Dinner At Binary Bar And Restaurant In Mickleover
Published On Friday 14 Jun 2024 by Sticky Beak
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Bank Holiday weekends are brutal, aren’t they? I mean, that extra day off work (if you’re lucky) seems to convince us that we can get through a months’ worth of laundry/housework/gardening/whatever in a single day. Consequently, we go hell-for-leather and bugger ourselves up, to be frank! Needless to say, by the time Monday came around, neither myself, Mummy or The Man were fit for anything other than sitting down and letting someone else do the cooking for us.
Binary Bar and Restaurant in Mickleover have recently started opening on Monday and Tuesday, so to encourage folks through the door they have been running an offer of 50% off food on these days…and they decided to keep it on for the early May Bank Holiday – all you need to do is download their in-house app on your smart phone. The gent we asked wasn’t sure how long this brilliant offer was going to be running for so my advice would be to ring and double-check prior to visiting. There isn’t an awful lot of on-site parking, perhaps half a dozen spaces or so, but there is on-road parking in the vicinity; however, we managed to grab a spot right in front of the restaurant on this occasion.
The team has taken a lot of care in the landscaping outside, with Olive Trees in planters and other flowers in pots lining the pathway to the main door. Inside, the downstairs area is the main bar and there is a wheelchair lift that allows accessibility down a couple of feet to the ground floor eating area. There is some seriously gorgeous, modern lighting here, folks #lightenvy - the cool pendants and bulbs continue upstairs too, so I was gawping around like a novice! The wooden flooring upstairs was laid in a large herringbone pattern and the only décor was a centrally positioned, large, white blossom tree.
Our table was just opposite the staircase and seating was comprised of a dark brown, curved banquette and matching mid-back chairs. I noticed that some tables had metal-legged chairs at them, with intricate wire-work backs. Having let us settle in, our lovely server (perhaps the politest, most unassuming young lady you will ever meet) came back to take our drinks order. I fancied a glass of Viognier, Mummy had her usual Pinot Grigio and His Nibs had a pint of Madri; we also ordered some water for the table, which was nicely chilled.
Binary do a selection of nibbles and small plates, which can double as starters, and they do an offer on the small plates: 3-4-£19.99, although this is excluded from the 50% discount. I opted for the Korean Fried Chicken with Kimchee, Gochujang Glaze and Spring Onion (£8.99), Mummy had the Garlic and Herb Mushrooms on Toasted Sourdough with Persillade and Crispy Onions (£8.99) and The Man Bird had Spiced Calamari and Chorizo with Aioli and Parsley (£9.99).
A discreet ‘ding ding’ alerted us, a short while later, to the fact that our dishes were ready and, sure enough, our server brought them out, all on their own distinctively shaped platters. Clearly, Chef takes care to showcase his efforts in their best light. All of us commented that the portion sizes were good as we began to tuck in.
Mummy’s mushrooms were bathed in a silky sauce that had the perfect amount of Garlic in, and by that I mean that it was discernible on the palate, but wouldn’t have Dracula running for the hills! The Mushrooms were plentiful and had been sliced thinly to increase the surface area for the sauce to cling to: nice.
My chicken pieces were all moist, creamy breast meat, gently battered and fried and then coated in a glossy glaze that made my lips ‘hum’; not tingle, hum – there is a difference, trust me. Spring Onion slices added a pop of contrasting colour to the sunny glaze, as well as providing some crunch. His Nibs loved how Chef had presented his Calamari and Chorizo: they were like a pig-in-blanket, with the spicy Chorizo perfectly tucked in the centre of the perfectly cooked Calamari rings. Fresh Parsley added a bit of visual interest and the Garlicky Aioli’s creamy texture contrasted with the crisp battered outer of the seafood.
With a massive smile on her face, our server asked if were enjoying the starters and we enthusiastically replied that we were. A short while later, she was whisking a trio of clean plates back to the kitchen, and we sat back in anticipation of our mains: Pan-roast Cod Loin for me (£17.99), Braised Beef and Ale Pie for His Nibs (£15.99), and double-smashed Beef Burger with Chunky Chips for Mummy (£16.99).
My Cod Loin had been fashioned into a perfect tube and its outer was gently crisped. Underneath, the flesh was juicy and tender, with a wonderfully delicate taste that complimented the heartier Chorizo and Butter Bean Ragu that it was laid upon. Salty strands of Samphire had been coated in a whisper-light Tempura batter and fried to crunchy perfection and they imparted another super layer of flavour to this delightful dish.
The Man Bird was seriously impressed with his pie; literally, there was no gap between the pastry top and the filling inside! Buttery short pastry melted in the mouth, as did the super-soft flesh of the Beef, whose generous chunks came apart in ribbons when cut into. A rich, ale-pimped gravy bathed the meat and more of it was poured around the quenelle of glass-smooth mash and crunchy braised Red Cabbage.
Mummy doesn’t often eat burgers, so you could’ve knocked me down with a feather when she’d ordered it, though it was her that could’ve been knocked over in shock when she clapped eyes on the size of it! Ever the gent, His Nibs squashed it down with his hand, before cutting it into more manageable quarters for Mummy – bless him. Paired with the flavoursome ground beef patties were slices of streaky Bacon, oodles of melting Cheese, crunchy Gherkin slices, crisp lettuce and a generous slathering of burger sauce. This was a quality burger, and Mummy was feeling jolly smug in her decision to go for it. You can have skinny fries with the burger, but the option of having ‘proper’ chunky chips appealed to Mummy Bird, and they were marvelous examples I have to say. Super-crispy outers and ridiculously soft inners, with a beautiful flavour; these minxes certainly weren’t playing second-fiddle to the burger. A small pot of crunchy, creamy Coleslaw completed this wonderful meal and left Mummy absolutely stuffed, so much so that she declined pudding – His Nibs and I didn’t though!
Originally, we were both going to have the Dark Chocolate Delice with Soaked Cherries and Pistachio (£9.99), but The Man changed his mind at the last second and went for the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (£8.99). Binary do a range of boozy coffees, so Mummy had a Courvoisier one, and we had our usual black ones, after our desserts.
My Dark Chocolate Delice meant business; this is so intense that there’s no way you can wolf it down. It demands some respect and you need to take your time and really savour its richness; super-smooth, this Delice was dense in texture and extremely pleasurable. Chocolate and Cherries are a classic combo and the plump, pillowy fruit here just seemed to enhance this pudding’s glamour. Pistachio crumb added a glance of texture to this otherwise soft dessert.
Over the years, The Man Bird has had (probably!) hundreds of Sticky Toffee Puds, in all levels of density; the one at Binary was quite dense, but not so much that it lay heavy on the tum. Flavoursome and satisfying, the sponge was complimented perfectly by warm, indulgent Salted Caramel sauce and the rounded notes of quality Vanilla Ice Cream.
What a superb meal this had been: the quality and quantity of the food was excellent, matched by the attentiveness of our young server. It may have been our first time at this Mickleover venue, but on the back of this experience, it certainly won’t be our last – Hot Wings happily given here.
To book a table ring 01332 413545 or hit the ‘book a table’ button on the website www.binarybarandrestaurant.co.uk You can also view the breakfast, lunch and mains menus on the website, too.
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