Secret Garden meets Narnia without the snow in Westminster tube station…Intrigued? confused? of course you bloody are. I just involved Narnia and a tube station in a review of a restaurant in Birmingham! Craft Dining Rooms is not the typical dining experience that you will find on every street in Birmingham or any City! Bringing artistry, coolness, and a very British feel giving diners a unique dining experience that they would want to experience all over again.

The last time I went to Craft was for the launch of Crafts Secret Garden back in January/February time, it’s been on the list for ages to try out and finally, on a chilly Friday afternoon, my cousin and I got to try out Craft, finally! Located just outside the ICC opposite the bridge to Brindley Place (you can’t miss it) full of blooms, sleek design, and awesome futuristic dining pods outside. Upon entering Craft, you walk through a tunnel of flowers which is an impressive touch, and I can also hear the squeal of those Instagram Girls eyeing it up for their next post, An blooming lovely great impression.Inside the venue, you are greeted by the receptionist on the front desk, and on your right is a pretty cool cocktail bar that is oh so chic! We first had our temperatures checked which was a pretty odd experience as we just stood in front of a device on the wall which looked like a camera, and then the receptionist confirmed all was well and showed us to our table, technology these days hey?!

The dining room is just stunning, it’s so sleek, so fancy and so clean! Covered with blossoms and a pop of yellow here and there making it already quite the classy dining experience my cousin and I were looking for.

A set menu is displayed on your table: starter and main for £33 or starter, main and pudding for £39, and there is also a four-course set menu for £45. We decided to go for the two-course menu, starter, and main as I am not really a pudding person! A staff member came over and collected our orders. I ordered a raspberry gin with lemonade, for my starter the salted beef, pickles and mustard, then for my main I ordered the lamb, garlic and aubergine.

• 

• 

The cocktails came out first, refreshing, and delicious, and plenty to get through! Within ten minutes the salted beef starter came out, I loved how quirky the dish is, very beautifully presented and it was full of flavour. Accompanied by a Brioche roll, we were off to a great start with our meal! My cousin went for the tomato soup which she said was very delicious and quite filling.

Onto the mains and the lamb came out within 15 minutes, lovely and tender, absolutely full of flavour and I will say this, that was some of the best lamb I have had in a very long time! complimented with garlic, aubergine, caramelized onion, and a variety of purees, it really was quite a powerful dish. Now, a little criticism all though the food was sensational, the one thing I would have liked to be offered is CARBS, a few potatoes would have topped of the lamb dish and filled that pesky little bit of hunger in my stomach after finishing my meal. It just would have been nice to have the option of ordering a side dish to accompany the main, maybe this is something Craft can look into?

That is all the criticism I have to say. The experience and the food is sensational here at Craft, the staff are an absolute joy to talk to, so helpful, so polite, and they really do make you feel quite important here at Craft! Our server was amazing, full of information, and was delightful!

Upon our visit, we managed to get a sneak preview of About 8 which is Crafts sister restaurant opening on 8th October which is going to be the ultimate fine dining experience and something Brum has never seen before! I won’t go into too much detail but if you’d like to know more then please do head to their website here and make sure you book yourself in!

• 

• 

The option of private dining is available, as Craft offers a beautiful private dining area for that special occasion, and let’s not forget booking one of the garden pods which adds a bit of uniqueness to your dining experience. For £33 for a two-course meal oozing fine British dining at its best with a side order of fantastic customer service, beautiful scenery and delicious cocktails is something not to be missed when visiting Birmingham, Craft is a must-visit for all to experience something a little bit different to your “Basic Bitch” chain restaurant dining.

Craft is that unique dining experience we all crave occasionally, however once visited you’ll be craving it once a week. The attention to detail, the creativity, and the passion that this restaurant has put in to create a positive and special dining experience to guests is something that should be admired by all. Craft dares to be different and is a fantastic representative of the foodie community here in our amazing city, which is sure to be loved by all.

Book Your table/pod at Craft here

AMY ELIZA