Three Birmingham Restaurants Named Best in the UK

Carters of Moseley, Opheem and Purnell's were named in the top 100 voted by the "UK’s top chefs, restaurateurs, food critics and writers"

If you needed another reason to visit Birmingham, you can add "best places to dine in the UK" on the list.

Michelin-starred restaurants Carters of Moseley, Opheem and Purnell's were listed among the top 100 restaurants in the National Restaurant Awards 2021.

Carters was named 45th best restaurant, Opheem was 58th, and Purnell’s came 77th in the list judged by a nationwide panel of food and hospitality experts.

It's not just a humble brag to rival eateries and a plaque on the wall. The awards, organised by Restaurant magazine and sponsored by Estrella Damm beer, were created to celebrate the "brilliance and vibrancy of the UK's eating out scene."

The votes are carried out by more than 200 of the biggest names in food, including chefs, restaurateurs, critics and writers.

How far British cuisine has come

Carters of Moseley, with Brad Carter at the helm, was praised by judges as being "part of a new generation of young, ambitious chefs that are pushing the boundaries of what British food can be."

They add that Brad Carter "goes deeper than most into exploring the idea of terroir in cooking" with "wild game, foraged herbs, forgotten ingredients and rare-breed animals are the lifeblood of a cooking style that looks to change how we think about our own food."

They were astounded that a quiet suburb in Birmingham could create such excellence. They said that the fact this is happening in Moseley shows "just how far British cuisine has come."

Brad celebrated his team's amazing achievement on Facebook saying they were incredibly humbled to grab the 45th spot in the Top 100.

Brad posted: It is always an event we look forward to in the calendar & we thank everyone involved for the invite - we had the best time mixing with our friends & peers & celebrating how amazing our industry is, we love you all!

Aktar Islam's Opheem restaurant won a Michelin star only a year after their opening in 2018, with voters describing it as "impossible to ignore"

Judges described Opheem's dishes as a "tour of different states and cities in India" with sample dishes including tandoori trout with mooli and mint and Nilgiri lamb shoulder with green pea and herbs. Are you salivating yet?

Opheem has grown from strength to strength, with Iktar praising his team winning 58th place, saying he was incredibly proud of them on Opheem's Instagram:

Incredibly proud of my family @neilwithers4717 @frostandstuff and everyone else for all the hard work and dedication that makes achievements like this possible and turns dreams into reality.

We're going to keep pushing as we're only getting started.
@nationalrestaurantawards

Purnell's "bold and innovating cooking" won them 77th place in the Top 100.

Glynn Purnell's ethos is to create food that "should be like a rollercoaster when you're eating it", with flamboyant presentation that matches the vibrant dishes and garish dining room interior.

Judges described Purnell's as providing "ultimate gourmet adventures" which has brought him critical acclaim and numerous awards, including a Michelin Star which he's held for more than a decade.

Purnell's cheered with restaurant winners on Facebook, feeling proud that they're representing Brum: