Food was amazing must say. Went with a party of 11 service was decent food came out fast and warm…read more Environment was clean well lit and welcoming. But waiters did seem a bit sad the whole time still overall a pretty good experience

This is the best Italian restaurant I've been in and so close to home!The greeting by the manager…read moreis just right and he remembers your face if not your name. The food is exquisite and I cannot praise the chef highly enough. I had a calzone pizz last night and the garlic & tomato sauce looked as if there was not enough but the taste was perfection and the amount exactly right. If you live anywhere near then do yourself a big favour and go along and sample some beautiful Italian food.

Unlike other restaurants in this day n' age, Casa Italia pride themselves on using fresh food,…read moreprepared to order in what is a refreshing and reassuring relief. If you're into authentic Italian dining, then Casa Italia could well be the place for you. Located on the Hagley Road, heading into town, the Italian offers a wide range of traditional meals, that you would come to expect from such an establishment. Not only do they serve great food, but the top quality customer service alongside it, is a joy to behold. After passing by Casa Italia on numerous occasions, I must admit, I had my doubts, but I was proven wrong. The Calzone I ordered, for just over £10 was more than I could stomach, but how much I did eat, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will definitely be back after what I could only describe as a pleasantly surprising dining experience.

Casa italia is a great restaurant which deserves to have high recommendations!…read moreIt is situated on the Hagley Road and the exterior is very deceiving as it is very large inside and has an upstairs aswell. It gets very busy on a weekend and thursday night, and so booking in advance is best. The food is very good, authentic Italian and has a large quality menu. The service is excellent, and they are very friendly and helpful. The price of the food is good, a bit higher than normal, but it reflects the quality of the food.

Excellent combination of Food & Service. Pizza, Eggplant & Spaghetti & unique sauce were all well…read moreabove average & the Bottle of Red Montepulciano de Abbruzzo hit the spot. What a Great Team from our servers Liv & Lola. Highly attentive & engaging. We had a small issue & the speed of correction was impressive. As we explained to our professional waitresses, we're all human & make mistakes but it is how you resolve concerns that set you apart. These young ladies are definitely winners! Thanks to the owner who greeted us, stopped by to check in & paid his respects when we left. The live music he had that evening sounded like Tony Bennet!!! Wonderful Experience!!

From the owner: Italian Restaurant Kinver Stourbridgeread more

Situated opposite the newly opened swimming baths at the top end of Harborne, Ristorante Vesuvio is…read morea traditional Italian resteraunt with connections to San Carlo in the city centre. Whilst the decor is a little bit dated the food doesn't dissapoint and the fish dishes in particular are recommended. The staff are attentive and the cakes - which can be seen twirling around in their own revolving display cabinet at the front of the resteraunt (I can't tell you how much I love this) are generous in size and tasty. It's pretty big inside so can cater for larger parties and despite the proliferation of Italian eateries in Harborne it is a popular destination so booking, especially at weekends might be advisable.

Ok, f me this place is amazing. Just the service and pizza alone is world class, wine, pasta! Wow…read moreno brainer must visit and enjoy!

Cute family run business right in the heart of Birmingham....visited with a couple of Friends on…read morethe weekend and really enjoyed the welcome and the food. I went for the bruschetta to start which was served with roasted vegetables which was both fresh and a great start to the meal.....I then had the lasagna for my main. I couldn't go for an italian and not try the lasagne its just an absolute staple. This one was light and delicious with loads of cheese......a bit of a naughty but nice vibe.....you could literally taste the calories! My mates went for carbonara type dishes and everything again looked fresh well presented. I also need to mention they have a dough station/chef making fresh pizza bases at the back on the shop.....I bet the pizzas are amazing....will be back. The meal with wine came to around £60 for the three off us which i thought was really reasonable! Dont be put off by the no frills look of the front of this place its got a great vibe and some seriously good food!

This is a sister restaurant of ponte di legno in Moseley. It's only been open a few months now, it…read morehas a lovely interior, not many tables but it is very pretty inside. Like its sister restaurant it was bring your own drink, but our waitress said they were waiting on their license (Feb when we went) I've never ordered pizza out before but decided to since my boyfriend had at the restaurant in Moseley. My pizza wasn't as great as his had been in the Moseley restaurant. We also tried fried aubergine which was delicious I had garlic mushrooms for my starter and my boyfriend had mozzarella balls. We did enjoy the food but preferred their Moseley restaurant better. We had the desert sharing platter, it was nice but I did have one of the best deserts I've ever had at their Moseley restaurant so it was going to be hard to beat... All in all it was cheap and cheerful, we did have a lovely night and the staff were very friendly. But their sister restaurant is still my favourite of the two.

Food was delicious, excellent service. Don't have a license yet so bring your own…read more Will update with more info soon!

This family owned and run business is so cute! love love love the place, we come every weekend if…read morewe can and have been for the past 2 years, I cant get enough of the gorgeous homemade food cooked by Ettore the Italian owner and chef and also the freindly service we get from the staff. The chefs grandaughter helps him in the kitchen although shes a fantastic cook we prefer her as a waitress as shes so kind and helpfull. The only downfall is its only open wed to sat, wish it was open for sunday lunch - that would be amazing!

La Banca takes a smart place in old bank on a high street in South Birmingham not used to smart…read moreplaces, making good use of a mirrored wall that makes the space look twice as large. Its popular, mostly you feel because of the restaurant manager for glides between tables, flirting with the regulars who make up the crowd on a blustery winters evening. The large phallic shaped pepper grinder were made for this man. They try hard to keep it as authentic as possible and for the most part it works. A nibble of bean salad with crisp breads is a merciless assault of garlic, as are the garlic bread and bruschetta that follow. I like them all, mostly because I don't like close social encounters, but also because they bold in taste and heavily seasoned. The bruschetta has pronounced flavours of onion and vinegar and lots and lots of garlic, even if the rather bland tomatoes are three months out of season. There is a lasagne with thick tussles of braised shoulder meat and sheets of overcooked pasta, which I forgive for it being so bloody comforting. Its all a bit mushy, though the flavour is good with whacks of tomato and cheese and yes, you've guessed it, garlic. I also admire another linguine dish with a rich vegetable ragu and topped with chicken and prawns. Nothing gets in the way of each other here, which it could have easily have done. Everything is distinct and accurately cooked, the pasta still with the bite that was missing from the lasagne. The desserts here are portioned ideally for sharing, so we order one each, because Simon doesn't share food. Tiramisu is the lasagne reinvented for the sweeter tooth; again a textural disaster of softness, packed full of heady flavours of coffee and chocolate. The star is a lemon cake, with a sharp zabaglione cream filling encased in a lemon meringue. The acidity and sweetness carefully balanced out They have a decent wine list which starts to get interesting when you stick to Italy, where good bottles can be found for under twenty quid. This matches the price of the food, which, fillet steak aside, is strictly mid-teens for mains and under a tenner for everything else. Its all good value, it feels homely, and service is warm. Its easy to see why it is so busy. Its not perfect, but I would gladly return for a good feed at a modest price.

I pass La Banca all the time and,other than it looking interesting as it used to be a bank plus its…read moreproximity to Cotteridge's ever growing number of fast food outlets, i hadnt given it much thought. You cant see inside the restaurant because the windows are quite high so you cant see how busy it is - i had therefore assumed that it wasnt very popular. How wrong i was. After checking out some Yelp reviews and needing to go out somewhere local to celebrate some good news i decided to give it a go. I booked a table via the phone - very pleasant and easy - even when i phoned an hour before our visit to increase the numbers for the booking. We were greeted on arrival by friendly staff and taken to a table in the quiet restaurant - we had booked for 7pm so it was still early. Whilst waiting for the rest of our party of six to arrive we were given menus and asked if we wanted to order drinks. There were cocktails, wine, beers and soft drinks on the menu. Im not really a wine expert but there seemed to be a good range with bottles costing from £15 to £50. Once everyone had arrived we were served by extremely attentive staff who were diligent in ensuring that any food allergies and requirements were met. The maitre d' (who was a member of the italian family who run the business) was really good and made our visit very personable and fun. For starters i had spinach cannelloni, followed by pork loin with a parsnip mash (accompanied by a red onion and tomato salad in a balsamic dressing which was, frankly, the best salad ive ever tasted in my life) and for dessert i had the italian cheeseboard. My friends had a range of dishes including vegetarian and fish dishes - all of which were superb. One friend needed an item changing slightly fromt he menu so that the sauce was on the side rather than as part of the dish and they happily accommodated this. The vegetarians amongst us were informed that the Parmesan they had wasnt vegetarian - apparently they normally have the vegetarian option but had run out - to be fair they could have just not informed us about this but i got the impression that they are a reputable restaurant who really want to do the very best for their customers - ive knocked them down a star for not having the vegetarian alternative on offer but if it wasnt for this then they would be getting a five star review. We were int he restaurant for a couple of hours or so and by the time we were leaving the restaurant had filled up considerably - clearly the residents of Cotteridge know a good restaurant when they see one - who would have known?!? or maybe they are starved of good food due to the ridiculously large number of takeaways in the area. There is no car park at the restaurant and this could be a problem as there is a severe lack of parking available in the area however (and here is a fact i didnt know until a friend pointed it out!) you can park on the Pershor Rd int he evenings - woop! A meal for six of us including wine came to £220 although not everyone had alcohol or three courses so that doesnt give n accurate picture. My three courses (all of which were DELICIOUS) and my share of two bottles of wine (between three of us) came to just under £50. not cheap but definitely worth it for the superb food and superior service. The restaurant itself is really lovely inside too. Go and visit!!

I've been to Buonissimo! twice and will be going back again…read more The whole dining experience is a mix of comfortable and classy-- it manages to feel upscale without being pretentious. It's a bit more pricey than some of the other restaurants in Harborne but not outrageous, and the service and food are absolutely incredible. The staff are very welcoming and attentive but not overbearing. Both times walking in someone immediately offered to take my coat, and even though we had bookings (once with a group of 4 and once as a couple) we were given a choice of seating. The menu is seasonal and changes, but the deep fried goat's cheese as a starter was fantastic, as was the mozzarella filled gnocchi in a pomodoro sauce. My husband ordered an asparagus-stuffed chicken breast that he said was cooked perfectly, served with a generous side of really delicious sautéed potatoes (which I deviously stole from his plate throughout the evening). It's just really elegant, delicious, Italian food that seems much more 'authentic' than any other Italian place I've tried in Birmingham. The only thing I've been disappointed with is the antipasto. It was basically a large plate of lettuce with an unexpectedly small amount of cured meats and an olive or two- I've had much better antipasto platters elsewhere. I'd go for one of the other starters, for sure (like the goat's cheese! They also do a great bruschetta).

Ever time I walk past this place it seems to be full, so when we needed a place to eat for a…read morecelebratory meal I jumped at the opportunity to suggest Buonissimo! Monday evening at 7pm and the ground floor was full, but our party of 7 was seated comfortably upstairs - in fact we almost had it to ourselves. I liked the intimate feel but this means that booking is a must! The two members of staff that served us were really attentive and polite. They made a big fuss of the hero of the group who had just recieved his Doctorate which was a really nice personal touch. A service charge of 10% is added to groups of six or more which is a practice I normally dislike although in this instance it was deserved. Food wise everyone left with full bellies and a satisfied appetite. For myself as a vegatarian there is always a limited choice, although they offer to exchange the meat in some of the pasta dishes for veggie options so I was more than content. Our mixed bruschetta starter was a safe option but tasty and introduced me to baked garlic, I ate the whole bulb! I had a delicous pasta dish for my main with peas, pistachio nuts and pecorino, there should of been cured pork too but I had asapargus. Best pasta I've eaten since Italy. Can't wait to go back and will be taking advantage of their early dining menu (18:00 - 19:30) where you can have three courses for £15.50.

Piccolino is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I have been to in Birmingham. Slightly…read morehidden around one of the quieter squares in Brindley place a few people I have spoken to about it don't know this place exists....they really need to! Upon arrival at the restaurant for a friends birthday we were quickly welcomed by two very happy waiters who quickly took our coats and asked us if we would like to get a drink in the bar area while we wait for our other guests. Within seconds our drink orders had been taken and we were taken to a booth to sit down and relax. As soon as our other guests arrived we were taken around to our table which had been beautifully laid out with everything you could need and more, our drinks were brought over for us and we were offered a look at the menu. The menu is pretty much what you would expect from an Italian restaurant with a whole host of pastas, salads and pizzas all with mouth watering descriptions which instantly mades you want to eat everything! I went for the spinach and ricotta tortellini which was fantastic! It was beautifully crafted and presented with rich and tasty dressing over the pasta shells. After such a good main meal we decided to go all out and order a desert......I went for the tiramisu. This was also very well prepared and again I could not fault it. This is somewhere I would really only go for a treat as it is slightly more expensive than some of the other restaurants in the area but what a treat it is. The staff are some of the best and most helpful I have ever come across and the food is spot on.

Piccolino, has to be a role model for that great dining out experience…read more Meeting a friend here for a quick brunch last week, the place doesn't disappoint, and you'll want to come again. We sat outside in the gorgeous sunshine, although the seating inside is elegant with bright red sofas, you feel you want to dress for the occasion and make a full day of it, it's so nice. Quieter in the day than the evenings, the Italian food is delightful. We tried the grilled asparagus with poached eggs, and shared a Margherita pizza for our mains. The ingredients they use in their meals are fine, and the options form part of their spring menu. A nice light lunch, washed down with Rose, at a decent price too. They ideal place to go for top quality exquisite food within an elegant and well designed restaurant. The waiters make you feel very relaxed and advise you on what's best to try if you've not visited before. They also have a Royal Ascot ladies lunch, available from the 21st June 2012, if your after something special.