Dominiques

Having read the review by the London based guy I felt compelled to see for myself what this arrogant man was complaining about. His sweeping statement about the lack of sophistication in the Midlands compared to his city of residence smacks so much of self righteous pomposity I just knew he had to be mistaken in virtually everything he said.

I’ve been blessed. I’ve eaten in some amazing restaurants and had some fabulous fry ups too in some of the greasiest of looking café’s. And on the other side of the plate I’ve been more disappointed than a vegan in a steak house with what some so called reputable establishments have put on offer.

For a start, Dominique’s is easy to find. There’s plenty of parking and the welcome you get as you enter the place sets the mood for the whole evening. Warm, convivial and welcoming. The restaurant is only a tad short of cosy and pretty well laid out for a converted bar. Plenty of room between the tables which are not squeezed together like some school dining room as in some restaurants. There’s plenty of room for privacy and no muzak to addle the senses. Tables are laid out nicely with white linen cloths and soft peach covers. Whitewashed walls, beams and dried flowers hanging from the ceiling throughout provide the nicest of distractions from the slightly dowdy carpeting. That’s the only minor point if we were to be hypercritical, but at least it’s clean. The room is light and airy and separate from the bar.

The waiting staff, though students, and inexperienced in some quarters more than make up for any shortcomings by being polite, quietly confident and willing. It is not silver service and therefore no expectations should be made for glasses to be carried by tray from the bar to your table or napkins laid on your lap as you sit. I’m sure if you asked they would oblige but unless you’re a stickler for such refineries you lose nothing in the eating experience.

Mr smug London complained heavily about the wine list. Since he could not get the spelling correct in his gurning about the non appearance of the dessert wine Yquem and since a decent bottle of that could set you back over £100 from the distributors I’ll dismiss his opinions as pompous and reeking of flatulent arrogance. It’s a country restaurant aiming for the middle market of diners not Raymond Le Blanc’s side project for the stupidly wealthy. If you wanted a dessert wine I’m sure there’s a bottle of Sauternes or Tokaj hiding in the cellars they could dust off for you.

The wine list is more than adequate, catering for French tastes as well as the rest of old world and new world wines. OK, limited choices all round but there’s something there for everyone. 2 St Emillion , a Margaux and I believe a another left bank just about covers Bordeaux for the Cabernet Sauvignon versus Merlot mix debate.

Plenty of Beaujolais including the always wonderful Brouilly for those with lighter tastes and Burgundy, Rhone Loire et all get a place on the list. Italy and Spain, though my choice for a Rioja would be none of these particular labels, are listed and would someone please tell Mr London that even the French enjoy wines from other countries. I’ve tried some lovely Italian wines in Germany and had some rank rotten indigenous wines in France and Spain. I think shipping arrangements have much improved since the middle ages.

I selected a glass of Beaujolais Villages for beginners and shared a bottle of Chablis during the meal. Nothing amiss with either and the Chablis complemented my main course perfectly.

Don’t be scathing of the wine list. There’s something for everyone, and pleasingly your bog awful Chardonnay brand is limited to a single choice. Crisp Loire triumphs over the marketing powers of Chardonnay at last. There are plenty of options in the champagne corner, thankfully bereft of the tiresome Moets and Veuve Clicquot, so if you’re celebrating big time you’re on a winner here .

Ah, yes, food. The real reason for heading out to a restaurant, French or otherwise. This turns out to be the most pleasing and satisfying restaurant I’ve been to in a good while and for my own record I judge it on the simple question. Would I come back? Undoubtedly I will.

There’s such a lovely unpretentious choice in all courses. Of course we can all look for something more on a menu but normally being a swift chooser I was caught in two minds for all courses for once.

I chose chicken liver mousse for starters. My partner chose baked mussels with sun-blushed tomatoes. That was after we were offered canapés. So that was a nice touch. We were also offered a jug of water before I could file a request. Now tell me how many restaurants do that at this level in the food chain? Service was quick but not rushed. The plates hot and food presented nicely.

The chicken liver mousse was sublime. Tangy and refreshing in taste and texture. More than I could cope with. The only complaint for the mussels would be the slightly chewy texture but come on, we’re about as far from the sea as you can get in England and ultra freshness is more likely to be in the fabric softener for the table linen than bulk consignments of seafood. And we had plenty of choice for seafood here. I could not resist the Turbot on spinach for my main course. Again I’ve had better textures but only in coastal based restaurants where the fish are hauled in quicker than a crowd of drunks to A&E on a Saturday night.

The steak my partner ate was done to her perfection and the honey glazing made it as succulent and seductive as you can get a steak. Vegetable accompaniment just right. Not heaps of poorly cut dollops you tend to get elsewhere.

There was no rush, no pressure and we were always treated with the most respectful courtesy. Dessert for me was a tartlette of sliced pear and sticky caramels. A little dry for my sweet tooth but for the normal palette I’m sure it was ideal. Petit fours came along with the coffee and the waitresses found time to keep smiling throughout and nothing was too much trouble.

The price? For a little under £80 is amazing value. I have nothing but praise for this establishment. I’ve yet to say the same about any Birmingham restaurant I’ve so far tried, where all my hopes for an oasis amongst the dessert wines of pompous pretensions are always dashed by poor staff training, morale and most of all fayre that comes out of the kitchens like a factory assembly line.

If you’re looking for a quiet, yet busy, clean and cosy evening with a French flavour you need look no further. I left here with a smile on my usually hyper-critical face as wide as I could muster and there certainly was no reaching for the Rennies when we got home.

I suggest Mr London confines his excursions to the over hyped home counties where the prices imply there is one mug born every minute, along with his Alain Ducasse Pierre Gagnaire name dropping. And to claim in his conclusion he likes to hear a northern accent whilst he’s in this neck of the woods I am surprised since this is the Midlands. I suggest he doesn’t know his Aspic from his El vino.

Eddy
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Sunday, September 02, 2007

I'm not sure who the ex Londoner snob is but can I just say we aren't all like that! I have come from London and I can't believe the patronising attitude that this person thinks that anyone outside the M25 isn't even worthy of an opinion.

I have been to this restaurant on several occasions and the food has been faultless. I would say its better than chez bruce which was in my local wandsworth which was a complete rip off. My only comment would be that the restaurant needs a bit more atmosphere. Its not cosy enough to be romantic and not interesting enough to be trendy. However it was great when we went as a big group of us, all of us had main courses and desserts. In my experience in London it is a feat in itself for a group of 8 people to get what they have ordered and be served at the same time, let alone really enjoy their food!

I usually order fish and it has always been cooked to perfection (inlike a raw mass of sludge I was once served at the Bridge in Putney, supposedly a michelin starred restaurant).

The puddings are out of this world, the trio of chocolate is my favourite so far. I haven't had chance to sample the wine list to any great extent as I usually have to drive as it is a bit out of the way for a taxi. Maybe thats the reason they don't put all their efforts into the wine list, mr high and mighty. I'd rather they spend it on the food and staff to be honest.
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Francesca Evans
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Though I cannot say this place is bad, most of the rave reviews are coming from, shall we say the real country bloke... I however, a weathered Londoner know my Alain Ducasse from my Pierre Gagnaire.

For a French place the wine list is not all too impressive, I mean when one goes to for a French dining experience, you expect Petrus and Chateau Yquem pouring out of their ears.. not so some half decent right and left bank Bordeaux, plausible Burgundy, I’m talking basic St. Emilions and Fleuris not Pomerols and Montrachets alongside, surprisingly quite an array of other European wines such as Italian. But yet more surprising for a French restaurant was the wide range of New World drain water. Clearly they also want to cater for the less discerning among us! I usually go for a bottle of Chablis and a bottle of Chianti Classico (low and behold, in a French restaurant I am pushed to an Italian wine over French!) Perhaps they had a better wine list before, but decided that it was too good for the bitter drinking English country bloke, how very French of them!

The food is a much better effort, most dishes, and I have been here several times, offer an enjoyable dining experience, steaks are good – hardly Wagyu, but I cannot expect better in the Midlands, and they are always cooked as asked, medium-rare actually equals medium rare… Fish is also decent, monk fish here when on the menu is enjoyable. Once in a while they have lobster as a main course, when I had this it was disappointing. Guinea Fowl is perhaps my favorite dish on the menu, well cooked, prime meat and served well. Presentation, which a lot of brumies will rave about, can I just say to the more discerning among you, if you are expecting Sketch or Nobu esque presentation you have come to the wrong place… its much more like a sprinkling of parsley on the edge of the plate.

As for the starters the Foie Gras is just begging for a great Yqem, shamefully the closest substitute is Muscat, which I will to ruin my taste buds with, so I stick with Chablis. Oysters here are also good, especially considering this neck of the woods.

As for pudding, they have Far Breton on the menu, need I say more, and this is a proper French effort at it, the kind I get a Bleeding Heart or Racine back in civilization. This also goes quite well with either the Muscat or some Paradis Cognac, which surprisingly they have, given the otherwise disappointing wines.

Service is quite good, not Ramsey, but what else is… Its nice to hear non northern accents from those other than my fellow diners while I am up here, the French accents offer some solitude to my brain.

Very affordable.
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Thursday, February 09, 2006

Excellent quality food, pleasant surroundings. The chef has some reputation in France and has brought the high standards of a "posh" French restaurant to a small pub in rural Worcestershire.
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Robin
Wednesday, February 08, 2006