It was the perfect location for a country pub – a big Georgian house on the edge of a quaint Solihull village, windows looking out onto the bowling green and surrounding countryside. My husband and I had our first date at The Beeches almost ten years ago and always planned to go back, but we never got round to it before the venue closed in 2022.
The lovely old building, off a quiet country lane, seemed an unusual spot for an Indian restaurant, but the packed car park and queue of people waiting for a table on a Saturday night told us the place was now more popular than ever.
Soho Tavern opened in Hampton in Arden last year. Birmingham brothers Mikey and Danny Singh opened their first gastropub in Hockley in 2014 and now run five in total, with a sixth due to open in Sutton Coldfield next summer.
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It was my first visit to any Soho branch, but the friendly welcome from the guy on the door gave us a good first impression. We were glad to have booked, given how busy it was. We’d paid a deposit to reserve a table – a rule imposed to deter no-shows – so we were given a voucher for the amount towards our bill on arrival.
The dining room had been transformed into a glamorous bar with comfy booths and a grand blue bar. I was relieved to see that the pretty orangery where we’d chatted for hours, sussing each other out over chicken and chips, hadn’t changed too drastically.
There was a queue for tables on a Saturday night
(Image: Emily Chaplin/BirminghamLive)
We were shown through to the modern glasshouse, an extension built when the new owners took over. If it hadn’t been dark out, we’d have had a stunning view of the beer garden with its patio seating and manicured lawns. The restaurant was buzzing, ladies dressed up in heels and sipping cocktails, families celebrating birthdays with balloons decorating the tables.
The menu was made up of a mix of small plates, curries, seafood, sides and, what the brand is best known for, mixed grills. I was spoiled for choice on vegetarian options but eventually settled on the paneer tikka masala and my husband had the Soho Grill with a naan each, adding a portion of the chilli chips at the last moment after spotting a note on the menu claiming they were ‘famous’. With two alcoholic drinks, our order came to just over £60.
Soho Tavern’s garden in the light of day
When our dinner arrived, we had to rearrange the table to fit it all on and I realised we’d vastly overordered. The portions were massive. The £19 regular mixed grill, which struck me as a bit pricy at first glance, was enough to feed two, a medley of chicken wings, chicken tikka, shish kebab and my husband’s highlight, fish pakora, all piled on to a sizzling skillet. He hailed it the tastiest Indian grill he’d ever eaten, though he couldn’t finish it.
My curry, too, seemed bottomless. The paneer wasn’t the squeaky chargrilled-kind I like best but there was loads of it, the tangy tomatoey sauce perfect for dipping your naan in. Speaking of, the breads were lovely and fresh, thin and doughy.
But the star of the show was undoubtedly the chips – something I never thought I’d say about an Indian restaurant. The £5 portion was perfect for sharing and each one was coated in a crispy batter and doused in a sweet and spicy chilli sauce, with fresh spring onions sprinkled on top. It’s no wonder they’re famous. Another genius accompaniment worthy of mention was the mint yoghurt, which was served in a glass bottle like ketchup instead of a tiny pot.
Next time (and there will be a next time – the chilli chips made sure of that), I’ll be trying the veggie mixed grill and having a drink outside in that gorgeous beer garden as soon as the light summer evenings return.