Light lunch at Nosh & Quaff
It’s a fantastic spacious venue with a great sense of style and elegance but with a robust menu that will send you away satisfied. Although quiet on a weekday lunchtime (why Birmingham – what are you doing??) the team were welcoming and eager to assist when I arrived.
I’ve heard fantastic things about their lobster offering, and this is assuredly one of the best places in the Midlands to enjoy lobster, but I was on a limited time frame so I thought it best to sample the brunch menu, with a selection of dishes weighing in at around £8 or £9.
It was a tough choice, with the fried chicken and waffles initially taking my fancy, but on the recommendation of my upbeat waitress I decided that tasting their slow-cooked meat offering was probably the best way to get a feel for the quality of the cooking.
I was not disappointed! The Pot Roast Beef was served beautifully in a cast iron dish and smelled absolutely heavenly. It was an enormous cut of beef, slow cooked to absolute perfection, literally melting under the weight of my fork. It was in a sticky, sweet sauce which had careful spicing which built up to a beautiful crescendo of flavour as you ate the dish – a real journey of taste this one.
This was accompanied by incredibly soft, light mashed potato and griddled carrots making the whole a well balanced plate and incredibly satisfying dish although on first sight it may appear a little on the small side – the serving of meat is actually over generous if anything! Absolutely the perfect lunchtime treat.
They also have a fabulous selection of cocktails and a very enticing wine list but sadly I wasn’t in a position to give these a go on my visit. The only criticism I could possibly include is that their desktop website is not just full of automatically playing video but that it has sound too – is it just me that hates that? I could be having an unnecessary whinge here but if I want to watch a video or play some music, I’ll choose it myself.
However, looking at the menus on offer, with the chicken wings being highly praised in all reviews, the Truffle Mac & Cheese Burger sounding like a slice of fried gold and the Beef Ribs looking like serious contenders, I have many reasons to hop on the train and go back when I have more time (and more company) to nosh and quaff to my heart’s content. Highly recommended.
