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Restaurants In Birmingham 1960s

The restaurants in town I remember from the early l960's are the Kam Ling in Livery Street, The Clover (Chinese) in Cannon Street, The Slow Boat (Chinese) near the Bull Ring. The Chinese Restaurant in Market Street don't remember name. John's(Indian) on Steelhouse Lane below the Gaumont Cinema. The Arden Hotel near to the Odeon New Street...downstairs from the hotel. The Burlington Hotel Dining Room at the Burlington Hotel, New Street.
Could have missed a couple though.
 
Moma P said:
I have been told the oldest (unchanged family buisness) Indian Restaurant in Birmingham is The Manzil in Digbeth. Now a favourite haunt for Birmingham taxi drivers. I remember going to The Bagladesh on the Bristol Road in the early 70's and my hubby says he used to go to the Shah Jahan which he believes was the first Indian restaurant to open it was in a part of Great Brook Street which is no longer there, it was upstairs. Does anyone remember these?
Click to expand...
the only shah jahan i knew was on the corner of stafford st &coleshill st
 
The Firebird anyone?

Sorry folks, but I haven't been visiting this site for quite a while and for some reason the automatic posting notification no longer seems to work.

To Ann: No, I wasn't born in Sandwell, I was born at 2/15 Bartons Bank, Aston (see my posting about the Longmores of Bartons Bank on the Aston site).

Glad you all enjoyed my postcard of The Barn and others! :)

Now, can anyone remember The Firebird at the bottom of Carrs Lane? It was an omelette/grill type of place with a jazz club in the basement run by a Hispanic American called Chris Padan. The late 50s were the time when the Musicians Union had just started to allow touring jazz bands from America, provided that a British group paid a reciprocal visit to the States.
Both Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes visited the States on this basis.

Chris knew all the visiting Amrican musicians - Cout Basie, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, the MJQ, to name but a few - and they would make a beeline for his place as soon as they got into town. I was a musician myself at the time and got to meet a lot of these guys.

Amongst the people who played in Chris' basement were the late Roy Castle and Acker Bilk. I think it must have closed sometime during 1960 as I moved south to Bournemouth in January 1961 and Chris had by then moved on, I believe to Richmond on Thames.

Regards,

Maurice at The LONGMORE Pages
https://www.msheppard.com
 
I'm trading in some information here to put up some more super photos in the Birmingham Cinemas section.

Does the name "Mongolian" mean anything for an Eastern restaurant in the 1960's? Smallbrook Queensway even?
 
My first introduction to Indian food was at the Starr of India by the Locarno. I went with the animals from Fairlanes [you know Alf the mad lot] They served the most disgustingly red hot curry. I think it was one way of getting rid of us lot. A row broke out and we were evicted post haste. Love curry's now though. Jean.
 
The Rajdoot in Albert Street was a regular venue when I had my office in Birmingham. The original manager was called Stan, although he most definately was Indian and a smashing bloke. His assistant was called Manjit and he took over when Stan left. He still manages the Rajdoot now in George Street. https://www.resthof.co.uk/manjitgill.htm
Retired and living in Banbury I still try to get there for lunch every month or so.
The other regular haunt was the Maharaja in Hurst Street. Raj, the main man, remembered me by name when I went back after about 3 years away! I always ask him for the "specials" which don't appear on the menu. Never have been dissapointed.
The Clover in Cannon Street was the choice for a Chinese lunch when the curry option was not required.
With all those lunches I'm surprised my belly's not bigger than it is.!
 
I think that the Chinese Restaurant above Associated Chemist mentioned by Sylvia was The Dragon Gate. I had many a good meal their. One of my favourite starters was Won Tun Soup.
 
Roger you have just made my grey matter start working. I'm sur it's where Pete took me many years ago. [Or I think it was him] GGJ.
 
What about Alexs Pie Stall in Hurst Street near the Albany Hotel. I remember walking away from it with my mates Terry and Graham, all of us with a Fleur De Lys pie in hand. Cliff Richard was doing a show in Brum and as we were walking there was suddenly lots of screaming - Cliff had arrive at the Albany. Some young bird shouted that Cliff was there and threw her arms in the air unfortunately knocking Grahams pie in the air too, onto the ground and trampled in the rush to see a glimpse of Cliff. The pies were too nice to share so Graham had to go without.
Indian restaurants - I remember quite a few outside of town. Our favourite was the Dilshad in Sutton. My wife Barbara remembers going there with saucepans and basins for takeaways (before polystyrene). When it closed we used to go to the Bengal Garden in Boldmere, the Koh-I-Nor and the Curry Garden in Erdington. We used too get our Chinese takeaways from a stall on the corner of Kingstanding and Hawthorn Road. He later moved to a shop in Kings Road Kingstanding. Another good Chinese takeaway was the Great Wall on the corner of Queslett and Beacon Roads, opposite the Old Horns pub. We can get good Indian curry in Port Elizabeth but not Chinese curry. Plenty of good Chinese food though - just poor curry! I just fancy one now!!
 
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Frequented some of those David, Dilshad, Bengal Garden Boldmere Wonderful, (THE COPPERS CURRY HOUSE) Koh -i -nor, Curry Garden, dodgy. gosh just done a tour round Erdington and Sutton. could just eat a curry now, yummyyyyyyyyyyy...Cat
 
Did any body go to The Kyber Pass Alum Rocks whe i first went there many moons ago you did'nt get a knife,fork.or even a spoon,great curry and kebabs,is that place accesible
 
I used to go to Curry Garden with my mom untill we heard some nasty things about it. It was in a side street wasn't it Cat. Jean.
 
Postie, I spent many hours in the Tow rope. I called in the early hours, six nights a week for a breakfast/supper over a period of several years.
 
Gee Gee Jean, leaving the City on Broad st you had Bingly Hall, then one or two smaller premises and the Towrope was the last dorway before the first road on the right.
 
Hello everyone,
No one has mentioned the restaurant on the top floor of Henrys store,
cottage pie for 1/6.
The Firebird was originally opened by Andre Drucker, an austrian who also owned Drucker's Pattisserie in Aston Street, opposite the Central Fire Station, I worked at a sign studio in Stafford Street and we did both of the signs for the affore mentioned restaurants.
 
I used to use Henrys store cafe when I was on day release from my apprenticeship to go to Matthew Boulton Tech on Horsefair. Sausage and chips was the best value, but I've never tasted sausages like them, heaven knows what was in them!
They had Daddies sauce too, that would disguise the flavour of anything!
 
Los Canarios was the first Spanish restaurant in Birmingham. A great little restaurant, but I can't remember if it opened in the 60's or 70's. Really good atmosphere.
Ann
 
Ann B said:
Los Canarios was the first Spanish restaurant in Birmingham. A great little restaurant, but I can't remember if it opened in the 60's or 70's. Really good atmosphere.
Ann
Click to expand...

Perhaps you are among these diners who are having a good meal by the looks of it.

Phil

City La Canarios 1975 Albert St [1].jpg
 
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Well Mike the place was better, a lot better in my memory, than the write up. A lot of 'personalities' that were visiting Brum found it a good enough place to return to, time and time again.

I would like to say that I was 'the exotic dancer in the photo' but I would be lying. Oh go on then, yes it's me!

Ann
 
I ate many times in the Los Canarios. I havent been for some time now but last time my son went there Pancho told him he was closing down in the near future so it may be shut by now.
 
Yes Ann, I thought it got better as time passed. That may just be me though. Pancho always looked after us when we went there. If I was looking after a star I would always go there or Lorenzos in Moor St. He was always good to us as well. Lorenzo went back to Italy a few years ago.
 
Sorry I got your name wrong 'Stitcher'. We went to the same places then. I used to go to 'Los Canarios and Lorenzos with Derek Hobson and the A.T.V. crowd, and actors that were working at the Beeb. Both restaurants were popular with that crowd. Then there was the club upstairs in Park Street, not far from Lorenzo's. Ann
 
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