Record 60 Venues Join Landmark Birmingham Restaurant Festival, West Midlands 2026

Key Points

• Record Participation: The Birmingham Restaurant Festival has officially unveiled its final lineup of 60 participating restaurants, marking the largest cohort of eateries in the event’s history.
• Milestone Celebration: Running from 1st to 31st August 2026, the city-wide culinary event is celebrating its milestone fifth anniversary.
• Specially Curated Value: The month-long festival features exclusive, affordable lunch and dinner set menus designed to showcase the diversity of Birmingham’s gastronomy without requiring diners to purchase tickets or wristbands.
• Michelin-Grade Experiences: High-profile additions include a six-course tasting menu at Restaurant Folium, value-driven courses from Glynn Purnell’s Plates by Purnell’s, and special menus at Michelin-starred stalwarts Adam’s and The Wilderness.
• City-Wide Coverage: The culinary showcase spans central Birmingham—including the iconic Jewellery Quarter—and extends to the city’s outer wards such as Edgbaston Village, Digbeth, Moseley, and Harborne.
• Booking System: Organisers have confirmed that whilst select venues may accommodate walk-ins, advanced reservations via the central festival website are required to guarantee access to the exclusive promotional prices.

Birmingham (Birmingham Express) June 18, 2026 – The Birmingham Restaurant Festival has officially confirmed its final lineup of 60 participating venues for its upcoming August iteration, establishing the highest number of culinary establishments ever recorded in the event’s five-year history. Organised by Living For The Weekend Ltd, the city-wide gastronomic celebration will run from 1st August to 31st August 2026, offering an expansive array of exclusive, value-driven lunch and dinner menus designed to encourage residents and travelling food enthusiasts to explore the West Midlands’ diverse culinary landscape. Under the structural guidelines of the festival, diners are permitted to make an unlimited number of table bookings throughout the month, providing unhindered access to a wide spectrum of international flavours, Michelin-recommended establishments, and popular independent bistros.

As reported by Alex Nicholson-Evans, the Founder and Director of Living For The Weekend, the scale of this year’s event represents a significant milestone for the regional hospitality sector. In an official statement distributed to local media titles, Nicholson-Evans stated that: “With 60 restaurants taking part and serving up exclusive and affordable menus, this is our biggest lineup ever for our landmark fifth year.” The festival director further emphasized the strategic intent behind the expansive selection, adding: “Whether you’re planning a summer city break filled with exciting flavours, revisiting a favourite local restaurant, or discovering somewhere new, we’re confident there’s a menu to suit every taste. We encourage food lovers to make the most of the festival, explore Birmingham’s vibrant culinary scene, and support the city’s fantastic hospitality businesses.”

What Exclusive Fine Dining Menus Form Part Of The Core Lineup?

The fifth-anniversary schedule highlights a strong contingent of premium and Michelin-recognised venues offering fixed-price access to high-end British and international cuisine. Among the flagship announcements is Restaurant Folium, situated in the city centre, which specialises in elevated British gastronomy. For the duration of the August showcase, Restaurant Folium will present an exclusive six-course tasting menu, which includes paired wines and a welcome drink, priced at £70 per person.

Concurrently, Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell is introducing a highly accessible price point via his venue, Plates by Purnell’s. The establishment will be dishing up a specially curated festival menu featuring two courses for £15 or three courses for £20.

In the heart of the city centre, further fine dining options have been consolidated into the official programme. The Michelin-starred Adam’s will feature a dedicated tasting menu priced at £70, with diners given the explicit option to add a flight of tasting wines for an additional £55. Additionally, Land—a modern, plant-focused dining room located within the historic Great Western Arcade—will offer its own signature tasting menu for £70, ensuring that high-concept, vegetable-forward gastronomy remains central to the city’s collective culinary output.

How Is Central Birmingham’s Casual And Sky-High Dining Represented?

Beyond traditional dining rooms, the festival lineup incorporates unique spatial and experiential concepts across the city centre. For those seeking panoramic vistas alongside their meal, 24 Stories will host a six-course tasting menu served in the sky for £70. Meanwhile, the premium steakhouse Cow & Sow is targeting pairs of diners with a tailored two-course sharing experience; the package is priced at £100 for two people and includes a full bottle of wine.

Culinary adventurers looking for vibrant, regional street food styles can look to Dishoom, which remains a core fixture of the central city line-up. Dishoom is scheduled to provide two separate price tiers for its Bombay-inspired street food menus, offering a two-course selection for £29 or a three-course variation for £34.

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Which Jewellery Quarter Venues Have Been Confirmed For The Festival?

The historic Jewellery Quarter stands out as a primary geographic hub for the 2026 festival, boasting a dense concentration of award-winning independent venues. The Wilderness, which secured its first Michelin star in February, will showcase an inventive tasting menu packed full of distinct, unorthodox dishes for £85.

Reflecting the diversity of the quarter, Maneki Ramen—formally named the Japanese Restaurant of the Year 2025—will present two courses for £18.50 or three courses for £25. Their festival contribution will prominently feature their critically acclaimed, slow-simmered ramen bowls.

Joining them in the Jewellery Quarter is the Sicilian-inspired eatery Vieni, which launched earlier this year within The Goodsyard development. Vieni will introduce a four-course menu complete with accompanied side dishes for £45, marking its inaugural appearance in the annual restaurant festival.

What Suburban Options Are Available In Edgbaston Village And Moseley?

The organisers of the Birmingham Restaurant Festival have explicitly structured the event to extend deep into the city’s residential wards and outer commercial districts, ensuring that suburban independent businesses receive equal visibility.

In Edgbaston Village, the acclaimed independent restaurant Chapter will be serving the best of British produce, utilizing strictly seasonal components across two structural options: a two-course menu for £26 or a three-course menu for £33. Located a short distance away on the same thoroughfare, Fiesta de Asado will treat guests to a traditional, open-fire Argentine asado experience, offering two courses for £25 or three courses for £30.

Progressing into the cultural ward of Moseley, Mediterranean and South Asian cuisines dictate the festival offerings. Greek Aura will dish up traditional Mediterranean delights across a two-course menu for £20 or a three-course layout for £27. Simultaneously, the popular street-food venue Zindiya will treat guests to a comprehensive three-course menu, which includes an authentic side dish, for £25.

How Are Digbeth And Harborne Contributing To The Ward Lineup?

The creative sector of Digbeth brings a mix of avant-garde and plant-based options to the historical lineup. The Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant 670 Grams will operate dual options for festival-goers: an exclusive festival tasting menu priced at £65 alongside their premium signature menu for £90. Catering directly to the city’s vegan demographic, the plant-based restaurant BA-HA will serve two courses for £22 or three courses for £27 within its Digbeth base.

Further southwest in Harborne, fresh Southeast Asian flavours are represented by Pho. The Vietnamese specialist will serve fresh, herb-infused Vietnamese dishes with a two-course option priced at £22.95 and a three-course tier set at £26.95.

Which Remaining Restaurants Complete The Final 60-Venue Roster?

To ensure total transparency and comprehensive coverage across the entire municipality, the festival directors published the full, unabridged index of the 60 participating operations. The remaining establishments providing exclusive and affordable menus throughout August include:

• Arch 13 at Connolly’s
• Bhancha
• Chung Ying Cantonese Restaurant
• F1®️ Arcade
• Fumo by San Carlo (Selfridges)
• Fumo by San Carlo (Waterloo Street)
• Flight Club
• Bistro at Hotel du Vin
• Indian Brewery Snowhill
• Isaac’s Restaurant
• The Jam House
• Lulu Wild
• Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill Birmingham
• The Mayan
• Miller & Carter
• Noel’s Bar and Restaurant
• The Oyster Club
• Primitivo Bar & Eatery
• Regina’s
• San Carlo
• Siamais
• Wagamama (Brindleyplace)
• Wagamama (Bullring)
• Wagamama (New Street)
• Yakinori
• The Alchemist (BrindleyPlace)
• The Alchemist (Colmore Row)
• Asha’s
• Bazar
• Chez Mal Bar & Brasserie
• Cosy Club
• Del Villaggio
• Fogo de Chão
• Gaucho
• Lasan
• Rosa’s Thai
• Samo Bistro
• Seafood City
• Temper and Brown
• Tiger Bites Pig
• Trentina
• Txikiteo
• Vietnamese Street Kitchen

How Can Diners Secure Bookings For The Festival Menus?

In terms of logistical access, the festival administration has confirmed a streamlined booking process designed to remove financial barriers for consumers. Unlike conventional food festivals, diners are not required to purchase a ticket or a physical wristband to gain eligibility for the discounted rates.

However, the event coordinators have issued a firm directive regarding reservations. While select casual dining venues may retain a limited capacity for standard walk-in traffic, advanced reservations are strongly deemed mandatory to secure the promotional festival deals. To ensure entry, diners must visit the official digital portal (www.birminghamrestaurantfestival.co.uk) and strictly follow the booking directions outlined on each individual restaurant’s dedicated landing page. This process ensures that the specific kitchen teams are notified ahead of service to prepare the exclusive multi-course festival menus.