There are some fantastic Christmas menus being offered in restaurants across the West Midlands – and they aren’t all full of turkey.
There’s nothing like the traditional roast poultry to celebrate the season, but it’s always nice to have a break from bird every now and again.
And so we decided to try a festive menu at one of Birmingham’s most talked about restaurants.
Although we did wonder if we’d got on a plane instead of a train after we wandered through the German Christmas Market and arrived inside what can only be described as an incredible Sicilian-like garden.
Yes, we were at La Bellezza, the enchanting Italian restaurant in Chamberlain Square.
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
Huge seven metre-log woven curtains bring a sense of warmth and privacy to the wonderland setting, inspired by a wild courtyard in Perugia.
Handmade murano glass chandeliers add to the allure of the venue along with the characterful paintings and artefacts adorning walls and rails.
The wonderland is completed with ivy dangling from the ceilings creating an oasis of greenery amid the hustle and bustle of city life outside.
There’s no doubt that La Bellezza is a gorgeous looking restaurant – but can the food match these sumptuous surroundings?
There was only one way to find out.
Luckily we had booked, as this popular venue had a bit of a queue as we arrived with many eager to experience the charming spot.
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
The staff were so calm and welcoming and helpful to all. We were swiftly shown to our table and the high quality service was consistent throughout our visit.
They were so helpful guiding us through some of the best dishes on the menu also.
For starters me and my friend shared our dishes.
The first was Carpaccino Di Manzo Al Tartufo with beef carpaccio, Parmigiano Reggiano flakes, rocket salad, home-made mushroom mayonnaise, vinaigrette and fresh truffle. I loved the strong cheese flavours against the more-ishly moist meat with the crunch of leaves and sharpness of the vinaigrette.
Our second starter was the unforgettably named Hone, I Truffled the Corcchetta. It was another delicious dish with gooey cacio e pepe crocchetta filled with provola. Finished with truffle honey and fresh truffle. You can’t have enough cheese when you go for an Italian meal and this was a fabulous treat on a winter evening.
For mains I was delighted to follow the recommendation of Cacio E Pepe Con Langoustine. The soft and fresh home-made spaghetti was the perfect comfort food coated in an indulgent creamy cacio e pepe sauce served with langoustines – thankfully out of their shell.
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
What really elevated this dish was the wholesome nutty crunch of pistacchio and a drizzle of bisque.
My friend went for pizza, and who wouldn’t with Leonardo Di Carpaccio on the menu. This was a mighty meaty feast of carpaccio, truffle aioli, fresh rocket and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.
As it was a festive dinner we went all out and ordered a couple of sides too. Truffle crispy potatoes and salad. The potatoes were so soft and salty, but we didn’t quite manage them all.
For desserts we both decided to try Baba Boom – not really knowing what to expect.
We were greeted with the lightest sponge served alongside chantilly cream with a bottle of syrup with Appleton rum to sprinkle atop – so a deconstructed rum baba!
It was gorgeous, especially the cream with the sweet yet sour dipping.
La Bellezza restaurant in Birmingham
There are plenty of cocktails, mocktails and more to try as well. My perfectly chilled Chardonnay was a fabulous drink with dinner. I also tried the Scarlet Fizz made with beefeater gin, Creme de cassis, cynar, lemon, aranciata rossa – so refreshing.
So if you fancy a festive dinner but aren’t ready for turkey – this could be the place for you.
Don’t be fooled – the glamourous decor is perfectly matched by the quality menu which is reasonably priced.
Just remember you are still in Birmingham, not Sicily and the German Market has travelled over especially for Christmas – you haven’t mistakenly jumped on a plane.
Dining and Cooking