Las Iguanas - Birmingham - Temple Street

You're walking past Somerset House on Temple Street and suddenly you're transported somewhere much warmer and louder. Las Iguanas has that brilliant energy of a proper restaurant that's been doing its thing for years without needing to shout about it. The menu spans the whole continent—Peruvian, Brazilian, Chilean—so you're getting ceviche that's properly zesty, empanadas with real character, and grilled meats that feel like they actually matter. Cocktails are decent too, and they don't skimp on the pours. It's the kind of place you take someone because you know what you're getting, not because it's fashionable.