Perro

RE-LIGHT MY FIRE

My excitement around eating out in Birmingham (at the weekend) has long been on the wane. I’ve done it, bought the T-shirt and, more pertinently, at the places I really want to eat, they all require planning months ahead to get a reservation. There’s no room for spontaneity; unless you want to eat at 5pm or 10pm and I’m neither a toddler, nor Spanish.

Hearing Matt Wilden, was opening a ‘neighbourhood bar and restaurant’ in Kings Heath was a fan to the dying embers of my enthusiasm. For those who don’t know, Matt is ex-chef of Poli, when it was genuinely a contender for ‘best pizzeria in the known universe’, not to mention his magicianship with wood-fired small plates and Sunday roasts.

Since its closure, Matt’s immersed himself in the myriad possibilities of Mexican cuisine, teasing in what was to come with his Piñata pop ups. From what I’ve experienced, his rapidly upward learning curve is going to be some pleasure trip to be on.  

(F) Guajillo & Mezcal Gimlet, Ferrari (B) Mashgang Hazy Pale,House Martini

And before word is properly out, just a few weeks after they opened, we’re in! A table for four at 7.30 on a Friday. We clamber onto stools around a high table, not even thinking of food just yet; the cocktails have been devised by Katie Rouse, co-owner of Stirchley legends Couch, currently residing in 4th place in the UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars. My Guajillo and Mezcal Gimlet goes well beyond even that significant promise.

Tonight’s menu 8/8/25

On evenings, there’s a seasonal weekly / daily changing menu, featuring five small plates, four taco / tostada / tortilla based ‘mains’ and just one dessert. It’s perfectly formed, but the absence of their caviar topped, burnt vanilla cheesecake sends a ripple of disappointment across the whole table.

Michelada oysters

Never mind, we’re settled in and happy, guzzling Michelada oysters… think beery Bloody Marys. The small plates set to work getting the lips and tongue tingling with escabeche - sweet and sour, pickled pieces of carrots, pineapple, onion and then searing heat from thinly sliced jalepeños.

Escabeche

Luckily, our double portion of sikil pak—’a pumpkin seed hummus’—with a deep pool of chive oil and topotos—like box fresh tortilla chips—is the perfect firefighting tool.

Sikil Pak

A predominantly watermelon and cucumber salad, with a salty, sweet and sour dressing offers fresh crunch and more help to damp down the fire, although… confession time; I pushed aside the jalepeños.

Watermelon, cucumber and IoW tomato salad, chamoy, jalapeno, lime

Peak condition corn on the cob, slathered in brown crab mayo is right up there with the best food I’ve put in my mouth this year. Under its pile of creamy, savoury Spenwood cheese, it’s an umami depth charge with a shockwave of citrussy heat from lime and arbol chilli. And that’s even before I get to the succulent, sweet crunch of corn... gnawing every single last one, like a deranged beaver. Then back around again to make sure I’ve not left any behind.

Elotes, brown crab mayo, lime, arbol chilli, Spenwood

The last of the ‘starters’ shines a light on the oily richness of mackerel, being a blackened fillet, with a citrussy salsa verde and lightly pickled cucumber.

Torched mackerel, vanilla, lime, salsa verde

We pause for more drinks; a couple of glasses of chilled L’Hurlubelu—a lightly spiced and soft red fruit loaded Cabernet Franc, off their low intervention wine list and a couple of bottles of Modelo Especial.

Ghee refried beans tostada, lettuce, crema, hot sauce, Spenwood

As we move onto the mains, I’m already having doubts we really needed to order two of each, but here goes. The ghee refried beans tostada with lettuce, crema, hot sauce and more Spenwood is pure comfort food… I’d be happy enough, if it was the only one, but it’s in 4th place for me.

Tuna tostada, pistachio mole, spring onion, scotch bonnet

The first of the joint seconds is succulent mini chunks of cured tuna belly on a cushion of sweet and earthy pistachio mole and crunchy tostada; the second is slow cooked stew-like, melt in your mouth oxtail birria, piled onto roasted bone marrow, with a flour tortilla to load and salsa taqueria to cut through the richness.

Bone marrow, ox birria, salsa taqueria, flour tortilla

The winner—but there’s not even the thickness of a tortilla between the four—a fried fillet of ‘meaty’ hake in a light batter with pickled cabbage, chilli mayonnaise and taste bud vibrancy from salsa bandera.

Baja hake, pickled cabbage, chilli mayonnaise, salsa bandera

I then make the mistake of persuading the table to help out with my dessert (asking for four spoons). It’s a nailed on delight; being a silky, light chocolate crémeux, in a puddle of tangy pasilla chilli oil and with the light tartness of fresh raspberries. I probably don’t even get my quarter share and would order another, but I’ve eaten way too much food.

Chocolate, pasilla chilli oil, raspberry

It’s a small room of 12 covers with open kitchen, a chilled vibe and some bangin’ tunes. It feels infinitely more cool than it should, being less than a stone’s throw from Asda on Kings Heath High Street; it’s the sort of place you’d bang on about when asked how your ‘off the beaten track’ holiday was.

Perro BHX

Our total bill between 4 is £290.25 (Food £169.50 / Booze £88.50 / Service Charge £32.25) and service has been excellent too.

I loved it—we all did—drinks are bang on too. In the day they serve ‘deli sandos’ alongside in house baked sweet treats and iced Vietnamese coffee, whilst later in the evening til midnight, the focus shifts more to a bar with snacks. They even do hangover cure brunches on Sundays too.  

For now, there’s still some space at peak times, so I’ll be going back for more very soon, although I suspect it won’t be very much longer before eating here on a whim will mean those 5pm or 10pm sittings.

You know what, I don’t think that’ll put me off.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Unit 2, Kings Court, High Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7JZ

www.el-perro.com coming soon / reservations via www.instagram.com/perro.bhx

8/8/2025