Franzls Austrian Restaurant

It was many years since i’ve been to Franzls and it was just by pure luck that we were driving around looking for a place to eat. We decided to give it a try on a early saturday evening without a reservation we got ourselves a table. We also were able to find parking outside the restaurant on Milcote Street. Luck was on our side! It is in an area that you wouldn’t think would harbour such a superb place!
We were welcomed warmly and taken downstairs to the «cellar bar» for aperitifs where we started talking to some of the other diners in the convivial atmosphere. Our orders were taken for food and drinks and after a few minutes we were shown back upstairs to our table. We chose to have the house red which came in a huge decanter on out table and we were able to pour ourselves a glass whenever we wanted a top up. we chose half a litre of red wine but you can have up to 1 litre. The wine list is not extensive but covers most of the bases and the Gewürztraminer we were recommended was excellent, especially served in the highly idiosyncratic wine dispensers (if you’ve been there you’ll know them, if not, you’ll find out).
The food was all that we remembered as was the service and atmosphere. A crisp «Black Pudding strudel» for starters along with herring in cream and dill sauce were followed by Wiener Schnitzel and crispy baked Ham hock on a bed of sauerkraut along with a bountiful selection of vegetables. Dessert almost seemed too much but as it is included in the price it would be churlish to refuse. One portion of Apple strudel and one of Vanilla cheesecake were followed by really excellent coffee. Total bliss.
We left very well pleased with our nights meal and surroundings. It really is worth finding this place again.

The term ‘hidden gem’ is banded around quite a lot but in all honesty this place truly is.
Located on a residential street in Bearwood about 5 miles from the city centre Franzls will treat the taste bus to a tantalising display of Austrian dining. A couple of our friends had been here previously and on Friday Vicky and I ventured down for what will become the start of a very long love affair with Franzls.
Only open in the evening your reserved table is yours for the whole night should you wish. Once you enter you are invited to descend to the cellar bar, which is decked out in quite traditional Austrian style, and have a drink whilst perusing the menu. There is a fine selection of wines but it’s well worth starting off with a weisbier to get yourself truly in the Austrian mood.
The menu is set out a little differently from most other restaurants, the price you pay for your main course (between £20 and £30) includes your starter and dessert. After some lengthy deliberation, and some lovely conversation with the delightful hostess (who is the wife of the chef) I decided on the blunzen strudel to start followed by the venison pie.
Once the starters were nearly ready we were shown to our tables and offered some fresh bread with garlic and plain butter. Shortly after the starters emerged, my blunzen strudel was a parcel of crisp light pastry stuffed full of delicious black pudding, bacon, apple and potato — every mouthful was an absolute delight and I could have just eaten a whole plate of them… if it wasn’t for the pie that followed.
If you know me you’ll know I love pies but am quite particular about them. A casserole with pastry on top IS NOT A PIE, however in this instance I am willing to forgive this mild transgression as the filling underneath the rich, buttery pastry was a beautiful mix of tender venison with wild mushrooms and bacon in a fantastic red wine sauce. Had we not been in public my face would have been in the dish licking every last morsel of this sauce up!
For dessert, after speaking to some of the other patrons in the cellar bar. we both decided to go for the drunk monk. A heady combination of rich chocolate sponge soaked in gluhwein and topped with fresh cream and chocolate that tasted every bit as good as it sounds.
Arrgh! I’ve forgotten the wine! On each table is a contraption that looks somewhere between a garden ornament and an instrument of Victorian science — it is, in fact, your own personal wine optic! We ordered half a litre of the house white which, after the hostess had overheard us talking about our love for gewurztraminer, was upgraded to a beautiful example of the grape and the boldness of the wine perfectly complimented the rich food we were eating.
All in all a fantastic dining experience and one of my favourite meals I’ve had this year. From the friendliness of the staff to the superb quality of the food Franzls is completely and utterly faultless.

I love, love, love this place! James W and Lauren W took a visit to Franzl’s sometime late last year and dropped me a message to let me know about their visit. They described a restaurant situated in an unassuming residential street which is essentially a converted house. It sounded too intriguing NOT to give it a go!
Me and Dan bookmarked it and plotted a date to give it a go for a date night. Friday night approached and we booked our Über ready to go!
The venue it is a little bit out of the city in Bearwood. As described, it’s a converted house (with the actual restaurant and bar being placed over two floors), and feels very welcoming and homely. We popped in and were greeted by Mrs Franzl within minutes. After a brief hello and introduction, we were taken to the bar and led through the selection available.
We opted for a wheat beer and took our time looking over the menu, chatting to the other diners and getting recommendations from Mrs Franzl. You order from the bar area and you are led to your table when your first course is ready.
Interestingly, you pay for your main and the starter and dessert is included in the price. They have a really great menu, but it isn’t overwhelming with choice. We really struggled to choose as everything sounded so good! In the end I opted for the goulash soup followed by the chicken stuffed with crab, served in pastry. All dishes include vegetables on the side.
The house wine is served in an optic at your table (which is another touch that makes it really unique) and the Gewürztraminer is totally divine! The food was insanely good too and after two courses, we were stuffed. We managed to squeeze in a dessert though (a drunk monk chocolate sponge soaked in mulled wine) and could barely move after!
Food? Faultless. Service? Fantastic. Atmospheres? Relaxed and welcoming. Price? (Our bill was £70 for 2×3 courses, wine and beer) Very fair.
This place has been an institution in Brum for around 30 years, and for good reason. Give it a go as soon as you can!

Such a friendly place! You can tell it is a vocation rather than a business for the owners. When you book the table you get it for the night, no cramming people in or rushing.
A tiny cellar bar stocked with, among other things, a range of Austrian drinks. Odd little bottles and an assumption that you are a regular abound. Makes it seem very much like what it was converted from; a home.
The menus is small but authentic (having visit a few Austrian restaurants).
You pay for a main, and get a starter and desert for that price. There is home made bread and each table has an Austrian wine decanter (like a cross between an icing bag and a decanter). Two types of butter and the whole lot is very much eastern European «wholesome». You could make a meal just from the starters and extras!
I can attest that both the Goulash and Schnitzel are excellent. The only way to improve would be to fit the whole thing in a giant baroque hall reminiscent of the Habsburg’s. This isn’t really an option in Bearwood so 5 stars. If only for the litre of win they offer.

The restaurant is ideal for a family reunion. A large room with big tables and a very friendly and helpfull staff. Located in a residential area, it is about five miles from downtown Birmingham. a little far out of the way but definitely worth a visit.
The price you pay is for a 3 course meal and you can get the table for the whole evening.
For a starter, I had the gebackene schwammerl, which is basically mushrooms and bread crumbs with garlic sauce. Very good! For the main, I had Gefullter Paprika (red pepper stuffed with couscous with tomatoes and goats cheese). Highly recommended. For dessert I had the apple strudel and, honestly, it was great. And i don’t even like sweets! They also have a nice bar downstairs, with very traditional décor.
I had no idea what to expect from an Austrian restaurant but I’m glad i tried it, it’s a little too far out of the way for me to frequent regularly but I will definitely go back again.

Franzls have captured a small slice of Austria, the beers and wines are from the region all served before dinner in what has to be the worlds smallest bar. Val your host is most welcoming and friendly. Once seated you will be served hot bread rolls with two butter choices, the starters, main meal & sweet are all Austrian as is the proprietor come chef. I can recommend the venison sausage or selection of sea food in cream sauce to start followed by chicken breast stuffed with crabmeat or the spicy beef goulash. The main meal is accompained by generous side dishes, the red cabbage & austrian style potatoes being rather execellent. Then it, s time to really forget the diet with the sweet, the drunk monk is wounderful. Topped off with coffe, you won, t be disapointed. Take your time and enjoy.