New Michelin starred entry for the 2022 GBR & Ire guide by Chef Tom Shepherd

Upstairs is an unassuming and easy to miss restaurant when walking through Lichfield City, housed above a jewellery store. The restaurant opened in 2021 and gained its star the next year under Exec Chef Tom Shepherd who previously worked at Adams, Restaurant Sat Baines and The Latymer at Pennyhill Park. My lunch menu choices were a 9 course tasting menu for £95 or the 5 course menu for £50 which represented very good value for money. I enjoyed this menu and experience in general and I likewise recommend making the journey to giving it a go. Such is the growing popularity of the restaurant, you may have to plan farther afield in the calendar owing to the speed at which the bookings are taken.

Read full review

To start, the Pecorino and polenta fritta with truffle emulsion was a lovely bite that set the bar high. While I found it to be a tad too salty, the Cheese biscuit with Tunworth and Camembert cheese custard, onion gel, onion jelly, onion power and wild garlic was a very good. The powerful cheese and delightful umami were a pleasure to begin the meal. The crustard of Yellow fin tuna, ponzu dressing, dashi gel, soya emulsion, and bonito flakes was another dish that left a lasting impression. The quality and flavor of the tuna were top-notch, although sadly, I found was a touch too salty as well.

Moving on to the opening amuse bouche, the cauliflower with Maitake mushroom, smoke-roasted cauliflower purée, crumble and pickled mushroom ketchup was a welcome vegetarian dish that really delivered on both flavor and texture. The umami and smoke flavors were well-balanced, the foam being indulgently rich but was also a little salty for my taste. Nothing devastating with these opening bites, but I did think reducing the salt content by any percentage here would be worthwhile.

The fillet of plaice with Champagne veloute, leek, dill, leak purée crispy leaks and Sicilian lemon condiment was an absolute triumph. The balance of flavors was impeccable, with a good streak of lemon running throughout to offset the buttery loveliness. And to top it all off, a glass of Riesling recommended by the sommelier proved to be the perfect pairing. This was a very good dish.

The Wooley Park Farm pork with onion, black garlic, potato and chive was a standout main that truly hit the spot. The tenderloin pan-roasted and rolled in burnt onion, smoked cheek, bbq spring onion, pickled petals, black garlic ketchup and turnip purée were all executed beautifully and complemented each other with ease. Actually one of the loveliest components was the mustard seed overlay with the pork – a superb dish overall.

I opted for the additional cheese course for an additional £9 which consisted of Colston Bassett creamy blue cheese from Nottinghamshire with Pain au fig, walnut, fig, black walnut ketchup, seedless grapes, frisée lettuce and mustard vinaigrette. This was an imaginative way to enjoy a cheese course although rather sadly the pastry was extremely dense and appeared overdone and hard on the underside, but held a good combination for the cheese above. The éclair dessert of baked & compresses pink lady apple, buttermilk, caramel vanilla butter butter scotch sauce and whipped chocolate ganache was a lovely finish, plain and simple.

On a miscellaneous note the water topping up was professionally done and attentive throughout, led by the General Manager Anthony and my very knowledgeable waitress Flo. It is a very slick operation here in a restaurant that looks equally so whilst being homely with some very good dishes. The points I noted were mainly on final, finesse, but I can tell there is far greater calibre here and would be very happy to come back to try the main menu whenever possible.

Food Grade: 75%