Gino's Italian Restaurant

[Big Gee]

I'm looking for photos of the outside and (preferably) interior of this restaurant, which was on the corner of Smallbrook Queensway and Suffolk St. I think it opened in the early 1960's and for a long time was a favourite place of ours for birthdays and so forth. It was the only restaurant in which my dad would eat anything other than meat and teo veg with gravy.... I can remember Gino himself, who was a big beaming bloke with half-moon glasses and a white jacket....whether or not he really was Italian I honestly don't know, but he was a genial and welcoming host. And it goes without saying that the waiters were armed with black pepper grinders about two feet long....

If this place is already on a thread, I apologise - but if so I couldn't find it.

Thanks.

G

 

[Lloyde]

Did you ever find any photos of this place? Trying to settle an argument with a friend and wanted to show her a pic also. Regards

 

[Big Gee]

No, sorry. I made a search of the net but came up with nothing. I'm sure that someone, somewhere has a photo of Gino's....

G

 

[Vivienne14]

Only remember Gino’s above New St Station (in what later became the Pallisades). It was at the top of the escalators coming up from the station. It had tables outside the restaurant and umbrellas etc -indoors ! Think this must have been where I first ate Spaghetti Bolognese. Although I think quite a lot of the food was regular British food. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

December 1973. Don’t remember an omelette bar. Viv.

 

[Big Gee]

I never realised there were four Gino's! We went to the Queensway one several times, and the Belvedere once, if I remember correctly. My mother loathed the 'Birmingham Shopping Centre', hence our one and only visit to the Belvedere. I still have a memory of my old man trying to eat spaghetti.....

G

 

[Vivienne14]

I too thought there was only one Ginos, just the Shopping Centre one. It’s where I first came across carafes of wine on the table too. Young people (including myself) thought it was sophisticated to have a carafe at home (bought from Habitat). Hinting that you were well travelled ! Viv.

 

[Edifi]

Never ate in Gino's.Only Italian restaurant I knew was The Allasio at Villa Cross.Me and my girlfriend used to have Spag/Bol there on a Sat night

 

[Richard Dye]

Never ate in Gino's.Only Italian restaurant I knew was The Allasio at Villa Cross.Me and my girlfriend used to have Spag/Bol there on a Sat night

Lived close to villa cross & went to The Allasio many times!

 

[Robert Ensor (bob)]

Wow use to go to Gino's I would order the he man grille my buddy's would order Italian.

 

[JoeF712]

I used to go to the Holloway Head Gino's in the mid-70s when I was 18/19 and had just started venturing out into the adult world. Pizzas were a novelty back then and I considered myself rather sophisticated for having discovered them. How little I knew! As a result of Gino's I discovered lots of foodstuffs that were new to me - anchovies, spicy sausage, mozarella, parmesan, italian tomatoes, even corn on the cob. I enjoy experimenting with different types of food and I think it all started off in Gino's in 1974.
I also remember what I then considered an upmarket burger restaurant on the opposite side of Smallbrook Ringway, near to the cinema. You went up a flight of stairs to it and I think it was called Cassidy's. This was well before McDonald's came along. and it was distinctly different from the Wimpy Bars that were around at the time.
Fond memories.

 

[Paul B]

What sweet memories.... Late 1960s, date nights at Gino’s Holloway Head (window table of course!), carafe of red wine and visit to the Odeon Queensway opposite. Should have been studying for “A Levels” but what the hell, we were only young once!

 

[mhgregor]

Only remember Gino’s above New St Station (in what later became the Pallisades). It was at the top of the escalators coming up from the station. It had tables outside the restaurant and umbrellas etc -indoors ! Think this must have been where I first ate Spaghetti Bolognese. Although I think quite a lot of the food was regular British food. Viv.

Only remember Gino’s above New St Station (in what later became the Pallisades). It was at the top of the escalators coming up from the station. It had tables outside the restaurant and umbrellas etc -indoors ! Think this must have been where I first ate Spaghetti Bolognese. Although I think quite a lot of the food was regular British food. Viv.

I believe that the Gino’s in New Street Station was the last restaurant of the four that was owned by Welsh-Italian brothers from the Rabaiotti family. Bert and his wife Pina lived next door to me when I was growing up in Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield. This was in the late seventies, I was very young, they were nearing retirement and they were lovely to us, especially as my mother is Spanish.

 

[Richard Dye]

I believe that the Gino’s in New Street Station was the last restaurant of the four that was owned by Welsh-Italian brothers from the Rabaiotti family. Bert and his wife Pina lived next door to me when I was growing up in Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield. This was in the late seventies, I was very young, they were nearing retirement and they were lovely to us, especially as my mother is Spanish.

mhgregor............

Welcome to the Forum, a great place to meet & learn! Enjoy...........

 

[Bakerboy73]

My big brother used to take me here in the very early eighties - no doubt to broaden my culinary education!! Remember it as a real cultural experience and met a number of stars there including Roy Hudd, Rodd Hull and Larry Grays on - who would have been performing at the Alex. Fond memories.

 

[anniem]

I'm looking for photos of the outside and (preferably) interior of this restaurant, which was on the corner of Smallbrook Queensway and Suffolk St. I think it opened in the early 1960's and for a long time was a favourite place of ours for birthdays and so forth. It was the only restaurant in which my dad would eat anything other than meat and teo veg with gravy.... I can remember Gino himself, who was a big beaming bloke with half-moon glasses and a white jacket....whether or not he really was Italian I honestly don't know, but he was a genial and welcoming host. And it goes without saying that the waiters were armed with black pepper grinders about two feet long....

If this place is already on a thread, I apologise - but if so I couldn't find it.

Thanks.

G

Can remember my Mum telling me about a lodger called Gino Scaponi or Scaponi who was a chef and hoped to have his own restaurant, I wonder if this Gino was him.

 

[localmike]

We used to enjoy going to Gino's at Holloway Head before a concert at the Town Hall. One evening we went there and asked for tea. The reply? "Chef a no make a tea". I am still laughing.

 

[Countryboy99]

Holloway Head was a regular birthday meal place for my family in the mid 80s. I always went for a curried chicken pizza...not authentic maybe but delicious. Little did I realise that I would be living and working in Rome 10 years later and sampling the real thing. Does any one remember the photos of football teams hanging on the walls? There was a very tanned guy who welcomed all guests (especially women),,,,,was this Gino? I heard they closed because a London company who owned them went bust,

 

[Richard Dye]

Holloway Head was a regular birthday meal place for my family in the mid 80s. I always went for a curried chicken pizza...not authentic maybe but delicious. Little did I realise that I would be living and working in Rome 10 years later and sampling the real thing. Does any one remember the photos of football teams hanging on the walls? There was a very tanned guy who welcomed all guests (especially women),,,,,was this Gino? I heard they closed because a London company who owned them went bust,

Welcome to the Forum Country boy, enjoy! The pizza sounds delicious!

 

[richardinwales]

It was a regular for spot my mom and step dad Frank and was the first 'proper' restaurant I went to (Queensway) back in the 60s when still a nipper. I remember Frank asking for water so he could dilute a tot of wine for me to eat with my meal...I felt very grown up and the waiter congratulating him for introducing me to vino with a meal

 

[redheadmalvern]

I'm looking for photos of the outside and (preferably) interior of this restaurant, which was on the corner of Smallbrook Queensway and Suffolk St. I think it opened in the early 1960's and for a long time was a favourite place of ours for birthdays and so forth. It was the only restaurant in which my dad would eat anything other than meat and teo veg with gravy.... I can remember Gino himself, who was a big beaming bloke with half-moon glasses and a white jacket....whether or not he really was Italian I honestly don't know, but he was a genial and welcoming host. And it goes without saying that the waiters were armed with black pepper grinders about two feet long....

If this place is already on a thread, I apologise - but if so I couldn't find it.

Thanks.

G

I have just been searching through my old photos but nothing sorry. The owner was Italian, and called Aldo Franchi. I met him on holiday in Ilfracombe in 1974, and in return for babysitting his children in the hotel, he offered me a free meal at his restaurant. I was gobsmacked when I saw Ginos and ate there every week when I lived in Birmingham.