Purnell's Bistro, Birmingham: Great shakes at Glynn's place

Sure, it might not sound like much compensation for crows feet and being banished from Topshop, but trust me this cocktail is a bit special.

In its Champagne flute, it looks feminine and refined, yet one sip reveals the comfort of sweet white peach puree and frivolous Prosecco fizz – the equivalent of a boozy Victoria's Secret model.

I'm sure when Guiseppe Cipriani dreamt up the Bellini and served it up at Harry's Bar in Venice he didn't ever dare to hope that one day it'd be on a cocktail menu in Brum.

From one set of canals to another, I guess.

So here I am, sinking into my first Bellini – a mango one to be exact – while perusing the menu of Purnell's Bistro, an informal restaurant with cocktail bar in the heart of the Second City.

Purnell's Bistro is TV chef Glynn Purnell's second attempt at a casual dining alternative to his flagship Michelin star restaurant – Purnell's in nearby Cornwall Street.

Purnell's without the price-tag, or the pomp.

His first offering The Asquith, which inhabited an elegant building in a leafy suburb didn't quite hit the mark and subsequently shut after a wrangle over the lease for the premises. Having eaten there I can vouch that it was too stuffy for its bistro ambitions; no bustle, no atmosphere. The food was trying too hard to be like Purnell's – yet without Glynn at the hotplate it very clearly wasn't.

But if the full dining room at Purnell's Bistro is anything to go by, it looks like it's second time lucky for the culinary Brummie.

Decorated in rich shades of red with dark wood tables and floors, it looked the place to be on a Saturday night. Diners were a mixture of exhausted shoppers and people just starting their evening.

Situated discreetly at the back of Gingers cocktail bar there is a buzzy atmosphere but you don't feel like you're eating in the middle of an office party. However, it's quite nice to have the option of either starting or ending your night in the cocktail area.

The waitress who welcomed us was warm and friendly, pitched perfectly for the establishment. She took our drinks orders, delievering bread with our aperitifs.

I'm not an expert on many things but having scoffed enormous quantities of the stuff, I'd like to think I'm a bit of a bread aficionado. Unfortunately this offering could have been a tad fresher. I also wasn't keen on the whipped butter – something I've only come across in the good ole US but resembles the look and texture of margarine serving as a horrid reminder of the eighties (and who wants to go back there?). I'd have much prefered some of the salted French variety, it is a bistro after all. However, this was a small niggle and didn't stop me from accepting more bread and butter when it was offered.

Scanning the menu the temptations were many, but what impressed me most was the accesible prices with most starters and desserts pitched around the £6 mark. I think these prices are on a par with a fair few chainy pub-type restaurants and I know where I'd rather eat.

There was plenty to please too with a good selection of options for carnivores and veggies – the wild mushroom risotto with brown bread crumble sounding particularly appealing.

I started the meal with the tomato tart, a light, elegant dish which was more than a sum of its parts pairing crisp pastry, piquant goats' cheese and ripe tomatoes. A balsamic glaze provided just enough moisture. It was small enough not to ruin my appetite but also didn't need the use of a microscope to view it.

The other half opted for the confit chicken thigh with polenta, sundried tomato and black olive. He hoovered it up like Noo-Noo from the Teletubbies so I can only think it must have got the thumbs up. I'll never know since it was gone before I had chance to attack it with my fork.

I had more luck with his main course dish of sea bream – that's not to say it wasn't extremely good.

It came with a moreish potato and gruyere terrine, fricasee of leeks and glazed shallots. The fish with crispy-skinned and delicately flavoured. It could, perhaps, have been improved with a dash of sauce to cut through the richness.

I was tempted by the slow braised shoulder of lamb but instead opted for the Brixham cod BLT and was seriously impressed. The cod flesh was tender, juicy and cooked with precision. It might not be Glynn at the helm of the bistro kitchen but someone in there has some serious talent. The accompanying crisped bacon, braised lettuce and sundried tomato presented a witty take on the tried and tested combo. I was especially enamoured by the braised lettuce, perhaps because I had low expectations, envisiaging the soggy leaves you find in that lunch box you forgot to put in the fridge. But this was perfectly al dente and was delicious dunked in the accompanying sauce – a sort of beurre blanc. Yes, that's right, this dish came with a sauce and was all the better for it.

Once again portions were well judged leaving enough room for pud (despite the mound of bread and butter we'd scoffed).

But that was not enough for the other half who chose the orange and apricot bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice-cream. I was allowed only a morsel but I can reveal it was very good. The ice-cream was silky, the pudding satisfying. We both agreed this is what Glynn does best, comforting old favourites with a modern twist.

At the risk of sounding cliché, my dessert of strawberry parfait, vanilla marinated strawberries and crisp meringue looked like a work of art.

From the menu description I was expecting some sort of interpretation of an Eton mess but was presented with something far more elegant. It would not have looked out of place at Purnell's proper.

I was only confused by the addition of a rocket garnish. I am open to new flavours, and I do like rocket, but this just seemed a bit odd, especially since my previous two courses had also been lovingly decorated with the peppery leaf.

Rocket aside (I did eat it, by the way)the dessert was, to paraphrase Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace, 'like getting a big snog off a strawberry'. The vanilla marinade had made the strawberries even fruitier, sweeter, more delicious, while the shards of meringue, quinelle of sorbet and creamy parfait added texture and temperature.

I could have just about squeezed in coffee and chocolate truffles but the other half steered me in the direction of a second Bellini. I am easily led, what can I say?

The service was good, brisk and friendly apart from one waitress who makes Victoria Beckham look like Little Miss Happy. But she was an exception and the rest of the staff were easy-going and chatty without being intrusive. Don't expect the type of top-up-your drinks service you get at Purnell's though, it's much more relaxed.

The bill, including service, four cocktails and a bottle of sparkling water, came to £97 – a sniff of what you'd spend down the road at Purnell's.

The fact that it's also a bit more informal will appeal to lots of diners and it's a good place to finish a day at the Bullring, or begin a night out, without having to remortgage your house.

Glynn says he set up the bistro so he could share with people the kind of food he serves at home. It's a good job I am not planning to do the same, I'm not sure there's much of a market for reheated ready meals and tuna pasta bake. Just one question Glynn: 'When can I come round for tea?'

I wonder if I'd get a Bellini round there too. . .

By Emily Bridgewater