Taking the family to dine at The Ivy, Birmingham // AD

Paid Collaboration 

It’s officially the Christmas holidays for the Shilton family, the out-of-office is on and it’s time for us to unwind and spend some time with each other. We decided to go into Birmingham for the afternoon, to take in the pretty Christmas lights and look around the German market. It’s Christmas and if you can’t enjoy yourself over Christmas, when can you? We caught the train into the city and booked a fabulous restaurant for dinner on the OpenTableUK app. We booked a table for four at The Ivy on Temple Row, it’s somewhere we have always wanted to visit and with the children being older, we were excited to try it out. 

The Ivy, Temple Row

Overlooking St Philips Cathedral, The Ivy is one of Birmingham’s top-tier restaurants. With its glamourous Art-Deco interiors, marble floors, and promise of exceptional food, we were all very excited to visit. We arrived early and ordered a drink at the bar. The restaurant was busy with lots of people eating, drinking, and enjoying the Christmas festivities.

We appeared to be the only family in the restaurant with young children but that didn’t worry us. The restaurant has a Children’s menu on its website so we had done our research prior to booking. Ultimately, it was the inclusion of the children’s menu that swayed it for us. We wanted them to enjoy their meal too and feel included. 

 

Friendly, attentive service 

We were seated on the upper floor of the restaurant surrounded by couples and larger groups all in a cheerful mood. It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere and we were happy to soak it all in. The staff were attentive and helpful. Our waitress Emily was patient and friendly. She put the boys at ease and it was so nice to see her interact with them. In a room full of adults, we didn’t feel out of place. We were offered drinks throughout the course of our meal and her attention to detail was noted. 

Plenty of choice on the A La Carte Menu 

The menu on offer included the Christmas Set Menu, the A La Carte Menu, and the Children’s menu. The boys both choose something from the Children’s menu and my husband and I choose a meal each from the A La Carte menu. We opted for a main course and a dessert, as we weren’t sure we could fit all 3 courses in. The A La Carte menu was full of choice and featured lots of different meal combinations that we have not tried before.

My husband was tempted by the Venison Tartare but choose the Goose and Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with pigs in blankets, creamed mashed potatoes served with a cranberry sauce instead. It’s a meal he ordinarily wouldn’t have at home but was excited to try it. I chose Chicken Milanese which was a Brioche-crumbed chicken breast with a fried egg, Parmesan, and truffle cream sauce which was absolutely beautiful. We added a side of peas, mangetout, and baby shoots, plus a side of brussels sprouts, chestnuts, and cranberries. 

Great children’s menu 

The boys opted for a different meal each. My youngest son tried Hamburger and Chips whilst my eldest enjoyed Fish and Chips. The Fish and Chips meal would ordinarily be served with Mashed Peas but as he’s not a fan, we asked to swap to broccoli which was accommodated without fuss or extra expense. Both the boys really enjoyed their meals. We asked for a plain Hamburger and this is what was delivered. All meals arrived perfectly hot within half an hour of ordering and were enjoyed by all. The portion sizes were generous and offered good value for money. 

Leave room for dessert 

We had seen a variety of desserts presented to other customers during our meal and they all looked amazing. The boys both opted for a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shortbread biscuit whilst I opted for Creme Brulee. My husband chose the Chocolate Bombe which was a melting chocolate bombe with vanilla ice cream, honeycomb centre, and hot salted caramel sauce. It looked absolutely beautiful and Emily poured the hot salted caramel sauce over the bombe to reveal the centre. The dish certainly looked like a showstopper and was really delicious. Such a great way to end a lovely meal out. 

We all enjoyed our meal at The Ivy Temple Row, we would certainly go back to enjoy another delicious meal for a special occasion. Their Afternoon Tea offering looked incredible and would make a wonderful birthday celebration for someone special. If you’re looking for a restaurant in Birmingham that pulls out all the stops but equally offers a great variety of food for all the family, you won’t be disappointed here.