It is not unknown for me to dine at The Wilderness. My first visit was shortly after it opened in Dudley Street back in 2016 if I remember rightly, or was it perhaps the end of 2015. Time passes and one forgets details. I remember the shock of the moss covered walls, an exquisite lamb dish and those citric tasting ants lining up to get at the cheese tart. The rest, they say, is history. Ten years or so later, Alex Claridge now has his well-deserved Michelin star. It’s fair to say, I think, as an interested eyewitness, that the ten years leading up to the award have been ten years of relentless struggle but finally the walls of Chateau Michelin have been scaled and the starry flag carried off to be flown at Wilderness Castle. I was happy to be dining at The Wilderness, just a week and two days after the memorable ceremony in Dublin where Claridge’s skill was awarded the recognition it deserved and much celebrating, apparently, took place.
I was pleased to congratulate Chef and his excellent crew and have a brief chat and then to settle down and be cosseted and regaled with the dishes from the full dining menu - £150 - yes, I know but it was a special occasion - which was as full of luxurious items, almost all finely cooked, as one might expect - unimpeachable A5 wagyu with an astonishing crab velouté and alive with tamarind, excellent, gorgeously flavoured saddle of lamb and perfectly cooked, gorgeous venison perfectly matched with beetroot and sweet plum. Unfortunately the preceding halibut was served cold and undercooked which was embarrassing for everybody given the so very recent award of the Michelin Star but the problem was quickly rectified and another dish was served, appropriately hot and nicely cooked. Mistakes happen sometimes.
The pre-dessert was great fun with jalapeno and sorrel combined with the sudden sweet sting of grape and the dessert was mildly challenging as rocket elbowed its way in to a dish of nicely cooked rhubarb and pistachio. Fortunately the rocket did not elbow its way in too much as I really couldn’t taste it and so all was well that ended well at this newly starry but long-established Jewellery Quarter restaurant with Alex Claridge remains uncompromising in his drive to bring his dinners the good,the inventive and the sometimes challenging. No ants though, thank heavens.
Rating:- 🌞🌞
