Chris T.

We was in Birmingham for the night and in the day time we stumbled across this cool looking restaurant- directly next to Brewdog. So we decided to eat there that night. We arrived around 8pm to be greeted by a friendly girl who asked us if we had been before and was taken to our table, we was seated on a table for four which i like even though there was only 2 of us, i like more space when eating out, by the huge big windows and near the round bar in the middle. Due to us not knowing the restaurant though i would have preferred to stay around the back near the kitchen where it seemed to be more buzzing and had a better look than the front of the building, loved the industrial caribbean look of everything from the open kitchen to the cool tables and booths and the ace bar in the middle. The place had opened 3 days and you could see this from everything looking brand spanking new. Once we had chilled out for a couple of minutes our lovely waitress-server came over asked us what we would like to drink, they only do Red Stripe on Draft i think but I'm cool with Red Stripe and its a Caribbean drink which i like. so we ordered two of those, they also bring a jug of water with lime in to sip whilst deciding what to have. i love the concept of the huge bar in the middle with quite a few bar staff on all looking very friendly chatting away to all the customers, theres seating all the way around the bar and would love to sit around there next time. All food comes out in great time and theres no feel like youre rushing here, which i hate being rushed! The server-waitress comes over all the time to check that we are ok. the whole time there is a brilliant ambience of music, people chatting and just an overall great atmosphere. The whole menu looks great with loads of different Caribbean starter choices to choose from, from patties to chicken wings and pulled jerk pork which i had which was delicious! totally recommend!!!! For main i had the jerk chicken which was amazing, which comes with sweet potato fries which was delicious and spicy, i also had some caribbean slaw which was also very tasty. Theres also some other great additions to the Jerk Pit BBQ which are basically the mains including Steak, Salmon,Lamb, Fish and loads of other things. My partner had the Trinidad Curry Chicken Pot, all pots are £9.60 each and they are served in cool pots and looked really really nice, i had a quick taste and it was lovely, next time i go i think ill have one of these, there are a few different pots to choose from, and really like the sound of the Blue Mountain Curry Goat! For desert i had the Banana & Toffee Cheesecake with Rum caramel sauce which was one of the best cheesecakes I've had. At all times the service was fantastic and very friendly. The whole bill including a few drinks, service and the entire meal came to just under £50 for two. a great price considering whats on offer. There are a few Turtle Bays around the UK and was happy to hear that they are opening one in my Hometown of Manchester and can't wait to visit it when it opens. Theres not that many Caribbean restaurants around or not in a trendy way like this, its a great addition to the UK, and I'm sure they will do very well indeed and its a bit like the Bahama Breeze Restaurants in the States which i love also.

Daniel G.

Another great meal at Turtle Bay last night. Our waitress was friendly and well informed, really explaining the menu and drinks to us perfectly. I decided to go for the jerk chicken with rice and peas and I am happy to say I was not disappointed! It was a generous portion and the chicken was really well cooked. A word of warning here though, if spice is not your thing then this is probably not the meal for you... Both the table sauces and the chicken itself are definitely not for the faint hearted. My friend decided to go veggie and had the Rastafari Run Down; he described his meal as as "a coconut delight", which can never be a bad thing. We washed everything down with a Rum Runner cocktail each and enjoyed the very well selected mix of music in the bar area. I can 100% recommend the food at Turtle Bay but be sure to take full advantage of the happy hours... Two for one cocktails every evening after work until 7pm and again 10pm until close.

Emma S.

After a somewhat disappointing visit to the Leamington branch of Turtle Bay, I was slightly apprehensive of visiting the one in Birmingham. However, all misgivings I has were gone by the end of the meal. While the venue itself didn't change much (the décor is very similar) the food was just so much better. I had the Curry, Shrimp and Mango one pot and it's a meal I would definitely recommend to anyone. It arrived quickly and was hot through and through. It came with rice 'n' peas and flatbread as well. It was just the right amount and tasted beautiful. I've actually been twice and the second time I had the curried goat, and while this was slightly spicier, it was still fantastic. The cocktails were good but I did think that some were slightly expensive and full of too much ice but if you get there in time for the 2-4-1 offers they are well worth it. The rum menu is especially good. I've sampled quite a few of them now and for £18 you can get four delivered on a board served with a ice, lime and a can of Ting. The rum is all priced the same so there's no 'top shelf' rums on the list but its still a very good selection. The service has been good, though it was better the first time round though we did have a smaller group, so I think that makes it easier. If you want to go, you HAVE to book. This place was packed on a Friday at 6.30pm so I doubt there were many walk-in tables available.

Claudia F.

My boyfriend and me went to turtle bay after reading all the amazing reviews about the food and the cocktails. We are real foodies and specially him he loves carabbian food so on our day off we went there. First thing I saw when we walked in was loads (and I mean LOADS) of dirty tables. Dirty glasses, drinks, etc. As someone who works in a restaurant I found it weird because I could count at least 10 people on red shirts (the waiters and waitresses wear red as uniform). We were guide to our table and again, table next to us, no one there and dirty empty glasses. A nice guy took the order of our drinks and a few minutes later a girl who end up being our waitress took the order of the food. Food was super fast and it was amazing. My boyfriend had the Jamaican browned chicken and he loved it but he said he could use more rice. I had a veggie flatbread and it was really nice. As a side we chose sweet potato mash but it was quite average, nothing special, the jerk cheesy fries on the other hand were amazing. The major problem were the drinks. I had the Marley mojito and they were 2x1 because of the happy hour (all day but between 7pm and 10pm) and the only thing I could taste was alcohol. No midori, no watermelon, pure rum. I did not enjoyed my drink so I ordered the strawberry daiquiri. It was ok, but again, what is going on with the alcohol?! My boyfriend had two smoothies, and I can't even tell you which one was worse. The coconut one was way too milky, not how a smoothie looks like at all, then he had one with peanut butter and banana and you couldn't really taste the peanut. Overall, food was perfect, drinks not so good. We will go again expecting better drinks.

Simone R.

Oh goodness, I would never say it is a chain! A Caribbean and nice one. Turtle Bay just popped up and added more colours to John Bright street, actually. I can see a really buzzing Summer with all these fabulous bars there. Oh well, I was curious about this place but I do confess I didn't know it was so lively and big. It's massive. I mean, massive! Music is good ( Never heard a reggae version of Wish You Were Here, impressive!) and vibe is nice. The idea was sharing some cocktails with my lovely friend Vicky and it ended up in a really nice meal as well. In the beginning the places reminds me one of those student pubs. Massive, full of life. As you sit down and start to pay attention in details, you can check the nice art work inside this place. The cocktails are really refreshing. I have to highlight the Bay Caipirinha because I never tried Santa Tereza rum before and the orange flavour just makes it more delicious. Really nice way of preparing this wonderful Brazilian cocktail. And summer time will ask me to come back there for more caipirinhas. Food is hot, hot, hot. I loved my street burger. Just a pity that the waitress got a bit confused with the orders but in the end everything was just sorted for the best. ;o) I confess I have to o back to Turtle Bay to have a proper check in the place. I was so busy catching up with my lovely friend Vicky that i probably missed something else about this place itself.

Paul C.

Happy hour cocktails are 2 for 1 before 7pm and after 10. They have to be the same drink however. Not that it matters - they're all very good. Food wise, so far I've enjoyed the dinner portion of ribs (w/ rice & peas and coleslaw) - the ribs were a touch dry but the meat was tasty. A quick blast of sauce sorted that out. Also the pulled pork wrap is a good size lunch portion - the fries and coleslaw were also well proportioned for the price. A great restaurant. Good attentive service. At a weekend and Friday evenings, if you want to eat - book. It gets busy. John Bright Street will be heaving with people once the mailbox and John Lewis are finished. Get a regular bar stool now..

Nathan D.

I remember when I was about 16 and the building where The Turtle Bay is used to be a dodgy bar we'd drink in before heading across the road to the nightclub, DNA. Nowadays this building is crammed full of people enjoying some of the best Caribbean food Birmingham city centre has to offer. When you walk in, you are immediately taken over by sumptuous aromas and calypso beats. The decor is all beach huts and corrugated steel walls, with hand-painted advertisements for Red Stripe Jamaican beer. When it comes to spicy food, my tolerance somewhere in the middle of the scale. I go to Nando's and order my chicken Lemon & Herb, but then dunk it in a bit of Medium or XXX Hot sauce, depending on my mood. I say all of this so you understand me when I say the food at Turtle Bay is some of the nicest and spiciest I've ever eaten. We spent the night quaffing passionfruit and vanilla mojitos, Ting, normal mojitos... And more Ting. This was great and all, but the food was superb. I had the jerk pork and mango salad for starter, and a whole jerk chicken, rice and peas and a side of plantain for main. With a little bowl of extra gravy for good measure. My whole meal was really good overall although the spice was borderline too hot for me. It had such a profound effect on me in fact, that I spent most of the meal sweating and my forehead and cheeks started to flush. I prefer the flavour of the gravy at Flavaz takeaway in Norwood Junction, and the seasoning at Banners in Crouch End, (both in London...) but as far as places in Birmingham go, it was pretty great. The service was pretty good. It was a friend's birthday so of course we took a Colin The Caterpillar cake with us as a surprise. The waitress managed to rustle up some candles for us and bought it out at the end of the meal. Price-wise it worked out at about £35 per head including drinks. Would I go back again? Damn straight!

Mo A.

Where to begin?!...Was surprised to see how popular this place is. You can't tell from the outside. Got lucky finding a table without making reservation. Everyone who were infront of us had already booked a table. We thiught we might have to go somehwere else. Atmosphere is great, everyone seemed to be having great time. I had no idea this place is this popular. I can see why now. The interior is fantastic. Love the open kitchen and music isn't loud that can't hear each other. So the food then....Woow! I love carribean food, and had high hopes for this restaurant. Food is OMG-GOOD, what I had was delicious. Came sssttteeaaaminng hot and I couldn't wait for it to cool down. Tasted great and the ginger beer went so well with my meal. Wasn't too spicy or bland, just perfect. Full of flavours and everything was perfectly cooked. Had a wonderful staff, service was amazing and polite. She came at the right time and wasn't in our face everytime like other reataurants. We felt relaxed and we ended up getting dessert cause we didn't want leave. :) I rarely give 5 Stars but this place deserves it. Walked out wity full stomach and a smile. Definately coming back. Look out for me Turtle Bay, I'll be a regular

Rachel G.

Turtle bay is one of my fav places to go in Birmingham for cocktails. They do 2 for 1 cocktails on happy hour which is great. I think all the cocktails are rum based so after a few felt quite merry. The place itself has a really nice feel to it checkers board tables which me and my partner loved. The only food on the menu I have tried is the sweetcorn fritters, which were amazing with the hot sauce mmmm. Can't wait to go back and try the food properly it looked and smelt so good. A place to definitely vist if you haven't already.

James C.

I had an excellent dining experience at Turtle Bay, a good 4.5 star rating. The 2 for 1 cocktail offers always go down well. My friend and I sampled a Tingwray and a Rude Boy between us. I'm not a huge cocktail fan, but I did enjoy them both. The Rude Boy was actually quite refreshing. I had the Beef Patty to start, which is delicious, quite spicy, only a little bit small to warrant the £5.10 price tag. For mains I had the 'Our Curry Goat' which is one of the 'One Pot' dishes. A good portion with a large amount of goat meat, served boneless which is good. The meat was so tender it just fell apart, and it melted in my mouth. I really wanted to try a desert but I was far too full. Perhaps next time! I really want to try the rum & raisin bread pudding, it sounds so good. What made the dining experience was the service we got form the staff here. The waitress was so friendly and fun, and also the manager took time to speak to us. Not just a quick 'Everything OK?' but actually taking the time to engage with his customers. I do love the decor at Turtle Bay, and the way they have brought the outdoors, indoors. In an attempt to make you feel like you are in Jamaica, if just for a moment, you have to use your own imagination a little to make this happen. The Union Flag on the wall in Jamaican colours is a nice touch. The only thing that stopped this stealing that last star was that for a chain, its just a little expensive. The main courses are all reasonably priced but with starters and drinks, maybe a dessert, you have to budget at least £30 per head.

Livi S.

I totally stumbled upon this place by chance, I came out of new street and got caught in the most horrendous rain and went here for shelter. With no wifi and no yelp, I went out on a limb, but what a brilliant decision. The food isn't cheap, but definitely well worth the price. I got some recommendations from the waitress and eventually chose the jerk salmon. The salmon was cooked to perfection and the sweet potato mash and salad complemented it perfectly. For almost 12, it was well work the money. Happy hour was on when I stopped by, so couldn't resist a couple of cocktails. For me, obvious choice when I'm eating Caribbean is wray and nephew. Strong, but sweet, so I ordered rum punch. Sweet, fruity and very addictive. 6.95 for two, what is not to love. Can't wait to go back and visit again the next time I'm in brum! Excellent!

Sandiesh D.

Visited Turtle Bay a few times now and I'm an absolute FAN! The atmosphere is quirky and very vibrant. They have a great rum bar definitely worth hitting when it's happy hour. The starters are great, I'm a HUGE fan of the pit prawns and Patties. It's highly recommended if you enjoy some spice and full flavoursome food. The great thing about the menu's are they're very diverse. You can get a great meal on the Light and Lunch Menu with is around £7 and good worth for your money. I've throughly enjoyed the pulled chicken bun, served with salad and fries and EXTRA Caribbean sauces for that kick. I've also tried a Trindad Curry Chicken served with Rice and Pea's. Which was very rich and flavoursome the meat is very tender with a nice kick to it. ADVICE - Always book a table at Turtle Bay as service can be slow due to the fact it's so busy.

Sophie B.

Been here a couple of times now for cocktails and dinner. The cocktails are great, make sure to take advantage of the 2-4-1 offer during happy hour. The Caribbean pimms is incredible. The atmosphere in here is always great, but it is always busy - especially on a Friday and Saturday night. I have found it impossible to book a table but had success with just turning up and waiting around 40 minutes for one (this is when the cocktails are consumed!). The food is good. Not amazing, but good and plentiful for the price. My favourites are the whitebait and the sweet potato one pot curry with dumplings. Cannot comment on desserts, as always been too stuffed to try them! Will definitely go back as it's a great place for dinner out with friends.