Cork and Cage
A KNIFE, A FORK, A BOTTLE AND A CORK
The rise of craft beer in Birmingham has found its firmest foothold in Stirchley, with Glasshouse Beer, Birmingham Brewing Company and Attic Brew combining breweries with their micro pubs, alongside the Wildcat Tap and Cork and Cage bars. With these sorts of places you can get street food and occasional pop ups, but seemingly nothing that remotely threatens Stirchley’s restaurant scene.
Rewind back to May 2019, Cork and Cage was the first Sneaky Diner review, focussed on their then ‘contemporary Turkish cuisine’. I wasn’t there for the beer; I just don’t get craft ales, which largely seem to be all about fruit-driven flavours; like alcopops for grown ups. But, given I’m generally a lager drinker, I fully accept I’m a lost cause there.
I’ve been here a few times for post-meal drinks, but I’m back to eat having heard lots of positive noise about the current food offer. The website promises ‘a weekly changing food menu of seasonal, ingredient led dishes’, served Tuesday-Thursdays only from 5-8.30pm. And whilst beer remains their raison d'être, there are some decent natural wines on offer by the glass and a few more by the bottle.
Alfredo Maestro Lovamor Albillo
We’ve gone ‘orange’ with an Alfredo Maestro Lovamor, made from the rarely seen Albillo grape and it’s bang on the money, with light sourness but plenty of apples and pears in the mix and minerality too. Later, we top up with natural wines by the glass that both impress—an Italian Trebbiano loaded blend and an Australian unoaked Chardonnay.
Today’s menu
The menu is promising all the right things and advises three plates per person, but we’re happy with eight between the three of us. Just a few minutes after placing our order, the first three dishes arrive and I’m straight onto the optimally crunchy veggie pakora, with a dollop of plain yoghurt and lightly pickled, garlic and chilli cucumber chunks, topped with a scatter of sesame seeds that raises the bar on veggie pakora ‘starters’ anywhere.
Veggie pakora, hot garlic cukes
Next is sweet creamy burrata with quiet heat from ajvar (red pepper sauce), sweet datterini tomatoes, topped with a nut loaded dukkah, with crushed spices; sesame, lemony, floral coriander and the earthiness of cumin seeds all fighting for dominance. It’s sitting in an enticing puddle of grassy extra virgin olive oil, that’s screaming out for bread… but, alas, they have none, nor can they spare any.
Burrata, ajvar, datterini tomatoes, dukkah
Doubling up on the tomato, mild cheese and nuts combo is chopped bull’s heart (AKA Vesuvius) beef tomato, with not quite doing enough marinated feta—if indeed it’s been marinated at all—and pistachios that would have contributed more if they’d been chopped.
Bull’s Heart tomato, marinated feta, pistachios
Whilst only just digging in properly to the first wave of dishes, we’re now having to make as much space as possible to accommodate the next three dishes. The first of these has the hot, meaty spread of ‘nduja on ‘grilled bread’, which is more like crunchy, oil soaked, fried sourdough bread—but I’m perfectly happy with that—and is throwing a completely new light on the tomato and mild cheese combo. It’s the dream stage for creamy slabs of mozzarella and allows fresh, sweet datterini tomatoes and pickled chillies to combine for mouth tingling pleasure. This is a first class plate of food.
Grilled tomato bread, ’nduja, mozzarella, pickled chillies
Whilst there’s plenty on offer to satisfy any vegetarian, the next dish is the first that feels like one of my five a day; despite a heavy dusting of salty pecorino, there’s the irresistible caramelised bite of griddled purple sprouting broccoli with sweet romesco sauce and the crunch of almonds.
Purple sprouting broccoli, romesco, almonds, pecorino
Crunchy on the outside, triple cooked potatoes, come with a garlic pitched-perfect aioli, topped with a heap of chopped chives, whilst not being quite as soft or fluffy in the middle as I’d expected, they still bring on a big smile.
Triple cooked potatoes, aioli
They’re the perfect partner for our two portions of battered cod loin, each offering three, two bite size, chunks of dense flesh, coated in a halfway between a tempura and fish and chip shop batter. Each is topped with marinated white anchovy providing a fishy vinegar twist nudged along with a squeeze of lemon. Both dishes combine for a classy fish and chip finale.
Battered cod loin, boquerones
My only real beef is from arriving at 6.15 to our last dish landing just before 7, so the waves of food have been as relentless as a tsunami. But, whilst the menu seems a bit lop-sided and a couple of dishes fell slightly short, it's seriously good food, packing flavour where it wants and needs too, whilst also demonstrating a lighter hand where ingredients should shine. Texture combinations are notable too… this ain’t no bar knocking out a bit of food.
Even down to the décor of the place; dark coloured walls and parallel hung pictures above a leather tan banquette extending pretty much down its full length gives a feel of a restaurant. There’s a mixed clientele too and by seven, there’s already a happy ambience building.
Our bill comes to £103.50, inc. £10 deposit on booking, plus tip (£52 food / £51.50 drinks) and it feels like a steal. They take walk-ins but I’d advise you book, as it was already full by 7.
Stirchley’s not just the epicentre of the Birmingham craft ale scene, it’s also, now without doubt, the epicentre of excellent independent, neighbourhood dining. Cork and Cage sits comfortably amongst the best in both camps.
RECOMMENDED 8/10
1373 Pershore Road, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2JR
