We went to MPW for the first time in a long time to check out their 1961 menu. While we were in for lunch, most diners were there for the afternoon tea which looked cracking. We immediately ordered a couple of cocktails to combat the heatwave…

The two-course 1961 menu consisted of a choice of six starters and six main courses for £20.95. Because the 1961 is listed on the main menu – anything with a gold badge beside it is available – it’s difficult not to be lured by the dishes you can’t have. Human nature’s a funny old thing!

There are some smashing sounding summer dishes like burrata and heritage tomato salad, a sea bass dish and roast rump of lamb that aren’t part of the 1961, but we stuck with it and sampled a beetroot and goat’s cheese salad – wafer thin beetroot slices with earthy goat’s cheese, sweet candied walnuts and merlot vinegar. We’d have liked more goat’s cheese, but it was tasty and summery nonetheless. A mustardy scotch egg did what it said on the tin. The coating lacked a bit of crunch but the meat was packed with flavour and the egg was soft, so happy days.

SPOT-ON

An escalope of chicken al la Milanese served with a mound of rocket and tomato salad hit the spot as did the avocado Caesar salad which we added grilled chicken to. The eggs were a bit hard, but apart from that, what’s not to like? We threw in an Eton Mess to share for good measure which was heavy on the meringue (yes please) and not so heavy on the fruit (not so good).

The restaurant is even better after dark as the rooftops of Birmingham look a tad more attractive by night, with twinkly lights as a distraction, but the number of people enjoying afternoon tea suggested we might be alone in that. Overall, it was a lovely lunch in a nice setting.