Glynn Purnell opens Birmingham tapas bar

Chef Glynn Purnell has opened a tapas bar in Birmingham called Plates by Purnell’s, just one street away from his Michelin-starred restaurant.

The former Pinchos Spanish café bar on Edmund Street has been empty since it closed during the pandemic and has been refurbished and relaunched on 10 February.

Plates by Purnell’s has around 28 covers inside and a small number on the pavement outside. It serves sharing plates inspired by classic Spanish tapas with influences from Purnell’s time training and working in northern Spain. The menu includes small plates such as anchovies on toast, chorizo in red wine, cheese croquettes, grilled octopus, and crème Catalan.

Purnell said: “Having worked in northern Spain, I have had a soft spot for pintxos or tapas for many years. In Spain, I used to spend my days off eating and drinking in small tapas bars, which is the same philosophy we want to breed here at Plates by Purnell’s.

“Guests are welcome to stay for two or three hours and graze, or nip in for a quick drink and a small plate of food. In the current climate, people are very conscious of what they’re spending, and I wanted to be able to provide an offering for anything from a full gastronomic evening, a pitstop while shopping or a pre-theatre bite.”

Purnell’s first head chef position was at Jessica's in Edgbaston, which won Birmingham's first Michelin star in 2005. Jessica's was also named AA Restaurant of the Year (England) that same year.

He left Jessica's in 2007 and opened his eponymous restaurant Purnell's in Birmingham, which was awarded a Michelin star in January 2009, which it has retained for 14 consecutive years.

Purnell’s first venture outside of Birmingham, the Mount Pub in Henley-in-Arden, opened in March 2022 last year.