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Birmingham Restaurants

davidfowler

davidfowler

Exiled Brummie
Looking through my 1954 Bartholomew's Birmingham Atlas I came across a list of restaurants. Although I remember several there are still quite a few that I don't. Any memories?
 
A (rather posh) boyfriend took me to The Burlington on our first date - obviously out to impress. I was scared to death and had to watch him first to find our which knife and fork to use! Don't think I remembered or tasted any of the food, I was just anxious not to spill anything. Nice chap, but a bit out of my league.
 
HI David , thanks for that, I see pattisons is there , that was my first job in the 50s after leaving school. I started ther as a trainee chef.

Mike
 
P.S. to my last post. My claim to fame while was ther. I cooked a breakfast for Harry James the jazz trumpeter who was appering in Brum
 
David - The list of Restaurants in 1954 stirred some memories. Particularly Pattison's as my sister used to love the iced buns from there. Fancy you working there MSGK maybe you made the buns!!!

When we were older about 1958/59 we sometimes went to meet friends and have coffee in a cafe in Temple Street, at the bottom near New Street. It was downstairs I think, and seeing your list I wonder if it was The Trocadero. I will ask my sister who may remember.

Judy
 
The one I remember best (worst?) is The Satis in Cannon Street where at the age of 18 in 1964 I proposed to a girl - who stared at me like I was crazy (I was!) and then laughed out loud! Needless to say I never saw her again...

On a happier note, the restaurant we all very much liked in the sixties and seventies was Gino's at the end of Smallbrook. We thought it very chic. The grub was good, too, and sometimes the large Italian owner, who wore half-moon glasses and a satisfied smile, would tour the tables. What happened to Gino's - anyone know?

Big Gee
 
Hi Big Gee, was that the one on the corner, quite a large one? I'd forgotton that one. Remember going there a few times before going on to a theatre or cinema. Really enjoyed their cooking.
Much later used the Windsor in Cannon Street when my office was in St Philips Place.
 
davidfowler said:
Hi Big Gee, was that the one on the corner, quite a large one? I'd forgotton that one. Remember going there a few times before going on to a theatre or cinema. Really enjoyed their cooking.
Much later used the Windsor in Cannon Street when my office was in St Philips Place.
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Yep, on the corner as you say. There was another Gino's somewhere, but I can't remember where. I have a feeling they went bankrupt.

Our favourite Brum restaurant these days is Chung Ying's - unfortunately we had to cancel our Chinese New Year visit during the week because of illness. They put on a great show with an enormous dragon, gongs, etc.

Big Gee
 
Yes, Chung Ying's was a good place. I remeber having the Dim Sum menu surrounded by mainly Chinese (on a Sunday was it?) and the waitresses wheeling the trollies loaded with little plates for you to chose. On other days I think you had to order from the menu.
Going through St Paul's Square recently I noticed that Henry's is still going. I remember it as being a bit up market from most of the Chinese in the centre.
 
Hi Judy, The iced buns cakes and all sweets were made by a irish lady ,I have forgotten her name but her best one's i liked was the creme caramal they was delicious mmmm I can taste them now . Mike
 
Mike, I think all the Pattison's cakes took some beating!! My mouth's watering just thinking about them.

Judy
 
The Imperial Hotel in Temple Street was where I took my piano exams. Makes me nervous even now to remember that over fifty years ago.
Barrows where there was very weak Ribena for a child to drink.
Kunzle cakes, a great favourite of my fathers.
Not on that list but does anyone remember the Ceylon Tea centre probably in Corporation Street beyond Lewis's? they did lovely salads in the early 1960s which were far beyond the limp lettuce, slice of tomato, bit of cucumber and diced beetroot in vinegar that was the usual fare in those days.
 
I'm pretty sure the Ceylon tea centre was on Old Square, on the opposite side of Old Square from Lewis's. Slightly elevated from the road if I remember correctly. That was 30 years ago though
Incidently JSH, you and I share one thing - your present abode. I was born and brought up in Chichester, tyhough now only occasionally visit.
Mike
 
I think too the Ceylon Tea Centre was on the opposite side to Lewis's on Old Square. Around 1977 i have a hunch that the other two corners were occupied by The Cabin (portakabin pub outside mega-Tesco's) and a furniture store on corner #4. Was that "Maples" or similar?
 
Does anyone recall the Shah Bagh Indian restaurant on Bristol Street? This was one of Brum's very first Asian restaurants and I well remember going there of a Friday night after a skinful of cider at The Greyhound and some jazz at The Salutation, and having the inside of my mouth burned away with a 'meat vindaloo'. God alone knows what we were actually eating! The menu comprised meat or chicken 'curry, madras curry or vindaloo curry', and there were popadums. And lager. And that was it. Yet some nights you actually had to queue up to get in!

Big Gee
 
Big Gee,

I used to go to both Gino's regularly in the 60's and early 70'. The other one was just inside the Bull Ring, if you entered by The Wandering Minstrel entrance. I started going to The Bull Ring one about '65, when I worked on Smallbrook Ringway. They took luncheon vouchers, so I'd save mine up, and then treat myself at Gino's. Oh so sophisticated back then!

Ann
 
Blimey Ann, Luncheon Vouchers! I remember when they were popular. I used to do the same as you, save them up and have a nice meal at the end of the month. There were lots of places, in town in particular, that accepted them.
 
David, I don't know how much you got, but I think my luncheon vouchers were 2s 6d a day, and they mounted up quite nicely. As you say, lots of places took them. Besides my Gino's treats, I'd also treat my mom to some fancy food from Marks. She loved their shortcake.

Ann
 
I'm talking about 15 - 20 years ago and we got £1 per day. (I worked for a German company and I proposed the "rules". We kept them until we were taken over and had a once-only pay rise to compensate. The new UK based bean pushers were real killjoys!
 
Anyone remember the name of the Indian restaurant that was just off the big island over the road opposite the Swan Yardley pub/night spot. The restaurant had a night club over it. the restaurant was quite large inside, the security guy I think, was called Jimmy he was a large Jamaican and at the tender age of 16 in 1968 my Dad took me there and thats when I fell in love with curries. i remember it was still going in 1970.
 
Big Gee said:
Does anyone recall the Shah Bagh Indian restaurant on Bristol Street? This was one of Brum's very first Asian restaurants and I well remember going there of a Friday night after a skinful of cider at The Greyhound and some jazz at The Salutation, and having the inside of my mouth burned away with a 'meat vindaloo'. God alone knows what we were actually eating! The menu comprised meat or chicken 'curry, madras curry or vindaloo curry', and there were popadums. And lager. And that was it. Yet some nights you actually had to queue up to get in!

Big Gee
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Yes I remember that one Big Gee it was known as the "s*ag bag" in our group, can't remember much of the curries but I believe it was upstairs????
 
As to earlier post, I do remember the Satis restaurant, my dad would take me there for lunch sometimes in the 60s when I was young, remember him showing me the correct way to use a soup spoon!
 
Robert said:
I think the restaurant rick is refering to #21 was the Kashmire.
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With regard to Indian restaurants, there was one on Steelhouse Lane, I think it was called Johns or similar, one Friday night after our usual visit to the Cabin, we all went there, had a meal and for the next three days al but one of was violently ill. The other side of the coin was the posh café upstairs in one of the arcades, that my grandmother loved to go to for afternoon tea.
Bob
 
Does anyone remember Gaylord's, an Indian restaurant at the Victoria Square end of New Street? I think it was part of a nationwide chain of restaurants, and we thought it was a cut above your everyday tikka masala and popadum palace. It was where I saw genuine tandoori ovens for the first time. The quality of the food and the service was excellent. I don't think it lasted very long, unfortunately.

G
 
Vivienne14 said:
A few from the 1970s to chew over. Viv.
View attachment 124724
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Seeing mention of Chateau Impney, in the late 40s early 50s, it was the place my snobbish mother thought of as heaven on earth...to go to a do there was the end of the world and they managed to go to two or three a year. Is it still considered in those terms or has it come down to the carvery level...Hungry Horse etc. I remember La Reserve being built at Powells Pool, when it opened that was also a place where all the posh people, the wealthy ones and the local politicians used to go. The best name there though was the Hung Dong Chinese, my goodness me the snowflakes would have the time of their narrow minded, bigoted lives with that one. For good complete political incorrectness and all the other modern sins listen to BBC Radio 4 comedy hour in the morning 8 to 9am, we laughed at it and loved it, all the nudge nudge wink wink double entendres. Nowadays it would be banned. Bless

Bob
 
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