Estado Da India serves a creative blend of Portuguese and Indian dishes in tapas style portions. The restaurant which is still fairly new to Harborne caters to everyone with a selection of meaty options, veggie options, and dare I say it, even something for those who struggle with spice like myself.
On my Sunday night visit I ate with a group of people who have very different tastes and so I'd like to think we put the Estado Da India menu to the ultimate test.
We ordered :
- Wild Mushroom Croquets £5.25
- Prawn Rissol £7.95
- Iberico Vindaloo Pork Ribs £6.95
- Pork Arroz £9.95
- Tomato Naan £4.50
- Goan Cauliflower £4.95
- Masala Fries £3.95
- Goan Lamb £9.75
- Lemon Rice £3.95
- Duroc Pork Belly £8.95
- Lamb Espetada £8.95
Our waiter recommended each of us to order two dishes and then a further two to share across the table. As we don't often order tapas we were grateful for the recommendation, however we did order an extra sharer which gave us the perfect amount for the four of us to gorge on.
We also ordered a few drinks between us :
- Limao Spritz (Mocktail) £5.50
- Tropic Like It's Hot (Mocktail) £5.50
- Madri Excepcional Beer (Pint) £4.95
So what did we think of the Estado Da India...
The food really was full of flavour, and although sometimes it was on the cusp of what I could tolerate when it comes to spice I was pleasantly surprised. I asked for all of my dishes to come as mild as possible and without chilli which I did worry would potentially ruin the taste, but I can confidently say no flavour was lost. I will mention that some of the meats are soaked in a chilli marinate so it's impossible for them to be completely chilli free, but I found the dishes much milder than I was expecting. My family was also surprised by how mild the Vindaloo Pork Ribs were which was perfect.
The Pork dishes really were the stars of the show for me, the Pork Arroz in particular was fantastic. A juicy Pork skewer which is served resting on a bowl of curried rice, both of which were full of flavour. Although I'd admit this isn't the cheapest dish I left wishing I had ordered two as it was just so mouthwateringly tasty.
Another of my favourite plates from the Estado Da India menu was the slightly less adventurous Tomato Naan. Everyone in our group enjoyed a quarter of this fluffy bread which complimented our other bits very nicely. I would recommend ordering at least one of these to share with the table, or even eat completely to yourself.
For the drinks I usually order something fairly boozy, however I opted for a mocktail on this visit and I am very glad I did. I chose the Limao Spritz which according to the menu is a mix of Raspberry, Lemon and Lime, and topped with a sparkling soda. It was very refreshing but after trying a sip of my sisters mocktail (Tropic Like It's hot) I wish I'd have ordered one of those too. Hers was a combination of Passion Fruit, Coconut Cream, Pineapple, and Mango juice which is something I would never pick myself but it just worked so fantastically well together. The creaminess of the Coconut was extra delicious after wolfing down so much savoury spicy food.
All in all we had a fantastic evening in a beautifully decorated environment which we all admitted would be a lovely spot for a birthday treat or other special occasion.
Have you been to Estado Da India, the perfect Portuguese Indian in Harborne? I feel this one might soon become a favourite of Birmingham food bloggers.
Thanks for reading!
Every now and then you visit a restaurant where things go a little bit wrong, but the friendly staff and the service they provide makes you want to go back regardless, and that's exactly that happened when I dined at The Encore in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
The Encore restaurant is located in central Stratford-Upon-Avon, a mere stones throw from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and easily accessible by car, bus, train, and even boat. It houses two floors of beautifully designed dining space and is a lovely setting for lunch, dinner, or just drinks.
There are several menus to chose from at The Encore (lunch, brunch, vegan, etc) but as we dropped in on a sunny Sunday afternoon, it would have been rude not to order a traditional Sunday roast. Whilst I eat a mostly vegetarian diet these days, I do bend the rules for certain meals, roast dinners being one.
The options for the Sunday roast include:
- Trio of roasts (beef, pork, chicken) - £18.50
- Roast beef - £16.50
- Roast chicken - £14.75
- Roast pork belly - £14.95
- Fig & dolcelatte roast - £14.95
I chose the roast pork belly and my sister opted for the roast beef. At that sort of price we were expecting good things and we weren't disappointed, mostly.
Once our dinners arrived we were presented with two large plates of meats, roast potatoes, and giant Yorkshire puddings, and one sharing dish of mixed veggies. The portion sizes were certainly not small. We were delighted at the sight of the meals we were about to dig into, until I spotted a hair in mine.
Accidents happen from time to time, and although most restaurants have high hygiene standards things like this do happen. That being said its never nice to find a hair in your dinner even if you haven't started eating yet. I raised the issue with the waitress straight away and she swooped the dinner from under me to replace it as soon as possible.
As my dinner was so impressive I did worry it would be quite some time before another was brought to the table but to my surprise I didn't have to wait too long at all. I would estimate that a fresh pork belly roast was plonked down within 10 minutes of the waitress taking the original away. After bringing a new meal to the table, our waitress apologised quite sincerely and said that the meal would be complimentary. Whilst I expected maybe a small discount, or the offer of a drink after such an issue, I didn't expect the whole meal for free. For this reason and the genuinely good customer service I received from our waitress that afternoon I would not hesitate to return to The Encore again.
We soon wolfed down our meals which were equal parts delicious and filling, and went on our way discussing another possible visit for December after spying their festive menus earlier in the day.
Despite the little blip I was quite impressed by my experience at The Encore, and the way they dealt with the situation ensured we left the restaurant as happy customers.
The Encore
1 Bridge Street
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 6AB
Thanks for reading!
*Ad - gifted experience
In my opinion massages are good for the mind, body, and soul. There's not much that can't be fixed by a session with an experienced therapist, so when I was approached by The Massage Company in Sutton Coldfield I was more than happy to put their services to the test. It would be rude not to wouldn't it?
Based in the Mere Green area of Sutton Coldfield, The Massage Company offers a range of massages to suit everyones needs. The location is on the main high street surrounded by shops, bars, and restaurants. Parking is also easily available within just a few minutes walk, as is the Four Oaks train station. Although this is their only location in the Midlands, they also have branches across the South East in Camberley, High Wycombe, Tunbridge Wells, and Putney.
On arrival at The Massage Company, I was greeted by a friendly receptionist who checked myself and my sister in. We were each given a short survey to complete which would ran through a few health questions, allowed us to pin point any areas we would like to particularly focus on, and any areas we would prefer the therapist not to touch. This is not something I'd come across while having massages in the past, but something I thought was a great idea, especially as I primarily enjoy back massages and would always like that to be the area of focus.
Whilst we waited for our appointment time the receptionist talked us through the available massages and the upgrades. We were both booked in for a Swedish Massage which is a full body massage, something I'd not yet tried. Along with our main massage we were also offered an upgrade. This time we both opted for the Hot Stones although I was very tempted by the Scalp Massage.
The full range of massages available:
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Sports Massage
- Swedish Massage
- Maternity Massage
The upgrades available:
- Hot Stones
- Scalp Massage
- Aromatherapy
- Fantastic Foot Treatment
Once inside the treatment room the therapist gave me time to get undressed and comfortable. Although going for a massage is nothing new to me, they can be very intimate which is why it's always nice to find a therapist who is friendly and makes me feel at ease.
Before starting the treatment the therapist checked that I was as comfortable and as relaxed as I could be by adjusting the massage table and ensuring the temperature was to my liking. She also ensured I continued to be comfortable throughout the massage, adjusting things where needed and regularly checking that the pressure she was using was fine.
Although it's not something I've chosen before, the Swedish Massage was a very good choice and a treatment I would likely chose again. The massage lasted for 50 minutes which is longer than I usually go for but I found this was the perfect amount of time to really chill out and enjoy the experience. The upgrade to the hot stones was also a very good decision as the sensation of the warm rocks gliding across my skin added an extra layer of pleasure.
Throughout the whole experience I felt relaxed and happy that I was in the hands of a very experienced therapist who did not give in until every single knot was rubbed out of my back, something that is no easy task let me tell you. My sister also said that she thoroughly enjoyed her treatment and we both agreed it was something we liked being able to do together before continuing the day with a well deserved brunch.
Although we didn't take out a membership this time, I think the sharable flexi membership The Massage Company offers would be great for friends or family members looking to meet up and enjoy a relaxing experience.
The Massage Company
320 Lichfield Road
Sutton Coldfield
B74 2UG
Thanks for reading!
Brunching, it's one of my favorite past times. There really is nothing better than heading off for some banging grub and a few fab bevvies with your pals! So when it comes to brunching in Birmingham, well, I'd like to think I know some great spots by now.
I've done bottomless Brunches at Dirty Martini, boozy lunches around Birmingham city centre, and various Afternoon Tea's across the Midlands (I'm putting them in the same bracket as brunches), but this new brunch offering at the Bournbrook Inn in the heart of Stirchley might just beat everything I've tried so far!
The Bournbook Inn on the Pershore Road in Stirchley has been recently refurbished making it the ideal pace to grab a few drinks with the girls, without having to drag yourself off into town. The pub offers a whole range of affordable food and drinks throughout the week, with there new bottomless brunch taking place every Saturday.
The brunch which comes in at a very reasonable £25 per person runs from 12pm until 3pm, that's three whole hours of unlimited drinks, something you'd be hard pushed to find elsewhere else in the city. The majority of Birmingham brunches now only last between 1.5 and 2 hours which is not nearly enough time to guzzle down a wild amount of cocktails.
Speaking of cocktails, the Bournbrook Bottomless Brunch offer several drinks -
- House red, white, and rose wine
- Prosecco
- Strawberry Bellini (my personal favourite)
- Maiden Adora (non-alcoholic)
While I do think they offer a good selection of drinks, I've very surprised that beer isn't an option for the brunch as beer is something the Bournbrook does very well. The pub regularly serves a variety of both big names and locally brewed beers, so it would be nice to see one of these included in the brunch in the future perhaps.
What are the food options like? Well in my opinion they're equally as good. While the majority of bottomless brunches across Birmingham serve a platter of 'picky food' the Bournbrook brunch includes 2 courses.
Mains available with the Bournbrook Brunch -
- Smashed Avocado on Toast
- Eggs Benedict
- Eggs Florentine
- Wild Mushrooms on Toast
- Waffles & Bacon
- Full English
Desserts available with the Bournbrook Brunch -
- Pancakes
- Waffles and Ice Cream
- Bournbrook Mess
For my main I chose the Eggs Benedict which was absolutely delicious and I can confirm the eggs were cooked to perfection - nice and runny, but not runny enough for me to be concerned about dying of Salmonella. My dessert was also incredibly tasty. I opted for the Waffles which come with pecan and chocolate ice cream, just what I needed after a few hours of sipping on Bellinis!
So would I recommend the Bournbrook Brunch? Absolutely! Not only is it one of the cheaper brunches in Birmingham, their bottomless drinks also last for much longer than most others, and the food is just incredible. If you haven't tried it out yet, get yourself booked in for an afternoon you'll not soon forget (or maybe you will, the drinks are unlimited afterall!)
The Bournbrook Inn
1273 Pershore Road
Stirchley
B30 2YT
Open 12pm - 10pm Monday - Sunday
Do you have a favourite Birmingham brunch spot?
Thanks for reading!
