The Lost & Found has firmly established itself in Birmingham’s cocktail and food scene. Having often walked past but never visited, I was excited to see what the restaurant had to offer. The Victorian-style décor was immediately inviting, featuring fairy lights galore, trailing ivy, and curiosities in abundance, including globes and candle holders.

The waiters were friendly, and while the service was a little slow to begin with, it soon picked up. I opted for ‘The Painter in the Poppies’ cocktail from the ‘Found’ menu – these are very reasonably priced at just £5 each on weekday evenings from 5 ‘til 8pm. It was sweet and fruity, with a unique flavour coming from the Briottet Liqueur de Coquelicot (poppy liqueur); it was just about everything you could hope for from a summer cocktail, and it looked very appealing too. The cocktail menu also featured a taste map of flavours, which was a useful guide for helping to pick a cocktail tailored more to your personal tastes. My partner opted for a pint of Aspall cider – always a favourite.

We thoroughly enjoyed our starters, too; I went for the chilli and garlic grilled aubergine, which was a perfect mix of flavours and textures. The peppery rocket and radish combined well with the smoothness of the aubergine and hummus, and the sesame miso dressing tied everything together. Meanwhile, my partner chose the tomato bruschetta, which was just as delicious – as an added bonus, both starters were vegan. The bruschetta was topped with a tomato fondue and heirloom tomatoes of all colours; these were sweet and tasty, and very well seasoned. The bruschetta is available on the restaurant’s ‘Evening Treat’ menu – you can order two courses for £16.50 or three for £20 (Monday-Thursday from 5pm), making the restaurant more affordable. There were less pescatarian options on this menu that appealed to me, however, so I ordered from the main menu.

My main course was a smoked haddock, pea, and spinach risotto, which was a deliciously light dish; a generous dollop of crème fraiche gave it some tang and smoothness. The haddock was cooked beautifully; it was very soft, and almost melted in the mouth. The sweetness of the green vegetables complemented the smokiness of the haddock well; the meal was excellent, but could have been improved slightly by a squeeze of lemon. My partner opted for the 8oz flattened rump steak with skinny fries, and found both to be perfectly cooked. The steak was juicy, pink in the middle, and had a garlicky flavour from the butter, which he really enjoyed, and the fries were wonderfully crispy.

As for dessert, we were pleasantly full from our first two courses, but couldn’t resist asking to have a look at the menu, just in case! I liked the sound of the dark chocolate and peanut butter parfait, but unfortunately the restaurant had run out of banana, so it wasn’t available at the time.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at The Lost & Found. The ambience of the restaurant was great, and its décor and lighting complemented the style of the food served. It is probably a bit more expensive than the average student dining-out experience, but is a good choice perhaps for a graduation dinner; the portion sizes and quality of the food definitely make it worthwhile.