Riverine Rabbit — Restaurant in Birmingham

I knew the quality of the dishes here would be exceptional. But I never expected the experience to feel so special.

We’d be wanting to visit ever since we’d heard Ash was opening her own place, but, understandably, sought-after bookings meant we had to push the date back until we could get a table. Coincidently, this date landed on our anniversary. Perfect.

Now, every restaurant with a less-than-large space likes to consider themselves an ‘intimate’ place. I’d always smirk at that. Just say you’re a little smaller than elsewhere, it’s not a big deal! But The Rabbit was different, this was genuine.

I want to leave the dishes a surprise, so’ll just say that we went with the Rabbit Roulette of a 9-course tasting menu for £60, which, considering the size of the portions and just how fun they were, was very reasonable. My favourite dish was the fallow ragu… or was it the ex-dairy cow steak tartare… Anyway, I won’t reveal anything else.

But it wasn’t just about the food. It was that we, among 8 (?) others were sat side-by-side at a fully-reserved bar, the kitchen right the other side, and Ash having just about as much space to do her thing as we did ours. It felt more akin to a friend rustling up their favourite food back at their place. We loved it.

And it wouldn’t be the same without Erin, the FOH who made just as much impact as every other part of The Rabbit. She was with us from start to finish, telling us about the dishes, chatting about what we liked the most, and always keeping our glasses filled. She helped us feel relaxed, yet carefully tended to. Like we were the only people there, despite it being a full house.

Together with Ash, these two, and their restaurant, are a force to be...

Booked this 4 months in advance such is the popularity of this restaurant. It is a little tricky to find as the blinds stay down so it looks like its closed. Upon entering you can see that you are all sat together around the kitchen. The seats which are high bar stools are very uncomfortable and I had to stand up for periods of time. The restaurant was also very hot. The food is nice but not amazing. The menu changes quite often I was told by one of the ladies. You can order as much as you like or as little as you like. I choose to order as much as possible so that I could try various options as re-booking would be very long. There are two ladies one cooks live and the other provides the hospitality in terms of drinks and seating guests. The lady that cooks provides a full story on how she has cooked each dish when bringing it over. There was one particular dish the grilled skate wing (the picture with majority of it green) this is a type of fish I was told, it comes with the bone and the cook tells you how to remove the bone. I did as instructed and still had issues with bones so had to ask the chef to de-bone it herself. She was very helpful and served it back to me with no bones at all (another picture attached). I went with my wife who is vegetarian and a full menu option was provided to her. Homemade fudge is also given when receiving the bill, we were very full and it was packed in a little packet. The fudge was very nice Overall the service is very good and the food is different and nice. There is roadside parking which is free after certain hours or various...

A true hidden gem.

My partner and I visited Rabbit and can say confidently that our experience was outstanding.

Erin swiftly showed us to our seats and gave us a complimentary herbal tea which was full of flavour and depth. From our initial brief interaction, I knew we were safe hands. Throughout the evening she chatted and exchanges jokes with all the guests, which made the occasion extra special, and feeling that you have made a friend by the end of your night.

Ourselves and the other guests for the evening were sat across the counter where all plates are prepared in front of you by Chef Ash, extraordinaire. Each plate was clearly lovingly crafted, with plenty of attention to detail. Chef Ash explained in great depth the ingredients used, the processes taken, and the desired vision for each dish we ordered. Her pride and confidence in her cooking is very evident, and thoroughly deserved. This is best evidenced when she offered us a complementary dish simply because she saw our reaction to similar items that we’d ordered. My opinion is that the quality of flavours are remarkably close to those I’ve had at Michelin star restaurants, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rabbit join that exclusive list.

As others have mentioned, the most difficult part is getting a reservation as the list is quite long, but truly, truly is worth the wait. I will certainly be visiting again!

(The only point of feedback I have is the stools can become slightly uncomfortable over time, but this is a...