Ep.8 Little Blackwood, A Little Gem In The Heart Of Moseley

Posted On February 24, 2019

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Recently when discussing the best places to eat in Birmingham with a few of our podcast guests and other foodie friends, a common answer has been emerging. Little Blackwood.

Little Blackwood opened in Moseley just under a year ago and the little gem of a restaurant, has rapidly established itself as a firm favourite.

The recommendation became impossible to ignore, and we booked for dinner. We definitely were not disappointed.

Offering beautiful seasonal dishes with more than a hint of Asian inspiration, in a relaxed laid back atmosphere. Little Blackwood is a must visit.

We arrive a bit early for our booking, but are immediately shown to our table in the cosy restaurant, where we get cracking with a round of cocktails. I am very happy us non drinkers are catered for with a few Seadlip cocktails to choose from.

Little Blackwood’s menu is extremely reasonably priced, with diner costing £26 for two courses, or three courses for £32.

The menu isn’t massive, a choice of four starters, five mains and three desserts. However, it still presents the painfully tough challenge of narrowing it down to three dishes, eventually I manage it.

For starters I have the pig cheeks/langoustine/blackolive.

Slowly braised pig cheeks that at the very sight of my fork, fall apart faster than the Aston Villa back four. The pig cheeks bathing in a langoustine bisque are so comforting, they have me remonising of bitter winter days spent slurping a deep bisque or chowder with a hunk of soda bread. Usually beside a roaring open turf fire in Donegal. The black olive tapenade ties everything together perfectly.

My wife very happy with her starter of mushroom wontons, which comes in a delicate mushroom and lemongrass dashi. I thought the fork full I managed to steal when she wasn’t looking, was very good.

Carl’s wife Siobhan opted for the specials board which was three of the biggest scallops I’ve ever seen.

The langoustine bisque still has my mind travelling to a far off place, when our main arrives. Strictly adhering to my, if there’s pork belly on the menu, stop reading, and order pork belly, philosophy. I have the pork belly. Delicious soft slightly sweet pork belly with a joyfully crisp skin, a spiced carrot puree, sharp pickled carrot, fermented cabbage, an excellent earthy black pudding bon bon finished with a generous sprinkle of smokey little crunchy puffs of pork skin. A dish so deeply comforting I’m nearly kicking my shoes off, and putting my feet up.

The rest of our party have the Fillet of beef with a potato coquette, a bordelaise sauce, topped with bone marrow and for a £4 supplement, foie gras.

The monkfish and king prawn curry with sauteed sea vegetables, butternut squash and banana leaf sticky rice. All these dishes emphasise the greatness of this place. A restaurant that uses exceptional ingredients to create top class comfort food in a serene chilled atmosphere.

Time for dessert, I have the Little Blackwood chocolate bar. A salted caramel moose topped with sweet droplets of strawberry gel, in a glossy smooth milk chocolate case with a creamy scoop of peanut butter ice cream. Not too big or too sweet, it is just the right way to finish a delightful relaxed evening.

Judging by the the clean plates and wide smiles, the others enjoyed their desserts too. Maria had the chocolate brownie, with white chocolate ice cream, popcorn and burnt white chocolate. She loved the ice cream but found the brownie a bit underwhelming, I tasted and agreed it could be more gooey.

Carl and Siobhan both choose the Asian influenced honey and yuzu cake, simply garnished with chantilly cream, fresh honey and pistachios.

The simply quality dishes, that make you want to eat everything on the menu, along with the relaxed nature of the dining room makes Little Blackwood the kind of place you will want to visit regularly. I’m already planning my next visit, maybe for their famous Sunday lunch. Mainly because Little Blackwood appears on nearly every list of Sunday lunch recommendations, a true gem of a restaurant in the heart of Moseley.