Sorrento Lounge — Restaurant in Birmingham

Firstly I’d like to say how much I love the Lounges. The decor, atmosphere, food choice for vegans and quality of the food and drinks are usually great value!

Unfortuantely, that hasn't been my experience at this Lounge

The first time I went I ordered the beyond burger which came out so dry and over cooked I questioned whether it was the beyond burger (having cooked them myself at home and having eaten them at Sorrento, Verdo and Quinto Lounge I know how good they can be). The waiter assured me it was definitely not meat (after over hearing me questioning it to my friend) so I ate it. I’d paid in advance for a vegan carrot cake and cappuccino to have after dinner. Payment was taken but there was no carrot cake in stock (not a big deal but maybe worth the staff knowing when something goes out of stock before taking payment, I ended up leaving the cost of cake and coffee as a tip as I'd paid on card)

I went back there today with my husband for brunch. I ordered the big vegan breakfast. I swapped the vegan bacon for the beyond burger patty. The lady serving me fully understood what I wanted, she read it back to me after entering it into the till and informed me she would speak to the kitchen and let them know I wanted a beyond patty served with the breakfast. My husband ordered the bang bang chicken.

After 20 minutes a waiter informed us there was no bang bang chicken so he had to change his order, no big deal we thought (but should've known at the point of order and much earlier than 20 minutes after placing it). My breakfast came out a few minutes later...with a beef patty! Fortunately I could tell looking at it that it was beef so I asked my husband to try it and he confirmed it. It made me feel sick and tearful that I almost ate meat after years of veganism. I took it up and gave it to the manager and he apologised and said they'd get it changed for me. He came back and asked if the lady who took my order had read the order back to me as it said beef patty on the ticket - I felt as though somehow it was my fault that a beef burger had been served with my vegan breakfast! How does a mistake like that even happen!? At what point does someone serve a meat product with a specifically vegan meal?

I explained that she very clearly repeated "beyond burger patty" back to me and to be honest I wasn't bothered whose mistake it was but I was very unhappy at being served meat. My choice to be vegan should be treated with the same importance as someone who doesn't eat something for religious or allergy reasons.

When the manager was dealing with our complaint he said "yes it does seem odd to have meat served with a vegan breakfast" and chuckled. Whether this was nervous laughter or what I don't know but it was innapropriate and made me feel my complaint was just a minor inconvenience, he said "oh well we've sorted it out for you now anyway". Perhaps the staff here don't understand how important dietary requirements / choices are.

I'm extremely concerned that they're serving meat to none meat eaters. It makes me question whether the burger I had to other week was vegan or not to be honest. A thought which makes me feel ill. I read another review further down where butter was served instead of vegan spread and the owner replied saying the staff needed further training. Well...I'd say significant training still needs to be done with the staff here.

In addition, I wasn't served a spread at all today. The toast and beans were cold, the falafel was overcooked and dry. My husband's food came out 10 minutes after mine and my beyond patty came out after I'd finished my food and it was also completely dry and overcooked so I left it and we were only asked how the food was after we had finished.

The manager asked if he could get anything so we had a free pint of beer (for my husband) and I asked for a piece of carrot cake - no stock. So I had a cappuccino - but no oat milk. All in all a really poor experience

Certainly won't visit this...

So we ate here yesterday evening on table 31, and after having a great experience on a previous occasion eating here around 5-6 years ago, I decided it would be good place to eat out again.

Unfortunately, this was a dining experience to forget.

I ordered the Nasi Goreng and when it arrived, it looked incredibly plain, and there was a small bit of red sauce had been squirted on the side of a bowl full of brown rice containing some prawns and chicken, with a dried out egg slapped on top.

The meal was tasteless, with no flavour whatsoever, and it really felt like a bowl of plain microwaved rice where someone had just dumped a small amount of chilli sauce on the side.

The side dish of broccoli that I ordered, was half cooked, as some of the broccoli, I had to spit out and put to one side as I could not chew it. When I went to look for a member of staff to complain to, unfortunately, no one was availavle at that point, so we just carried on eating, leaving the bits of broccoli to one side.

My 85-year-old mother ordered the Smashed Avocado Brunch, which looked very nicely presented upon arrival, but my mum commented, it tasted a bit “colder” than she expected when she started eating it and wasn't that nice.

Within an hour of arriving home (we live just 5-6 minutes’ walk away from Sorrento Lounge), unfortunately, my mum developed severe stomach pains followed by a bout of diarrhoea that continued until just past midnight, which was no doubt, as a result of the meal she had consumed at Sorrento Lounge.

Overall, this was an extremley poor experience, and the fact that the lounge/restaurant was 75% empty when we arrived, leaves no excuse for the bland tasting food and a dish that left my elderly mother feeling very unwell…

Perhaps there has been a change of chief since we last dined here, 5-6 years ago, as back then, the food tasted excellent and flavoursome - but not anymore!

We will never return, despite being...

I've been coming here for around 2 months and quite often. It's been my safe space and thats truly because of the staff. They make me feel safe and welcomed all the time. All have great energy and character !! Ive been told to try the other lounges however I come to this one specifically for the staff!

I did 10 years in customer service (customers are rude and awful) but this team go beyond customer service. Very quick and efficient service also very patient. I've witnessed rude and impatient and entitled customers and the staff do not deserve that energy or abuse but the staff handle it very well.

The staff are amazing to me, treat me very well and with respect, I've even had the chance to engage with the chefs too and they are great. A lot of laughs and kindness which is rare in the world let alone in hospitality.

As a social scientist it's a great place for me to come to work on some very tough cases and then to relax and decompress after.

So to all staff at this lounge thank you for being great to me in the midst of everyday chaos and intense case work, you make my job easier!!!

P.s...