This Sky by the Water Review was a visit I paid for myself
As a Mum of two children, it’s pretty rare that Mike and I get to spend some child-free time, and whenever I catch up with friends, most of our conversations are half conversations, normally interrupted by one of our children who needs a nappy changing, tries to get into a dangerous situation or starts to have a tantrum right at the crucial moment. It makes having quality adult conversations just that little more tricky and I really miss going out just as Lucy and not having to concentrate on being a Mum – for just a little while at least.
We were recently given vouchers for an experience in our home town, and with my friend coming over from Oz for a couple of weeks, it was the perfect opportunity to go out and spend some time together, no children allowed! We LOVE going out for afternoon tea in Birmingham, so having heard about the new Secret Garden and Afternoon tea offerings at Sky by the Water Birmingham, it was the obvious choice to go and check out!
Sky By The Water Birmingham is a rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant on the 5th floor in Resorts World, just off the M42 and next to the Resorts World Arena and National Exhibition Centre (NEC). I am already a huge fan of Resorts World for their outlet shopping, bars and restaurants, and with rumours of Sky by the Water boasting fantastic views over our city, I was excited to carry out a Sky by the Water review and see what it had to offer.
Our Sky by the Water Review
As soon as you walk in, it’s clear that the interior of Sky By The Water is pretty impressive, with a mass of bright low hanging lights descending from the ceiling. We visited during the late afternoon on a Monday, so it was relatively quiet apart from a few small groups and couples – I imagine on the weekend the view would have been somewhat different, with the waitress advising that they tend to be extremely busy on Friday and Saturday nights.
The whole one side of the Sky By The Water Birmingham restaurant is a wall of glass, offering pretty amazing views across the lake by the NEC, and I will be honest I had never appreciated just how big it was until I saw it from above.
We were seated right at the rear of the restaurant in a corner with glass floor to ceiling on both sides and it was really bright and light. On one side we could see the NEC and Resorts World Arena, the lake and the small beach like area, and on the other, we were able to watch the planes coming in to land at the airport. We were lucky that it was a lovely sunny day, and I imagine at night times the views are equally impressive as the city comes to life.
I was really looking forward to afternoon tea, with Sky By The Water afternoon tea being able to boast an ex Channel 4 Bake Off: The Professionals Finalist – Darryl Collins as their Head Pastry Chef, so was hoping to see lots of beautifully presented sweets – it didn’t disappoint!
There are a variety of different afternoon teas to choose from, from a traditional afternoon tea (£22.50 a person) through to the Cocktail Afternoon Tea (at £29.50 per person or £26 for a mocktail). As it was a special catch up with my best friend, we opted for the Cocktail option, keen to check out the drinks range too!
We couldn’t help but let out a little “Wow” when the Sky by the Water afternoon tea platter was presented. With the scones being almost bun like with smooth soft edges, and the bright vivid colours of the mango gateau, Victoria slice and key lime slice offering something just that little bit special. The sandwiches offered the traditional varieties you might expect and all were divine – cheese and onion chutney, ham and english mustard, smoked salmon and cucumber and egg mayo and watercress. They didn’t hang around for long.
The one thing I will say was that you despite being 3 of us, we didn’t get 3 of every dessert which is what I am used to seeing at other afternoon teas. I think this was because some of them were rather large and rich, and therefore it was more than enough to share between us. We had 3 macaroons and 3 scones, but the rest were in twos or large individual pieces which we cut up and shared between us. In a way this actually added to the experience, building a bit of anticipation as we shared the bits out and tried them at the same time!
The scones are almost brioche like in texture and quite different to a traditional scone (so if you are expecting a crispy edge and fluffy crumbly centre it might come as a bit of a shock). That said, they were absolutely delicious and served warm, which was lovely with jam and creme (jam first, obviously).
Our favourite was a pretty tough call – between the malted milk macaroon with salted caramel filling and the hazelnut and caramel tartlet (pictured above). With a chocolate ganache, hazelnut mouse and caramel, covered in a crisp layer of caramel and hazelnut chocolate, this really was divine and presented beautifully with an individual chocolate leaf.
The Cocktail Menu
The cocktail menu at Sky By The Water Birmingham was fairly extensive, including some locally named choices, and even though I was driving, I was able to feel like I wasn’t missing out by having a Fruititi, which was refreshing and perfect for a warm and sunny day. Again presentation was very good, with little garnishes and sugar rims on the glasses making them both visually appealing and enjoyable!
Sky by the Water Review – The Secret Garden
Sky By The Water was a great location for catching up with friends, and as a couple would be an ideal date destination. Once we finished our afternoon tea, we headed outside to check out the Secret Garden, the newest addition to the Sky By The Water restaurant.
The Secret Garden is just a short walk from the main part of the Sky By The Water restaurant. At weekends, there is a bar that opens in the garden itself, and at other times, you simply order from the main bar and take it with you.
The Secret Garden is a small and intimate outdoors location, with lots of trees and plants making you feel a little like you are on holiday. There are a number of large pods, each of which will house between 6 and 9 people, and can be hired out for private gatherings with friends. With soft cushions, a large table and even a Gin Dictionary in ours, I could certainly see myself settling down there for the night with friends and working my way through some more of the cocktail range!
We tried a few more of the cocktails off the menu outside, before capturing the perfect insta grid pic in front of their butterfly light – (sorry, but it simply had to be done!!)
Even the toilets at Sky by the Water Birmingham have an outdoorsy feel, really adding to that feeling off having been whisked away to somewhere a little bit out of the ordinary. I felt a bit strange taking a photo in the loo – but wanted to give you a fully rounded impression! 🙂
Overall, we had such a lovely afternoon at Sky By The Water Birmingham and I would definitely like to return. I have already said to Mike that a lunch there combined with a visit to the Santai Spa Twilight Spa would be an absolutely perfect date night in Brum (if our kids will ever let us go out after bedtime!!)
For me personally, the late afternoon vibe was just what I was looking for, and therefore if you want to experience it when its slightly quieter then an early evening visit in the week might be the way to go.
If you enjoyed this Sky by the Water Review, click here to learn more about Sky By The Water and the Secret Garden
