This is a great new addition to Solihull. Cafe/bar vintage chic with lots of character. The…read moreatmosphere here is fresh friendly and so much options to choose from. The old coach house has been improved beyond recognition. If anyone is passing through Solihull I'd recommend this place highly.

When looking for somewhere that I can take my mother too for lunch a few weeks ago I decided to try…read moreEBB and Flow. This blend of cafe and bar is something that stands out in Solihull and manages to set it apart from many of the other restaurants and bars locally, they straddle the line between upmarket bar and vintage cage relatively well and have put together somewhere that is inviting without being too relaxed. One great thing to note is that they offer all day Brunch, which is great if you are late to rise and want a breakfast. This does make them busy on a weekend. They have a good selection of burgers. They also offer an afternoon tea at £10 per person which can be enhanced with Prosecco and offers a decent selection of both savoury and sweet items. I was impressed with the afternoon tea particularly as you didn't have to order ahead. My only complaint is that I didn't leave feeling full but the experience was very nice. I would deffinately recommend Ebb and Flow for a relaxed meal or a drink with friends.

Most British people love a good cup of tea. There are a few other tea rooms in Solihull but I think…read morethis one is the best, thanks to its fantastic variety of tea, great prices (all drinks are under £2.00 and tea is £1.30) and delicious cake. As a food lover I thought there was also decent amount of food on the menu that is also simple. I was pleased to know that all the sandwiches are freshly made with your choice of bread (white, baguette, toastie, wholemeal and gluten free.) As well as this some of their cakes are made on site and it tastes even better fresh! The food is filling but not heavy. One day I would love to indulge in their cakes and tea in their garden, which looks great on a warm Summer and Spring day. Even if the weather is bad don't be disheartened because there is also an indoor seating area which is spacious beautifully decorated. Where better to enjoy great tea and tasty food than amongst other tea drinkers in a fantastic and unique British style setting that only a tea room can have?

My mom and I stumbled over the Manor House Tea Room and Garden whilst shopping in Solihull. This…read moreplace is a refreshing change from the chain eateries in Touchwood. Set at the back of a 500 year old grade II listed building the café is not at all stuffy as it occupies a gloriously light and bright annex overlooking a beautiful walled garden. The menu is simple but offers a lot of choice. All sandwiches are freshly made with a large choice of bread (white, wholemeal, baguette, toastie and even gluten free.) They also serve jacket potatoes and hot/cold light lunches including cottage pie, pastas, quiches and salads. They also make some of their cakes onsite and the profiterole cheesecake is on my immediate must do list! The café is extremely clean and the staff were super friendly and efficient. Our prawn sandwich and smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel were perfect. Great pot of tea as well.

This is my idea of heaven! a little hidden gem, a delightful little Tea room and very popular with…read morethe Barnt Green folk. Walking in from the small high street of Barnt Green village it's style is a combination of someone's living room and what I would imagine a post war tea shop would be like, Minus the hair net and curlers! It is filled to the brim with vintage crockery and gifts, quirky ornaments and fabulous post war style tables with cute little table place settings. Everything in the shop can also be bought. Although Vintage Tea Rooms are the current trend I welcome the quirkiness and makes it more of a unique day out as opposed to the high street franchises and once again supporting local and independents. I stumbled across this tea room by accident whilst visiting Barnt green and as I was on my own they just about had a place for me to have lunch, it's very busy with small groups of ladies lunching with their three tiered ornate cake stands and afternoon teas. It needs to be booked well in advance to reserve a place. I had a simple lunch of soup served in an ornate tea cup and a small plate of sandwiches and of course Earl Grey Tea for one. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I will definitely visit again with friends and it's only a short walk from Barnt Green station. Looking at their website you can also hire their services or the tea room for parties. Lush!

The service was mediocre and the food, doubly so. The coffee was tasteful but a bit too sharp for…read moremy liking, the cakes tasted mostly of gelatine and sugar, but the hot panini I ordered did actually taste pretty good. However it was served on a long and thin plate, which was 100% form over function as it clattered into the adjacent plates when I tried to eat from it. Regardless of my gripes, there did seem to be quite a lot of people around ingesting either food or liquid of some sort, so perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about. Or, which I think is probably more fitting, perhaps Costa was full, Starbucks was too far away, they didn't know about the other quiet little coffee & cake places (near the Council House entrance to Touchwood, for example) and, well, the money in their pocket was equal to or greater than the thing they wanted to put in their mouth, so they just sat down and did what they wanted to. The environment is noisy (it's slapped in the main junction of the two main arteries of Touchwood, so that's a given), the product is only slightly above average, and the service isn't anything to write home about. Why not leave this overpriced pinnacle of mediocrity and go and find something a bit more comfortable? (Bike parking is very close-by, near the revolving doors that take you to the Council House)

So I would't normally eat and drink my coffee in a shopping centre but I was in a mad rush. I am…read moreglad I did because this place was great. The coffee was fresh and nicely presented (not silky microfoam with beautiful latte art but far from the overly boild froth that we endure in most chains). Their speciality is all things chocolate and it looks amazing but I didn't partake knowing Christmas is just a few weeks away). I am a fussy so and so not liking mayo or cheese and all sorts of things. The staff were lovely and make things up fresh so I had a yummy pulled pork panini (not too sweet or vinegary) with slaw and crisps and salad plus my coffee for £4.95. My food arrived in under 5 minutes. Don't be fooled by the picture. There was a whole panini, I just couldn't wait and ate half instantly. I will most likely nip in here again next time I shop. Probably for wafflea and a belgian chocolate mocha when I am already fat from Christmas.

This was a little gem on the high street of Shirley I came across while looking for scones! They…read moreroast their own coffee beans and the place just smelt divine! The owner was super nice and loved my kinda American accent even though he thought I was Australian at first..lol.. I asked if they had scones and he said yes! With clotted cream and jam and fresh strawberries he asked....yes ! I said. Perfect mid morning snack in England. It looked amazing and boy have I missed these . I also got a nice cappuccino made with their mild roast and it was so perfectly brewed. I should be having tea with a scone but I could pass up the freshness of the coffee The scone was delicious, the cream was nice and rich and the jam was not jelly! I loved the fresh strawberries on top too. Ate every bit of this up. The Brit's do scones the best. The cafe was a lovely local place with a nice breakfast menu with basics and some other desserts. Just a lovely place to get a strong brew and a traditional scone! Just what I was looking for.

The Coffee Roaster in Shirley is my stand out place for a late cooked breakfast on the weekend…read more The food is always excellent and although it looks small from the outside it is a bit of a tardis once you get in so you won't struggle to find a table. It is pretty cosy inside but that adds to the charm. As the name suggests the coffee is wonderful as well. I've visited for afternoon tea and cake too which were great value. The business also provides a tea and coffee emporium stocking everything for the caffeine lover. The extra friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you decide on the perfect coffee bean for you and then grind to take away. They also have a car park to the rear which is extremely helpful when driving to Shirely.

Really good café, popular with my work colleagues and always busy with locals…read more Serves everything a local café would, full English breakfasts, omelettes and jacket potatoes. I go there for there for the freshly made sandwiches and baguettes. The favourite at work is the tuna and sweetcorn salad baguette. Sheldon Café to bean to cup coffee for a reasonable price.

My best friend and I decided to try this Café for a change of scenery from Costa Coffee. We were so…read morepleased we did. It was clean, offered good service and great prices. We will definitely be returning.....

This is one of the biggest but friendliest Costas around. Situated right in the middle of Mell…read moreSquare, it's a great place to up your caffeine levels before completing the next round of shopping. There are two seating areas, and chairs outside for sunny days. There are also comfortable sofas where you can curl up with a paper, cappuccino and something highly calorific. The staff are really helpful, and happy to bring things across to you if you are really burdened with shopping. In addition to the usual coffee drinks (and a rather fine hot chocolate), Costa offers some good lunchtime sandwiches and a nice collection of breakfast treats such as chocolate pannetone. Not the cheapest, but well worth it for a quiet break from the shops!

Great quality and variety you would expect from Costa, but i prefer this branch to a lot of the…read morecoffee shops in Solihull due to the location. The Costa in Touchwood has limited seats and as it is on the corner is it usually really busy. This branch has lots more seating and is in the centre of Solihull and tends to be busy but not crowded and I have never had problems finding somewhere to sit and relax whilst I enjoy my coffee

Lattes here are my favorite here! Each one has been made perfectly and evenly. The Fried Eggs and…read morebread are delightful. The crepes and pastries look delicious. This restaurant is very clean and the atmosphere is relaxing.

Enjoyed staying at the grand hotel the bar Madeline and service was excellent I would highly…read morerecommend the afternoon tea.

It was so good that I'm tempted to say it wasn't and demand that I go again, for a second opinion!…read more The ambiance of Aalto restaurant is relaxing whilst still buzzing with life and energy. The live music added to the ambiance, providing a soothing and pleasurable background to the meal. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated, modern, tasteful and welcoming. I loved that we were sat on a large round table - I'm rather a fan of round tables as I feel it creates a better social vibe, and always supports odd numbers without so poor soul sitting opposite Hollow Man (which, lets face it, would put you off your food!) As for the feast itself. Well, let's start with the menu. It was the perfect size, with six options in each category, so plenty of choice without it been too baffling. All the same, I did find it hard to choose, as so many of the options were deeply appealing. For starters, I settled on the Beetroot & Goats Cheese Tart, which was served on a bed of rocket, with walnuts and balsamic vinegar. It was a feast for the taste-buds, and light enough not to make my main course option of Roast Lamb appear too daunting. The lamb, as with the starter, was beautifully presented, and there was a lovely selection of vegetables served with it and they were cooked too perfection. The main was delicious, and plentiful. You will not go hungry after a meal at Hotel La Tour, tough you may need a little lie down! So as not to cheat ourselves from the full experience, we all had dessert too. Again, I was a little torn between a couple of the options, and decided in the end that Spiced Crème Brûlée with Shortbread Biscuits just sounded too good a treat to miss. I was right! With food that tantalizes the eye, stimulates the taste buds and is delivered with a wonderful side portion of fabulous service, Hotel La Tour provides a fabulous menu at reasonable prices, and is well worth a visit. I shall be going again.

Where do I start? This was my very first visit to Aalto and…read moreI have been waiting a very long time to mark a special occasion there. The decor is superb, the embience is just right, the pianist play as you sit enjoying your drink in the lounge is relaxing and shere class.. The food - 5* I will be back!!!

Overall poor service, poor hygiene, poor food, bad prices. Would not return. And I recommend you…read moredon't waste your time and money trying it. This is one to avoid.

Cafe Shirley (or as it is now know as The German Cafe) is situated a little too far up the…read moreStratford Road, and would probably gain more custom if it were close to the main Shirley shops. Having said that, when you do eventually find the restaurant, it feels like you've climbed a mountain to find a hidden gem. Sometimes, you can't wait for the German Market at Christmas time. I know I can't. The food is just addictively tasty and the alcohol is just as great too! Technically, now you don't have to wait until the festive season at all, because Shirley has its own German cuisine, which is just as delicious, if not more! Inside the cafe, the décor is convincingly German, with the stereotypical moose's head on the wall, and flags. The staff even dress in traditional garments when serving the food. Price wise, the meals are a little expensive, but well worth the money because portions are so big. I bought a Bratwurst with curry sauce and chips for £6.50, and I really struggled to finish it all. There was so much flavour too. I also highly recommend trying the waffle with sugar for £2.50, which fills your entire plate and tastes amazingly fresh.