The story
Folium occupies a compact space on Caroline Street, just off Birmingham’s bustling core. The restaurant’s name, Latin for “leaf,” hints at a kitchen guided by the seasons. With room for only a handful of tables, the atmosphere is deliberately restrained and personal. The restaurant’s limited capacity means no pushchairs or under-12s are permitted—a policy that underscores the adult, focused dining experience.
The menu rotates with the calendar, drawing on the best of British produce. While the kitchen keeps its specific dishes close, the award of Michelin Recommended in 2026 speaks to the precision and creativity at play. Diners choose from a tasting menu, served at lunch on Fridays and Saturdays, and dinner from Thursday to Saturday. The reservation system operates on a rolling three-month basis, with a strict 72-hour cancellation policy—a sign of how sought-after tables are.
Service is warm but unobtrusive, allowing the food to take centre stage. The restaurant’s stripped-back design, air conditioning, and wheelchair access make it comfortable without distraction. Folium is a place where the cooking itself is the attraction—modern British cooking that is both grounded and quietly ambitious.
Recognition
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History
Competition is fierce in B3. Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter has a thriving restaurant scene but Ben Tesh and Lucy Hanlon’s well-established Folium more than holds its own. The interior style – pared back, comfortable – suggests a perfectly confident but low-key neighbourhood venue, yet it’s the setting for some ambitious culinary action. Working solo in the open-to-view kitchen, Tesh’s vision is an entirely personal one, a masterclass in ingredients-led cooking delivered without any sense of ego or overcomplexity. Dishes on the tasting menu (long and short versions) are composed to bring out the best in prime (often luxurious) ingredients, and Tesh has the confidence to leave well alone when the components are in striking harmony. A whisper-thin ‘burnt onion’ wafer curled around a dot of intense chicken liver parfait makes a sublime mouthful, ditto a pillowy croquette of Mayan Gold potato topped with a light, creamy smoked cod roe and dotted with beads of pike roe. The teaming of exquisitely flavoured A5 wagyu sirloin with nothing more than grilled endive and a rich, glossy sauce is masterly, while the sweetness of turbot plays beautifully against a foamy ponzu sauce of delicious depth – best appreciated by mopping up with the accompanying deep-fried bread roll. A delicate run of ices makes the perfect, light finish, from whipped marshmallow and yuzu juice, strewn with crispy rice for texture to a rich, creamy toasted hay, caramel and rye confection. Lucy Hanlon runs front of house with great charm, while Folium's enticing offer is completed by an efficient, wide-ranging wine list.
3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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