I finally tried La Bellezza, the new Big Mamma Group restaurant that everyone is raving about in Birmingham. When you first enter you are greeted in Italian, a nice touch, before they open the curtain to the main restaurant. This reveal makes seeing the restaurant for the first time even more breathtaking. La Bellezza is a stunning restaurant with lit up bottles lining the walls, along with plants and gorgeous hanging lights. I was surprised by how reasonable the prices were, considering the luxurious environment.

Whilst the decoration is a major attraction point for the new restaurant; the food certainly didn’t disappoint. There is a wide variety of options to choose from, making the decision process harder! The starters all sounded delicious however my guest and I ended up opting for just a main and dessert. For our main course we decided to share two pasta dishes. We opted for the ‘Spaghettoni Al Ragü Di Agnello’, a spicy lamb and tomato ragu topped with a green sauce, and the ‘Linguine Granchio E Limone’, a crab and chilli linguine served in a butter sauce. Both pastas were lovely and full of flavour, however the spaghetti was by far my favourite, and I would definitely order it again. In true Italian style, their second courses consisted of a variety of meat and salad options. Again, they sounded delicious but as we were surprisingly full after our pasta dishes so we didn’t end up trying them. A couple on the table next to us had one of the salads that looked divine, so it’s definitely worth considering a second course if you go.

For dessert, I chose the ‘Pere E Mele Al Forno’, a hot caramelised apple and pear walnut crumble served with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious and one of the best crumbles I’ve ever had. It was also a surprisingly big portion for a dessert, which is good news for anyone with a sweet tooth! My guest had the ‘Incomparable Lemon Pie’, a zingy tart with a meringue layer. It is clear why it is ‘incomparable’ with the meringue layer being 5’9 inches tall! My jaw dropped to the floor when our waitress brought it over – I’ve never seen a dessert quite like that. My guest really enjoyed it but had to get a takeaway box for it as it was so big!

For drinks we opted for a bottle of the ‘Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC Corvezzo 2023 White Wine’ which was delicious and paired nicely with our pasta. Their wine menu has a map of Italy, showing where each wine is from, which was a nice addition to the menu. We also had some tap water which came in a beautiful blue fish shaped bottle. It is clear that the restaurant has put lots of effort into their decoration and atmosphere. A lady on our neighbouring table ordered a cocktail and when it arrived everyone was shocked and started laughing– it was the biggest cocktail I have ever seen – so if you’re a cocktail lover you’re in luck! My only critique of the evening was that the service was a bit slower than normal, however the restaurant was full, and they have only just opened.

Overall, it was a lovely evening, and I will be returning to try more of their dishes soon. The atmosphere was incredible, and I would have to say it is one of the most beautiful restaurants I have been to. It is a great and affordable option for students on a budget and easy to get to as its located in Chamberlain square, close to New Street Station.

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