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Upstairs by Tom Shepherd

Staffordshire, Lichfield - Modern British - Restaurant - ££££

Beguiling tasting menus from Lichfield's star performer

Overall Rating: Very Good

Followers of Great British Menu will recognise Tom Shepherd as the Midlands chef who reinvented Desperate Dan's cow pie for the postmoderns. Here, in leafy Lichfield, he has taken up residence in a doorbell-protected first-floor venue that is contemporary without going too hard on seductive chic (fake foliage does some heavy decorative lifting). A seat near the partially open kitchen gives ample view of the young brigade going about their work. Shepherd did productive stints under Michael Wignall at the Latymer, Pennyhill Park and with Adam Stokes in Birmingham, absorbing technical flair and ingenuity along the way. Tasting menus are the order of the day for lunch and dinner, with a shorter performance on Thursday lunchtimes. Dishes beguile and bemuse, successively and cumulatively, opening perhaps with a fat, barely cooked scallop in an enveloping peanut sauce (not strictly satay), ahead of poached Cornish cod festooned in kohlrabi ribbons with a huddle of barbecued mussels in C...

Followers of Great British Menu will recognise Tom Shepherd as the Midlands chef who reinvented Desperate Dan's cow pie for the postmoderns. Here, in leafy Lichfield, he has taken up residence in a doorbell-protected first-floor venue that is contemporary without going too hard on seductive chic (fake foliage does some heavy decorative lifting). A seat near the partially open kitchen gives ample view of the young brigade going about their work. Shepherd did productive stints under Michael Wignall at the Latymer, Pennyhill Park and with Adam Stokes in Birmingham, absorbing technical flair and ingenuity along the way.

Tasting menus are the order of the day for lunch and dinner, with a shorter performance on Thursday lunchtimes. Dishes beguile and bemuse, successively and cumulatively, opening perhaps with a fat, barely cooked scallop in an enveloping peanut sauce (not strictly satay), ahead of poached Cornish cod festooned in kohlrabi ribbons with a huddle of barbecued mussels in Champagne emulsion. Portions are unexpectedly hefty, the more so at lunch, when a main course might be Hereford beef presented no fewer than four ways, amid aromatic notes of garlic, onion, tarragon and smoke. We found the Jacob's ladder particularly tender, while the overall impression was rich, weighty and intensely savoury.

A ‘transition’ course of, say, puffed wild rice and coconut rice pudding fragrant with Thai green curry spices and mango sorbet might ease you into the choice of desserts. Expect 72% chocolate mousse with crème-fraîche ice cream, pecans and sherry or the Great British Menu signature dish, ‘No Ordinary Schoolboy’ – a tuck-shop fantasy of banana encased in a white chocolate shell with caramel and rum, plus a side order of banana and maple granola cake.

Wine pairings are imaginative to a nicety, offering a Breuer Rheingau Riesling with the scallop, a Turkish Syrah-based blend with the beef, and Liaoning Chinese ice wine with the banana. A table here can be hard to get because Lichfield has taken Upstairs to its heart.

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P Matty

28 May 2024

An outstanding combination of flavours with an atmosphere of serenity. An expert selection of wines perfectly accompanies the tasting menu. The staff were outstanding, a perfectly rehearsed dance of service that left the experience solely about the food. The food was incredible, and the combination of flavours was eternally balanced. The influence of Japanese cuisine is clear but more for technical proficiency and focus on the ingredients than the flavours.

J Galuszka

16 October 2024

We enjoyed lunch for 4 people at the chef's table. I have eaten there twice before. We had the same meal as your reviewer. The amuse bouche and cod dish were excellent. The beef was overcooked (for me) and needed a couple of minutes less). I don't think the transition dish works although it was a nice idea. The chocolate sweet was very good. The serving staff are willing but not in the same league as some of the best restaurants - particularly in London. Understandable given the location. The cl...

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