Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food image

Restaurant at Birmingham College of Food

Restaurant Bar Education center

Lunchtime modern European dishes and international fine-dining menu in contemporary surroundings. People often mention students, service, great, amazing, staff, experience, good, restaurant, dining, main,


Address

University College Birmingham, Summer Row, Birmingham B3 1JB, United Kingdom

Website

restaurant.ucb.ac.uk

Contact

+44 121 604 1010

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.80 (100 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 12 to 1 pm, 6 to 7:15 pm
  • Friday: 12 to 1 pm, 6 to 7:15 pm
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed
  • Monday: 12 to 1 pm, 6 to 7:15 pm
  • Tuesday: 12 to 1 pm, 6 to 7:15 pm
  • Wednesday: 12 to 1 pm, 6 to 7:15 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: students (23) service (20) great (17) amazing (12) staff (12) experience (11) good (8) restaurant (8) dining (6) main (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Vern 9 months ago on Google
    As a relatively well established Google reviewer, I can quite confidently say that I have frequented some amazing restaurants and food outlets. However, this is the best dining experience for me to date. Not having heard of this venue before I drew my own conclusions prior to attending and thought "University, experimental perhaps, worth a try...". I was blown away by the whole evening. We arrived to be greeted like I have never been greeted before when going out to eat; there were multiple young waiting staff ready to take my coat, see me to the bar and attend to my pre-dining alcohol needs. (Lots of bar staff - and AMAZING prices!). We took our seats when all were in attendance and we were seated at suitably sized tables. Generous in size and a well thought out floor plan / layout. Great décor, perfect ambient temperature and genuinely helpful staff. I chose a starter of Cajun Salmon (mango salsa, cucumber, tempura squid), followed by a Guinea Fowl main, with bacon jam, gem lettuce and peas. We were provided with a complimentary goats cheese cracker with floral decoration (tasted amazing). The starter and mains were mind blowing. No other description for it. The meal was a taste sensation and one of the best I have ever had. Everything was cooked and presented to perfection. I opted for a whipped chocolate ganache dessert and this too was culinary heaven. We were even provided with complimentary birthday chocolate / lemon drizzle cakes to end the evening. Just absolute perfection! I will stop raving about this venue now, however I cannot recommend it enough!!!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tanya T. 9 months ago on Google
    Wow what an amazing experience. 37 years since I was also in these students shoes. Absolutely blown away with the food, service and atmosphere. We had a lovely lunch served by Keeton. Keeton we wish you well in your future career, you will be an absolutely wonderful credit to your future employer. Thanks again to all of you. We will certainly come back to see you all.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marion G. 4 years ago on Google
    Excellent one of Birminghams best kept secret
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ana A. 1 year ago on Google
    I went there for dinner with a friend and thebfood was delicious. The students were great and friendly, the drinks were amazing and they food was beautiful. I am definitely going back to this hidden gem in Birmingham.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Pink U. 6 years ago on Google
    I have been to the Atrium twice and really loved it. It's a really lovely space, relaxing and professional. The food is lovely and a good choice (for someone who doesn't eat pork it was great to see options without it ~ some other places tend to have this too much ~ even in the vegetables and with fish dishes). It was nice for a complementary drink before the meal. The menus were fun in lighting up 😊 The prices are so reasonable for the quality of food and service you get. The students and teachers are really great very welcoming but not in your face. The toilets were clean. I would really recommend.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Louise D. 1 year ago on Google
    A total surprise. Unexpectedly amazing, students were attentive (first service of new college year), food presentation 10/10 & choices definitely worth a visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 emma t. 2 years ago on Google
    What a fantastic place the food is amazing and staff who are all students do an amazing job. Excellent produce and value for money. The resturant is very modern and contemporary.

  • 5/5 Amir A. 5 years ago on Google
    Trendy place with good drinks choices

  • 5/5 Patricia G. 5 years ago on Google
    Sensational food prepared by the future Chefs. Attentive service by front of house students. Wonderful selection on the menu

  • 5/5 Sue M. 5 years ago on Google
    Loved the food snd the service

  • 5/5 Some O. 6 years ago on Google
    Best in brum.

  • 5/5 Jim M. 6 years ago on Google
    Excellent food, fantastically friendly and a wonderful experience!

  • 4/5 Kirsty H. 6 years ago on Google
    Food is delicious and the portions are very generous. Great for gatherings.

  • 5/5 Terence S. 6 years ago on Google
    Excellent food and service

  • 5/5 Dash V. 7 years ago on Google
    Trendy place with good drinks choices

  • 5/5 Steve L. 8 years ago on Google
    The food in Atrium is always excellent. The students will occasionally make little mistakes in the service, but it's almost part of the place's charm to see them learning those skills. Great value for money overall. I definitely recommend it.

  • 5/5 mark b. 2 years ago on Google
    I have been bringing friends here for the past few years , the food is prepared and laid out to the highest standard , it melts in your mouth and the flavours test your taste buds to the limit .. compliments to the chiefs.The students provide a brilliant service and interacted with us throughout our meal, it's a shame some customers do forget that these kids are still learning. .many thanks for a great night to Liz our server jack ( Charlie ) and the rest of the students . can't wait to go back..

  • 5/5 Dario L. 2 years ago on Google
    The food is regularly well prepared and flavorful, staff members hands over great service. I like how clean it is and character. Worth a try.

  • 5/5 -Jess T. 5 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Shine students! (Original) Brillent students!

  • 5/5 Isabelle B. 2 years ago on Google
    Had a pleasant experience, went with best friend after 8 months apart due to COVID 19. Had Duck Salad to start, Fish and chips for main and Profiteroles for pudding. Students very professional as ever, and although new we will still very impressed.

  • 5/5 Matt J. 1 year ago on Google
    It was my first visit, but I was blown away at how good it was. The food was excellent and focused on quality. The service was great! Not to mention that £19 for 3x courses is exceptional value. You'd pay three times this elsewhere for similar. A huge thank you to Cara, Georgia, Emily and Layla for looking after us. They were professional and served very well, making us feel very welcome. You need to eat here, you're in for a treat!!

  • 5/5 Chris G. 1 year ago on Google
    A fantastic dining experience and a brilliant initiative for students to gain high end hospitality experience in a controlled environment. From the moment we walked through the door FoH staff were attentive and welcoming, taking our coats and even explaining our seating plan so we could converse without the need to shout. The space itself is light, modern and full of other visitors, but spacious enough to feel we had our own space. Starters arrived quickly and our pork belly was really well balanced between fat and acid. Mains came next and I am being served cod, caviar and monkfish tail. Wow. There are not many places in Birmingham you can expect a main like this, high end ingredients but the chef did a fantastic job with them. A shout out to the BoH staff at this point, all your dish ideas were really innovative. Finally dessert, we had one of each and I'm struggling to decide who got the best, we were all winners! We will 100% be back, thanks for a great birthday meal!

  • 5/5 Julie S. 9 months ago on Google
    Amazing first visit today with my besties. The food was amazing the staff friendly and confident without being overbearing. Had a lovely couple of girls looking after us called Lily and Isabel thank you both for making our visit special . Enjoy the summer girls see you again when you re open in October

  • 5/5 Alison C. 3 months ago on Google New
    Simply some of tbe best food I have tasted in ages, beautifully presented and an amazing experience. We were out for an early Christmas work celebration and our evening experience was made extra special by the lovely French lady, Michael and Ethan. This is definitely a restaurant I would return to. We all wish you a wonderful career in hospitality, if you can 'hold your own' with a crowd like us......the world is your oyster.Thank you for making our 2023 work event extra special. From the Cranberry sauce Lady. 😋

  • 5/5 Martin S. 5 months ago on Google
    New students were evident, so they have to learn. All done in a pleasant way and supervised. Food was great, as usual and obviously carefully vetted before coming out. Bargain at lunchtime. Well done. We'll be back again soon. Long may you prosper, a great asset to Birmingham and all trainees involved. Thank You.

  • 5/5 Lynn S. 4 months ago on Google
    Really fantastic food, with great service. Students studying and running the restaurant. Go with the spirit of the place and you will have a great time. We had supper, 3 courses. You have to go in via the main university entrance, but arrive in a great fine dining restaurant space

  • 5/5 Christine W. 4 years ago on Google
    Fabulous food at great prices.

  • 4/5 Amy D. 3 years ago on Google
    Tried this for the first time today and the food was on point, the staff/students were lovely (if a little timid, which is to be expected to a degree). Had we have booked more in advance we would have got a table in the main restaurant area, but the bar tables are perfectly fine - just a little more 'chilled' than the decor of the restaurant. Cocktails on the menu too, so I was a happy bunny. Would recommend booking in advance and visiting! The Covid safe measures were all in place and whilst it's not ideal from a guest experience (having to lift your plates and drinks off the tray for example) - totally appreciate the extra precautions but miss that "full service" feeling - no negativity to the team specifically, I just would have been perfectly fine with someone bearing me to place a plate down (personal perspective). Look forward to visiting again

  • 5/5 Avery M. 3 years ago on Google
    My friend and I had a wonderful experience at UCBs Atrium restaurant on Wednesday night. We are both in the industry and it was wonderful to see the passion and talent coming through there. We both felt that it offered exceptional value, as our '3 course meal' included breads.

  • 5/5 Karen O. 3 years ago on Google
    UCB dining has always been a pleasure for us. Nowadays we all have to contend with restrictions in restaurants. How are they doing? They are coping rather well; and this generation of students will have memories of how they coped. It’s clear that there has been some careful menu planning for the autumn season. The dinner menu is available on-line (another recent development) and so far we have enjoyed starters – small in size but full in taste – pork cheek and tiny vegetable accompaniments, and guinea fowl encased in a cabbage leaf- again superb contrasting and complementary textures in a few mouthfuls. These formal starters were preceded by an amuse bouche – a scallop encased in ravioli. Chef da Vito’s brilliantly inspired main courses include the Cotswold lamb, a duo of meat, with apricot puree as a sweet contrast. The succulent Gressingham duck comes with seasonal accompaniments- tiny beetroot, blackberry, and blackcurrant reduction. Desserts, courtesy of Chef Gary, include mousse – Chocolate or seasonal Blackcurrant – we have our eyes on the Lemon Brulee for the future. The wine list is select, with some excellent and unusual additions, and advice on matching wine with food available; advice we have been happy to take, given the knowledge and expertise of staff members (Mr Bisconti in particular), and growing knowledge by the specialist students. Of last year’s students we have seen Sarah; and encountered Chris, in his first year and showing great enthusiasm and potential. All students are wearing face-coverings, even Shrey at the bar, which makes contact and discussion less easy than before, but not impossible. They keep a social distance which makes for an interesting way of distributing plates! Seating in UCB is well spaced suitable for the present situation – we estimated 18 people now occupy the space previously given to about 60. We’ll continue to be in those 18 for as long as service is maintained! Karen O’Rourke & Paul Dolan

  • 5/5 Jax F. 4 years ago on Google
    This spot has amazing service as well as delightful meals. The best spot in the area. The food and drinks served rapidly and the prices were affordable. I recommend this place.

  • 5/5 Andrew K. 5 years ago on Google
    Brilliant service, beautiful food 5 stars all the way.

  • 5/5 lynn h. 4 years ago on Google
    Great little place. Amazing mixed platter. Portion is big enough for party of 3 or 4. We close the day up by ordering the saffron ice cream. Which also a favourite for us

  • 5/5 B 4 years ago on Google
    Amazing food

  • 4/5 Helen C. 4 years ago on Google
    End of term service. Food very good. Service not quite as good as previous visits but customers need to remember it's a learning environment. Different levels of students work in the restaurant on different days so can vary.

  • 4/5 Rosalind M. 4 years ago on Google
    love it, brunch with my two daughters!

  • 5/5 Deborah P. 4 years ago on Google
    Just had amazing food cooked by amazing students so high quality, innovative menu and good selection of wine at reasonable prices.

  • 5/5 steve m. 4 years ago on Google
    Absolutely stunning food and pricing for a 3 course fine dining very cheap

  • 5/5 nigel m. 4 years ago on Google
    Students are wonderful. Staff exceptional. Best bargain in Brum!

  • 5/5 Frans Den D. 5 years ago on Google
    Wonderful food by the young lions. They will make it!

  • 5/5 Mark M. 4 years ago on Google
    Wonderful food, Attentive service, Amazing value, Highly recommend you visit and see for yourself

  • 5/5 roland j. 5 years ago on Google
    Had crispy confit duck leg to start then slow cooked Cornish lamb followed by a chocolate ganache desert. If you want great quality food at a reasonable price this is the place to go. Food is cooked and served by the students. We dine here 3 or 4 times a year as the menu only changes at the start of the school term.

  • 5/5 anju s. 5 years ago on Google
    Great.good food and service

  • 5/5 Rich M. 5 years ago on Google
    Ridiculously cheap for the food quality, the staff are students so you have to remember it's a training environment.

  • 5/5 Big Pat Y. 5 years ago on Google
    Lovely

  • 5/5 Mark S. 5 years ago on Google
    Really excellent food at a decent price. Not the most polished experience if you're used to fine dining, but that to me gives it even more charm. The students who serve there are friendly, enthusiastic and really trying to get everything right. The food was exceptional, perfectly cooked, fantastically presented and the thought that went into the flavour combinations was impressive. Totally recommended, would return again.

  • 3/5 shamsa a. 5 years ago on Google
    I cannot eat pink beef and asked for my beef to be cooked a bit further. It came back burnt and no senior member of staff came to check if I was happy with the second plate. The rest of the meal and service were great.

  • 4/5 Karen D. 5 years ago on Google
    Superb food. Good atmosphere. Value for money

  • 5/5 Gary B. 5 years ago on Google
    Food was first class

  • 5/5 Paul B. 5 years ago on Google
    Lovely food great night

  • 5/5 Beckett B. 3 years ago on Google
    The food and service were beyond our expectations. We really loved the vibes of this spot. Awesome restaurant to take the family out for dinner.


Call +44 121 604 1010 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Cheques
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Free water refills
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible lift
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✗ Takeaway

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