Watch out Chapel Allerton ‘cos there’s a new bird in town – The Hummingbird Kitchen opened its doors last week in the former Angel’s Share premises. The concept is a classy restaurant and bar with a strong focus on ‘best of British’ food with a wealth of local Yorkshire suppliers including Swillington Farm and the Ginger Pig. The chef was formerly of Room in Leeds, and so I was excited to see whether there would be some inspiration taken from the Room concept of a modern twist on staple dishes.
When we arrived I was pleased to see that the decor is a bit more upmarket than the old Angel’s Share. You can’t fail to notice the fantastic covered outdoor area with bright coloured booths and cushioned benches. Inside there’s a bright and airy bar on the ground floor, with two floors of restaurant above. It’s decked out in bold printed wallpaper, funky lampshades, modern art and a striking turquoise tiled bar not to mention good quality table settings (the steak knifes were particularly hefty, in a good way!)
We were greeted and shown to a table on the 1st floor next to the bar, with a view of the kitchen and over the bar below – perfect people watching territory. Our host spent some time explaining the concept and the menu to us, which was fantastic service and called the barman over to recommend some cocktails to us. I had a beautiful rhubarb daiquiri and Tom had an ‘Englishman in New York’ which was actually quite a girly drink with rose petals in it! I was really impressed with the cocktail menu as it wasn’t the usual suspects, plus the presentation and taste was excellent. The wine list was full of the sort of wine we like, we chose a New Zealand Pinot Noir, and the bar was well stocked with quality – but incidentally not pricey spirits (About £3 for a top shelf Ardbeg Whisky after dinner).
Anyway, on to the food! The starter was a difficult decision… I went for the East Coast Squid, which was lemon & chili breadcrumbed and served with a gorgeous sorrel mayonnaise. It was so light and moreish, and I love that it came served in a miniature metal basket. Tom had duck and goose liver parfait, which was rich and smooth and elevated from the standard by the divine prune & armagnac jelly it came with.
The main course for me was not up for discussion as I’d seen on their website that there was a sharing size sirloin steak on the bone. I love this concept as it feels quite decadent and fun on a date to do something you wouldn’t do at home. The steak was cooked perfectly to medium as requested, and was full of flavour whilst having the buttery texture of a well aged steak. It came served with beef dripping chips, mushroom and tomato, and a luxurious bernaise sauce. The only criticism was that the chef had sliced it into an uneven number of pieces, which is testing to any relationship!!
Believe it or not, we still had room for dessert. I think this is a testament to the quality of the cooking and presentation, and that nothing felt over-facing. I had the exceptionally summery lavender panna cotta, with blackberry jelly and elderflower ice cream – the combination of which was a proper taste sensation. I’m a big fan of lavender in cooking, and this didn’t disappoint. Tom went for the cheese option, where you can have 3 or 5 British cheeses. Each had been paired with a suitable accompaniment, such as homemade biscuits, chutneys and ale honey – and this made it an outstanding choice.
I have to say that throughout, the staff seemed to strike the balance of friendly, knowledgable and relaxed, which was impressive for only their 3rd night of opening! Plus the bill was very reasonable for what we had – £100 for 3 courses each, wine, cocktails and after dinner drinks. It’s now firmly on my hit list of places to go back to soon – lets hope it’s onwards and upwards from here.
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