July’s featured restaurant was Simpsons Restaurant, 20 Highfield Rd, Birmingham B15 3DU
Award: One Michelin star and three AA rosettes
Chef Patron: Andreas Antona
Chef Director: Luke Tipping
General Manager: Gianluca Austin-Rizzo
Review: Luke is always looking for fresh inspiration and only ever uses the very best seasonal produce. The tasting menu was well thought through and the selection of dishes all worked well as a whole. The dishes were visually appealing and colorful. The tastes reflected a British Summer and all the courses were packed with flavor.
We were allowed to swap the duck dish on the taster menu with the turbot from the a la carte menu. However, this caused another problem, because the turbot is accompanied by an oyster cream sauce and I have an allergy. So, without hesitation, the chef agreed to create another turbot dish for me with summer truffles and leaks, which was outstanding.
There are two wine pairings available and we chose the prestigious Iconic paring. The wines were all exceptional, most with Vivino ratings well above 4 out of 5. The wines all matched the food extremely well, and there had obviously been a lot of planning in choosing the best combinations to enhance the food flavors.
The front of house team was also exceptional. This team are very knowledgeable, friendly and took time to answer my many questions. Managed by Gian Luca, we were lucky to have Ashley Shepherd and Giuseppe Fazio serving our table. Our sommelier for the evening, Marketa Dlouha, is clearly an enthusiastic wine connoisseur with an incredible knowledge of the wines she served to us. I learnt a lot!!
Everything about the evening was perfect. The food, wine and service are all top-drawer. I highly recommend this restaurant, and I am looking forward to returning soon.
Check out my full review here