Michelin star restaurants in Birmingham

Birmingham's Michelin stars sit within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Opheem on Summer Row holds two, Adam's on Waterloo Street holds one, and The Wilderness on Warstone Lane in the Quarter holds one. Add two Bib Gourmands out in Harborne and Stirchley, a star at Hampton Manor just past the airport, and a long list of Guide-recommended rooms, and you have the best fine dining outside London. Here is the full list, in the current Guide, with what each one costs and when to go.

Opheem, Summer Row: two stars

Opheem is the city's only two-star, and it is run by a Brummie. Aktar Islam cooks what the inspectors call creative, modern takes on Indian recipes: well spiced, carefully balanced, with a Lucknow-inspired carrot dish, the Gajar, that shows how much one vegetable can do. You start with snacks and a drink in the bar and sitting room, then move through to a dining room with an open kitchen. The autumn menu is ten courses at £195 a head, or five at £145, though the shorter menu is off on Friday and Saturday nights. Wine flights match the price of each. If you want the cooking without the full evening, Friday and Saturday lunch is a la carte: £75 for two courses, £95 for three. It opens Wednesday to Saturday only.

Adam's, Waterloo Street: one star

Adam's is the grown-up room in the Colmore business district: art deco with a retro streak, a smart cocktail bar and a plush dining room in New Oxford House. Head chef Adam Wilson runs five and seven course tasting menus, with a Chef's Table menu and an a la carte and lunch menu alongside. The Guide singles out Cornish brill with white asparagus and a grapefruit sauce, and calls the wine list impressively deep; take the pairing. It opens Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and a 12.5% service charge goes on the bill. Bookings are taken direct by the restaurant.

The Wilderness, Warstone Lane: one star

The Wilderness is the reason people outside the city now take Birmingham seriously as a food town. Alex Claridge has been at it since 2015, in a restored factory in the Quarter, with the lights down and rock, punk and heavy metal on the stereo. There is one tasting menu, currently £145 a head, with the price set on the first of each month and ranging up to £175. Many ingredients are aged in-house, and the Guide's inspectors, who list it as a favourite, point to a reinvented bread and butter pudding with barbecued brassicas. There is a wine flight and a non-alcoholic pairing. Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free menus need 48 hours' notice; vegan, dairy-free and egg-free diets cannot be catered for. Dinner runs Wednesday to Saturday, with Saturday lunch too.

Grace & Savour, Hampton in Arden: one star

Fifteen minutes past the airport, Grace & Savour sits on the Hampton Manor estate, looking over a restored Victorian kitchen garden. The cooking is British produce with a modern Nordic hand and plenty of preserving; the Guide names a Cornish lobster dish. It opens Wednesday to Saturday, with lunch on Friday and Saturday. It is the one to make a night of, with a room upstairs at the manor.

The Bib Gourmands: Tropea and Riverine Rabbit

The Guide's Birmingham page gives two Bib Gourmands, its badge for good cooking at a fair price. Tropea on Lordswood Road in Harborne is a bright neighbourhood Italian: homemade pasta, sharing plates chosen with the staff, and an Italian wine list priced to match. Riverine Rabbit is on Pershore Road in Stirchley, a counter where chef Ash cooks with South African roots and Asian flavours, from tom yum to furikake, over two lengths of set menu. Erin runs the room. It opens Wednesday to Friday evenings only, so plan ahead.

Recommended by the Guide

Below the stars, the Guide lists a strong bench. These are the ones we would book first:

• Land, Great Western Arcade: a vegan set menu that changes with the season, with squash adobo and mushroom XO among the dishes the inspectors name.
• Albatross Death Cult, Newhall Square: a seafood counter with a strong Japanese lean, many dishes raw or cured, Thursday to Saturday.
• 670 Grams, the Custard Factory: a daily tasting menu in Digbeth, playful with temperature and texture.
• Asha's, Newhall Street: big menus across India's regions, tandoori kebab platters and a lamb dish from Asha Bhosle's own recipe.
• Chakana, Alcester Road, Moseley: Peruvian in a former bank, ceviche and a hot crab causa, and one of the largest pisco lists in the country.

How to book

None of the starred rooms opens more than five days a week, and Opheem and The Wilderness are closed Sunday to Tuesday. Book Friday and Saturday a few weeks out; midweek is easier. Adam's and The Wilderness take reservations direct, by phone or through their own sites. Allow for service on top of the menu price, and for the wine pairing, which in every case here is worth it. If it is a first visit, start with The Wilderness for the fun of it, then go to Opheem for the best meal in the city.