It would be wrong to say that Alex Claridge’s Albatross Death Cult has not had an impressive effect on me. It is really very, very good (litotes). Head Chef Marius Gedminas was there at the pass (though to be fair the whole set up really works as a pass) and told me that Michelin had been in touch and that the Guide had requested that its photographer been given time to come along and take pictures of this unique-for-Birmingham restaurant. Inclusion in the Guide therefore seems likely in the near future. I believe the restaurant is extraordinarily good and may well do an Upstairs (Tom Shepherd’s gaff) and rapidly advance to a star. We will see.
On this occasion I was accompanied by a dining companion who has quite marked mobility problems and could not cope with climbing up on to the high stool at the counter but she was kindly and very comfortably accommodated with me at the tables in the antechamber and our food was served there and enjoyed thoroughly. The restaurant goes from strength to strength. Marius informed us that there were some new dishes and others had been tweaked and, as far as I could tell, all to their good. Each dish was impeccable and quite delicious and each showed not only a brilliance in the chef in conjuring up often quite fabulous flavours but they were also remarkable textured. Some of the dishes had a little more spiciness and were none the worse for that - indeed they were improved - and there were some which may already be termed signature dishes which basked in the brilliance of their original state.
After a familiar (but was it previously served in The Wilderness?) oyster based dish - a variant of a brilliant classic start to fine meals of the past - amuses gueules - tasty dainty croustades and tarts with sea bass nicely matched with jalapeño and gorgeous tuna belly partnered by hot strawberry sauce and splendidly crispy cannelloni filled with smoked pike roe and crowned with leaves. Then to close this act, glistening gorgeous Cornish mackerel sashimi and then another croustade filled to the brim with golden smoked trout’s roe. You can tell this was all going very well. And it continued to do so.
Some old friends made their appearance - sweet crab with apple and sorrel, majestic hamachi textured like a fairy’s pillow and raised to new heights with the flavour of sesame. Then plump, meaty, tender mussels with a smattering of Iberico with a throaty hit of black pepper.
Scarlet prawn and prawn’s head sauce were acutely deeply flavoursome (not photographed) and the final savoury took the familiar form of beautifully textured Chalk stream trout slapped about a bit with Tom Yum and emerging from it triumphantly.
A single dessert (for once I should have liked two) - the exquisite dish of sushi rice ice cream with nori crackers. Few desserts will give such pleasure as this. A single petit four put the meal to bed and it slept the sleep of the Good.
A return visit just a few days after the one reported above but this time for lunch saw the same menu being served and it was as equally pleasurable as the previous visit. Clearly ADC is consistent in what it serves which is what the professional Guide inspectors claim they are looking for. Obviously ADC is soon to make its appearance on the Michelin internet site but the question is whether or not it will earn Alex Claridge his first well-deserved Michelin star come the 2025 Michelin Awards ceremony.
Rating:- 🌞🌞🌞. 7 & 16 August 2024.
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