Land, Birmingham

Land markets itself as a modern plant-focused restaurant located in The Grand Western Arcade in central Birmingham.

Now, I am not a vegetarian by a long stretch. I most definitely enjoy a burger, steak, or bacon with my eggs on the weekend. However, I have been fascinated by the idea of Land for a while, and we were lucky enough to have been given vouchers recently, so we decided to visit. I was intrigued by the idea of creating a menu from purely plant-based food and looked forward to exploring the creativity.

We opted for the 7-course tasting menu at £70 per person, which isn't cheap, but it also includes delicious petit fours and tasty morsels before and after the main tasting menu. We booked the 5:30 pm sitting, knowing that each sitting lasted approximately 3 hours. We also took advantage of the vouchers and enjoyed a couple of tasty bottles of wine. We took a friend along too, so two bottles between three people isn't too bad, right?

Each course focuses on a different fruit or vegetable as the main event, and without fail, each course was spectacularly beautiful and delicious. From sweetcorn in a multitude of ways to tomato in a beautiful green dressing to savoury watermelon that was an absolute revelation, the creativity and cooking skill were outstanding. I love a menu that surprises you with its flavours, making you go 'ooh' after each first mouthful.

The service was impeccable, the décor simple but smart, and everyone we spoke to was really well-informed and clearly passionate about their work. The restaurant is small but perfectly formed with only 22 covers.

Would I go again? Absolutely, if someone wished to take me. As a pretty dedicated meat eater, I did feel I was missing something (and I did wake up hungry the next day!), but I did really love the experience. If there were vegetarian options of that quality on more menus, I would definitely think twice about ordering the burger, but I do need a few more carbs to keep me going.