My companion and I hadn’t been to the restaurant previously and had no idea what to expect as all we had done was peek nosily through the window when it opened.
For some reason we hadn’t made the move to book a table – I now realise how foolish this was, as from the moment we stepped through the door of Dubberley Delicious, to the moment we left three hours – and a lot heavier! – later, how spoiled we were.
The outside is in marked contrast to the inside. The exterior of the restaurant looks exclusive, a bit forbidding even, but once inside you are in a cosy, relaxed environment. Exposed beams and brickwork alongside original artwork give it a rustic, laid-back feel.
Soft leather encases the cutlery and covers the menus and coasters and this, along with custom-made ceramic cups and metal plates, makes for a nice tactile experience
This ‘nearly’ listed building does come with many restrictions and considerations, but they have lovingly taken it back to its true self.
The drinks menu is plentiful and eclectic. Smoked Cola anyone? I ended up going for a Sixtowns Rhubarb Pink Gin with The Artison Drinks Co Pink Citrus Tonic. It was lovely and for someone who tries to be a true gin drinker but struggles with the bitterness of tonic, it was the right side of sweet.
Our set up for the evening was originally a bit daunting. We were sat not across from each other but facing the owners, hosts and wonderful tag-team Jack and Lucy.
As we relaxed – and they did – this became a unique opportunity to chat, ask questions and see them in action in their natural habitat. Both were approachable and attentive. Lucy looked after us beautifully from start to finish as Jack prepared and cooked the wonderful food. He made it look effortless, conversing easily with us and telling anecdotes, while handling all eight courses.
As many of you will know, they started out at The Plant Plot. Covid brought many challenges, as with many other small business owners, and they had to pivot to doing BBQs outside, even roping in family members to help.
The spiteful nature of the British weather made planning in advance nigh on impossible, cancellations likely and ramped the difficulty level up to 11. And yet they soldiered on and made it through – and very successful it was.
But when the opportunity to move into the city centre came up, to mature the business and hone their passion, they had to take it.
Sat on our table on entry was a bowl of wild garlic popcorn. As they no longer sell this separately, they often have regulars hanging around at the end of the evening asking if there is any leftover. It was very good. If they sold popcorn like that at the cinema, I would actually buy it.
We kicked off with a bread course – a warm and doughy truffle crumpet served with butter. I am not a fan of truffle and will avoid it on a menu, but this was surprisingly tasty as the flavour wasn’t overpowering. And the butter knife! Pretty and delicate in gold and turquoise. I hope I didn’t offend our hosts by going off in raptures about the cutlery during the evening, rather than the food, but hopefully I can rectify this now.
First came the starter. Made with Isle of Wight tomatoes, filled with a liqueur including honey and smoked ricotta and parsley, it was fresh and sweet and worked very well after the bread course. It was sprinkled with puffed rice which provided a satisfying crunch. This was pure summer on a plate.
Next came monkfish, something I don’t believe I have eaten before. It was hearty and filling and had a delicate but spicy flavour, a gentle heat that lingered at the back of the mouth. Accompanying it was curried cauliflower and mango and there was that winning texture combination again. This time Bombay mix provided the crunch.
Mangalitza pork followed, with a useful laminated card providing more information for those curious about its origins. It is Hungarian pork, provided by only a couple of farms in the UK. This balanced sharp cider vinegar with tart apples, topped with a chewy black pudding crumb. The combination worked well, and the pork was soft and tasty, having sat in a posh water bath for sixteen hours.
When my companion’s Freedom beer was finished, he decided to risk an old-fashioned cocktail. Since the Spirit Works closed, he has worked his way around the bars in Lichfield trying to find one to come close to theirs. So far, all lacking. But not tonight! It was declared that this was the best one so far and that, considering his discerning nature, was high praise.
The fish course, salmon, I was excited about as you could smell the cucumber on top as it was brought over. It was a lovely soft wedge, the citrusy sauce perfectly complementing the salty teriyaki. And the cutlery, the cutlery was back!
In between courses we kept up eating the popcorn – it’s not that we were hungry, we just didn’t want to leave it.
Out next came beef fillet, with a Wagyu brisket and another handy card for information. The beef was very pink and was good, but the real star on the plate was the brisket. You hardly needed to cut through it, and it had a delectable smoky, rich flavour.
The sweetened mushroom puree was a surprise – I am so used to being served mushrooms for bitterness, which on may occasions can end up being off-putting, but this was like a delicious mushroom ketchup.
As if all this wasn’t enough, we then were treated to a crossover meal, to segue between the main courses and dessert. It was a mango sorbet, very reminiscent of a dish at Upstairs by Chef Tom Shepherd, which is a real complement. The mango salsa had chilli in it – a spicy kick that only added to the tastiness. Creamy and perfect with foamy and crunchy bits, it was delicate and moreish.
And finally, or so we thought, dessert. This was a Madagascan chocolate mousse with marshmallow ice cream. You could taste the rich salted caramel and the texture was velvety – it was so thick you could chew it like toffee. I wanted to swim in it and was very sad when I had finished it.
At this point we thought it was over – but what now? A wooden box came out and was presented, eliciting an ‘ooh’ as it was opened to reveal eight beautifully crafted chocolates.
The first was an aerated mint white chocolate, which was melt in the mouth and gone too soon. The second was strawberry cheesecake, which was creamy and sweet without being too sickly. The third was passionfruit and salted caramel, a combination that needs to happen more often.
The final Masala Chai and Biscoff was my favourite and flat out delicious. To accompany this, we had been handed Limoncello straight from the freezer. This was stronger than I realised and drank it too quickly as it was so good. To finish the evening we were even sent off with two small bars of handmade chocolate which are still in the fridge, there for when I have a really bad day and desperately need something to bring me joy.
This is fine dining but with no airs or pretension. It is done well and done with heart. Jack and Lucy really look after their guests, going way beyond the norm. Now I know we had a very select experience and had their undivided attention for the entire evening, which isn’t the case for most, but I still feel they would give the same care and attention whether it was us or 14 guests there for a wedding reception.
It was a real delight from start to finish and I am slightly ashamed we left it so long to go there. Don’t make the same mistake that we did.
For more details visit the Dubberly Delicious website.
Both the meal and drinks were provided free of charge for the purposes of this review.