AFRO! Restaurant & Lounge Birmingham — Restaurant in Birmingham

So I am going to try and break down my experince as best as I can. I was leaning in the 3.5 to 4 star range for the food, but the atmosphere was definitely a 5 star with the service and the atmosphere.

So you walk through the big double doors, the entrance really left a impression on me because it was spacious, it had room and it was beautifully decorated. Like you can tell they wanted you to feel the culture as soon as you walk in here.

The gentleman at reception was nice and friendly, you can either be a walk-in or a booking. Which is very important to note because i can feel as this place begins to grow and generate more attentions, i feel like some days, you won't be able to walk in so easily as i did that day.

Waiter showed us around and because it was not a busy day (this is because we came on sunday) we were able to choose the area we wanted to sit in. I do know if it is because we look african or we sound african, but the waiter ask or check if we had any allergens. Just proceeded to let us know what they were out of in the kitkcen. it was 11pm, so i can understand that the kitcken is running low on ingredients. But i have worked in kitckens for 7 years and we were always told we need to check for allergens. But listen being nigerian, we come to fill our stomach and chop life. I will not succumb to allergens ooo. After taking our order, we were asked if we would like some water. Didn't even know there was a free jug water, wasn't even mentioned. Just asked if we wanted some water. Which of course we agreeded to because i didn't know how hot the food was going to be.

So I ordered the egusi (meat) portion (£21) with pounded yam (£10), my other ordered pepper soup (£15). Listen i can not go through all the orders on the menu, thats not my review here. But when your gauging the order, you have to take a lot into consideration. For example the wait time to prepare the food, the enviroment, the clientele etc. So as we waited for the food, there was a DJ that night, playing a good mix and really creating a vibe and mood, slow jams but not so slow that you couldn't bust a move in your chair. But the music really brought that feeling of being home because the DJ played afrobeats, amapiano, afroswing all of it. After about 20 to 25mins, the food comes out. And what was infront of me, kinda shocked me me but didnt upset me. So remember when i told you i ordered egusi (meat) porition right. I only got one piece of meat and the rest seeds and Spinach. Never before have i paid £30 for food and been short changed on the meat. Especially when i know i told the waiter for a meat portion. My other had the pepper soup, but it was filled with more meat than soup. So you can understand my confusion here because one plate has litterally no meat and the other has more meat but almost no soup. Like the raito is not making sense. But after i got past it because i felt like i wanted to make a sence. But my other said try it first before you become upset. And you know what, hand on heart, the food slapped. Like flavours, the softness of the yam, the blend of the seeds and spinach, it was making sense. Like even tho the food was not presented properly, the food was still good uno.

So at the end, i waxed the food, left a tip for the waiter and left because we were going out afterwards. But i still had room for seconds. BUT NEXT TIME, ADD THE MEAT MY GUY!!!!!!!!!! Like don't have a meat section and not add the meat. Also want to try the shisha as well, will defiantly get a bottle next time. Prices anit even that bad uno. For a bottle off hennessy, its £130, like i could manage that.

Oh yeah, we were dressed on a calm, chilled vibe. But the other customer's make you wanna step up your game because its giving "how you leave your house like that vibes". Even tho its a lounge and when compared to othe lounge. This is...

Subject: A Beautiful Venue with Untapped Potential

As someone who has spent 25 years in London enjoying some of the best Nigerian restaurants the UK has to offer, I’ve developed a keen eye for what makes a great dining experience—location, ambience, food quality, presentation, and authenticity. Since moving to Birmingham nine years ago, I’ve been eager to see how Nigerian restaurants here measure up, and when I saw the buzz around Afro Birmingham, I was genuinely excited to try it.

I took my wife there for her birthday on Valentine’s Day, keeping my expectations realistic given my past experiences with Nigerian restaurants in Birmingham. Right away, I was struck by the contrast—the location wasn’t ideal, but the moment we stepped inside, everything changed. The decor? Immaculate. The atmosphere? Vibrant. The cleanliness? Honestly, one of the best I’ve seen in a Nigerian restaurant. It’s clear a lot of thought went into creating a beautiful and inviting space, and that deserves recognition.

Then came the menu. First impressions? Pricey—but price isn’t an issue when it matches quality. Starters were around £14-15, mains didn’t include sides, and a burger priced at £16 was described as coming with yam chips, plantain, and okro mayo. When it arrived, however, what I saw was a basic burger with cheese, tomato, and an orange sauce. No yam chips, no plantain, no okro mayo. It made me wonder—was this an oversight, or was the description on the menu not accurate?

My wife’s Ayamase, priced at £18, was a small portion, and while I understand quality over quantity, I was expecting more depth of flavor. Ayamase is a dish I know well, and the expectation for that price is not just authenticity but an elevated execution of it. The rice, priced at £8, was plain and lacked the kind of thoughtful presentation that should accompany such pricing. And when I saw pounded yam listed at £10, I hesitated. At that price point, is it made from real yam, or is it the powdered alternative with rice or potato flour? That’s the kind of detail that can define a high-class restaurant versus just a high-priced one.

So here’s my challenge: You have something special with this venue. The ambiance, the branding, and the vision are all 10/10. But how do we make sure the food matches the promise? What would it take to ensure that every plate leaving the kitchen is as impressive as the space it’s being served in?

If I had to rate the experience: • Location: 2/10 • Venue & Atmosphere: 10/10 • Food Quality & Taste: 3-4/10 • Pricing (value for money): 2/10

Birmingham doesn’t just need a Nigerian restaurant—it needs a great Nigerian restaurant. One that not only represents the cuisine authentically but elevates it in taste, quality, and execution. I’d love to see Afro Birmingham be the place that sets that standard. The foundation is there—the question is, how do you build on it?

Looking forward to seeing how things evolve because this is a restaurant I want...

The restaurant is stunning, the decor is beautiful, it reminded me of tattu restaurant in Birmingham. So my expectations were extremely high. Also it being a brand new afro bar and lounge with such decor. I was really looking forward to it. But that's all I got, my expectations were greatly lowered the moment we stepped in. I came in with a large coat and no one offered to take it. We were shown to our seat and I noticed the staff were everywhere. All over the place, the restaurant was extremely loud I could barely hear my own thoughts, the music was amazing but wayyy too loud for a dine in restaurant. The bar area stunning. The male waiters looked amazing. I loved their uniform, the females on the other hand. I don't know what went wrong there. Dirty trainers and all black? Like why. Then, a man approached us getting our order, and I have dined in many restaurant and never have i ever experienced a waiter physically lean on the table with both hands writing down our order, and the guy couldn't hear us because the music was too loud and the people were way too loud, and he did not know the menu. I started to feel like i was in nandoes. The waitresses were all over the place, but none actually catered to us. At least in nandoes they come in to check in once or twice, we had to ask 3 times for tap water. The bathroom was stunning but had no running water I had to use the bar sink to wash my hands. The food was average, it looked nice but was very bland for afro cuisine. A restaurant like this should have extremely restricted dress code, some men came in with cut up jeans lower to their bottom showing their underwear, some came in with joggers, some with bomber jackets looking like gangster, it was disappointing to know they let them in, you will never be allowed to enter tattu dressed like that. The music was great but too loud, it's a restaurant not a club, I had to double check to make sure it wasn't listed as a club, the owner needs to train the staff in better customer service and you don't need so many staff lingering around. Also I understand it has a bar, but it needs to be controlled. People are standing all over it, lingering in groups it's actually disappointing to see and it ruins the aesthetic of the restaurant. Lastly the food was brought in using trolleys, it gave canteen vibes, who ever idea it was please, delete it, if there are too many food on a tray, do couple of rounds or get the lingering waitress standing around doing nothing to help serve the food. From simply looking at the restaurant it gave 5 star, eating inside its 1 star. I hope they take this as feedback and do better because I was going to bring my friends there but not...