A restaurant chain successful in London comes to Birmingham, but can it succeed in the highly competitive Midlands? Jon Perks went to find out... After Indians and baltis, Italian restaurants must be the most prominent cuisine when it comes to eating out in Birmingham. So to open a new one in the heart of The Mailbox is a bold move. Strada is a well-known brand down south - 20 in London alone, another half dozen or so branches elsewhere in the country. Birmingham and Cheltenham are the latest additions, the former taking over Paris's space on Level 7 of The Mailbox. It couldn't be much more different; gone is the dark stuffy interior, in come full-length front windows and mirrors to make the place look twice as big. The atmosphere is far more relaxed and welcoming too. On arrival our jovial host welcomed us in a mixture of Italian and English, before suggesting a glass of prosecco and a basket of homemade pesto and tomato bread while we looked at the menu. A clever marketing ploy to get us to part with a tenner before we'd barely sat down, but both the sparkling wine and the bread went down fabulously. It's an easy to navigate but comprehensive menu, from Primi (first courses) to Pizze, Pasta e Risotti and Secondi. With the thought that you can have pasta or pizza anyday, I opted for the Tegamaccio Di Pesce, a southern Italian seafood stew of mussels, salmon, squid and prawns in a garlic, tomato, chilli and white wine sauce (£13.50), preceded by the Bruschetta Con Peperonata (£4.25). Anthony meanwhile chose the Antipasto Misto (£6.25) followed by a Piccante pizza (£8.95). The starters, which arrived just as we finished off the last morsel of the frankly delicious homemade bread, were excellent. My bruschetta was topped with tangy caramelised pepper and onion, goats' cheese and basil - fantastic, and just the right amount for a starter too. Ant's antipasto was a meal in itself - generous slices of speck, Parma ham and Napoli salami with mozzarella, vine tomatoes and olives. His main course was similarly sized - a gargantuan pizza covered with salami, rocket, red onions, olives, red chilli, tomato and mozzarella. A wonderfully thin, slightly crispy base, but the sheer size defeated him and necessitated a doggy bag. It also packed a real kick - no need for any of the chilli oil that was brought to the table. My main course was perhaps the most disappointing of all the dishes we had. For the money, it lacked a 'wow' factor; the seafood was plentiful, but once you had eaten the mussels etc you were left with the watery sauce and three pieces of grilled ciabatta to dip. Tasty, but not exceptional. Ant conceding defeat, I persevered with Dolci (pudding to you and me), the Panettone Al Forno catching my eye. A slice of panettone bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice cream, it was just the right sweetness and melted in the mouth; the ice cream tasted homemade. Heavenly. The main course disappointment aside, Strada will certainly be seeing me back again soon. What is Italian for 'spot on'? Strada, 109-111 Wharfside Street,The Mailbox 0121 643 7279 www.strada.co.uk
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