service. If I'm to wait on myself, halve the price: you're still making a killing but I'm not being ripped off!
Good eventually arrived some 30 minutes after the order. I'm not sure if this was a particularly bad day or if it's the primary reason it always seems busy: a lack of turning tables would certainly keep the place full.
The food was lacklustre and inconsistent. My overriding memory is the lobster. I'd ordered this as my dining partner had never had it before, and may never again so poor was it. I cannot imagine that the poor beast was caught in 2015, it had no flavour at all. And it had definitely been frozen after cooking and reheated: no other process can deprive a morsel of seafood and all its texture so thoroughly. And for nigh on the price of a complete Thermidor, one would have expected more than 3 small cubes of tail meat and half a claw: although the tiny portion was welcome as there was less to force down. The crayfish sauce in which it came was, however, pleasurable and completely at odds with the incompetency shown over the 'star' of the dish.
The wine debacle continued throughout the meal but was eventually resolved after a vociferous discussion with the manager, after a waiter had attempted to bring me 2 glasses of wine from the bar because he had no idea we'd order a bottle and still had half left. The duty manager in question (I'd say maitre d' but frankly the service is akin to a cheap chain restaurant) did at least comp the wine no one could find except by donning full expedition gear, and in so doing redeemed one star, but I fear I shall neither be returning not recommending.
Martin H.
Was staying in Birmingham for the weekend and found this restaurant on yelp so decided to give it a try. The staff were friendly and welcoming and the service was good, the food was very nice and the fact that you got small portions of each meant you could try a dish you may not have had before, I thought the price was reasonable at £85 for three people one being my 8 year old daughter and included wine. It had a vibrant atmosphere not the place to go for a quiet and intimate chat though.
Would go again.
Ray M.
I cannot recommend this place enough. go in the off peak times and throw some cash at the meal.its well worth it
Laura C.
Fumo, part of the San Carlo group, is easily my favourite restaurant in Birmingham. It serves small Italian tapas-style dishes known as Cicchetti so you pick a selection of dishes and share them between the table. The menu is vast and every dish extremely well presented and packed full of flavour. The food is staggered and brought out as it is cooked so you eat a bit, chat a bit, eat some more, drink some more and if you're still hungry after that you can just order some more -hurrah - which makes for a really relaxed dining experience. The restaurant is chic and sophisticated without losing its laid back vibe and the staff are always on the ball, super efficient and professional. Cocktails are also to die for!! A perfect place for a special occasion.
Caroline B.
Fumo is extremely hard to get into on a Saturday night as you can't book, so when I had the chance to pop in for lunch, I did.
We were quickly seated and served after choosing a selection of cicchetti (Italian 'tapas') including scallops, rabbit stew, cheese and ham crostini and sticky ribs.
I may have hyped the place up a little in my head after I heard it had opened and failed to get in several times. It seemed a bit expensive for what you get, although the food was nice. I guess sitting right in the middle of the room made it feel a bit less cosy.
The decor's in the Italian grand style and there's a large bar which I understand serves great cocktails.
It's a good concept restaurant, something different and great if you only want a little with a drink, or if you want to try a variety of different dishes.
Chandni L.
I went back to Fumo as it was so delicious last time. My husband and I are a big fan of Fumo. The staff are in the ball and are very attentive. I ordered the ministrone soup from the specials menu...It just tasted like boiled veg with salt. The waiter was kind enough to take it off the bill. Thereafter I had the asparagus risotto . Really tasty, if I had to fault it then I would say that there was slightly too much butter. Millefuille dessert was nice. Bakewell tart cocktail was lovely. Another great night out with the husband.
Christopher C.
Fumo is a new Italian restaurant in Birmingham flying the flag os the amazing heart stopping bank breaking San Carlo.
What sets this new venue apart from its older richer mafia owning brother is the fact its tailored to lighter dining and cocktail drinking. Italian tapas (chicchetti) are the main attraction here and the selection is massive.
You could very easily meet friends here midday for a spot of quick lunch due to the informal atmosphere this place puts acros, as opposed to San Carlos more formal sit down meal layout.
The interior is ultra modern and is easily one of the best looking restaurants in Birmingham to date.
Fumo is open from 8am for all you early drinkers.
Anthony T.
Really what a place, the hype is not justified cocktails are ok service is ok but it's one of those places that creates a queue for no reason when only 20 people are inside.
Stuart H.
Outstanding. Incredible food, matched by the service. Quickly became one of my favourites.
danilovescats
Owned by San Carlo next door and sharing the same kitchen; Fumo offers an extensive selection of Italian Tapas great for sharing. The place does not take bookings so you have to turn up and wait for a table or just pull up a stool at the large bar. Saturday night you have almost no chance or getting a table as this place gets busy! Late afternoon drinks is always less crowded and you can sign up for a table later on and beat the crowds.
From the range of food I have tried, I have never been disappointed. 4 or 5 plates to share between 2 for a good feed is enough. 2 of us regularly share 3 plates at lunch time and that is enough. They range in price from about £4 for something more basic to £11 for a steak with truffle and mushrooms (which is delicious!). The majority of dishes are presented on wooden boards making it easier to share.
They offer a good wine list and the cocktails are great too. Service is fast and efficient. Decor is nice, modern and fresh. Toilets are clean.
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