There has been much anticipation about the opening of The Grand hotel later this year but its old boiler room has already been transformed.

BirminghamLive was given a sneak preview of Tattu - a lavish new 160-cover restaurant spanning two floors.

The luxury bar and restaurant will be the biggest the city has seen - created in a 5,000 sq ft former boiler room of the historic building in Colmore Row (see our video above).

Tattu, which has two other UK branches, is the brainchild of brothers Adam and Drew Jones and offers contemporary Chinese cuisine all served up in a dramatic and stylistic interior.

The decor of Tattu Birmingham varies from the other branches in Leeds and Manchester because of the rich heritage of The Grand.

This Yang inspired area also double up as a private dining room with views of downstairs

Owner Adam Jones told BirminghamLive: "Our other restaurants were blank canvasses. This one, because of its heritage, had lots of details that we had to work around."

The Grand's old boiler room is split into two areas which made this project an "exciting design challenge" for Tattu.

Adam said: "That's how we came up with splitting the design of the place into two styles -  inspired by the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang. 

"This is what makes Birmingham Tattu so special and unique. Our other two restaurants have the same feel throughout. Birmingham diners will have two separate experiences."

Firstly there is the 'yang experience' to represent the light and masculine - complete the Calacatta marble flooring. 

Inside guests will be welcomed into the light cave like ground floor bar and large party dining area situated on Barwick Street.

Two imposing pillars of the The Grand's old boiler room have been covered in rock specially imported from Hong Kong, giving the space a dramatic atmosphere.

Adam added: “This is a really warm and inviting atmosphere which we hope diners will feel at home in as soon as they enter Tattu.

Tattu on Barwick Street.

"The reflective marble floor and Basalt rock materials have been used to replicate the properties of water as you would find in an oriental garden."

From the ground floor bar and dining space,  guests will descend a cream marble staircase into the yin-inspired lower ground floor dining area.  The downstairs is the signature Tattu experience  - featuring oriental artwork, imported precious rock and pink cherry blossom trees. There is also an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work."

Booth in Tattu with adjustable sound switch for quiet business meetings.

Adam added: "Guests can enjoy the yang interior where they can drink while waiting for their table and then be escorted downstairs to the dark yin inspired decor. Hopefully Brummies will feel like they're getting two experiences in one.

"This is a premium restaurant so we have to deliver an exceptional customer journey and I feel we have achieved this. I'm really proud of what we have created. And I can promise you the food matches the atmosphere. "

"We have incorporated more booth-style tables, as Chinese food is all about the concept of sharing."

Tattu on Barwick Street.

The restaurant serves up a modern, sophisticated take on Chinese cuisine - using fine dining cooking techniques.

Adam: "This is not traditional Chinese. What we do is take traditional Chinese flavours and ingredients and apply fine dining techniques.

"For example our prawn toast is unlike any prawn toast you'll have had. We serve it as balls rather than flat toast as this way there is none of the usual grease you expect. And we add lobster to give make it most luxury prawn toast you will have tasted."

"We also serve a sweet and sour Iberico pork with banana shallots and dragon fruit."

Tattu on Barwick Street.

"Half of our kitchen staff are from East Asia but our head chefs have come from Michelin and AA Rosette backgrounds. The emphasis is on cooking healthy Chinese food, using modern fine dining techniques with the kind of presentation you'd expect to see in a high end fine dining restaurant.

"We did our research in Birmingham and certainly in the city centre there is nowhere offering modern Chinese cuisine in premium surroundings."

What else is on the menu?

Tattu Birmingham menu will feature Wagu Sirloin

 

The starters menu includes dim sum and sharing plates. The dim sum is cooked up by chefs with 30 years experience in the art of dim sum making - so Brummies should be in for a treat.

On the a la carte section, Tattu’s signature dishes include beef fillet and caramel soy and saffron black cod.

Adam said: "Our caramel soy sauce is very popular. People order it as a side to everything!"

There's also dishes such as chilli and sesame roasted scallops served with Chinese sausage, crushed edamame and mint.

The dessert menu is also pretty spectacular and includes a showstopping white chocolate igloo served with blood orange, vanilla biscuit and coconut snow.

Tattu Birmingham will serve a range of cocktails, including Skull Candy

There are also cocktails including the Flight of the Phoenix, made with white rum, poppy and apple; the Butterfly Effect with a magical mixture of vodka, lychee liqueur and butterfly pollen; and Tattu’s take on the classic Negroni with a cherry blossom twist.

The Grand is already home to popular cocktail bar The Alchemist which also has a stunning basement bar - but is much smaller in size.

Asian Pear Crumble at Tattu

How much will a meal cost?

Dim sum and small plates are priced from £7 up to £12.50.  Main dishes are priced from £15 up to £30.50 for the Saffron black cod with miso, Chinese sausage and razor clam.

There is also a whole lobster and a sirloin of Wagyu beef dishes that are priced at a premium.

Tattu on Barwick Street.

Desserts are priced between £5 - 8 and cocktails are priced between £9 and £14.  Sharing menus start from £40pp for a three course feast. There are also set eight menus available for lunch and evening priced for £40 per person.

Is there an affordable set lunch menu?

Yes. A 'Taste of Tattu' lunch menu is available for £23 for two courses and £28 for three courses.

Other new restaurants that have opened in the Colmore Row area include Fazenda.