Aria Restaurant

This was our first and last visit to the Aria... The Food was Ok but nothing special, but the Restaurant is situated in the Main Lobby of the Hotel, in this huge open space, there are no Windows, Doors or Walls around the Restaurant Area... So Guest of the Hotel and Members of the Public who are not Dinning, can sit just feet away in the main Lobby/Reception area Drinking, Chatting and Shouting... We had all the noise from a Christmas Party in one of the Function Rooms above Us, blasting round the lobby every time someone opened the Door...

I've always kept away from Romantic Meals in Hotels, but having had a Fantastic Meal in the Filini Restaurant, which is in the Radisson SAS, I thought I'd give the Aria a go... Big Mistake.

If You don't mind paying over £100.00 for a Meal for 2 in a Restaurant that's about as Romantic as the Hard Rock Cafe, this is the place for You.

If not eat at the Fillini, Opus or Simpsons and have a Meal You will never forget... but for all the wright reasons.
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Gwyn Davies
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Thursday, February 12, 2009

Fantastic meal, fantastic wine, fantastic service. Would be very very expensive if i never took advantage of the 3 course meal and two glasses of wine for £26 per person. Suggest to everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy a real true gem of a dinning experience. Go again with out doubt. Loved it.
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ash85
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, August 16, 2008

I never usually post on review websites because I never really find anything particularly worth recommending. In this case, however, Aria Restaurant can not go un-reviewed. In the Hyatt, yes, but its not just a hotel restaurant. It is really very good food for the money - try the lamb or rabbit - if it is still on the menu.

I don't really know what to say to be honest, to make some of you go there, but I really do think that many places nowadays just call themselves the next trendy thing, the next 'it' restaurant, while really serving repetitive, boring, mediocre food. This is not the case at Aria. I think maybe the atmosphere is lacking slightly....but thats just because theres not enough 'buzz' about it! So if you all just turn up there it will have top quality food, polite, attentive, pleasant service AND a good atmosphere!!

Anyway, I think it at least deserves a visit above some of these other jumped up restaurants in Birmingham.

Its always hard to find nice food thats not ridiculously expensive - restaurants awarded a Michelin star are a too expensive for a regular 'night-out-for-a-meal' even though having a Michelin star is an assurance you will at least find food of a certain standard - you know, care taken in making it, excellent quality ingredients, interesting, exciting, well-designed food.

Also, don't go to some second rate chain restaurants like Cafe Rouge or Bank or whatever to get nice food. Well, ok, Bank is not exactly a chain...anyway you get the picture, you know, like Strada etc.

I'll shut up now.

Try it! or not, whatever, but seriously, I think it is worth it.

Oh yes, there is also a pre-theatre menu for £16.75 for 3 courses which I only just discovered. Obviously, its not as good as the a la carte...(dammit where are the french accents keys when you need them) but its still GGGREAT value for money.

So in summing up: there are never enough people at this restaurant when I go, either if I am staying at the hotel or not, so.....lets make it popular and well known so that it can be come an even lovelier, higher quality restaurant for in which the residents of Birmingham can take pleasure for the forseeable future. We should all encourage ideas like this - turning a not-so-destination-hotel and restaurant into a properly 'cheffed' and intentionally high quality dining establishment.

Rightio, I'm off then, hope someone reads this and goes. Au revoir! (et oui, je suis francais)
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Il y a personne ici!
Thursday, August 09, 2007