The West Midlands culinary scene has been dealt a sudden blow with the unexpected and permanent closure of a highly-regarded Birmingham restaurant. Harborne Kitchen, a fixture on the city's fine dining scene for nine years, has shut its doors without warning, leaving booked customers surprised and seeking answers.
Sudden Closure Leaves Diners in the Dark
Patrons trying to contact the Michelin-guided restaurant are now met with a recorded message delivering the bad news. The message states: "Hello this is Harborne Kitchen, I’m afraid I have some bad news. The restaurant is closed permanently." It directs those with vouchers or deposits to a dedicated email address and explicitly asks people not to call or visit the premises, confirming there will be nobody in the building.
The establishment, located at 175-177 High St, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9QE, had initially closed for the Christmas break. It was scheduled to re-open on Saturday 17 January 2026, making this last-minute decision particularly shocking for those with reservations.
Customer Criticism and Unanswered Questions
The restaurant's social media pages have become a focal point for disappointed customers. Under its latest Facebook post, many have voiced their criticism of how the closure has been handled. One user highlighted a lack of communication, commenting that the accounts department cancelled his wife's booking for later in January without providing a reason and instructed her not to contact them.
Harborne Kitchen has not publicly disclosed the reason behind the sudden closure. The restaurant first opened its doors in 2016 and built a strong reputation for offering a relaxed fine dining experience, earning an impressive 4.8-star Google rating from 539 reviews.
A Notable Loss for Birmingham's Dining Scene
The departure of Harborne Kitchen represents a significant loss for Birmingham's competitive restaurant landscape. Its inclusion in the prestigious Michelin guide marked it as a destination for food lovers, not just locally but across the West Midlands. The void it leaves underscores the challenging climate for hospitality businesses, even for those with critical acclaim.
For now, former customers and voucher holders are left awaiting further communication via the provided email, as the culinary community reflects on the abrupt end of a nine-year chapter for one of Birmingham's notable dining spots.
