La Galleria Incorporating Marcello’s a la Carte Restaurant

La Galleria (Incorporating Marcello’s a la Carte Restaurant)
Paradise Place
Birmingham
B3 3HJ
Tel: 0121 236 1006
Fax: 0121 212 1275

This was lunchtime outing with colleagues to celebrate some success at work. As we were converging from different parts of the country, our amiable host, Chris, organised a table at La Galleria Italian restaurant in Birmingham.

La Galleria is both a wine bar & bistro and an a la carte restaurant. There is a bar and bistro area for the more casual diner and a raised restaurant area where they serve a la carte meals. As we were intending to celebrate in some style, Chris had booked a table in the a la carte restaurant.

Being lunchtime it wasn’t particularly busy, although there were some other tables that joined during the lunchtime period. Therefore getting attentive service was not a problem from the numerous waiters on duty.

We ordered some drinks and set about studying the menus. We opted for the set menu for £22.50 per head. La Galleria offers a range of set menus from £20.50 through to £24.50 and appears to offer an excellent choice.

Our menu offered a choice of Consommé with Noodles, Scottish Smoked Salmon or Sea Food Salad to start. Main course choices were Pollo All’aglio, Fillet ‘La Galleria’, Sole Veronique and also Tortellini con Ricotta for vegetarians, all served with vegetables of the day.

I chose the Sea Food Salad for starter, and others chose the Soup or the Smoked Salmon. The Sea Food Salad was an extraordinarily ample selection of mussels, calamari (squid), cockles and prawns with a mixed leaf salad and finely chopped onion in a homemade dressing, served with a large wedge of lemon. The dressing was fresh and an added squeeze of lemon and grind of black pepper complemented the delicious seafood selection. Others praised the Smoked Salmon, which was also a generous starter portion. The jury was a little undecided on the soup though.

The main courses arrived on cue. I had ordered the Fillet ‘La Galleria’ which was fillet steak cooked in Chianti with shallots, capers and Vecchia Romagna Brandy. I ordered a rare steak and it arrived prepared to perfection. I have a personal crusade against restaurants that don’t understand how to cook steak or aren’t capable of doing what they are told, but this was to perfection. It was also helped by the fact that it was a particularly fine piece of fillet. It was served with fine green beans and sauté potatoes. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, as I didn’t think green beans and potatoes exactly constituted a choice or selection. However, they were well prepared and cooked and added to the enjoyment of the excellent fillet steak and sauce.

Similarly the chicken and the sole was well received. Although I didn’t have the pleasure of tasting them, I could comment on the presentation, which was fine.

We finished with a choice of Strawberry Charlotte or Fresh Fruit Salad. Typically, I chose the Strawberry Charlotte, which was a little average and still frozen in places. I might have made a point of this at the time if I was paying the bill myself. However, I decided to stay silent and enjoy what I had got. Coffee and mints rounded off a very pleasant lunchtime.

Cheers Chris – very enjoyable.

Phil.