Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade is a Victorian-themed paradise for food lovers, with a variety of specialist delis and drinks merchants providing a welcome break from the samey chain stores and cafés of the nearby Bullring.
It seems that the arcade’s elegant Bistro 1847 is on a mission to wrench vegetarian cuisine from the old sandals-and-tofu stereotype. And this makes sense, as, increasingly, people are choosing to eat less meat or even go fully vegetarian. Bistro 1847 puts a decidedly gourmet twist on meat-free Mondays, without too high a price tag. A three-course meal with a cocktail thrown in (Apple Kiwi Honey is divine) will set you back around £30.
At the helm is established Birmingham chef Alex Claridge, known for his previous successes at The Warehouse Cafe, another famous vegetarian eatery in Birmingham. At Bistro 1847, Claridge has put in place dainty creations such as curried swede, masala slaw, roast cauliflower, cashew nut butter and cinnamon cornflakes. There’s also the perennially popular ‘fish and chips’, which replaces the cod with smoked tofu or battered halloumi cheese, and comes with a caper and lemon zest tartar sauce. A delicious dish that will appeal to carnivores and veggies alike.