Everything you need to know. Seafood City Birmingham - booking, menu & dietary FAQ

A seafood boil is a communal cooking and dining tradition originating in Louisiana, USA's Deep South. Fresh seafood - typically lobster, King prawns, crab, mussels and clams - is cooked together in a large pot with bold spice blends, then served with sides like sweetcorn, potatoes and garlic bread. At Seafood City Birmingham, guests receive gloves and bibs to dig in with their hands, choosing from OG Louisiana, Garlic Butter, Chef's Signature Cajun, or Hot & Spicy sauce.

Seafood itself is widely considered halal - most schools of thought treat fish and shellfish as permissible, though views on shellfish can vary, so it comes down to what you follow. What matters at the restaurant is the preparation: at Seafood City Birmingham our kitchen is halal-friendly - no pork, no alcohol used in any dish, and every ingredient halal-sourced. Alcohol is served at the bar separately and is entirely optional.

It depends on appetite, but our platters are built to share. The City Selection suits one to two people, while the larger combos like No Being Crabby and The Feast comfortably feed two to four. Tell us your group size when you book and we'll point you to the right combo so no one leaves hungry and nothing goes to waste.

Seafood City is located at Unit E202, 70 Hurst Street, The Arcadian, Birmingham, B5 4TD. We're on the upper level of the Arcadian, in the heart of Birmingham's Chinatown and entertainment district. New Street Station is an 8-minute walk away.

We are open Tuesday to Thursday from 12pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 11pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 10pm. We are closed on Mondays.

Seafood City is primarily a dine-in restaurant - the boil format is built around the table experience. Selected dishes are available via Deliveroo. Group takeaway platters can sometimes be arranged for collection - call us on 0121 798 1425 to ask.

We add an optional 10% service charge to every bill. It is fully optional and is split between the team - front of house, kitchen and runners. You can ask your server to remove it at any time without question.

Our entry platter, City Selection, is £19.95. Signature combos run from £22.95 (Keep it Shrimple) to £174.95 (The Feast, serves 4+, two lobster tails, snow crab and 25 King prawns). Most tables of two order No Being Crabby at £88.95, which includes lobster tail and snow crab.

Yes. We have a full cocktail menu with 11 cocktails at £8.95 each, including Passionfruit Martini, Peach Mai Tai and Lychee Cooler. We also serve draught beers (Camden Hells, Bia Vietnam, Kopparberg), wines, prosecco, spirits and Build Your Gin at £8.95. For non-drinkers, we have a full mocktail menu at £5.95 and fresh lemonades from £4.50.

Yes, halal-friendly. There is no pork anywhere in the kitchen, we do not cook with alcohol, and every ingredient is halal-sourced. Alcohol is served at the bar separately and is entirely optional, so mixed groups of halal and non-halal diners share our tables every week.

No, and we do not claim to be. Certification is a formal audited scheme we have not applied for. What we can state precisely: no pork is stocked or prepared, no alcohol goes into any dish, and every ingredient is halal-sourced. If your requirement is certification specifically rather than halal-friendly practice, that is worth knowing before you book.

No. Seafood City Birmingham does not use alcohol in any of its dishes. Every item on the menu is alcohol-free. Alcohol is served at the bar separately and is entirely optional. A full mocktail menu is available alongside the cocktails for guests who do not drink.

We offer four sauce options: OG Louisiana (two years in the making, deep, buttery, rich, our authentic signature), Garlic Butter (smooth, buttery, garlic-forward, a proper classic), Chef's Signature Cajun (a bold Deep South spice blend, our most ordered), and Hot & Spicy (for those who want serious heat). You can also choose whether your seafood is boiled, grilled or fried.

We use one type of prawn, one size - large King prawns. Every prawn on every platter is the same big size. They're cleaned and prepped fresh by hand every day before service, and cooked to order. No swapping in smaller prawns when we're busy, no filler. If it's on a platter at Seafood City Birmingham, it's a King prawn.

Yes. Our platters come shell-on so the prawns cook in their own juices, and we always recommend eating them that way. But if for any reason you'd rather not peel, just tell your server when you order and our kitchen will peel them for you before they come to the table. No charge, no problem.

Hot & Spicy is genuinely hot - built around scotch bonnet and habanero heat, well above a typical Cajun. If you regularly order extra-hot at curry houses, you'll be fine. If not, Chef's Signature Cajun is the better starting point. Both can be ordered milder on request.

Vegetarians eat from the sides and desserts rather than the mains: fries, mac and cheese, garlic bread, stir-fry noodles, egg fried rice and salad, and both desserts are marked vegetarian. There is no dedicated vegan main. Tell us when you book and we will put a plate together.

Many of our seafood and side dishes can be made gluten-free on request - we'll skip the garlic bread, batter and breaded sides. The kitchen is not a fully gluten-free environment, so cross-contact is possible. Please tell your server when ordering and we'll guide you through safe choices.

Allow about an hour for a table to do it properly: the boil is cooked fresh to order, and cracking shells by hand is not fast food. In a hurry, tell us when you book. We pace pre-theatre tables so you make the curtain, and a combo platter is the fastest route through the menu.

The Feast (£174.95, serves 4+) is the four-plus platter. A table of four also does well on No Being Crabby (£88.95, serves 2 to 3) plus one solo combo such as the City Feast (£26.95), about £116 all in. Still going? Add extras by the piece.

City Selection (£19.95), OG Louisiana sauce, boiled. That is the starter kit: the entry platter, the sauce we spent two years on, cooked the original Louisiana way. Gloves on, bib on, skip the fork. Move up to the bigger combos next visit.

The chicken side of the menu is real, not a token gesture. Chicken Tenders (£17.95) and the Chicken Burger (£16.95) both come with salad and fries, and Chicken Wings (£9.95) start the table. Tell us when you book and we will help you build a plate.

Yes, gift vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. They are bought and redeemed through our gifting page, delivered by email, and can be spent on anything we serve: platters, sides, desserts and the bar.

Yes. We have a signature booth perfect for date nights (The Dirty Date package, from £65pp), your whole booking on a single table for groups of 12+ (The City Boil package, from £55pp), and a semi-private platform section for up to 40 guests for larger celebrations (Full Send, from £2,000 minimum spend). To enquire, visit our Celebrations page or email hello@seafood-city.com.

Absolutely - hen parties are one of our specialities. We can arrange custom branded bibs (including "Bride's Last Boil"), prosecco on arrival, cocktail pitchers, custom music and dedicated service for the group on our semi-private platform section. Get in touch via our Celebrations page.

The Dirty Date package is built for two: from £65pp, our biggest booth, lobster and seafood for two, a cocktail on arrival and a candle on the table. A boil also solves the first-date problem: gloves on, lobster to crack, plenty to talk about.

That depends what the birthday wants. If it wants a quiet white-tablecloth dinner, that is not us. If it wants the whole table in bibs cracking into a platter, we run a birthday ritual for exactly that: a sparkler moment from the team, custom bibs, a celebratory dessert, and room for 2 to 40 guests. Groups of 12 or more can book The City Boil package from £55pp.

We welcome walk-ins subject to availability, but booking ahead is strongly recommended, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings and for groups of 3 or more. You can book a table in under 30 seconds on our Book a Table page.

Yes. Children are welcome any time and high chairs are available on request. The interactive nature of a seafood boil - gloves, bibs, cracking shells - makes it a popular family experience. We don't run a dedicated kids' menu, but smaller portions can be arranged.

Yes, the Arcadian Centre has on-site parking. There are also several NCP car parks within a 3-minute walk. Birmingham New Street is an 8-minute walk if you're coming by train.

Yes. The Arcadian Centre has step-free access via the lift, and our restaurant on the upper level is fully wheelchair-accessible including the booth seating area. Accessible toilets are on the same floor.

Friday and Saturday evenings from 7pm onwards are our busiest service. For a quieter, more intimate experience, Tuesday to Thursday lunch or early evening (5–6:30pm) are the best windows. Sunday lunch is family-paced and rarely fully booked.

Seafood City is directly opposite the Hippodrome on the Arcadian Centre's upper level, under 3 minutes on foot. Pre-show and post-show bookings are common; let us know your show time and we'll pace your meal so you're not rushed. Walk-ins after a show are welcome subject to availability.

Something you don't mind getting a bit saucy. We provide the bibs and gloves - but the Cajun sauce has its own ideas. It's part of the experience. Embrace it.

Seafood City opened in June 2024 at the Arcadian Centre, Birmingham, as the city's first dedicated Louisiana-style seafood boil restaurant. Founded by Oliver Ngo, who also founded Vietnamese Street Kitchen, the venue seats 99 inside with additional outdoor seating on the Arcadian terrace.

Look for three things. Whether the boil is cooked fresh to order in the sauce: ours is, that is the Louisiana method. What goes on the platter: we use one size of King prawn, cleaned by hand daily, no filler. And how long the kitchen has been at it: we opened in June 2024 as Birmingham's first seafood boil. We are also the only boil restaurant in the city centre with a full cocktail menu.

Seafood City is a popular Eid choice in Birmingham - halal-friendly throughout, no pork in the kitchen, no alcohol used in cooking, and a celebratory communal format that suits family gatherings. We can accommodate groups from 2 up to 40 guests. Book ahead for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as our weekend tables fill quickly.