The highly-anticipated opening of Birmingham’s newest restaurant, café and bar has been announced, with D&D London's Orelle set to open its doors on Friday 14 October.
Located on the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row, the 3,767 sq ft double-height restaurant will be set against a backdrop of unrivalled, 360-degree panoramic views across the city and beyond, making it a unique addition to Birmingham’s food and drink scene.
From 12pm – 1am, a modern French menu will be served by a team led by executive chef, Chris Emery, who joins Orelle following positions at The Alice in Oxford and Jason Atherton’s Michelin-starred restaurants, Pollen Street Social in London and The Clocktower in New York.
Offering a contemporary take on classic French recipes, his menu has been designed to showcase the best of British produce, and celebrate the stories behind locally-sourced ingredients. Dishes include blackberry cured ‘Truite’ for starter; ‘Porcelet’ suckling pig and ‘Citrouille’ tagliatelle for mains, and a venison, grouse and chicken wellington ‘En Croute’ for sharing.
Alongside Chris’s menu is an extensive list of wines, spirits and more than 20 cocktails that have been created by Tiago Bastos – who previously worked at the The Grand Hotel and The Edgbaston Hotel. The signature Orelle cocktail, ‘Gold 75’, features Tanqueray 10, Choya Yuzu, fresh lemon and Taittinger NV Brut Champagne.
Orelle’s interior has been created by architects Doone Silver Kerr, now incorporated into Ryder Architecture. The design pays tribute to the site’s heritage as the former National Westminster House, whilst drawing influence from the nearby Jewellery Quarter. Features include the original cast aluminium banking hall doors, an abstract triangular pattern based on the Natwest identity, finely detailed golden metalwork, and richly veined marble floors.
The restaurant wall will also showcase a hand-painted mural by local artist, Anita Roye, whose father worked in the Jewellery Quarter. This specific piece of work takes inspiration from an uncut gemstone, and seeks to evoke the energy that Birmingham people bring to the city.
On the ground floor, Orelle’s 38-cover café and 28-cover outdoor terrace will be open from 8am – 11pm, serving freshly prepared breakfasts, brunches, lunches and afternoon tea. In the evening, the space will evolve into a cocktail bar.
Orelle is the first venture in the Midlands for hospitality group, D&D London, joining its portfolio of more than 40 diverse restaurants, bars and a hotel in the UK, Paris and New York.
Des Gunewardena, Chairman and CEO of D&D London, comments: “Birmingham is known for its high quality food and drink scene, which we are very enthusiastic to become part of. This project has been in the works for several years, so to be able to announce our official opening date is incredibly exciting. The interior with its double height space and amazing views will make Orelle one of the most beautiful restaurants in D&D.
“Most importantly, we hope to create not just a spectacular space, but a great restaurant. The team we have assembled is testament to that. Our aim is for Orelle to be talked about as much for Chris’ food and Tiago’s cocktails as it will be for its views.”