West Midlands restaurants with top quality food, excellent service and stylish decor celebrated by place on top 100 list

Four Birmingham restaurants and a restaurant in Lichfield have been named on the Squaremeal annual ranking of the top restaurants in the UK.

SquareMeal, which has been the market-leading independent restaurant commentator for more than 30 years, said the ranking was an opportunity to celebrate long-standing culinary icons and shine a spotlight on emerging talents, acknowledging the grit, graft and determination of chefs and hospitality teams who work to create unforgettable dining experiences.

It was a list created through a mixture of in-house reviews by critics and a public vote from diners up and down the country, and Squaremeal said the response and final list reflected the quality on offer.

A spokesman for Squaremeal said: "With each year that passes, we're amazed by the exceptional quality of the UK dining scene. 

"2024 has presented significant hurdles for restaurants, but passionate hospitality pros across the country continue to supersede all expectations.

"Narrowing down the UK dining scene to just 100 outstanding restaurants always proves to be a formidable challenge and it’s a job that takes many months of meticulous planning, excruciating deliberation, and collaboration with you, our readers.

"We take great care in ensuring that this list represents the cream of the crop, and that requires the input of SquareMeal readers. 

"As a result, you’ll see some of the UK’s most famous restaurants rubbing shoulders with lesser-known local spots, and a host of exciting new openings. 

"We think this list represents the hundred most exciting places to go and eat in 2024, with every corner of the UK covered."

In terms of the restaurants from Birmingham and Lichfield which made the cut, there is a diverse range of restaurants on display.

The highest ranked was Opheem, a Michelin-starred Indian Restaurant on Summer Row in Birmingham city centre, which was ranked ninth and which was praised for owner Aktar Islam's signature modern take on Indian cuisine.

The description on Squaremeal read: "Its aim is to push the boundaries of Indian cooking using techniques from all over the world to create something totally new and innovative. 

"Inspired by watching his Dad working in his own restaurant growing up, Aktar discovered his love for food, cooking and creativity in the kitchen, eventually going on to set up Opheem in 2018. 

"Aktar was also a contestant on Great British Menu, becoming a finalist in the 2011 series and winning the fish course in the final (which is now on the menu at Opheem).  

"There are multiple menus to choose from and they change seasonally throughout the year to reflect the freshest produce possible."

The next rated restaurant from the region was Upstairs by Tom Shepherd, which was rated 43rd on the list and is an Michelin-starred restaurant owned by the chef and above his father's jewellery shop on Bore Street.

The description on Squaremeal read: "Here, Tom and his team offer a seven-course tasting menu in the evenings and a three-course lunch menu in the day, in this relaxed yet refined 24-cover dining room. 

"There is also a four-seat kitchen table, where diners can watch the magic happen up close. 

"Shepherd has previously worked in some of the UK's best restaurants, including Adams in Birmingham, Restaurant Sat Bains and The Latymer. 

"He also won the Acorn Award in 2018 (hospitality's 30 under 30). A typical lunch menu at Upstairs will feature the finest British produce, seafood and meat, prepared in an elegant, simple manner."

 Next on the list in the region at number 52 was The Wilderness on Warstone Lane in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, which has food described as thought-provoking, inventive and exciting.

The description on Squaremeal read: "The food is inventive, surprising and exciting, and so it makes sense that the restaurant itself has been designed in a bold and dramatic style. 

"Almost every surface is black, from leather banquet seating and tables to painted brick walls and a tiled open kitchen at the far end of the room. 

"With huge steel beams and a sloping wooden ceiling above, the resulting space is dark, mysterious and full of intrigue.

" The descriptions of each dish are fairly vague so as to leave the diner guessing until presented with the plate, but examples of things you might find include a shrimp doughnut, celeriac tart with hazelnut, A5 wagyu with nori and comte, and barbary duck with endive and blood orange."

Just down the list at 57 was Harborne Kitchen on High Street in Harborne, a restaurant described as a fine dining restaurant in Birmingham serving modern British cuisine while drawing inspiration from a variety of traditions, culinary practices and food producers. 

The description on Squaremeal read: "The restaurant boasts an open kitchen so that diners can get a peek of the action while they dine, especially if they’ve bagged a stool seat at the wooden counter. 

"Elsewhere, the interiors are rustic and cosy thanks to navy blues and warm wooden surfaces throughout. 

"Comfortable sofas and tables with stools provide a place for customers to pop in for a drink and some nibbles, while tables and chairs in the main dining room are where one of its tasting menus can be enjoyed."

Finally, ranked at number 78, The Rabbit, also known as Riverine Rabbit, sits on the Pershore Road in Stirchley and provides a daily changing menu of South African-inspired small plates. 

The description on Squaremeal read: "Rabbit is a very small, intimate restaurant with bar seating only. 

"This casual set up lends itself best to smaller groups, with diners seated along one long counter where they can watch the chefs in action.

"Diners can order as many plates as they please, although three to four dishes per person are recommended. 

"You’ll find a small selection of snacks to start, followed by a collection of smaller and larger dishes. 

"Bite-sized snacks might include cajun spiced devilled eggs, or fried chicken with caviar. 

"Further down the menu, examples of dishes include BBQ hispi cabbage with Tom Yum Cream, salmon crudo with green apple and jalapeno, and whole lemon sole with Thai black pepper sauce and samphire."

To read the full Squaremeal Top 100 list, go to the Squaremeal website.