All You Need is Love (s)

'ALL you need is love', sang the Beatles.
None a truer word spoken. Especially on your birthday.
And while I was lucky enough to be lavished with love on my birthday, I was also treated to a meal at Loves, Birmingham's newest fine dining restaurant - and that was rather good too.
The boy and I visited when the restaurant, situated on Canal Square, was just ten days old, but with slick service there was little evidence (apart from maitre d' Claire Love's sheer excitement) of its infancy.
An amouse bouche of butternut squash and goat's cheese foam was exemplary, as was the fresh bread.
I opted for the starter of tuna sashimi and beetroot, although i was informed early on that the tuna had been replaced by crayfish. I was happy either way, and the flavours were as sublime as the presentation.
The boy adored his Jerusalem artichoke risotto which was light but still unctuous and creamy.
A smooth and fruity Riesling accompanied our starters well, but also proved complimentary to our mains; mine of tender venison, and his of halibut with langoustine.
A cute copper-bottomed saucepan of creamy mashed potato was a welcome addition to the table, seeing as the portions are fairly dinky.
As I was the birthday girl, a chocolate dessert was the order of the day which - once again - tasted superb. Meanwhile, the boy failed to share his poached pineapple and coconut, a sure sign of his delight.
Perfect handmade petit fours and good decaf coffee rounded off a perfect evening.
Loves opened too late to gain entry into the Michelin, or Good Food guides.
However, Claire told us that she and husband chef Steve were glad of their timing because it would give them time to settle in before the next round of inspector's visits.
If Loves fails to get a Michelin star next year, I'll eat my hat.
To book a table go to www.loves-restaurant.co.uk or call 0121 454 5151