Adam’s
Birmingham, West Midlands
Just five minutes from New Street station, Adam Stokes’ posh Birmingham flagship is a restaurant with its eyes on the prize. Every detail speaks of ambition, from the plate-glass frontage and the oversized lampshades in the light-filled contemporary dining room to the cohorts of smiling staff who know their cues, routines and lines of patter by heart. Following head chef James Goodyear’s move to Evelyn’s Table in London, the kitchen is now overseen by well-travelled Rikku O'Donnchü, who worked with Stokes at Hambleton Hall back in the day. His remit is to apply safe and sure technique to the finest seasonal ingredients from home and abroad. Deftly crafted canapés are exactly what you might expect, and whether you’re eating from the carte or the tasting menu, the food is a procession of pretty modern morsels fastidiously tweezered with edible flowers and micro-leaves. As an opener, a hand-dived Orkney scallop might be paired with kohlrabi, buttermilk and dill, while crown of quail has earthy companions in the shape of barley, hazelnut and sand carrot. After that, multifarious components are deftly arranged on the plate: white asparagus, mussels and sea vegetables with a piece of wild Scottish halibut; alliums and morels with Ston Easton lamb. There’s also a tricksy riff on pomme Anna involving wild garlic, smoked potato and seeds. Desserts are full of promise, whether your fancy turns to a sticky toffee soufflé embellished with dates, crème fraîche and lemon or a more exotic combo of ‘dulce’ chocolate, peanut noisette, banana and kaffir lime. Fans say that service is ‘attentive but never over-done’, while the wine list offers a stellar selection of vintages, with some fine drinking by the glass. ‘I can’t wait for an excuse to visit Birmingham again,’ concluded one admirer.
Dining Information:
Private dining room, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Credit card required
New Oxford House, 16 Waterloo Street, Birmingham, West Midlands B2 5UG
0121 643 3745
