Restaurant near Birmingham you'd 'walk past a hundred times without noticing' named among best

A restaurant near Birmingham which you would 'walk past a hundred times without noticing' has been named among the best in the UK. The winners of the National Restaurant Awards have been revealed in a shortlist online.

Over in Staffordshire, Upstairs by Tom Shepherd in Lichfield made the top 100 - coming in at number 46. The restaurant was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2022 - only four months after first opening.

Chef Tom was born in Sutton Coldfield and worked in some of the country's best kitchens, including at Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, Michael Wignall at The Latymer and at Birmingham's own Adams.

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Upstairs, which is located above Tom's father's jewellery shop, offers a single, seven course tasting menu in the evening - with a shorter four-course option available at lunchtimes.

The National Restaurant Awards' website reads: "Shepherd’s focus is on flavour-led, produce driven dishes that embrace the seasons. His time spent in some of the UK’s best kitchens is evident. The cooking is assured but unfussy, with each dish often comprising only two or three elements. And as you would expect, the presentation is impeccable, Shepherd instilling each dish with a refined precision that’s reflected in the taste."

Upstairs by Tom Shepherd boasts a 4.9 star rating on Google - and one diner who described it as 'undoubtedly one of the highlights of our gastronomic year' said: "Superb! You would walk past the entrance to this place a hundred times without noticing, as it is an understated door to the side of its plush, parent jewellery store."

They added: "The food is first-class: innovative, tasty & gorgeously presented. The wine list is well-priced for the level of the restaurant. Service is understated, informative & like the rest of the set-up, unpretentious."

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, Birmingham's Opheem took the eighth spot in the top 100. Opheem was awarded its second Michelin Star earlier this year - one of only two Indian restaurants in the country to have been given the accolade. While, Grace & Savour, at Hampton Manor, in Hampton-in-Arden, near Solihull, came in at number 66

The top spot this year has been taken by London's The Ledbury, based in Notting Hill. In early 2024, the restaurant was awarded a third Michelin Star - and has previously claimed the title of the UK's best restaurant in 2010, 2011 and 2012.