I am going to the Birmingham branch for a family dinner at the weekend. I haven't ever been to a Strada before but I checked the menu and it sounds fantastic!

Have you been to Strada? What did you have? Which dishes do you recommend?

http://www.strada.co.uk/menu.html

Haven't ever been to one, but you're right, the menu sounds yummy. I would just go with whatever you fancy, or ask the waiter/waitress for recommendations.

Have fun

I normally have this as a starter as it's yummy:

POLENTA CON FUNGHI
Roasted Parmesan polenta with sautéed mixed mushrooms in a mascarpone, garlic and marjoram sauce

The pizzas are good too.

I noted the polenta con funghi, thought it sounded yummy. I have never tried polenta before though. What's the texture like? Is it stodgy? Is it like mash?

Polenta is like a a mix between bread and mash. It's lovely and not stodgy if made right. It's filling though.

I've been to Strada in Birmingham - the one in the Mailbox - was very impressed. Usually restaurant chains leave me cold but Strada's food is very good quality and the staff are always friendly and helpful. Enjoy!

I have heard very good things about it. Yes its a chain, but by all accounts it is an exception to the normal chain mediocrity.

Well don't ever go to one in London

Maybe I was just unlucky but I've been to 2 of them (different locations / years apart) and they were God awful. The second time I went I actually refused point blank to pay as it was that bad!

Hope the OP fares better than I did

There's a good one near Holborn. haven't been there in a while though.

Sometimes there food is a bit too salty though, but otherwise it is delicious!

We went to one near St Pauls Cathedral 2 years ago, it was pretty good. The pizza was delicious and the carbonara was good too.

The restaurant itself had a good atmosphere and nice interior. Service was good aswell.

I've been to the one in Chiswick and it was fine. Also been to the one in Cheltenham and that was very nice. Haven't been to any in places that don't begin with "Ch" though.

There's some reviews of the Birmingham one here, most seem pretty good:-

http://www.birminghamplus.com/items/items.asp?iid=1898

Tried Strada in the Symphony Hall complex, it was very disappointing. Not a patch on Cielo round the corner. Seemed to be chain-type cooking from a centrally decided formula rather than individual cooking flair. Good location and room, just didn't like the food.

I've been to the one in Guildford, it was quite nice, but it since burnt down.

What do you do to restaurants you don't like?

Funny you should say that as Cielo gets terrible reviews on the same site I've posted above.

11 reviews, average 76.36%. Doesn't seem too bad on the whole. I can only speak as I find, I've been there a few times and always been happy. No doubt they've had disappointed customers like everybody else but so far I'm not one of them.

I also liked La Vita opposite the Copthorne, where La Galleria used to be, but it seems to have closed and I can't seem to find out anything about it.

At least one of those reviews (the 99% one) is planted by the owners.

Yeah there's one near Waterloo. It's a nice chain in my view. I like that you get complimentary water on being seated and I don't recall ever feeling rushed there either.

Did you go then, VS? Was it good? I'd like to experiment with more restaurants as my culinary palette continues to grow, so hearing feedback is always nice

Yeah, I just got back from Birmingham last night, and the meal on Saturday night was FANTASTIC!

A big thank you to Minky who recommended the polenta con funghi (polenta in cream and mushroom sauce) - it was absolutely divine!

I had the following:

Polenta con Funghi, described as above
Antipasto - Nice selection of ham/salami, and the mozzarella was the best I have ever tasted
Pollo con Funghi - chargrilled chicken breast in cream and mushroom sauce, with roast potatoes and rocket - delicious
half a Bufala pizza - pizza with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. So simple but sooooo tasty!
Crostata di fragole - a small vanilla mascapone tart topped with fresh strawberries and coulis - When it came out, it looked pretty but small. Desserts are normally disappointing so I wasn't expecting much, but this tasted absolutely scrumptious!

As you can see, I was rather greedy and ate a lot. I couldn't move easily afterwards. But every single dish I had was perfect. Everyone else's (we were a party of about 12) looked very nice too.

The service was excellent. It was a Saturday night in Birmingham, so the restaurant was at full capacity. Considering this, all of our orders were correct and came out at the right times, etc. The waiting staff are very friendly and attentive. Decor was simple, yet chic.

With all things considered, this was the best dining experience I can remember.

I score it 10/10.

Sounds gorgeous! The Waterloo branch is probably nearest to me, so I'll have to go there when I'm feeling richer

You certainly sound like you had a great night