14 restaurants with exceptional warmth Published 25 October 2024
Warmth is one of the four elements of The Good Food Guide scoring. It reflects the feel of the room but more importantly, the strength of service. Is it personal as well as polished? Does it radiate warmth and generate a convivial atmosphere? Here are 14 restaurants that excel in this department, scoring an exceptional rating for warmth.
‘The downside,’ said one recent enthusiast, ‘is that our favourite restaurant is 200 miles away.’ Applause for Benedicts rings out far beyond Norwich, such is the delicious creativity of the six- or nine-co… Read more
‘The downside,’ said one recent enthusiast, ‘is that our favourite restaurant is 200 miles away.’ Applause for Benedicts rings out far beyond Norwich, such is the delicious creativity of the six- or nine-course menus, and the genuine happiness of the service delivered at Richard and Katja Bainbridge’s city-centre bistro. Personal memory and shared nostalgia ripple through dishes (fans of The Great British Menu will remember the 2015 triumph of 'Nanny Bush’s trifle') but there’s no wallowing in sentiment: the cooking is bright and contemporary, colourful and fun. Home-grown radishes, a stick of raw kohlrabi and endive scooped through smoked haddock butter set the scene, alongside a ‘prawn cocktail’ tartlet (with sharpness from freeze-dried raspberries instead of lemon) which is as if made by fairies, so friable is the pastry, so delicate the flavour. A rice cracker dotted with sparky keta, ditsy rings of shallot and apple gel comes with a sherry mousse – because Nanny Bush did like a glass of an evening, so the story goes. Warm brioche bounces glossily centre-stage, deserving its solo moment, especially when some of that mousse remains. Bouillabaisse nods to that often murky overflow of gurning fish heads, but here a smooth, savoury soup is poured tableside around a stylish pan-fried croûton topped with crabmeat, samphire and dots of rouille. It’s a prelude to duck, pink and butter-soft to cut, which comes with a fresh kohlrabi slaw, peach-sweetened sauce and a slice of pomme dauphine (an 'irresistible cross between a hash brown and a rösti’, drizzled with chive mayo and flecked with red amaranth). Palates are rejuvenated by ‘jelly and ice cream’, perfectly grown-up and un-sugary, before a flirty lemon posset (hiding pieces of nectarine) on a lime syrup-soaked puck of genoise sponge takes the final bow. Wine service is notable throughout – a crisp but weighty Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec from Gascony’s Domaine Laougué played harmoniously opposite the bouillabaisse.
On Harborne's High Street, wedged between other businesses but with an open, come-inside appeal and brightness, this exceptional restaurant runs at full tilt – even on a midweek evening. Upbeat energy fills the space –… Read more
On Harborne's High Street, wedged between other businesses but with an open, come-inside appeal and brightness, this exceptional restaurant runs at full tilt – even on a midweek evening. Upbeat energy fills the space – from the bar, past the hard-working open kitchen (run with smooth, disciplined focus) to the banquettes and booths in the dining room. Pacy, friendly service delivers food that is a thrilling combination of the familiar and the luxurious, from an opening gougère (vigorous with aged Somerset Cheddar and Worcestershire sauce) via chalk stream trout (with the option of Exmoor caviar for added zip) to a ravishing dark chocolate marquise, its richness quickened with lime and a banana sorbet. In between? Much has been written about ‘Jamie’s chicken and white chocolate’. Don’t wince, it works. The fresh acidity of strawberries and nuggets of sweet chocolate balance the savouriness of chicken liver parfait, while oat granola (embedded with crisped chicken skin) gives texture. Elsewhere, a dish of Sardinian malloreddus (gnochetti sardi) luxuriates in butter. Doused in aged Parmesan and summer truffle, it's a dish of umami dreams, although you might also find it served with slow-cooked ox cheek and heady with Madeira, or fresh with spring asparagus and morels – depending on the season. Chicken is brined, poached and pan-finished, the tender centrepiece of an appealing main course that’s smoky with bacon, and bright with peas and baby gem. The wine list rewards scrutiny, not least for its relative affordability. A Spanish Monastrell (Finca Bacara) opens a compact by-the-glass offer at £8, and the paired flights (from £35) are worth a look. The ‘5 for £55’ menu is outstanding midweek/lunchtime value, but come on Saturday night for the full 10 courses and dive more deeply into the abilities of this exceptional team. If you’re pushed for time, pull up a bar stool, sip a spirited cocktail and order from a menu of artisan cured meats, cheeses and nibbles such as trout roe with lemon.
There’s a serenity about Maison Bleue, a kind of timeless elegance and comfort that elevates 'lunch' to 'luuuunch'. It is a Bury St Edmunds fixture, attracting the most loyal of guests (some from quite a distance) for whom t… Read more
There’s a serenity about Maison Bleue, a kind of timeless elegance and comfort that elevates 'lunch' to 'luuuunch'. It is a Bury St Edmunds fixture, attracting the most loyal of guests (some from quite a distance) for whom the combination of graceful service delivered by exceptional people and a menu of classical French cookery is everything a restaurant should be. Occasional flirts with spice add layers of interest to some dishes, witness caramelised cauliflower with a gentle tandoori seasoning or lemongrass, ginger and soy awakening the mild flavour of Devon crab – the latter a beautifully fresh starter which finds the crustacean tucked up with Granny Smith apple under glimmering avruga caviar. Top-notch ingredients take their place on the ‘gourmet’ menu, where you might find organic Shimpling Park lamb (the roasted saddle and slow-cooked shoulder served with sweet potato, kohlrabi and a lamb reduction) or firm, pearly-white Gigha halibut on a little heap of cumin-warmed white cabbage, puréed cauliflower and pieces of smoked eel. A crème brûlée is everything you could ever wish it to be – silken, rich, caramelly – but how welcome is that perky, balancing raspberry and tarragon sorbet. The exceptional wine list is one in which to lose yourself. It excites, tempts and delivers with a (naturally) French-leaning selection, while expert advice comes with the domaine. A rounded but fresh Coudoulet Blanc from the legendary southern Rhône winery, Château de Beaucastel, pairs a treat with a classically sauced chicken ballotine, and is equally satisfying alongside the earthy, autumnal savouriness of stone bass with an artichoke cream sauce, chanterelles and salsify.
World-class wines and compelling cooking from a modern classic
The Noble Rot concept is disarmingly simple: lay on modern bistro food with its roots in the French repertoire, add a massive portfolio of world-class wines at affordable prices, and they will come. Even when there are only a coup… Read more
The Noble Rot concept is disarmingly simple: lay on modern bistro food with its roots in the French repertoire, add a massive portfolio of world-class wines at affordable prices, and they will come. Even when there are only a couple of early birds in, the atmosphere is already tingling – of course, it helps that staff are always warmly amiable and helpful. Here at the original Bloomsbury branch of the three NR siblings, the ambience of dark wood, framed graphic art and chalkboard specials invites due comparison with Parisian places, as does the lively, compelling cooking.
One seafood aficionado ate a summer lunch of Brixham crab mayonnaise with crispy polenta and seaweed, ahead of braised Cornish turbot in a delightful sauce of oxidised Chablis Grand Cru (Dauvissat's 1988 ‘Les Clos’, no less), and emerged wondering what had taken her so long to get here. Other temptations have been smoked ox tongue with mustard cream and saladings, and mains ranging from roast Landes guinea fowl in Madeira with celeriac and truffle to tenderly juicy pheasant with chestnuts and soft polenta. The chocolate mousse cake is as irresistible a menu fixture as it was when it first appeared, but Basque cheesecake with Yorkshire rhubarb will run it close.
And then we come to the wines. With taster glasses for a couple of sips from £3, but rising to Daumas Gassac and Barolo aged a decade and more, there is a world of adventures better than roller coasters awaiting you. Bottle prices start at £27 for Iberian house selections, but if price is a mere frippery, aim your sights at the flotilla of Old and New World classics that follow.
There is a soothing sense of isolation to this white-fronted former pub in an Oxfordshire village near Henley, but that has not stopped scores of readers from nominating it as a local favourite. The sense of good cheer that irradi… Read more
There is a soothing sense of isolation to this white-fronted former pub in an Oxfordshire village near Henley, but that has not stopped scores of readers from nominating it as a local favourite. The sense of good cheer that irradiates the place is a tribute to Liam and Ryan Simpson-Trotman's skills in the arts of hospitality, and its understated modern spaces provide a chic backdrop to some stunning cooking.
Following a stint working front of house, Ryan is back in the kitchen, marshalling thoroughbred produce from the length and breadth of the British Isles, while making good use of pickings from Orwells' own garden and local hedgerows. The cooking demonstrates nerveless confidence in a range of techniques, from a starter of flame-grilled lobster teamed with girolles, apricots, verjus and sea fennel (aka rock samphire) to mains such as the fabled Chilterns muntjac with morels, asparagus and carrot. An assured sense of artistry means that dishes always look extraordinary, but the symphonic array of flavours they offer up seals the deal.
Another first course sees crisped veal sweetbreads with Ibérico lardo and salsify, given the gentlest hint of east Asian exoticism with spring onion and sesame dressing, while a vegetarian main looks to the Caribbean for Bajan-spiced hispi with romesco and hen of the woods. You might also find a simple offering of day-boat fish – perhaps Cornish turbot with seashore herbs and Jersey Royals.
The inventive streak continues into desserts that bridge the divide between the familiar and the not-so-familiar – crème brûlée spiced with cardamom and accompanied by rhubarb, pistachios and ginger. Eight-course tasting menus offer a virtuosic display of the kitchen's abilities, in notations that give nothing away. Orkney scallops? Yorkshire rhubarb? Wait and see. There are Sunday roasts too. A very distinguished wine list means that the wide-open Oxfordshire sky is the limit on bottle prices, but there are plenty of options by the glass, as well as an engaging range of cocktails, bottled beers and speciality gins to go at.
Otto Tepasse is not one to hide his light under a bushel, and why would he? His Gray's Inn Road spot is justly celebrated as a redoubt of French cuisine à l'ancienne, from the black-and-white floor and mint-green … Read more
Otto Tepasse is not one to hide his light under a bushel, and why would he? His Gray's Inn Road spot is justly celebrated as a redoubt of French cuisine à l'ancienne, from the black-and-white floor and mint-green walls to the publicity shots of Marilyn Monroe (mais bien sûr), and a culinary approach that reaches far back into nostalgic recall. Order in advance and you can relive the gastronomic heyday of canard à la presse, homard à la presse and Anjou pigeon à la presse (though not all at once to the same table). Even those who haven't thought ahead can be regaled with steak tartare assembled before their very eyes, or calf's brain pané in grenobloise, or coquilles St-Jacques in their shells with beurre blanc. The tournedos Rossini is by no means the only dish to feature foie gras, which is more or less everywhere, while a romantic dîner à deux might turn on a mighty gigot of milk-fed Pyrenean lamb in a glossy jus alive with rosemary and thyme. Boozed-up desserts could easily lead you astray: the baba and pineapple flamed with Jamaica rum; the flaming crêpes Suzette; the Grand Marnier soufflé. Finish with a shot of aged Calvados, but only after testing the bank balance with one of those classic French wines, which ascend gracefully into the four-figure stratosphere.
* The restaurant will be closing for good after Sunday lunch on 18 May 2025.*
Compact. Economical. Quirky. This former two-roomed tea shop may feel homely with its vintage crockery and handful of tables, but it suits the unfussy … Read more
* The restaurant will be closing for good after Sunday lunch on 18 May 2025.*
Compact. Economical. Quirky. This former two-roomed tea shop may feel homely with its vintage crockery and handful of tables, but it suits the unfussy food on offer here. Everything coming out of Dave Hart's kitchen is a joy, the approach distinguished by reassuringly skilful cooking and a crisp, clear view of what it wants to be. The scene is set by a short, ‘fabulously thought-out’ blackboard menu listing French-inspired dishes built around local and seasonal produce. There are no pretensions or unnecessary garnishes – flavours are direct and enjoyable, whether classic rose veal kidneys with grain mustard on toast, a risotto primavera or guinea fowl with French-style peas and bacon. As one regular admitted: ‘I always get a naughty urge to lick every plate clean because I can’t bear the idea of a single flavour wasted.’ Start, perhaps with a dish of green beans, peach and jamón, strewn with hazelnuts, then move on to a perfectly timed wild sea bass fillet with tomato butter sauce, courgettes and tapenade. As for dessert, ‘out of this world’ crème brûlée is as good as it gets, and the chocolate mousse with griottine cherries and cream will guarantee a happy ending. Many reporters have praised Polly Pleasence, the charismatic co-owner who runs front of house, and there is plenty of love for the impressive wine list which has been meticulously selected with an eye on the quality-price ratio. A decent selection is offered by the glass, and suggested wine pairings are posted on the blackboard. All in all, just the kind of local 'worth moving to Folkestone for.’
The small, busy town of Conwy, dominated by its huge castle, has a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel: a Turkish baker, French pâtissier and Italian coffee shop along with an excellent cheesemonger, butcher, deli and top-flight … Read more
The small, busy town of Conwy, dominated by its huge castle, has a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel: a Turkish baker, French pâtissier and Italian coffee shop along with an excellent cheesemonger, butcher, deli and top-flight chocolatier. It indicates a local constituency with the interest and ability to sustain such artisan outlets and perhaps explains why Nick Rudge chose to open his small, accomplished, first-floor restaurant here after a lengthy Fat Duck residency. The food scene of north Wales as seen through his eyes is proudly showcased in a choice of superb produce and often lesser-known regional traditions. He works closely with local farmers, especially Dilwyn Owen on Anglesey who provides lesser-known heritage varieties such as the almost extinct Bardsey apple (afal ynys enlli) and the y ddraig goch (red dragon) tomato. Without prior instruction you’d miss the entrance and modest name plaque. It feels like a semi-secret, almost medieval location, up winding stone stairs and along a dim corridor. The single room is tranquil and airy, simply furnished with fleecy rugs on the wooden chairs, a bar at one end, bookshelves the other. The welcome is friendly and relaxed, with a hint of formality but no pomposity. Set meals are thoughtfully constructed, conceived as a whole, in harmony with both season and location: the intent is genuine and not your usual nod to fashion. In a novel take on food miles, the wine list notes the distance each bottle has travelled to arrive on your ground-zero table. And it includes some fascinating Welsh names, along with mead and spirits to enhance the regional interest. ‘Bread of heaven’ has become a fixture; made with kefir and whole grains, it is irresistibly nutty and earthy – a Welsh sibling of soda bread. Served in hunks with salty, cultured butter and a sweeter barley-based variant, it requires considerable willpower not to fill up on this alone. But do keep some for mopping up purposes. Confit potato with barbecued leek, wild garlic and creamy velouté – typically poised and precise with well-defined flavours – launched our spring menu. The Welsh idiom continued strongly with barbecued wild sea bass caught a few miles down the coast. Light and delicate, falling off the fork, it was confidently matched with saturnine morels, vivid crisp asparagus and more wild garlic (a seasonally welcoming repeat). ‘Riwbob and cwstard‘ was a Welsh wizard dessert, the rhubarb transmuted into an inspired sweet-sharp granita on a velvety custard base. This was followed by ‘llymru’, an oat biscuit with a bitter, beer ice cream based on the ancient dish of flummery – superfluous perhaps, but still an intriguing taste of Welsh history.
Good-value Med-oriented cooking in atmospheric surroundings
In a retooled bank building in Edinburgh's Haymarket district, the Palmerston makes a virtue of the decorative style of yesteryear. Lots of dark wood, an uncovered floor and bentwood café chairs create an atmosphere of old-… Read more
In a retooled bank building in Edinburgh's Haymarket district, the Palmerston makes a virtue of the decorative style of yesteryear. Lots of dark wood, an uncovered floor and bentwood café chairs create an atmosphere of old-world civility rather than anything too severe, while tall windows provide the daylight.
The place opens at 9am for coffee and pastries, to encourage a little constructive dawdling on the way to work, but full services introduce a neat, seasonal menu of up-to-the-minute, Med-oriented bistro dishes with a strong backbone of pedigree regional supplies. Dishes often pack several punches in one concentrated package: brandade and puntarelle are dressed in chilli, capers and dill, while duck rillettes are sharpened to a fine point with pickled clementine.
A reporter's spring dinner that took in a rabbit sausage, as well as ox heart and chips, spoke for many in its admiration for the kitchen's respectful approach to meats, but there was praise too for pollack with clams in creamy cider sauce. Fans have also enthused about the pasta dishes. Lamb comes from Shetland, and could be served 'en crépinette' with mashed swede, while a canonical rendition of coq au vin for two (rich with ceps and bacon) is accompanied by mustard greens.
To conclude, the kitchen's bakery skills are spotlit for the likes of chocolate, almond and pear cake, and the heavenly rhubarb sorbet is also mentioned in dispatches. Free bread is the kind of touch that gets everybody onside. The enterprising cosmopolitan wine list is a closely printed miscellany of thoroughbred bottles, opening with a Soave Classico and Dão red at £27, and there is a clutch of quality fortified libations.
That jaunty umlaut is a refugee from the German word spätzle, which is what this strongly supported European venue in Manchester's Green Quarter is all about. Hand-made dumplings might have awaited their moment in the sun, no… Read more
That jaunty umlaut is a refugee from the German word spätzle, which is what this strongly supported European venue in Manchester's Green Quarter is all about. Hand-made dumplings might have awaited their moment in the sun, not least as they have conventionally been thought of as wintry food, but their culinary geographic range – as owner Kasia Hitchcock will tell you – extends from southern Germany to Trentino, from Alsace to the Swiss cantons. Their Slavic cousins get in on the act too, in the form of pelmeni and pierogi, and the cognate tradition of filled pasta such as ravioli is referenced too. It's all in the careful hand-crafting, and the matching with a range of upstanding sauces: tomato; sage butter; Emmental and braised onion; chorizo, cherry tomato and spinach; bolognese; guanciale. Sharing boards are limitlessly adaptable, even if the only person you are sharing with is yourself ('you can dine alone here and feel perfectly comfortable,' reports one reader); a selection of cured speck, or Swiss cheeses with spiced apple chutney, adds to the sum of human happiness. With sauerkraut or dill cucumber on the side, there is certainly plenty of bite. Sweet spätzle made with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon might see you home, but if the instinct has waned a little by then, go for Earl Grey panna cotta or Frangelico-laced tiramisu. Wines from Alsace and northern Italy are beacons of quality on a list that matches flavours expertly with the fortifying food.
A picture-perfect pub that gets all the details right, the 'Welli' sets out its stall with a well-manicured garden, growing patches and a veritable barricade of giant shrubbery pots. Inside, there’s a charming clutter about … Read more
A picture-perfect pub that gets all the details right, the 'Welli' sets out its stall with a well-manicured garden, growing patches and a veritable barricade of giant shrubbery pots. Inside, there’s a charming clutter about the place, its red-tiled floors and black beams contrasting with details such as ornate butter knives, neat menus boards and stacks of homemade provisions. The kitchen takes ingredients and provenance seriously, and the menu is peppered with tags such as ‘HG’ (home-grown). ‘HR’ (home-reared) and ‘FR’ (free-range). The result is honest cooking, elevated by spot-on technique and an eye for detail. There’s always a soup to start (perhaps celery garnished with fried celery leaves), and the pub’s twice-baked Keen’s Cheddar soufflé is a triumph – wonderfully light and golden-brown, with the addition of creamy courgettes and a cloud of grated Parmesan. ‘Potpies’ are a fixture of the menu (Baughurst House roe deer, HR Jacob lamb), and the steak and kidney version is everything you could wish for with its beef-suet crust, tender braised meat and full-flavoured gravy. Otherwise, expect produce-led dishes ranging from chargrilled Dexter ribeye steaks or chicken Kyiv to baked lemon sole with brown butter, capers and wild garlic. Puddings are exactly that – calorific old-school comforters such as Bakewell tart, jam sponge or spotted dick (an excellent version with loads of golden syrup and the pub’s own vanilla ice cream). Service is relaxed, clued-up and full of smiles, with no faff or hyperbole. The house ale comes courtesy of the Longdog Brewery in Basingstoke, and the well-balanced wine list has some real treats at the top end.
There isn't a great deal to Fence, which once lay within Pendle Forest and was surrendered to its tenants by Henry VII. Some of the alleged Pendle witches were tried here in the 17th century, before wiser counsels prevailed. These… Read more
There isn't a great deal to Fence, which once lay within Pendle Forest and was surrendered to its tenants by Henry VII. Some of the alleged Pendle witches were tried here in the 17th century, before wiser counsels prevailed. These days, all the running is made by the transformation of a village pub, the White Swan, into one of Lancashire's destination dining venues.
The interior with its burnished wood bar counter still looks the part, but nobody pops in for an evening pint and a game of darts. Instead, the cooking of the prodigiously talented Tom Parker is front and centre, now offered in the format of a multi-course ‘menu surprise’, moving through a parade of dishes that look disarmingly simple, but demonstrate the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Expect challenges and surprises all the way, from organic salmon with wasabi buttermilk, yuzu and dill to Périgord truffle ice cream.
An autumnal dinner opened with a small croustade of rich chicken liver mousse, before bread arrived – a mini-loaf for sharing, served with goat's curd and basil oil, as well as butter. To follow, a ‘study in tomato’ produced a trio of sweet-sour cherry tomatoes in intense tomato consommé, prior to a version of beef tartare made with pedigree Dexter, lit up with a great slug of horseradish. For main course, there was fillet of fallow deer, cooked pinkish, with a bonbon of stickily braised meat, a bouquet of mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke purée, the whole supported by a damson-based game sauce of miraculous potency.
A pre-dessert of pear in honey and verjus heralded the finishing flourish, a kind of savarin liberally soaked in Pedro Ximénez sherry, topped with orange miso cream. You can also add on a plate of cheeses from the Courtyard Dairy in Austwick, served with truffle honey. The White Swan is justly proud to be ‘the only pub in Lancashire’ serving Timothy Taylor's Yorkshire-brewed ales, and it also boasts a smart list of well-chosen wines.
There is a palpable sense of burnished tradition to Trinity, which already has nearly 20 years of mileage on the clock in service to Clapham's Old Town, a half-secluded precinct at the eastern end of the Common. And yet, the place… Read more
There is a palpable sense of burnished tradition to Trinity, which already has nearly 20 years of mileage on the clock in service to Clapham's Old Town, a half-secluded precinct at the eastern end of the Common. And yet, the place has transmogrified into all the possible permutations of the restaurant format: the expansive ground floor, as buzzing as a West End brasserie most sessions; the informal first-floor room among the treetops; Tableside, a chef's ringside experience with bespoke artworks; and, most recently, Outside – an alfresco space with a mobile kitchen out back. Presiding over it all is Adam Byatt, whose food has developed at an oblique angle to the overtly assertive performances elsewhere. There is great subtlety here, the kind of technique that is often happy enough to render itself all but invisible, witness an appetiser of raw, lightly salted prawns with blood-orange segments supported by an immaculate bouillabaisse jelly of potent concentration. A moment's searing is enough to give point to slender slices of yellowfin tuna on avocado purée and cold XO consommé, garnished with kohlrabi. Occasionally, the sense of balance isn't quite right, as in a piece of Limousin veal sweetbread served with a possessively strong reduction sauce loaded with black olives; just a tad more of the promised asparagus would have streamlined it to perfection. Again, the counterposing of elements in a principal dish of superb, well-marbled chateaubriand with a tart of primavera veg, watercress purée and a beef jus (each impeccable in itself) needed another ting on the tuning-fork. Desserts are about bringing gastronomic refinement to simple classics, so that they shine lustrously: Clapham honey soufflé with a quenelle of beeswax ice cream dropped in, or a luscious gariguette strawberry and mascarpone savarin. It is all served forth with rapturous professionalism. Wines have grown to a stable of around 450 bins, with mature clarets and Burgundies for the cognoscenti, but an excellent slate by the glass from £11. A Domaine Aléofane white Crozes-Hermitage, a sturdy Greek Xinomavro, and a bunch of siren-like Coravins are among the allurements.
Beguiling tasting menus from Lichfield's star performer
Followers of Great British Menu will recognise Tom Shepherd as the Midlands chef who reinvented Desperate Dan's cow pie for the postmoderns. Here, in leafy Lichfield, he has taken up residence in a doorbell-protected first-floor v… Read more
Followers of Great British Menu will recognise Tom Shepherd as the Midlands chef who reinvented Desperate Dan's cow pie for the postmoderns. Here, in leafy Lichfield, he has taken up residence in a doorbell-protected first-floor venue that is contemporary without going too hard on seductive chic (fake foliage does some heavy decorative lifting). A seat near the partially open kitchen gives ample view of the young brigade going about their work. Shepherd did productive stints under Michael Wignall at the Latymer, Pennyhill Park and with Adam Stokes in Birmingham, absorbing technical flair and ingenuity along the way.
Tasting menus are the order of the day for lunch and dinner, with a shorter performance on Thursday lunchtimes. Dishes beguile and bemuse, successively and cumulatively, opening perhaps with a fat, barely cooked scallop in an enveloping peanut sauce (not strictly satay), ahead of poached Cornish cod festooned in kohlrabi ribbons with a huddle of barbecued mussels in Champagne emulsion. Portions are unexpectedly hefty, the more so at lunch, when a main course might be Hereford beef presented no fewer than four ways, amid aromatic notes of garlic, onion, tarragon and smoke. We found the Jacob's ladder particularly tender, while the overall impression was rich, weighty and intensely savoury.
A ‘transition’ course of, say, puffed wild rice and coconut rice pudding fragrant with Thai green curry spices and mango sorbet might ease you into the choice of desserts. Expect 72% chocolate mousse with crème-fraîche ice cream, pecans and sherry or the Great British Menu signature dish, ‘No Ordinary Schoolboy’ – a tuck-shop fantasy of banana encased in a white chocolate shell with caramel and rum, plus a side order of banana and maple granola cake.
Wine pairings are imaginative to a nicety, offering a Breuer Rheingau Riesling with the scallop, a Turkish Syrah-based blend with the beef, and Liaoning Chinese ice wine with the banana. A table here can be hard to get because Lichfield has taken Upstairs to its heart.
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