CAFE VALOR — Restaurant in Birmingham

I visited Cafe Valour on two occasions this week. Having been pleasantly surprised the first visit. I only went for hot drinks and a little dessert the first time with a friend. This cafe has a very elegant ambience. From the colours, textures, and lighting used- I felt super chilled. There's outside space to relax, which in the warmer weather will be lovely. On the first visit, we had a flat white and cinnamon hot chocolate and opted for kunefe and a pistachio croissant. My friend loved the flat white and I really enjoyed the cinnamon hot chocolate. The kunefe was by far the best I have ever had, and the croissant was so fresh and moreish. Unfortunately, their card machine wasn't working but nonetheless was happy to bank transfer.

The place is fairly new, so they changed the menu to see what would work and did increase the prices. On the second visit, I went for breakfast. I noticed the cinnamon hot chocolate wasn't on the menu anymore 😕 but I tried another one, which was caramel flake, and it was just as nice!! We also had a fresh orange juice - I did ask not to have a lot of ice in it- which I did feel was still more than what we would've preferred - still very tasty! For breakfast we went for old cafe favourite- which consisted of two fried eggs, a piece of bread and butter, beans, fish fingers and chips- couldn't go wrong 😋 - though in terms of price this was alittle steep for what you get. We also went for the Mediterranean bliss, which I was absolutely wowed by! This made up for the old cafe breakfast. It consisted of halloumi on a bed of salad, hummus, scrambled eggs, falafel, potatoes with peppers and tomato, and garlic bread with some fruit in the centre. It was absolutely perfection 🥰 I was left feeling full all day! The owner at the end was very lovely - he said if I ever wanted the cinnamon hot chocolate, I could ask for it! Very accommodating. I would recommend this place! I can't wait to come for...

Visited this place after seeing it on TikTok. Ordered a chaii latte, English tea, lahori desi breakfast and a desi breakfast. The Lahori desi breakfast portion is massive...more than enough for two...didn't realise this till after. The place itself is beautiful with ample seating and everything is well presented. The menu has a large variety of multicultural dishes. They have recently started doing a more self service approach which we weren't really told about and this is something the staff need to improve on. We weren't greeted at the door instead we went up to the till and were told to help ourselves to menus and take a seat wherever we like and come to the till to order when we are ready. The drinks came out first and the food followed after about 10/15mins...it was quiet so quick service, again we weren't given any cutlery or tissues. We saw a stand on the side and helped ourselves. The drinks were really nice however the food was cold and the parathas in the lahori breakfast were rock solid. After complaining one of the waitresses brought out a fresh paratha and we ate what was edible as you can see from one of the pics. We were offered a complete replacement but we asked for a refund instead as we got put off. We were given a complete refund and complimentary desserts. I would try this place again given that I don't have the same experience. I think the staff need to improve on their communication skills so that customers are aware that it is fully self service apart from these issues everything...

At first glance, the restaurant exudes an air of elegance and sophistication — the décor is undeniably upscale, with a refined ambiance that immediately sets high expectations. Unfortunately, the experience did not quite live up to the appearance.

While the presentation of the dishes was impressive, the flavours were overwhelmingly intense, almost to the point of being difficult to enjoy. The food seemed to be seasoned excessively, with an overabundance of spices that clashed rather than complemented one another. The spicy doner, in particular, was far too hot to be pleasant and left me feeling quite unwell afterwards.

Considering the quality and the overall dining experience, the prices felt unjustifiably high. In summary, it’s a place that certainly looks the part, but beneath the fancy exterior, the food lacks balance and finesse.

(Edit) Thank you for taking the time to respond. I completely understand that the Naga is intended to be intensely spicy, and I did notice the note on your menu. My surprise stemmed less from the heat itself and more from how dominant it was over the other flavours, which made it difficult to appreciate the rest of the dish’s profile.

The 3-star rating was by no means a reflection of your ambience or service — both of which were excellent — but rather an honest representation of my personal experience with that particular item. I truly value the quality and care evident in your presentation, and I look forward to returning to try one of your milder options...