Bar Estilo

Lovely tapas. Reasonably priced too.
Service is however a bit slow, but to be expected when the suits finish work on a Friday evening.
Great place for a few cocktails and a quick bite to eat though.
Chicken skewers were delicious

I went for a friends birthday meal on a Saturday night — there were 24 of us I think and I was really impressed by the service especially. It was really professional and quick. They got everyone’s orders right which was amazing considering everyone ordered so many different tapas dishes! (of which there is quite a range of options to choose from-​nothing unusual, mostly’ traditional’ at around £4 each), I however ordered leg of duck with a bean and chorizo sauce and it was really hearty and filling which was just what I wanted:)
The wine selection isn’t too bad, but it’s not really a fine dining restaurant so probably serves the right drinks for their clientele.
The only down side was the noise level which made it very hard to hear ever the people sat opposite from you. Great for young groups, but not those who are hard of hearing!

Good simple Mediterranean food, good location (especially in the
summer), good service and good atmosphere. Would recommended it to anyone.

My girlfriend and I stumbled on Bar Estilo by mistake, whilst wandering through the Mailbox and decided to try and recapture some previous holiday experiences and indulge in some tapas.
On this occasion, it was fairly late and to our surprise Bar Estilo was still serving food. We proceeded to order various plates of food, all which were to our taste.
The portion sizes were typical of tapas dishes and left us extremely happy at the size and overall quality.
It must of been approaching 10 O’Clock on this occasion, but the atmosphere was still inviting, with the dimmed lighting oozing class throughout the establishment.
As a whole, the evening didn’t cost us as much as we both expected, with the only surprise being the prices of bottles of beer, which I must admit I’m not usually used to!
Despite this, Bar Estilo hosted a great evening, one we will hope to repeat very soon.

Not everybody loves Tapas and if they don’t you can still take them here, whoo hoo! With big mains and a pick and mix of tapas, the food here is super tasty with their Halloumi to die for. They have a great selection of drinks at the bar and the atmosphere is relaxed and suitably Mediterranean. The staff are friendly and when it gets busy service can be slightly slow when you are trying to get another drink or the bill but you really don’t mind as your tummy is happy and you are too relaxed.
They are really good at accommodating large groups, even if you have balloons and cake in tow. They have a fairly open kitchen view and so you can see and smell the delights being cooked.

Great venue in a great location. Tapas is delicious, huge variety and staff are really helpful when it comes to recommending combinations. A really good spot for summer suppers!

The first time i have ever had a chocolate fondant which made me want to go back to a restaurant! I think it was the mint ice cream that did it for me!
The main was incredible, i had the salmon with mango salsa. The salmon was cooked to perfection and went surprisingly well with mango.
The staff were very friendly and helpful. Sometimes my eyes can be a lil too big for my belly and I end up over ordering, but our waiter advised us what would be enough for three girls!
Theres a nice relaxed atmosphere in the bar, and i sometimes pop in before I start my night out in Broad Street!

Can’t beat a bit of tapas and Bar Estilo do them properly! They have a really wide range to choose from and its a good place to come with a group of people because there is something for everyone. It can get quite busy on a saturday night so make sure you book ahead. Definately the best tapas in town: D

Fantastic bar for a quick drink or a great meal. The setting is very relaxed and it’s positioned brilliantly for catching sun on the terrace and people watching as you relax during a lunch hour,

Ate here tonight, superb location and what a fabulous tapas feast we had! Loads of dishes, quantity just right, helpful, friendly and knowlegeable staff (both from a wine and food point of view) made for a great nite! Again I recommend.
Went a bit pair shape with some less solibrious places after we left but, hey ho!

I’ve been to Bar Estilo twice. Once when I organised a Team Christmas Party and then once afterwards I took a friend for her birthday there because I was so impressed. Really friendly helpful staff, you’re left to relax and not rushed in any way. I have only eaten the tapas there but I enjoyed it but it’s really the friendly atmosphere that makes it such a nice place

This is located in the Mailbox, a trendy shopping/​eating complex in Birmingham city centre, ideally located for New St Station. Bar Estilo has been there ever since it opened and in the summer months it tends to be absolutely packed — particularly on a nice summer evening when people can spill out onto the deck.
The food is very good. They have tapas as well as main meals. I tend to go for tapas — the nachos are great, as are the fish dishes and halloumi dishes. The wine list is also pretty decent.
The service can sometimes be a bit hit and miss if it is busy. It is friendly but it may take a while to get served and to get the bill. They do get busy so you may need to book ahead at weekends! It’s a good place to come to as a group.

I am always trying new places and my work being nicely located right by the Mailbox in the middle of Birmingham means I get a lot of chances to sample the delights of all the restaurants there. The one I am telling you about today is Bar Estilo which is a very funky little place which serves great food and drink in a fantastic atmosphere and as a result is so busy most of the time.
-
What is Bar Estilo?
Bar Estilo is a Mediterranean restaurant which offers a lot of delights which you will not really find in many other places. It is very modern with bright decorations and a fun atmosphere. It specialises in serving tapas so perfect for those who like to sample things like me and get scared by huge plates of food.
-
Where?
I am reviewing the one in Birmingham and its address is as follows;
110 – 114 Wharfside Street
The Mailbox
B1 1RF
It is easy to find as the Mailbox is a pretty big place and Bar Estilo is in a prime spot with tables facing onto the beautiful canal.
-
Location:
Location wise this place is perfect as the Mailbox attracts a lot of visitors as it is ap lace to shop, eat and drink and Bar Estilo is right by the BBC and with views of the canal. As it is right on the corner and is a big place you cannot really miss it. I like the location for me because iti s close to all types of public transport so easy to get there and get home and also being a two minute walk from the city centre so the Bullring and other shops it is perfect to have lunch while shopping or indeed an evening meal after shopping.
Location in the Mailbox as said above is great and it offers a very cosy and beautiful feel to the restaurant being in such a clean and nice place.
-
Parking:
I will be honest with you now that parking is not actually that great. You can park in the Mailbox multi-​storey but it can work out very expensive if you stay a while. Being a few minutes from the city centre though is not bad as there is lots of parking there and also the public transport links so you should have no problems.
-
Outside Appearance:
From the outside Bar Estilo looks very funky and modern with a nice huge mosaic sign in bright and bold colours. The place is very clean and I think the surroundings of the mailbox which are very clean, light, airy and modern add to the appeal. You can see in the restaurant from outside which is good and you will see that it is stunning and very well kept.
-
Inside Appearance:
Inside and the place is funky. The tables and chairs are all wooden and there are decorations all around which remind me of being somewhere really tropical as there are big plants and it is just lovely. I think most people will be impressed with the bar area as it looks amazing. It is round and quite big and there are bottles of stuff and glasses everywhere and then seats all around. Everything just looks so inviting and cosy and stylish about the place that you cannot help but want to stay there and be impressed.
-
Drinks:
The drinks selection they have there is very good and I have never been and they have not had what I wanted even when it came to ordering cocktails. They make it their job to get you exactly what you want and everything is so nicely presented. Cocktails are around £6 each and a soft drink about £1.75. I would say the drinks are quite expensive compared to other places but when you are having this much of a good time then I don’t care.
You can drink at the bar on the stools there or they will bring them to your table.
-
Food:
The food selection here is great and there is something for everybody and the good thing is that it changes from lunch to the evening. For lunch the specials are that you can get a selection of tapas for £3.95 or £5.95 per person and honestly this is the best way to sample a lot of things and is extremely good value for money. There are meat, vegetarian and fish choices and a lot of each. My favourite is the Spanish tortilla with potato and caramelised onions which are gorgeous. For meat eaters you can get something like spicy chicken wings.
Then for the evening you can get a very good selection of things. For starters choose from duck tortillas or halloumi fritters for around £5 each. The starters are all of quite ample size so I usually choose to share one with somebody. They have a fantastic selection and the best I have ever seen in any restaurant.
Then for the main courses which are £7 11 each you can choose from meats, rice /​pasta and then vegetarian and salads. They also have an impressive load of side orders at around £2 each including their paprika fries which are divine. The Estilo beef burger is yummy and filling but also the vegetarian paella is yummy. If you like fish I can also recommend the tuna steak which smells lovely.
-
Verdict:
What I like about Bar Estilo is it has created something different in a place where I believe most restaurants seem to be alike. The food is

Great food and atmosphere. Interior is lovely.

I love this place. Well, I only love the tapas! But that’s great. I haven’t ever tried the normal menu because I keep going back to the tapas. The halloumi fritters are yummy. The chicken skewers are great. The houmus is scrummy. The great thing about it is being able to choose meat OR fish OR vegetarian and mix and match with your friends so you get to try things you haven’t tried before. My only gripe is that you usually have to wait a long time for your drinks!

I haven’t had this boil in the bag paella other reviewer’s mention, but is a good place to enjoy a couple of cold beers acompanied by tapas (which is very tasty)

I’ve never had a bad time here, but it loses points in my book because the paella is not as good as something I can put together at home for a quarter of the price. I think a Spanish themed restaurant should be able to do a good paella but — as someone else said — this one tastes like it’s come out of the microwave. It’s not inedible, but it’s not authentic. The chicken is obviously out of a pre-​cooked pack (giving it a chalky, musty flavour) and the mussels are tiny and insignificant. the sauce was spicy and tomato flavoured where it should be fishy and full of saffron.
Stick to the tapas and you should be better off. There are also good fruit juices and sangria, and the spicy chicken penne is a better main. Service is friendly and the décor is bright and welcoming.

If you’re looking for a taste of the mediterranean, head to Bar Estilo for some authentic tapas and other Spanish style dishes.
The bar/​restaurant is often really busy and has a nice intimate atmosphere.
Most of the main meals are under £10, unless you’re eating duck or steak. Other dishes on offer include; Baked Enchilada and honey glazed chicken and of course Tapas.
They recommend to book at a weekend and the only downside is that you do have a time limit on your table if the restaurant is really busy. I’d give it a bash for a special occasion with a few friends.

A Mediterranean/​Spanish-​style bar and resturant. Is always very busy so you have to book well in advance.
There is a bar for you to have a few drinks before your meal, this is usually very busy and cramped. Its not somewhere you’d really come for a drink unless you were eating. We had a jug of Sangria which was lovely.
Food is very good however I have had the Paella and it was like a microwaved meal and not very authentic !! food is generally very good and a great atmosphere, i’ve been to a birthday party here and we had a brilliant night.