edmunds

i arrived with the other half for a late lunch, the restaurant was quiet so the mood was relaxed and the staff had plenty of time to chat and make you feel welcome. starting in style, i opted for a glass of prosecco whilst deliberating over the a la carte menu. all of the dishes looked amazing, but in the end we both decided on the scallops to start, i chose barbary duck breast for main, while my partner went for spring lamb. almost immediately an amuse bouche of vichyssoise arrived. beautifully presented in glass teacups and garnished with pea shoots and garlic olive oil, it was creamy and delicious. my only criticism, i wish it had been a bigger cup! starters arrived after only a short wait. the scallops were cooked perfectly, caramelised on each side and melt in the mouth tender, served with smoked red pepper puree, aubergine 'caviar' and a tomato and olive tartare. the tartare cut the richness of the scallops really well and the combination of the red pepper and aubergine was fabulous. the main dishes were a triumph. my duck was cooked lovely and pink in the middle, with the flavour of the chinese spices subtly enhancing the natural richness of the duck. the sweet butternut squash puree was the perfect accompaniment and the crisp little potato balls were a lovely addition. the spring lamb was also fantastic, as i managed to steal a mouthful. it was meltingly tender and had a really delicious flavour. after devouring the mains, both of us leaving empty plates, it was on to the dessert menu. when i see the word 'souffle' it instantly overshadows everything else on the menu, so i had the toffee souffle with bitter chocolate ice cream, ste had the chocolate clafoutis with marinated cherries and pistachio ice cream. before we even got to our desserts, we were delivered a 'pre-dessert' of miniature strawberry cheesecake. never has a phrase made me feel happier than 'pre-dessert'! these tiny cheesecakes were really lovely too, but the real showstoppers were the desserts we chose. the souffle was a performance, as the bitter chocolate ice cream was placed on top and melted into the toffee souffle. it was absolutely divine to eat. as if we hadn't been spoiled enough, we also had a selection of petit fours with coffee at the end of the meal, with traditional madeleines, coconut rochette, pistachio and strawberry macarons, all of which were delicious. the quality of the food, the presentation and the service at edmunds was faultless. for a special occassion i wouldn't hesitate to recommend it

located in birmingham’s popular brindleyplace, edmunds is a fine dining restaurant that seems to be an ideal venue for special occasions. but does the restaurant’s food live up to its exclusive image?

atmosphere

edmunds had air of sophistication, with its modern decor and professional service. although it was quiet, there was a gentle buzz and nice ambiance about the place. the staff were extremely friendly, efficient and attentive all night, and our every need was met.

starters

we eagerly poured over the delicious sounding menu and ordered our starters and mains. before these arrived we received two unexpected surprises in the form of breads and an amuse-bouche. my favourite out of the three breads was undoubtedly the bacon one; it had just a hint of bacon in the background which added a great smoky, salty flavour to the soft, warm bread.

for our amuse-bouche we were presented with a cute little teacup of butternut squash and ginger puree with toasted sesame foam. when they said ‘ginger’ i looked at my dinner guest in panic, knowing how much she hates ginger, but she was already eagerly tucking in and absolutely loved it! not one for ginger myself either, i was also delighted to find that it had just a hint of it, which gave the dish a pleasant little kick. the purée was deliciously creamy, sweet and the perfect temperature. it was a truly yummy start to the evening and it set the bar high for the rest of the meal.

luckily for us, the wait was a mere few minutes after our dishes had been cleared. my guest had the beetroot and goat’s cheese salad, which looked fantastic. she commented on the delectable combination of the sweet fruit with the tangy goat’s cheese and the extra crunch from the walnuts, and how it was perfectly balanced so that nothing overpowered anything else.

i chose the lobster and crab - deep fried devon lobster and crab risotto, medley of mushrooms and lobster bisque. the starter was exquisite. beautifully light arancini (fried rice balls), with a gooey creamy centre and a crispy coating, sat in an aromatic, slightly spicy lobster bisque. i was pleased to find that the bisque didn’t overpower any of the other flavours and it was a very well balanced dish.

mains

onto mains, and this time we both chose the same dish and had the venison - roasted loin of scottish venison saddle, dauphinoise potato, pumpkin and butternut squash mousseline, pan fried duck liver, port jus, hazelnut crumble. with so many components and strong flavours to the dish, it would have been very easy for them to get the balance wrong but once again they excelled and delivered a truly amazing plate of food.

it was wonderfully presented - each element distinct and defined, but at the same time they’d ensured that everything was connected so that the dish flowed. the venison was served medium-rare and it literally melted in your mouth. we couldn’t get over how tender it was, and it was the star of the dish for me.

the dauphinoise potatoes were light, fluffy and super creamy. the port jus added a rich flavour and was just the right amount of sauce. the hazelnut crumble delivered extra texture and worked really well with the venison. meanwhile, the duck pâté was smooth, silky and absolutely delicious.

desserts

for our pre-dessert we were served a mango mousse cheesecake with mango coulis and raspberry . it was creamy and light but it needed more mango flavour as it was relatively bland.

for dessert i chose the hot toffee soufflé with vanilla ice cream. it is normally served with bitter chocolate ice cream, but they were more than happy to change it for me. although it looked fantastic, i found that it was too bitter for my tasting and didn’t like the airy, mousse-like texture, and i didn’t eat it.

my guest had the pistachio and chocolate bread and butter pudding; she said it was okay, but she’d had nicer desserts. we both agreed that there was a limited choice of desserts for our personal tastes and felt, although every other course was flawless, the desserts let the meal down.

following our poor desserts, i was glad to be served a selection of petit fours - madeline, coconut macaroon, raspberry macaroon, fudge and shortbread.

the coconut macaroon had a flaky exterior, chewy centre and yummy coconut flavour, and it was probably my favourite out of the five. the shortbread was buttery, crumbly and exactly how it should be. i was amazed by their ability to capture the distinct flavour of each of the petit fours in such a tiny bite size version, and it was the perfect end to a delicious meal.

pricing

the a la carte menu, which we ordered from, was priced at £40 for 2 courses or £45 for 3 courses; this offers a choice of 4 starters and 5 mains, plus 2 vegetarian starters and 2 mains. they also have an 8 course tasting menu for £75.

overall

we had an excellent evening at edmunds, full of lots of little surprises which only added to the meal. the portion sizes were perfect, which meant we didn’t get too full from any one course. the desserts were the only disappointments. i’ll definitely go back to edmunds in the future for special occasions.