Byzantium, Kings Heath 07/03/15

Everyone needs to try this place, a Mediterranean Tapas Restaurant in Kings Heath: Byzantium. Mum, Dad and I had just been to the theatre to watch The Kings Speech and fancies somewhere very different to eat - this place has been rated very high on TripAdvisor and we all love Tapas, therefore, decided to give it a try. It doesn't look like much from the outside, its set off one of the side streets on Kings Heath High Street - meaning parking is slightly tricky but if you're lucky you can get on road parking. I looked the menu online and it looked delicious so we were very excited to try it! They also have quite a few offers such as, 2for1 - so check out their website!



The restaurant interior is lovely, very authentic and colourful with lanterns on each table and colourful booth seats. We were sat at the very front of the restaurant where they only and around 10 tables but it does expand out towards the back. You will definitely need to book for a Saturday evening, we were there around 5.30pm and it was quiet but as the night progressed it got busier and busier.

The service was very good, our waitress was lovely and so helpful - she helped us with the menu and suggested we have about 6/7 dishes between us. I ordered a soft drink which was presented very well whilst my parents had wine - which was very reasonably priced at £4+ for a small glass, not bad!

The menu is very varied but doesn't have too much choice, which is good as it didn't get too confusing to decide, they have the normal 'Tapas' menu and a 'Specials' menu - unfortunately they didn't have a few items on the menu, but the waitress informed us of this straight away and apologised. The dishes vary from £3-£10 so pretty good prices.

We decided to kick off the meal with the Flatbread.

This was large, round and topped with oil and a chilli - I definitely recommend this as it was delicious and a light starter to have before the main courses.

Morrocan Chicken and Apricot Tagine with Lemon scented Cous Cous
£7.95

Chicken Souvlaki - Skewers of Chicken and Mediterranean Vegetables served with Tzatziki
 £5.95 

Boquerones - Small Fresh Anchovies Filleted and Marinated in Olive Oil, Garlic and Parsley 
£3.95

Gambas Al Diablo - Shell on King Prawns pan fried with Garlic Chilli and White Wine
 £6.95 

Patatas Bravas - Crisp Potatoes served with a Tangy Tomato Sauce
£3.95

Aubergine Parmigiana - Sliced Aubergine roasted in a Tomato & Basil Sauce with melted Parmesan 
£4.95 

Each dish was served in a lovely terracotta style dish, which made them look very authentic. 6 dishes was definitely enough for three of us - more than enough! Each dish is very big and filled with flavour. The Gambas were probably my favourite.

The Moroccan Chicken was served in a Tagine and was a fruity flavoured, mild curry with cous-cous, it was very tasty and was full of spice and flavour.

Chicken Souvlaki - this was soooo good, the chicken was cooked perfectly, nice and juicy and was put onto skewers with peppers and onions - all very tasty and the Tzatziki  helped give it extra flavour and complimented it perfectly.

Boquerones - this is one dish I wasnt looking forward to but I was pleasantly surprised! These anchovies weren't too salty or overpowering, they were fishy and flavoursome and incredibly garlicky - which is always a good thing with me! A very light and refreshing dish.

Gambas Al Diablo - prawns are always a favourite of mine and these were delicious!! Shelled on prawns in a garlic, chilli and white wine sauce which was spicy, sweet and full of flavour all in one. I could've eaten 3 plates of these!

Patatas Bravas - these are a Spanish favourite and go with everything, they were crisp and fluffy and delicious! They complimented each of the dishes so well and the tomato sauce tasted fresh and authentic. 

Aubergine Parmigiana - another favourite and this one was as good as I expected, if not better. Perfectly cooked aubergine, topped with tomato and basil sauce and covered in Parmesan cheese = amazing taste sensation!


Overall, this was a perfect meal from start to finish, brilliant service, amazing food and an authentic hidden gem. Everyone should go and give it a try! I have no complaints.