With the development of New Street Station, it was inevitable that great new places were going to…read morepop up around Stephenson Street. This new lunch spot is something quite different for the centre of the City, but will definitely find it's place in amongst the independent deli's and great places to grab something different on the go. Looking clean, basic and unassuming from the outside; even the name doesn't give away what this business does at first glance. I heard about this place through Twitter and had it bookmarked to visit for quite some time. After a busy morning on Friday, a hurried lunch on the go was the way forward and I remembered that I had promised myself a visit to 4023. After snapping some pictures of the exterior, I popped in to peruse the menu and decide what I was going to have. There is seating inside, but literally enough space for maybe 6 - 8 diners. The menu is small, but very well formed. You can choose from koftas, meze platters, wraps and salads and have these served to take away or eat in. After troubling over the selection for a couple of minutes, I decided to go for the lamb meatballs in a bread wrap to take away. Even with a busy venue, lots of orders coming in and a queue out the door; I got my order within 5 minutes. I took this to the Cathedral to enjoy a spot of winter sun whilst I ate my lunch. The meatballs were delicious. Hot, filling and tasty... The bread was obviously fresh and the salad was the perfect accompaniment. My lunch cost me £3.50 (just the wrap, no sides or drinks) and I felt this was good value for money as I wasn't hungry again until the late evening. I definately want to go back to sample some of their other specialities. If you want to eat in, get there early (as it's only a tiny place). If you're happy to take away (and create jealousy in the office), go and give this place a go!

I feel that my culinary life in Birmingham is much more complete with the discovery of Forty Twenty…read moreThree (hat tip to Jeanette & Brandon). The seemingly obtuse name references the geographic coordinates where Europe (Greece) meets Asia Minor, the area most known for the Mediterranean cuisine served at 40 23. It's Mediterranean street food at its best. The food finds a balance, not being too heavy or too healthy. The result is ultimate deliciousness. Forty Twenty Three is on the stretch of Stephenson Street that also hosts a Greek Deli next door. The businesses in this area of the city tend to fall on the small side, and 40 23 is no exception. The interior is tiny and spartan, with seating for about a dozen people. Fortunately, word has not gotten completely out, so unless you are there at noon or at the after work rush hour, you should be able to snag a stool at the counter and watch these pita masters assemble your food. If you don't want to leave the house, 40 23 has partnered with Deliveroo. It's hard to imagine not eating inside the restaurant, as you'll want to chomp on that pita as soon as it comes off the grill. The menu covers a range of goodies, with the hot items being composed of a small list of ingredients that work wonders in different combinations. At their most base, the dishes have a pita as a wrap or cut up on a platter with a salad. You essentially get to choose the filling, ranging from meats (souvlaki, chicken, meatballs, kebab) to vegetarian items (grilled veggies, halloumi, mushrooms). You'll also find several pastries and pies, like spanakopita, and desserts including a truly excellent baklava. I've been here many times for lunch and dinner in the past several months, and my go to is one of the vegetarian wraps. I've tried all three, and the halloumi is probably the best, when it's available. The wrap is either very, very popular or 40 23 is facing some serious supply side issues. The grilled mushrooms are my second favourite. The juicy mushrooms mixing with the other vegetables, wrapped in a warm pita is a little slice of heaven. Sides for your mains include rice, pita bread, vegetables, or chips. The hand-cut chips are the stand out item on the sides menu, so much so that you'll want to order your own (no sharing here). A row of spices in glass jars are placed at the counter in the event you wish to kick your food up a notch. If excellent street food in and of itself was not enough to get you in the door at Forty Twenty Three, then the fire sale prices should be intriguing. A veggie pita wrap without a side, which is more than enough for one average person, can be had for less than a fiver, including a drink. At these prices, you can support a local family run business using fresh ingredients, and still come out ahead of paying for corporate fast food. The sometimes varying hours, supply shortages, and lack of seating at times would normally be enough to warrant four stars, but the food here is so affordable, and so, so good that I hope everyone will run, not walk to city centre and see what the Mediterranean's best has to offer our street food scene.

Once I had gotten over the fact that this restaurant isn't licensed (so an ideal place to bring the…read morekids or grandkids!!) I settled down with a glass of chilled water, to enjoy the tenderest, most tasty dishes I've eaten in a long while!! Very pleasant waiting staff and everything is cooked and prepared in full view, so no problems there! Clean, well presented, tasty - and reasonably priced! Will definitely return when back in Birmingham, given the chance (ideal short taxi ride from the NEC hotels).

Everything from the ambiance to the staff are welcoming and cozy! But the best bit is the food…read more Delicious Middle Eastern fare and the best Turkish coffee I've had in ages. We drove 45 mins to try this place out and it did not disappoint!

Definitely one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in Birmingham (and restaurants in general as…read morewell). As someone who has been spoilt with different cuisines from different cities, I can be annoyingly judgy and picky, and honestly... Birmingham doesn't have me impressed. So understand that me saying that Damascena is "one of the best," it's a big deal. Their food is outstanding and it comes at a very reasonable price. The restaurant is located in cute Moseley and is not exactly attractive, but once you enter, you will be welcomed by a wide arrange of pastries. Every plate I've eaten here has left me incredibly satisfied by its taste and its amount of food... and money. The only improvement would be on their client service, as the waitresses weren't attentive, and their cooking time, as it took around 20 minutes for the plates to arrive. I will definitely be returning here as long as I am in Birmingham. Come to Damascena! And they have amazing drinks too.

Athens is a traditional Greek restaurant with a delicious menu and old-fashioned abstract decor…read morethat adds to its charm. The waiters are probably the funniest and most charming restaurant staff I have ever come across. And I suppose they have to be when dancing with customers is part of their job description! On Fridays and Saturdays, they have a belly-dancer who encourages diners to join her under the spotlight. Then the waiters get everyone on their feet to dance inside and outside of the restaurant. They end the night with current pop and some old-school music. The food is delicious and served surprisingly swiftly, even when the restaurant is packed. At the weekends they have a standard offer - starter and main course for £16. It's very filling so you probably won't have space for dessert! There's nearly always a hen party going on. Booking in advance is recommended.

For an hilarious night out on the cheesy side but with some pretty good food then you may want to…read moregive Athens a go. Yes, on busy nights with group bookings there may well be some plate smashing. The waiters are super funny and really helpful if you are new to Greek cuisine as some of my group were. Expect some dancing and lots of laughs but if the drink is flowing you get so caught up in the atmosphere you don't really mind. The food portions are big and really tasty. If you aren't into the whole belly dancing experience then weekends are the time to avoid. The biggest plus is that with Snobs next door it's easy to roll from one to the next. Expect to see big groups and always book in advance.

So much but so good!…read more Right next to Fishylicious is a quiet Turkish restaurant me and my friends Davey and Albert passed by. We saw this place first being developed when we stopped at Fishylicious. This time, on the way to Fishylicious, we decided to opt for Konya instead, which also not long ago got a mention in the Birmingham Mail as one of the places to try, now I know why. Despite being the only customers to dine at the place, the service was on the path of failure, however it steadily made a great recovery. The menu consists of a great selection of roast meats, fish and even pizzas! However for me and my friends, it's a must try kebab of some sorts. I had the Chicken Shawarma, while the others had a Lamb Kofte, Chicken Shish and Lamb Shish, all served in a big plate with a mountain of rice. Good thing there's always the salad too, which the waiter added some feta cheese as a bonus for us! Not to mention the condiments, were also a great compliment to the meal which consists of yoghurt, ketchup, spicy chilli and salsa! The meats were generously portioned but also tender in the process, therefore you shouldn't have any concerns over meat quality too. Konya is great value for money and I look forward to coming here on a regular basis. It definitely isn't your regular kebab shop, be sure to check it out!

In my mad mission to catch up with everything new in Birmingham, I came across this place in "new…read morebusinesses on Yelp". Whilst I had been aware that something new was coming to Bennett's Hill - I had no idea what that would be. Tapas is getting really big in the City at the moment. I love Tapas (both as a food and a concept). Small plates shared around a table of friends - it's a great way to try lots of things without being so stuffed you can't move at the end of a meal. I was super excited to learn that Amantia was a new Spanish restaurant with a focus on Tapas! I booked a table for lunch for 4 of us on the Saturday and perused the menu. There are lots of different types of Tapas starting from £5 and going all the way up to £10 for a meat board. Although it's not the cheapest, the prices seemed fair for a restaurant offering something different, good quality and in it's location in the centre of town. We hungrily walked down on Saturday excited to try something new! The restaurant itself looks great! Deep purple walls, smart furnishings and little touches of Spanish flair - it's so good to see this space being used and looking different. We were greeted straight away by the friendly staff and our table had been laid out prior to our arrival. Whilst we were waiting for our lunch companions, we decided to order a bottle of wine. We went for a bottle of white (which wasn't too badly priced at around £16) and had another look at the menu. When everyone was settled, we were ready to order! Although the menu recommends three tapas dishes per person, we went for two each and chose a selection of dates with cheese and bacon, pastry parcels with chorizo and black pudding and a whole range of different options off the menu. Everything ended up being amazing. The dates were a particular surprise (and a table favourite), as well as the aubergine chips and the black pudding parcels. Although we were pretty full by the end, me and Dan ordered a cheese board (with a glass of sherry) and Stuart ordered a almond cake. We were mightily impressed with the "cheese to cracker" ratio (more cheese than crackers) and the Sherry really complimented the cheese choices. All together our bill came to around £110 with tip (which wasn't bad for 9 dishes of tapas, a bottle of wine, two lagers, a glass of red wine, a sharing platter of cheese with sherry and a cake). The service, decor and food were all sublime and I was definitely impressed with this new offering.

I have only been here as part of a Yelp Elite event, but from what I can gather the place is really…read morelovely, and the food (for the most part) was fantastic. I sampled as many tapas as I could and there wasn't a single thing I didn't like... manchego with almonds... fried calamari... various croquettes (my favorite was actually the mushroom) and chorizo. There were three paellas and they were all pretty good; I found the seafood one to be too salty for my taste. The chicken and chorizo one was really good but definitely had strong seasoning which others might not enjoy. I think I will be back for more tapas, in any case! Churros and chocolate for dessert... so delicious. The decor is very simple and elegant, although a bit too bare for me personally, I personally think the place could use a bit more 'flavor' in it's interior design to match the food. But it didn't really detract from the experience. All of the staff we encountered were very friendly and attentive, even with an incredibly large group.

Great tapas and awesome service. Will go back on my next trip to Birmingham. The chorizo tapas was…read moreexcellent.

Definite lunchtime win yesterday when I popped into Bar Estilo for a meeting . I am a big fan of…read moretapas but for some reason have never ventured inside this place in the Mailbox. When I went in I was quickly greeted by the barman who offered me a drink, as it was lunchtime I went for a diet coke although they do offer a full bar menu with all the usual drinks you would expect plus sangria..... After living in spain for a while I am a HUGE fan of the stuff but the afternoon is just not the time or it can be a bit of a slippery slope haha. I went for the Salmon dish (Salmon a la plancha) served with almost a lentil stew and the oven baked figs....this was all on recommendation of the lovely manager Jaz. Now figs.....I wouldnt usually go for fig....not even in a fig roll situation they just dont do it for me, so naturally I thought yes to giving them a go in a more savory dish.....I have to say it was great! They served with goats cheese and honey and were actually delicious...maybe I am a convert! The salmon dish was also fresh and lovely....well presented and all the food came out quickly. Perfect at lunch time. Good vibe to the place overall and definately somewhere I will be trying more of the food in due course!

Mambo's fast food is another fast food mecca placed at the city centre. One of those places that…read moremake me wonder why people STILL prefer spending some money in plastic burgers! The food in this place is absolutely delicious and the fact it's a really friendly establishment where you can seat, enjoy your meal and also have a good chit chat with the staff, is just a bonus. As I am still learning about the art of eating a really good and well-done kebab I still think most of my experience eating this fine and simple dish was positive but I do adore the options at Mambo's and the fact the salad served in this shop is almost like a homemade one! The chips are also crisp the prices in this place is something really unbelievable ! So trek down to Mambo's as soon as possible and you will know what ! mean!

You might have noticed that I am a prolific eater, I quite simply adore food in all its…read moreincarnations, and the combination of living in Birmingham and being a Yelp scout provides me with ample opportunity to check out as many eateries as I can stomach, which is a lot! One of my favourites (there are a lot of those too) is Mambo's Fast Food on Hurst Street, which strives to be better than your average kebab house. I have to say that I think they are doing a great job and hitting all of their targets. You can pick up a Donner Kebab alongside salad and of course chips, all for under a fiver, in fact it is priced at a surprisingly good three pounds ninety. I say surprisingly good because the quality of food here would lead you to believe that it was pricey, clearly this is not the case. Worth a special mention is the salad, as strange as that may sound when discussing a kebab house. This is because it is a lot fresher, crisper and generally tastier than your average kebab house salad. So if you fancy a kebab which is a cut above, then Mambo's is where you should take your business.

Finally Mere Green has a second chippy. However, on visiting you could be forgiven for thinking…read moreyou've got your Mere Green maths wrong. This is like two chippies in one. Part old fashioned traditional England. Part sun-kissed Mediterranean flavours. When I arrived with my husband early on a Tuesday evening there was already a substantial queue. I wondered whether this could be attributed in part to the sheer varieties of foods on sale. With a menu so comprehensive, customers take time to select their choices and the staff take their time to prepare the orders. However, it's nice to go to a chippy where food doesn't feel like it's being turned out on a production line. In any case, we took advantage of the queues by marvelling at the freshly prepared Kofta Kebabs, Grilled Corn, Mixed Mediterranean Veg and Fresh Greek Salads. Despite these choices, we needed to check they could do our favourites well, first. So we went down the English seaside route going for traditional fish and chips. The Prime Scottish Cod was huge and gorgeous and at £4.30 was reasonably priced in an area known for expensive chippies. A side of breaded mushrooms was an unusual treat from the quirky menu. This is a great addition to Mere Green. The only question is, is it a pie and sausage night or an evening for fresh lamb shish with taramasalata?

It was suggested I take a trip to this new chippy that opened up in Mere Green. So after a skin…read morefull last Friday I was being driven past and demanded that we stop off for food. Once inside I immediately noticed that this wasn't just any old chippy. It was a Mediterranean Grill too. Freshly cooked Kebabs on an open flame! Once I had stopped salivating at the menu and decided which of the delicious kebabs would suit my gut full of beer my order went in. My girlfriend, who wasn't hungry at all, was forced to order the same. After waiting around ten minutes for my meat to be freshly cooked I was asked the questions which are music to my ears... salad and chilli sauce? Shortly after that I was clutching an empty wrapper. Nuff said!

Finally got around to trying this place I have to say it's actually very me! I was thinking of…read moresomewhere to grab something quick and fresh last night before the rep and this tiny shop was just ideal. There are only a few small tables but the food here is to stay or go making that not an issue at all. I went for the chicken and beef kebab which was served on fresh bread with yoghurt dressing and a simple salad. Now with a dish like this you can't really have anything bad quality as there are so few elements....this was pretty much perfect. All well seasoned, fresh and tasty. No complaints from me at all! I like the speed and vibe of this place, the food is no frills served by friendly people in a relaxed and laid back way....I'll be back....definitely

Simple, humble, independent takeaway Greek cuisine at its quirky & affordable price, conveniently…read morelocated tucked away opposite New Street station in a modest but slightly cramped place. Fresh, simple, lovely menu and great service. Inside was a small dining area with a couple of tables and stools with an open kitchen and billboards scribbled with the different choices on the menu. Freshly prepared platters of meat & also vegetarian dishes, salad side with dressing and Pitta slices. Overall I'd recommend highly if you'd like traditional greek food.