REVIEW – Bar & Block Steakhouse, Birmingham

Last week, Mike and I went on our first child free date night for approximately four years. As much as we adore our two daughters, and tie together as a family, there are many, MANY times when I have longed for a child free meal where we don’t have to spend the entire night either a) taking them to and from the toilet b) wiping dirty mouths c) asking them to sit down or d) picking up discarded pieces of food off the floor. When we were given the opportunity to review the new Spring Menu at the Bar & Block Steakhouse and Bar in the centre of Birmingham, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a meal just me and him; and I quite literally jumped at the chance.

We made ourselves look semi presentable (a real rarity these days) and jumped on the train to Birmingham. I joked about how date nights as parents never quite go according to plan, but was hoping the reality would be somewhat more enjoyable! 🙂 (That said, it did only take us two train stations before one of us mentioned the kids!)

Our Experience 

The Bar & Block Steakhouse and Bar is based in Birmingham City Centre on Waterloo Street, just a short walk from Snow Hill Train Station (but just far enough to remind me that I still cannot walk in heels). To use it’s full title, The Beefeater Bar & Block Steakhouse is based on the site of the old Colmore Bar & Grill (for those of you who are familiar with it). First things first, PLEASE don’t be put off by the name. I would describe Bar & Block as a distant cousin of the original Beefeater Grill, with a much higher standard to the local pub style food that the name might have you expecting.

We were greeted by our waitress who directed us to our table, a booth style table with desk top lighting, close to the open kitchen so we could watch the chef in action. I did not tell her I was a blogger; assuming that she would already know, but we later learned from her slightly shocked reaction that she actually didn’t have a clue! Bless her – this is something I was actually really pleased about- there is always the element of doubt about special treatment when reviews are booked in in advance! It was good to know that our experience on the night was the same as that of any of their guests, and as such our experience was authentic.

Starters

The Spring Menu at Bar & Block Steakhouse is really fun, with the introduction of sharing / glazing plates that are designed for couples or friends to share. They recommend three plates between two, and a great way to mix and match and try new things. Making the selection was pretty tricky, but whilst we were deciding, the waitress bought over a small bowl of popcorn, which was a really nice touch. It was very moreish!!

We eventually decided upon Asian Crispy Beef (crispy pulled beef tossed in hoisin, cucumber, spring onion, chilli and coriander), Mac & Cheese Bites (Mac & cheese in a breadcrumb coating) and Crispy Gnocchi Bites (Crispy potato gnocchi seasoned with parmesan & truffle infused oil, topped with chopped parsley)

They were bought on a board placed between the two of us, with side plates to help us dig in. All of them were really tasty, however the Asian Crispy Beef was absolutely divine, and if I am totally honest I would’ve been quite happy with just a giant bowl of just that. Considering I am not normally a red meat eater, Mike was pretty taken aback and slightly gutted when I kept going back for more! 🙂

Main Course

For Mike’s main, the butcher’s block, the special cut for the season, was the obvious choice, and having seen the little leaflet promoting this in the center of the table, Mike was keen to give it a go. The waitress advised us that the chef’s could basically prepare any steak you wanted, be it a 16oz or a 30oz, a rump or a sirloin. I was slightly concerned that Mike would see this as a challenge and order the biggest steak he could muster, so was slightly relieved when he opted for the butcher’s block instead. For Spring, the Butcher’s Block was a a 10oz of deliciously tender Picanha (otherwise known as the rump or sirloin cap) , topped with chimichurri and served with triple cooked beef dripping chunky chips.

His meal was it really nicely presented (although not in quite the same arrangement as the illustration), with large leaves of cos style lettuce. Mike said it was really well cooked -just the way he had asked (medium rare) and didn’t need any additional seasoning at all. Not only that, the meat knives were very sharp, so we didn’t need to hack or work hard to get to our food!

I am more of a chicken kind of girl, so opted for Lemon and Thyme chicken, swapping my fries for Sweet Potato fries – something for which I have recently developed a bit of an obsession. The sweet potato fries were served with chorizo feta and coriander which was a really nice touch, and made them just a little bit different from the norm. The chicken was really tender and white, with plenty of meat on the breast.

Desserts

It’s not secret that Mike and I both have a bit of sweet tooth, so despite being pretty full after our first two courses, it would have been rude not to check out the desserts. Seeing one option highlighted as a popular choice on the menu made it really stand out, so it was the obvious choice – the chocolate churros sundae. With churros coated in cinnamon sugar, they reminded me of my childhood Spanish holidays, and although happy with his sticky toffee pudding, Mike got SERIOUS food envy when the desserts arrived.

I’m not gunna lie – the puddings kind of broke us – we had consumed a lot of food, and as such some of the puddings did get left behind – but not through want of trying. I was a little worried that Mike had fallen into some kind of carb and sugar induced coma! 🙂

Overall, we had a really excellent meal at Bar & Block, and I would be more than happy to return as a paying customer, with the meal coming in at around £75 including two drinks each.

Pros:

• Great location, just a short walk from Snow Hill Train Station, very close to other bars and nightlife on Colmore Row, Bennett’s Hill, Edmund Street and Newhall Street.
• Excellent menu choice, including sharing / grazing plates which are ideal for couples and groups of friends.
• Good drinks menu including a range of wines, beers, cocktails and mocktails.
• Visible kitchen so you can observe food being prepared (always reassuring!)
• Well cooked and well seasoned food, cooked as per request.
• A range of meat free / red meat free options for those who don’t want steak.
• Good value for money
• If I was staying at the premier inn next door on business, I would be chuffed to bits to find a Bar & Block steakhouse next door.

Cons:

• It is rare for me not to find at least one negative in our experience, but with Bar & Block, literally the only thing I could fault of our whole experience was the location of the toilets! The ladies loos are a bit of a rabbit warren of mazes, down two flights of stairs and round a few twists and turns, and I’ll be honest I wouldn’t fancy working my way back after a few drinks! Clearly this isn’t a big issue, but if your planning a lot of alcohol with your meal you may want to leave your stilettos at home!

You can learn more about Bar & Block Steakhouse on their website here

Disclosure – *We were given a complimentary meal at Bar & Block Steakhouse in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own*