We have a new opening in Birmingham (Colmore Row, to be exact!), and this time it’s SIX BY NICO, Founded by chef Nico Simeone, Six by Nico offers guests a delectable and affordable menu that changes every six weeks, drawing inspiration from a theme, destination, or concept.
The menu is priced at £39 per person, with the option to enjoy an expertly selected wine pairing for a £30 supplement. For their new restaurant, they put on “The Chippie,” where we get to immerse ourselves in the world of Britain’s beloved favourite cuisine, “Fish and chips.” But of course, there is a twist.
The restaurant is sleek and designed beautifully throughout, with plenty of room. We took a table that had the perfect view of the kitchen, where we could see Nico hard at work! We decided to go all in with the wine pairing. Now, £30 for a wine pairing, I can’t complain – I felt each wine complimented each course so well. Not to go into detail, as I’m no wine connoisseur, just a humble expert in orange wine, but hey, I know my way around good food, so let’s start there.
We start with course one: Chips & Cheese – Parmesan Espuma, Curry Oil & Emulsion, Crisp Potato Terrine – Holy CHIP! What an introduction to a six-course menu! The emulsion was absolutely sensational mixed with the terrine; I couldn’t help but lap it up – The waitress had to literally fight me to collect my bowl because I couldn’t stop fingering the sauce.
Course 2 – Scampi: Brandade, Dill Emulsion, Gribiche, Peas, Beurre Blanc – was an enjoyable second course. The Brandade brought a creamy richness, the Dill Emulsion added a burst of freshness, and the Beurre Blanc tied it all together quite nicely.
Course 3 – Steak Pie: 24 Hour Beef Shin, Burnt Onion Ketchup, Mushroom Duxelle, ‘Meaty Salsa – In the words of babs, “I DON’T WANT TO BE A PIE, I DON’T LIKE GRAVY”. this was the dish I was least looking forward to as I’m actually not a fan of pies or gravy, but one spoonful and it quickly became my second favourite dish of the night. That meaty Salsa, OOF! I enjoyed it – I wished my local chippy did this.
My eyes seemed to be gleaming throughout until I got to the fourth course, during which I just had to throw my knife and fork down and kind of surrender to the fact that Six by Nico is going to cause some bloody problems here…but first, Course 4 – Fish Supper: Scrabster Coley, Pickled Mussels, Confit Fennel, Samphire, Beer Emulsion – Fish cooked perfectly, the vinegar of the pickled mussels, the sweetness and bitterness of beer emulsion – oh my god, I could bloody go on; for me, that was the standout dish of the night.
By course 5, I accepted the fact that I really like it here but can’t help but wonder that it might cause a little bit of uproar in Birmingham as it’s priced so cheap – What does this mean for competitors? Because let’s face it, where can we find a pretty good six-course tasting menu for £39 these days? It’s like trying to find a 10p Freddo in a sweet shop; it just doesn’t exist.
The next course was Smoked Sausage: Trio of Pork, Apple, Crispy Crackling, Salt Baked Celeriac, and Choucroute – The Smoked Sausage brought a rich smokiness, the Trio of Pork offered layers of succulence, and the combination with Apple, Crispy Crackling, Salt Baked Celeriac, and Choucroute was truly delightful.
We ended with Course 6 – Deep Fried Mars Bar: Chocolate Pave, Irn Bru Sorbet, Deep Fried Mars Bar – You know I am not a big pudding fan, so I am not going to scream from the rooftops that it was amazing, but yeah, it’s like a deep-fried Mars Bar, isn’t it, lol. It was very nice, chocolate lovers will swoon like the rest of the table did over this but for me, Puddings are a bit meh but that’s because I am more of a savoury kind of girl, the whole table enjoyed it so it was a success, just not for me.
Service was good, a little shakey at first but we were made aware that staff were training but the food was put on the table promptly, and each course was explained. I think they were a little scared of us at first and to be honest, we are quite a loud bunch but I thought the staff did very well to handle a big group. I did ask for a cup of tea at the end of it and it never appeared but that’s just me being a complete old fart.
Overall, I thought this is a fantastic addition to Birmingham, incredible value for money – it’s hard to pick up what’s wrong with this price; I just couldn’t find anything wrong with it. The dishes were reasonably sized. I mean, £39 – I can’t exactly expect a huge buffet coming out to me, but I left feeling satisfied and full. I feel this is a great introduction to fine dining, maybe for those who are a little unsure (usually price scares them off and small plates – the question arises, “You don’t get full up at those kind of places surely? and “They are asking for how much?! just for some tiddly plates of what looks like just flowers?!” Quoted by Martin Langston, my Dad who is a bit of a funny bugger but I reckon he would really enjoy this.
Yes, it’s not “AMAZING” food like you will find in a Michelin-starred restaurant but it’s pretty bloody good food for the price and quality your getting. Dishes full of flavour, and creativity and overall, we all had a wonderful dining experience. I left feeling very happy and impressed with Six by Nico; I am looking forward to booking again!
BAB ABOUT TOWN 