The Asquith

Taking his lead from some of London’s casual and affordable darlings, Michelin-starred Brummie chef Glynn Purnell is introducing his home city to the thrills of ambitious cooking in a convivial brasserie setting. Half-hidden behind Ginger’s – a spacious cocktail bar whose old-school glamour and inspirational mixology set a confident tone – the compact, 10-table dining room’s bare woods, browns and reds are smart, if somewhat simple. By contrast, the kitchen aims high: amuse-bouches are de rigueur (perhaps cheese croquettes on a swipe of celeriac purée), and they herald dishes charged with ingenuity. A crispy egg is buoyed by cheese-on-toast foam and scattered with bacon crumbs, lamb comes two ways (crumbed shoulder and saddle with carrot dauphinoise), and strawberry parfait gets a hazelnut crumble topping alongside basil sorbet and a ginger crisp. Prices are consistently reasonable across the board, although service can struggle during busy periods.