A Celebratory Lunch at Browns Brasserie & Bar, Birmingham

Last Thursday, my friend Rosie and I headed to Browns Brasserie and Bar in Birmingham to try out their summer menu! Our invitation came at a perfect time, as it was results day and thankfully we both had a reason to celebrate, having both passed second year with flying colours. I’ve never been to Browns before so was very excited to try their food and see what they had to offer! It was a beautifully sunny day, so we sat outside on the balcony, overlooking St. Martins Church and the Selfridges building on a backdrop of clear blue sky. It made a lovely meal all the more enjoyable! We had a lovely, attentive waitress who made sure we were enjoying our time there. The menu had something to offer for everyone’s mood; from steaks to lighter salads, you weren’t to go away hungry! Keep reading to find out what we had to eat…

Rosie and I kicked off the lunch with a cocktail each from Browns’ Signature cocktails. Rosie had a British Royal which was vodka, rosehip and rhubarb cordial and apple topped off with prosecco. It had a crispy, fresh flavour and was reminiscent of an English summer garden party! I went for a Raspberry Cherry Collins, a vibrant and sweet cocktail that tasted exactly like Haribo cherry sweets! It was made from Absolut Raspberri, Cherry vodka and fresh lemon with soda which gave it a certain fizziness. They were so well presented and looked so pretty! Foodwise, we went for a starter to share as we were setting ourselves up for the main. Both a firm fan of camembert, we chose the Boxed Baked Camembert with rhubarb and tomato chutney and sourdough soldiers. The cheese was perfectly melted and gooey. The sourdough soldiers were fab too – though I could have done with one or two more to scoop out the rest of the cheese… The chutney was sweet and tangy, perfectly complimenting the Camembert!

The dessert list made my mouth water… So much to choose from! I decided on the Salted Caramel Profiteroles. They were your average profiteroles but smothered in a crisp shell of caramel! They were served with fresh cream and caramel sauce. It was an interesting twist on profiteroles, that you normally see with chocolate. I liked them a lot, but by the fourth one, I found the salted caramel to become a little sickly. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so this is perhaps why! This was the only criticism of the dish – the profiteroles were lovely in themselves! I was however, a big fan of my final cocktail which contained a fair amount of gin, the Lady Daisy. It was a very pretty pink thanks to the homemade raspberry syrup! Rosie’s dessert was simple but the best; a Bitter Chocolate Brownie served with malt ice cream rolled in honeycomb. The brownie was warm which provided a brilliant contrast with the ice cream. The honeycomb added an extra crunch to the dish, combining different textures to make it all the more enjoyable! Rosie also had an after dinner drink called El Cantinero! It was a palette cleansing cocktail made from Havana Club 7 year old, honey, coffee and mint shaken over crushed ice – fresh, sweet and the perfect way to end a meal!

Our lunch at Browns Brasserie and Bar was very good indeed. Aside from the excellent service and beautiful setting, the food was amazing and I’d definitely recommend heading there for a treat. As a student, it’s a little out of my every day food budget for meals out but as somewhere to head with your parents, on a birthday or a date, it’s perfect. You can expect to pay over £10 for a main course but you get what you pay for! They do a lunch menu and you can get 2 courses for £11.95 which I think is a pretty good deal if you were on a budget. Selected cocktails are also £5 Sunday to Thursday, so it’s the perfect place to treat yourself too! If you’re on the hunt for somewhere special with excellent quality food and a relaxed environment, make sure Browns is at the top of your list.

Edit: I directly quote Rosie: “If top notch was ever needed to describe a place, it’s this one!”

Have you been to Browns Brasserie and Bar? Do you like the look of their summer menu?