Trillium Birmingham: A Michelin-Starred Chef's Joyful, Bold Restaurant Experience
Trillium, the latest Birmingham restaurant from acclaimed Michelin-starred chef Glyn Purnell, stands in stark contrast to the typical po-faced, sedate fine-dining establishments. Located at 1 Snow Hill Queensway in Birmingham B4, this vibrant, glass-fronted venue with multicolored mock birdcage decor offers a refreshingly informal and lively atmosphere where guests genuinely appear to be enjoying themselves.
Breaking the Fine-Dining Mold
While Purnell has built his reputation through refined establishments like Purnell's and Plates, Trillium represents his successful attempt to translate Michelin-starred quality to a semi-rowdier yet still upmarket stage. On a recent Saturday night, the restaurant buzzed with loud conversation, roaring music, and plates of indulgent dishes arriving thick and fast.
The open kitchen, busy decor, and jolly, prompt, informal service create a hugely welcoming environment that might not suit everyone but certainly breaks from traditional fine-dining expectations. Sommeliers stand ready to discuss orange wines like Villa Noria Amfòra in detail, yet staff remain equally unfazed by orders for simple Aperol spritzes.
A Sensory Bombardment of Flavors
The first five minutes at Trillium deliver a complete sensory experience: wobbly tables, flaming pans, and a menu featuring surprising combinations like "beef carpaccio with Oxo cube" and "XXL gougère." The meal begins with pudgy, sea salt-topped milk loaf buns served with a mysterious dipping dish that reveals itself as warm, runny chicken fat laced with the unmistakable thrust of malt vinegar.
The XXL gougère proves to be a revelation - a voluptuous, creamily filled structure with Montgomery cheddar and an inch-thick gruyère garnish topped with paprika. This substantial version makes other restaurant gougères seem like "cruel pranks" in comparison.
Indulgent, Imaginative Dishes
The food at Trillium remains relentlessly spot-on, indulgent, imaginative, and bizarrely generous in portion size. The "coddled duck egg" features not one but two buttery, beautifully seasoned, runny-yolked eggs atop honking slabs of sourdough slathered with smoked almond paste and finished with truffle. The almond paste lends a vague, marzipan-y quality, creating what feels like a reimagined eggs benedict for those who find hollandaise insufficiently rich.
Remarkably, these substantial eggs appear on the "small plates" section of the menu, alongside other generously portioned offerings like beef carpaccio with pickled shimeji mushrooms, bresaola, and shredded beef cheek Oxo cubes. From the large plates, vegetarian brilliance shines through vadouvan-spiced heritage carrots with lentils, coconut, and yoghurt, while perfectly cooked Cornish skate arrives with butter beans and a rich, buttery, sunset-yellow espelette sauce that lingers in memory.
A Restaurant That Prioritizes Enjoyment
While many chefs have attempted to make Michelin-quality food work without ceremony, Trillium comes closest to achieving this balance. The restaurant encourages guests to eat well, rest elbows on tables, order house wine, and simply have fun. Even dessert options like warm Manjari chocolate mousse or caramel custard tart with ice-cream du jour maintain the establishment's indulgent spirit.
Trillium operates Wednesday through Friday with lunch from noon to 2:30pm and dinner from 6 to 9pm, plus Saturday service from noon to 9pm. Expect to spend approximately £75 per person à la carte, plus drinks and service. This bold, silly, wonderful restaurant successfully creates an atmosphere where people genuinely enjoy life through exceptional food and vibrant hospitality.
