Today I find myself north of Birmingham in Lichfield - a phrase I haven't been able to say too…read moreoften in the past. I am here for the holy grail of good company, good beer and good food. It is the food which I find most intriguing; I have come on the lure of a family run Italian restaurant where good pizza can be had. I have often bemoaned the state of Italian found in Birmingham - it's the most poorly represented cuisine in the city and I am yet to eat in any in my home town that I would recommend to others. In Birmingham if you want good pizza you go to The Plough in Harborne. If home made, silky pasta is your thing, then I am sorry to have to break this to you, but you are in the wrong city. Pizzeria Margheri doesn't look much at first. It's a small room, with tired beige tiles on the floor and exposed brick walls. There are too many wooden tables for the cramped space and I imagine at full capacity the conversations of nearby diners become very much your business. It is a good thing that they take the food so seriously: They import as much as possible from their native Italy, from buffalo mozzarella through to hunks of cured meat which is sliced onsite. Its an expense that pays off; the mozzarella is young enough to still threaten your chin with its milk, whilst the proscuitto has a depth of flavour and glistening fat that we rarely find on these shores. With no cooking required the plate is an exercise in ingredient sourcing. They pass the test with aplomb. The aforementioned pizza is made with a sour dough base which we try in a couple of forms. First up is dough balls which are world away from the spongy tripe that they serve at Pizza Express. Here the dough is deep fried and non-uniform in size. There is a pleasingly high salt content and a chunky tomato salsa which pays thanks to the quality shopping again. Think savoury donuts for grown ups and you're just about there. The pizza was a delight. Everything above board was well sourced, from more of the mozzarella to the discs of salami, but it was below decks where the hard work was done. The dough had been treated to a blitz through an oven which rendered leopard spots of char on the base. The crust was chewy, the centre correctly soupy. It is up there with a certain Franca Manca in London as the best pizza in the country. And all of this on a side street in a city that only qualifies as one because of a cathedral. The thirty thousand residents of Lichfield don't know how lucky they are. Did I mention that they have a constantly changing pasta menu which I'll be going back to try? Or that it is seriously cheap? Throw in a starter, main course and a few beers apiece and you'll struggle to reach the dizzying heights of twenty-five quid a head. All of which makes the fact that we dined in a half empty restaurant on a Saturday evening all the more shocking. Maybe they need a fully-functioning website, or maybe they just need to relocate to my street so I can single-handily keep them ticking over. In a country full of chains serving faux-Italian, independents such as Margheri deserve to thrive for serving authentic food at a fair price. At last I have an Italian which I can recommend. Go try it for yourself, even if like me it is forty minutes on a train away.

This is my favourite restaurant in Lichfield for pizza which is good as they mostly serve pizza…read more Margheri is a fairly small restaurant that has a good layout and fairly minimalist decor. The staff provide good customer service and you feel welcome. You also have the option of getting a pizza to take away. Margheri has a 5 star hygiene rating too which is always good. However, the pizza is the main attraction and Margheri specialise in providing authentic pizzas. They are perfectly cooked and not doughy or too crispy. The ingredients are fresh and this means that the pizza is very tasty. I particularly enjoyed the aubergine pizza and my dining companion had a very meaty pizza with parma ham, salami and sausage which they enjoyed. The pizzas are very filling though so I am unable to comment on starters or desserts.

The food in this restaurant is ok, but certainly doesn't reflect the price tag. My friend and I had…read morethe fillet steak, but when it came it was quite fatty, certainly not what you expect fillet steak to be like. My other friend ordered his meal and a side salad, and when the served the meal they didn't give him any vegetables. They said they didn't think he wanted them as he had ordered the 'side salad'. We certainly won't be going back.

This is a lovely branch of Ask, usually pretty quiet (in the week, when I tend to go), with polite…read moreand friendly staff. I'm surprised at the negative feedback here as I am always pleased with the quality of food and the service, which,combined with the very frequent discount deals the chain does, makes a meal here very affordable. Good for post-work meals or late Sunday lunches in my experience, and there's a lovely outdoor area when the sun's shining for a bit of al fresco dining. Well located with tons of nearby parking.

Great little restaurant serving good pizza and pasta, and a decent selection of wines and drinks…read more ASK is in a good location with plenty of parking nearby. Inside is a snug restaurant with low ceilings, outisde is a nice large seating area. Staff are friendly, and the food can be served quickly if you ask

I first heard about Gio's when the gent himself contacted me about his new restaurant venture in…read moreWalsall. As well as running a restaurant in a little community centre, he also runs a number of classes in the Community on healthy eating to help educate children and parents about sourcing ingredients and the benefits of eating good food. When he invited me down to have a look at the place and have a chat about it, I couldn't help but say yes! First thing to note is that (depending on which way you get down there), it can be a little difficult to find. Hidden on a housing estate, Gio's deli is situated on the corner of a cul-de-sac within a community centre. It took us a little while to get there by car, but that's mainly due to the traffic on the motorway. On a good day (traffic wise) I reckon you could get there by car within around 25 minutes. You can catch public transport to Walsall, but a cab from the centre would be recommended if you plan on visiting. Gio's ethos is about providing good, Italian food without the snobbiness or high price tag. His prices are extremely fair! Last night me and Dan went down for dinner and a three course meal (including a coffee) was the less-than-princely sum of £13.50. Main dishes start from £3.50 and there are a number of options for smaller plates (if you don't have a huge appetite). It's also BYOB - so feel free to take down a bottle of wine or some good beers to accompany your Italian feast! It really is a lovely little restaurant. It feels like you're stepping into Gio's living room as the space is warm, welcoming and you are surrounded by knickknacks and trinkets (I particularly liked the collection of teapots). We were welcomed as soon as we stepped in the door and were served by Gio's daughter, Gabriella, who is the front of house while the man himself cooks all of the food. As I am one for a big dinner (I know, shock right?), we opted for the 3 course and cracked open our wine. The first course was a selection of Antipasto including cured meats, the most amazing focaccia I have ever eaten and a piece of frittata. We were also bought over olive oil, balsamic vinegar and an infused chilli oil to drizzle over our food. It was all 100% spot on. No complaints whatsoever! It's also worth nothing that there are quite a few vegetarian options on the menu - so have at it veggies! Between courses, Gio came over and we had a lovely chat about the area, his time in Italy (he has Italian roots and is keen to create genuinely authentic food) and the aims of the restaurant and the classes. He bakes and makes everything fresh, so no store bought boring pasta here - it's all freshly made. Our main course was a selection of 4 pastas. We had a veggie lasagne, a meat lasagne, a dish with thick "noodle" style pasta and veg and gnocchi. I'm not normally a fan of gnocchi, but this was lighter than I was expecting (as was the lasagne which is made with crepes rather than pasta sheets). Again, this was all amazing - but I was STUFFED afterwards! We had to have a break after this as we had dessert coming! The dessert ended up being fantastic too - like a creme caramel made with egg custard. I just about managed to finish everything, but I was struggling to keep my eyes open after the meal with the delicious mix of the warm surroundings, good food and homely atmosphere. I loved our visit to Gio's. Racking up a bill of just £27.50, there is really NOTHING to complain about. We were even given a bag of focaccia to take away, so we could warm it up and enjoy it at home! I can't think of a more pleasant way to spend a Monday evening than enjoying some great food with great company and a great place. Gio.... My only issue is that you are too far away to pop in often, but believe you me - we'll be back!

Absolutely fabulous food . Staff are helpful and there's a really feel of being in Italy …read more Surroundings are cute and miss matched its a lovely cheap quality place to eat

Splendid premises, in a glorious setting, plus a team of catering professionals all combine to make…read moreDa Gino a dining out experience not to be missed. Da Gino is a small, chef owned and run Italian Restaurant with an excellent reputation. The owner, Gino, is very proud of the standards he sets which demand that they cook everything fresh using finest ingredients they can find at the market each morning he told me during my visit. We sat upstairs which was very busy on a Tuesday evening. my other half is half Italian so my food was order for me by her, she likes the opportunity to show off, she impressed the waiting staff. The food was superb, the wine was chilled to perfection and the atmosphere was excellent, I'll definitely be going again very soon.

My wife and I have been customers of the DaGino's Restaurant in Streetly ever since it opened some…read more3 years ago. We genuinly believe that it is one of the best Restaurants in this part of Birmingham. The food is always superb: the wine of the highest quality and the service quite outstanding. We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Da Gino's to anyone looking for a venue for lunch, an evening meal, or a very special celebration in your own private room. We can honestly say that we have never had a bad meal or been disappointed at this lovely Restaurant. SR/PGR

As a concept, the Frankie & Benny's chain freaks me out. After all, I'm an American who has spent a…read moregood deal of time in New York, and eaten my entire life in NYC-Italian-inspired restaurants. Something that becomes abundantly clear as soon as you walk into Frankie & Benny's is that it's a chain, and that Frankie & Benny not only aren't real people, but are actually a concept conceived by a development team in London. The "story" behind it is all a marketing ploy. Now, there's nothing wrong with it, but as a Yank, it's weird to me that a restaurant in Britain trains it's staff to say "Hi guys" when approaching a table, to sound more authentic. But they are one of the most successful restaurant chains in the UK, and people seem to love the large portions, dependable menu mixing rworth or Erdington chains, because the food is so often under-cooked, or doesn't arrive at the right time. I don't mind that the waitress confirmed that most of the food is pre-frozen or pre-cooked -- after all, that's common to most chains. But F & B's is higher priced to expect that kind of thing. And to have to send food back again and again is pretty wearying. All in all, unless they've sorted out their issues in the past 6 months, I couldn't recommend this particular chain.

Really not that great at all…read more I would never of usually chosen here but had to come to a family meal here. Even though we'd booked a table it still took them 10 minutes to seat us, the restaurant was empty! I ordered a chicken Caesar salad thinking it would be fairly nice but when it came out I was pretty disappointed. For the price it was absolutely tiny and the presentation wasn't great. The lettuce was shredded and there wasn't much of it at all. Don't think I'd come back to be honest, sorry!

A lovely place to share the company of friends. The food and service were excellent, staff…read more attentive without being intrusive. As our group was eight-strong, the Tuesday night quietness was not inhibiting. The only concern was that the staff 'forgot' to include the £80 deposit in the bill calculation. Be aware! Jack D.

Romantica in Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield has pleasant decor, good food and the service was also…read morevery good, the atmosphere was lacking 'something' however it was a Thursday night so probably not as busy as it would be at the weekend. Starter, main course and couple of drinks each was less than £60 for two. There's an outside dining area for those hot sticky nights we get so many of in this country. Head chef Enrico Maglifiore does and excellent job of bringing the tastes of Italy to Sutton. For those of you still wondering where this gem is, it's the old Barley pub right on the Mere Green island.

Moored up outside on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Went for an Italian in the restaurant…read more Food was good, service could have been a bit sharper but it was OK. We enjoyed the meal and there was plenty to choose from. They were helpful sorting out something for our very picky 5 year old. I felt prices were on the high side (certainly for the area). Pub seemed pleasant enough but I didn't have time to sample their hospitality.

I went here with a colleague yesterday. The woman at the front asked me if I had reservations and I…read moresaid no. She said it would be almost two hours until we could be seated. There was only one table being serviced in the restaurant, the rest was empty. Unacceptable service.

Excellent Italian. I love Italian food and this is very good…read more A really good menu and wine list. Friendly attentive staff. Pleasant venue. Its not takeaway prices but then again you are getting good quality food with very generous portions in an ambient setting. Don't eat much before you visit!