Going to Birmingham for the first time in my life, I decided to pay this 1 star michelin rated restaurant a visit. My friend could not make it, so I had to dine alone.
Outside the Simpsons
I was warmly greeted by the staff, and placed in a slim “hallway” between one of the two dining rooms and the terrasse. A loud air-conditioner somewhat irritated me but apart from that it was a nice spot where I could follow the waiters and the plates coming out of the kitchen and look at the beautiful terrace where I am sure many good summer evenings could be spend.
View outside from my table
Having time to kill before the “Born to run, an evening for Dan - show” in the evening I opted for the big tasting menu and after talking with the young French female Sommelier I opted for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion from Pemberton, WA and a bottle of NZ Pinot Noir. Neither of the wines were masterpieces, but they did their job, especially the white wine was a nice companion to most of the dishes.
And here is what I had
The amuse, A mushroom shot...
Citrus cured Salmon, avocado purêe, micro herb salad, Auruga Caviar
A great first dish. 8.5p
Great selection of homemade bread, loved it.
Some of the best bread I have had in any restaurant 10p
Pan-fried Fois Gras, banana purêe, pain d'epice, salted pecan nuts
I do not think I have ever had Fois Gras mixed with banana before, but it worked. Great dish. 9p
Seared Ross Shire Scallop, orzo, squid, chorizo, broccoli, preserved lemon, cuttle fish sauce
Great bed of Orzo etc.. The Scallop slightly overcooked. As I mentioned to the waitress – I have no idea why the broccoli was on the plate. Added nothing to the picture or taste – not the strongest dish of the day. 7.5p
Ballotine of Mackerel, chicory marmalade, lemon confit, lentils du Puy, sweet/sour Mackerel nuggets
Back to form. The lemon worked well, the marmalade and also the bitterness of the endives leafs did magic 8.5p
Home-salted organic Cod, butternut purêe, baby spinach, capers, sultanas, crispy-fried whitebait
One of the strongest dishes. The fish cooked to perfection 9p
Tete de Moine, Sardinian flatbread, carrot & sultana salad
Wonderful cheese, for me this could have been the last dish, since I was running out of steam 8p
Pre-dessert
To be honest I forgot what this was, I guess it did not do a lot of things to me, positively or negatively.
White chocolate & green tea mousse, sesame seed ice-cream
Very beautiful presentation. Loved it. But the taste is difficult for me to rate since I rather dislike green tea…..but I loved the details on the serving, the pale colours. So I shall give it at good 9p
Sweets...
Conclusion
I spend a perfect 150 min. All by myself, but never alone. The friendly staff, especially the beautiful waitress Kim, made sure I was always taken care of and entertained, and she even stood up for my old man flirting. So I shall be happy to be back with the family or with friends. Beside the restaurant, Simpsons offer a few beautiful hotel rooms and even a weekly cooking school which apparently is very popular and something I would be interested in booking.
Only one or two flaws, being the in my book “misplaced” broccoli and the dull pre-dessert – the staff however as well as the outstanding quality of the bread and the overall good quality of the food, surely made this a lunch to remember.
http://www.simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk/
My rating for this visit: Food 8.5p (10), service 5p (5), ambience 3.5p (5), total score for this visit 17p (20)
