Credit Crunch Lunch: Aria restaurant, Hyatt Regency
Jun 19 2009 With Richard McComb
THE PLACE
Aria restaurant at Hyatt Regency, 2 Bridge Street, Birmingham. T: 0121 643 1234.
WHY GO?
For people-watching, star-spotting and the enjoyment of good food in sophisticated, metropolitan surroundings. A strangely “geography-less” place, you’re not quite sure where you are, but that’s why I like it.
THE PRICE:
Lunch menu rapide (£12.50 for two courses, £14.50 for three) is great value for food of this quality and the premium setting. The menu changes daily – hurrah! – and main courses might include seared breast of corn-fed chicken with chorizo and butterbean cassoulet or sea bass with warm salad Nicoise. There is also a table d’hôte (served as a pre-concert menu for Symphony Hall viola junkies). Prices vary depending on dining time and whether you opt for two glasses of wine and coffee (the latter is £28 before baton raising at 7.30pm, £35 thereafter). A la carte from £30-£40 a head.
THE MEAL
Executive chef Brett Sandland is one of the city’s unsung food heroes, knocking out meals for A-list performers and sportsmen and the corporate classes with nonchalant ease. That said, it’s a shame more people don’t pick Aria for a friends’ bash, a family celebration or an impromptu meal. Like many hotel restaurants, the place suffers from the popular misconception that it’s a restaurant for a hotel, rather than just a restaurant, which it is. Two of the best places to eat in Birmingham are in fact within hotels – here and Filini at the Radisson.
Sandland, who will be performing at Taste of Birmingham (July 9-12), may look like an Olympic weightlifter but his food has a light and inventive touch while hitting the mark in terms of flavour and dining expectations. Maria Sharapova was in residence when we dropped in, thwacking balls up the road at Edgbaston Priory. Sadly, Maria was unavailable for lunch, so I took Archie, who comes a poor second to the Russkie in his tennis whites. Still, the boy can eat. We were treated to a pre-starter of sea bass with a pine nut crust and basil cream. Very fine. I’m sick of these shot glasses of chef’s fluff I keep getting served (RRP 3 pence).
I had great juicy scallops with garlic mash, black pudding and feve puree to start (£10.50). Archie had a sea monster-sized prawn cocktail with a dinky brown bread soldier (£9). “Best I’ve had in ages,” he said. Impressive. Archie has an HND in prawn cocktails.
There’s a good selection of mains, those with meat from £14.50. The pan-fried fillet of cod with chorizo, white bean and parsley (£17.50) had a lovely light chicken jus with tiny chopped carrots and summery broad beans. Archie had the trio of pork – tender loin, crunchy slow roast belly and black pudding – with apple puree. He ordered a side of mash but made a jolly poor showing of it, such was the satisfaction of the porker.
The fine tart of Granny Smith apple was just a knock-out – a pâtisserie pleasure – with daddies’ favourite rum and raisin ice cream. Archie had the caramel panna cotta that wobbled like a sprightly sun-tanned maiden running along the plage at St Tropez.
THE VERDICT
Don’t be a hotel snob – feel Mr Sandland’s food love at the Hyatt. Satisfaction guaranteed.
RATING: ****
