Tara Chirpy / 09 June 2025 / Categories: Food & Drink, Restaurants

Fumo Restaurant In Selfridges Birmingham

Used to be a firm family favourite OMG what has happened

This Italian restaurant in Birmingham was a firm family favourite we must have been more times than I can recount, to the one in Selfridges and the one on Waterloo st where they have a nighttime scene as well. Safe to say we love it.

It’s well known for its offering, inventive cocktails both with and without alcohol. They serve everleaf Mountain for the drivers and an extensive menu of cicchetti style Italian plates – smaller than a main but bigger than a starter – the food is perfect for sharing and why we like it so much.

At the weekend Fumo comes alive usually , when the DJ’s create the perfect soundtrack to your afternoon and evening. There’s a vibe usually.

That said we haven’t been for a few months and we were really looking forward to the 5 star service delivered with Italian aplomb, the warm welcome from the Maitre D who always remembers us and finds a table for us usually in a packed restaurant even if we’ve forgotten to make a reservation.

It’s a place where you always feel special, like a VIP so don’t mind paying the sometimes a bit over inflated prices (£18 for a glass of Malbec) The quick efficient service and over the top Italian fun and bravado in equal measure make it a memorable place you really want to return.

We went yesterday for lunch, the whole family and OMG what a difference. Firstly the Maitre D we know wasn’t there, replaced by a not present person who was walking around but wasn’t able to conduct the orchestra in the same way.

We waited and waited, at the entrance behind three other families to be attended to, it wasn’t like it was busy, it was 1pm and I’d say 2 thirds of the restaurant was empty, it felt like more servers than customers. We couldn’t work out what the hold up was, we even had people waiting behind us asking us if this was the queue to be seated.

When we finally got in, we were asked if we’d booked and then it seemed to take 5 minutes to decide if we could be fitted in without a reservation, like I said two thirds of the restaurant was empty and there was absolutely no atmosphere. It felt like all the vibrant energetic staff had been replaced by low energy inexperienced people, staffing on a budget maybe to save money.

We waited about 10 minutes ready to order and no

one came to the table, when we ordered our drinks only two of five came. Then another two came. One drink had to be cancelled, a martini an aperitif because it never came before the first plate arrived.

We know the plates arrive as they are prepared however the service was so slow we found ourselves sharing a very lame avocado and tomato salad with hardly any avocado and then waiting before Bruscetta arrived. When we cancelled the martini, no one asked if we’d like something else instead.

The experience was completely chaotic and not enjoyable at all, it’s horrible when things don’t go smoothly, especially when you have been really looking forward to something. We thought it’s not surprising the restaurant was empty when the lovely fresh ingredients prepared with love and delivered with ease and pride we have come to expect turns out to be tasteless and scrimped and really really slow.

The worst part of all was the staff were really switched off and just didn’t seem to notice.

We ended the meal with our pasta plates arriving with courgette fritte which obviously didn’t go together just on their own. The beauty of this restaurant is a bite of this a taste of that true Italian shared plate dining.

Not yesterday.

We have never not paid the discretionary service charge. When the bill came with the Martini still on there that never came and had to be cancelled we asked for that and the service charge to be removed.

We left in a hurry; eager to get out of there, thinking what was that, it’s just not the same restaurant.

The San Carlos chain is a long standing establishment restaurateurs who know how it’s done and have built up an incredible string of properties where you are pretty much guaranteed fantastic food and service, the feeling of an independent with the consistency and success you get from a big business.

I honestly don’t know what has gone wrong in Birmingham but people have obviously stopped coming and I can see why.

I really hope they get it together because there aren’t that many really good places left to eat in Birmingham City Centre.