Alchemilla — Restaurant in Nottingham

Regrettable visit to Alchemilla Visited this restaurant on the evening 24/11/20, upon arrival a warm welcome from the waiting staff then we were allowed to select a table, we chose the 7 dish taster. That's were the good part of the Alchemilla experience ended, the waitress brought over the first dish not on a tray but by hand with her thumb's on the inside of the dish needless to say we didn't eat them. The second dish arrived in the same manner which we did at least try, the lid on the chef's salt pot must have fallen off!,. the dish was near inedible and this set the tone for the evening.

All the savory dishes had either an overpowering flavor of citrus, vinegar or burnt extremely salty and barely of room temperature. The three dishes that were the worst are the Eel in liquorice tasted awful, the waiter asked why we hadn't finished the dish and we replied it wasn't to our taste he replied the dish was Marmite (finally a dish described as it tasted bloody salty) the main pigeon dish cold and undercooked by about 2 minutes I never ate this, by this time the waiter realized there might be something wrong as we left most dishes almost as they turned up the waiter asked " is everything ok" no you lost me on the second dish of the night!!. Then another waiter appeared (he may have been the manager but didn't seem to be too bothered about introducing himself) "what was wrong with the pigeon" I explained why we had left it and his retort was "when someone says cold I think of cold as in a refrigerator", I'm not going to have a conversation about words relating to temperature " can I get the chef to cook the dish again" (they've got a chef I was under the impression it was his night off) NO we would like to finish the courses pay and leave was our reply. The final dish ice-cream biscuit was frozen solid they couldn't even manage to take ice-cream out of the freezer in time for it to soften. For the benefit of the manager and chef if they really have one! HOW DID THIS PLACE GET A MICHELIN STAR. SALTY TEPID SALTY LUKEWARM SALTY COOL SALTY WARMISH SALTY On a final footnote the majority of the dishes had a feel and taste that they were cooked in the afternoon then constructed that evening. The restaurant does have three warming lamps on the server but on waiting for our taxi no food was placed...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Culinary Journey Like No Other – A Night to Remember at Alchemilla

From the moment we stepped into Alchemilla, we knew we were about to experience something truly special. Tucked away in a beautifully converted Victorian coach house, the atmosphere was effortlessly cool — industrial yet intimate, with soft lighting and an open kitchen that felt more like a theatre than a workspace.

We came here for a special evening — just the two of us — and left with memories we’ll talk about for years.

The tasting menu was nothing short of a masterclass in creativity. Every dish told a story, each one more surprising and exhilarating than the last. The attention to detail was extraordinary — from the perfectly balanced textures to the way bold, earthy flavours were paired with delicate, unexpected elements.

Standouts for us? The mushroom and the Scallops — so rich and deep it felt almost spiritual. The flavour bombs that we still can’t stop thinking about. And the fermented bread with marmite cultured butter? Absolute heaven. We both agreed we could eat it every day and never get bored.

Every course was beautifully presented, almost too stunning to eat — but trust us, you’ll want to devour every bite. The wine pairing was also spot on, enhancing and elevating the food without ever overpowering it.

Service was faultless — warm, knowledgeable, and completely unpretentious. We never once felt rushed or out of place, which can sometimes happen in fine dining. The team made us feel truly welcome, and that made all the difference.

It’s not just dinner — it’s art, it’s alchemy, it’s pure experience.

If you’re looking for a place to celebrate, impress, or simply enjoy one of the best meals in the UK, Alchemilla deserves your full attention.

Thank you Alex and his brilliant team for an unforgettable evening. We’ll be back — with friends, with family, and definitely with an empty...

My partner gives alchemilla 5 stars, I give it 3 stars so this review will be an aggregate. Overall it's a simply beautiful space with an open kitchen we had a table overlooking, so that was fun! The food is creatively inventive and certainly deserves its michelin star. We went for the 10 course which i recommend as my two favorite dishes, the fish and the bergamot, were only on this menu. The bergamot itself was a fabulous lemon tart with charcoal roasted top that gave it so much flavor.

The reason my partner loved it so much was the boldness of the flavors, and this was my least favorite part. To me it felt like it was trying too hard. I dont think the chef, who is definitely one of the best, has yet to find his soul in his food. In the meantime he's experimenting, and thats to be celebrated!! We all go through that phase. It just doesnt feel quite rifht yet. When that authenticity is found and communicated though, thats when this (or another brand) will get 3 stars.

Another point that made this experience drop one google point for me was the service. Little details were overlooked such as bottled water from other brands and only taking our coats at the table. Also, the wait staff got into arguments in front of us and were on edge. It was clear some of the servers were forcing a smile at the table and were overall not in a good mood. Also, the woman supposed to be there to answer our requests was at times looking everywhere but the tables with an expression of boredom. Took us longer than expected to ask for some drinks.

To end on a good note though, they did let us come an hour early and we appreciated that as our plans...