Pizza Express, Brindley Place / Judith Hill Show – Review

One of the most pleasurable eateries is within Birmingham’s leisure and restaurant district, Brindley place. The Pizza Express here is an unassuming music and food venue. When I visited, it was to see my dear and beautiful friend Judith Hill as she performed in the excellent music venue upstairs.
But back to the food, I ordered; Dough Balls Doppio at£8.95. A sharing portion served with a trio of dips: pesto, garlic butter and pestorissa, and a harissa spiced tomato dip. This was a light appetizer that set the pace for the dining experience. The dips were flavoursome and delivered a great contrast in flavours.
I also ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella & Tomato Salad for£6.35. This was a creamy buffalo mozzarella served with fresh tomatoes, pesto, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil. The mozzarella was fresh and of a good consistency. Once again the dips presented a good tasty contrast that was appreciated.
For the main, I ordered the Lasagna Classica for £11.95,comprised of beef, mushroom and tomato ragù, layered with béchamel sauce and finished with Gran Milano cheese.The beef sauce was delicious, and the pasta wasn’t too firm or too gooey – a perfect dish.
For dessert, I chose the Vanilla Cheesecake at £6.15. The New York-style vanilla cheesecake was on a crumbly biscuit base, served with fruit coulis and cream gelato. The cheesecake was firm and lightly flavoured. The coulis wasn’t too sweet and the ice-cream was of a good quality. A great dessert to round off an excellent meal. My waiter Ed, was a very polite and responsive young man. The General Manager Kirsty has done a great job in creating and managing an all around complete experience for diners and music lovers.
Now comes the live act – the ubiquitous Ms Judith Hill was exceptional. Some may know that her credentials are utterly unique. She comes from a family of musicians and was first introduced to the public with Michael Jackson. She has also worked with such luminaries as, John Legend; Elton John; Prince and Stevie Wonder. Judith is an exceptionally gifted singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Her voice has all the power and charisma of any of the best out there now, yet she possesses the unique nuanced sensitivity. The music from her album Back in Time, is an ode to the old soulful funk classics of the 70’s that she grew up with. Its all there: the joy; disco and social commentary reminiscent of Marvin Gay and Stevie Wonder’s stuff of the period. For two hours she played the guitar; piano and sung her big heart out. The audience was almost ecstatic, and this is no exaggeration in the slightest. Personally, I loved the show almost as much as I love her, and the food was exceptionally well prepared and delivered.
All in all, excellent food and service, along with some outstanding live music! General Manager Kirsty has much to be delighted about here.
Rating – ****
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