220 Merrill

220 Merrill has one of the best seats in downtown Birmingham and knows exactly what to do with it. The patio is a sit-sip-and-watch operation: stylish passersby, and an afternoon soundtrack of the occasional Lamborghini or Maserati rolling past for anyone keeping score. We came for lunch on Andrea’s birthday weekend, after a morning at Margot European Spa, and toasted with berry berry spritzes — elderberry liqueur, blueberry, Prosecco, soda, mint. Delish, and dangerously easy at noon.

The food more than held up its end. The seafood tasted genuinely fresh: Mike’s lobster roll arrived as three mini rolls with a serious amount of lobster in them, and Andrea’s Birmingham salad with blackened shrimp and calamari got its lift from a dijon vinaigrette that did the heavy lifting. We ducked inside on the way out and found the interior every bit as good-looking as the patio, which is useful intel for a town where the weather has opinions.

The service was the soft spot — so-so rather than memorable, and not quite at the level of the room or the plates. Not enough to keep us away. This is a strong stylish-lunch pick when the patio weather cooperates, and it delivered celebratory energy without making us wait until dinner. We’d go back for the food and the people-watching, and hope for a bit more attentiveness next time.