Brooks Deli and Wine Bar in Mickleover is an absolutely cracking spot, oozing kerb-appeal by the bucketload thanks to a snazzy, pergola covered outdoor terrace. As The Man and I were cruising along the road to grab a parking spot (of which there are loads around) we admired the al fresco area as we went passed. Dogs are very welcome in this area, and there was a bowl of water for them to drink from near to the door. ‘The Terrace’, as I called it, has a continental vibe to it with varnished tables and matching chairs that had emerald green seat pads on them for comfort. Plenty of folks were making the most of the beautiful, balmy summer’s eve and watching the world go by as they dined and drank with friends.
We headed inside and were greeted warmly by Mia, who had initially extended the kind invitation for us to sample the morsels at Brooks Deli and Wine Bar. Not going to lie, the first thing to grab my attention was the humungous Cheese and Charcuterie counter that is straight ahead as you enter the premises! Be still my [feverishly] beating heart. Within this immediate space, there are raised bistro tables and stools as well as some more conventional seating, and to the right is a more relaxed dining space where His Nibs and I were seated.
Throughout, the flooring is wooden, laid to a decorative square pattern to show off its natural grain and patina. Lighting comes via a mix of wall-lamps, table lamps, brushed gold ceiling pendants, and strings of fairy lights that peeked out from garlands of faux foliage. Modernity sat companiably beside the more traditional, exposed red-brick walls and the quiet elegance of white walls allowed Brooks’ signature verdant hue, present on the banquette seat, menu, and plush napkins, to pop. Tonal cushions were spread along the banquette and free-standing, mid-back club seats were covered in a rich Caramel shade. The ambience is laid-back chic, making Brooks Deli and Wine Bar the perfect haunt for guys-and-gals-about-town; either for celebrations, date-night, or a low-key, post-work social.
As you’d expect from a venue that has ‘Wine Bar’ in its title, Brooks has a superb selection of Wines, Ciders, Lagers, Cocktails and Spirits on offer, as well as softs and hot drinks. I was pleasantly surprised to see Viognier available by the glass and swiftly ordered a large glass of it; His Nibs had a pint of Modelo lager - a Mexican tipple that he hadn’t had before (apparently, very nice). So, with drinks sorted (including table water which was offered immediately without being asked for), it was time to turn our attention to the food offerings at Brooks. We had come to sample the evening offerings (5pm – 9.30pm), but Brooks also serve Breakfasts until Noon, lunch Noon – 3pm, and Sunday Roasts from Noon.
Given that there is that tremendous Deli offering, it will come as no surprise that Brooks do Grazing Boards to serve from couples up to 8 people, starting from £28 for the Petite Board, which is what we had. For those of you who love to entertain at home, but are time- (or in my case, skill-) poor, the team can also rustle you up a bespoke Grazing Board; they do the work, you get the credit – works for me! The USP of these grazing boards is that they aren’t ‘one size fits all’ you get to choose the Cheeses, Chutneys and Charcuterie that tickles your fancy: how many items are on them depends on the size of the board you’ve gone for. Our Petite Board gave us a choice of 2 cheeses, 2 Charcuterie and 1 Chutney, so we opted for Wookey Hole Cave-aged Mature Cheddar and Manchego (made with Ewe’s milk), Prosciutto and Chorizo, and Red Onion Marmalade. All the boards come with Cornichons, Strawberries, Grapes, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Celery sticks, Butter, and complimentary Crackers. Given that His Nibs and I are a pair of gannets, we also ordered Salt and Pepper Squid (£10.50), Middle Eastern Spiced Falafel (£9.50), and Jerk Chicken Skewers (£11.50) from the ‘small plates’ section of the menu.
Mia brought out our dishes in fairly rapid succession, so we made the executive decision to tuck into the warm small plates’ offerings first. When I order something with Jerk spices on, I expect to get a hefty wallop of fire in my mouth from the Scotch Bonnet Peppers first-and-foremast, bolstered with the sweeter, woodier notes from Pimento/Allspice and then a waft of fresh herbaceousness from Thyme. There’s also usually some aromatics in there like Cinnamon, Clove, Garlic et al., just for a more complex seasoning. Lemme just say that the Jerk Chicken Skewers at Brooks are fire – literally and figuratively! Magnificently tasty, the spices were charred and blackened on the edge of the breast meat, which was itself sublimely moist and juicy and, served on a deep bed of fresh, peppery Rocket leaves, the dish looked as beautiful as it tasted. It didn’t end there, oh no! A Pineapple Salsa provided the final perfect flourish: small pieces of the sweet fruit mingled amongst finely chopped Red Onion and lots of fresh, chopped Coriander that gave a marvellously clean, fragrant ‘whoosh’ in the mouth.
You’d think that Salt and Pepper Squid would be nice and straight-forward, no? Not at Brooks Deli and Wine Shop in Mickleover; they pride themselves on elevating the simple things into something that is revved up with a pinch of pizazz. The crisp batter that coated the Squid rings was brilliantly seasoned, making this a central character rather than a Z-list hanger-on, and it really let the fragrance of the seafood’s flesh shine on the palate with its sweeter note. Ribbons of a tantalising Aioli were generously drizzled over the golden nuggets of scrumminess and the verdant Rocket, so the palate got texture, taste, crunch and a silky ‘slip’ to savour: utterly magnif!
Middle Eastern spices are right up there on my most-loved flavours list, so it was a no-brainer that the Falafels were going to be ordered. The spheres of Chickpea, herbs and spices had a gorgeous blast of texture to them here, rather than being creamy-smooth, which made a lovely change. Packed with protein and fibre, these vegetarian friendly rascals are made to be indulged in guilt-free – not that that is usually a problem for me: I have a PT (Coach Karen Hussey) and I’m not afraid to use her! The multitudinous Falafel came with Rocket, a fabulously tangy, Mint-pimped natural Yoghurt sauce, crunchy Pickled Red Onion and intensely sweet Pomegranate Seeds. Our palates were getting fully immersed in multi-layered flavours, the herbs and spices swirling around joyously.
Having seen off the trio of small plates, it was time to kick-on with the Petite Grazing Board which, at this point, suddenly wasn’t looking like a small task, excuse the pun. When Mia had first placed the wooden board on our table, we’d looked at it and thought “Oooft, that’s a beast and a half” turns out our first impression was right. Strawberries weren’t on the board as they weren’t perfect enough for Chef to serve out, and I have to say that we didn’t particularly miss them. On the platter were good wedges of both cheeses and more meat than in a butcher’s shop! The Chorizo slices were large in diameter and got my taste buds’ attention with the distinct smoky note of Paprika. Garlic came through clearly on the palate too, adding to the cured meats rich flavour profile, and I couldn’t resist popping a piece of Manchego on one of the Chorizo slices and making my own version of a ‘rollito’.
The Prosciutto was gloriously salty and meaty, pairing rather nicely with the intensely tasty Sun-dried Tomatoes, though it also went marvellously with the Red Grapes. Crisp Celery and tangy Cornichons added texture to the platter and, whaddya know, miracles actually happen – I witnessed one right in front of me. His Nibs has been getting decidedly adventurous of late when we’ve been dining out and, after a bit of persuasion, cut a bit of Cornichon off and popped it on a cracker with some Wookey Hole Cave-aged Mature Cheddar which, FYI, is ruddy banging. I just said “Hallelujah, he’s come to the dark side!”. We had more than enough crackers, but Mia did impress on us that we could ask for more at any point if we needed them. The Red Onion Marmalade came in a separate pot with a teeny-tiny spoon to scoop it onto crackers with, and it had a mesmerising, multi-faceted flavour to it that somehow managed to pair with sweet or savoury equally well. You can also purchase any of the Chutneys at Brooks to bring home with you, but guess what? Doofus (me) forgot to grab some – what a dingbat, eh?!
When we’d been looking through the menu, we completely missed the dessert section, so hadn’t realised that Brooks serve them – good job there’s always that magic space in your tummy for sweet treats. Mia took my order for Lemon Posset (I can never resist its citrus charm) pretty much instantaneously, but it was a much longer, drawn out process for His Nibs to make his mind up. At first glance, the Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Tart was the obvious choice, and it would’ve been had it not been for the fact that that evening’s special was Chocolate and Clementine Torte. I’m sure you can imagine the tortuousness of having to decide between these two temptresses! Eventually it was the Tart that won out (“always is”, the snipe/cynic in me said!), and it wasn’t long before we were savouring our final course of the evening.
Never has a dessert been so enticingly presented as my Lemon Posset was. Served in a round-bottomed tumbler glass, the two elements met at acute-angled, opposing slants and were garnished at the seam with fresh Blueberries, a whole Strawberry and some beautiful edible flowers. The Posset (a mix of double Cream, Caster Sugar and Lemon zest and juice) was smooth, creamy and delicate which was the perfect platform from which the zingy Lemon Curd could launch itself onto my palate. I loved the sweeter fruits too, they brought a gentle tonal harmony to the dessert, and I really couldn’t have chosen a better conclusion to my meal.
Those of you who read the blog regularly will know that The Man and I like to play ‘who’s got the prettier dish?’ well, I want to call dibs on my Posset. His Nibs’ tart was certainly more dramatic in colour, but mine had the more imaginative presentation and its pastel hues looked incredibly pretty - so I win. Taste-wise, it would be a hard one to call; if you like a flirty, bright dessert, the Posset is your girl, but for fans of more intense, seductive desserts (and chocoholics!), the Tart will ring your bell. Begrudgingly, His Nibs passed me a small piece to try and the soft, butter pastry was delightful, contrasting against the boldly rich Dark Chocolate Ganache, and I did say that his choice was inspired, so he was a happy boy. Lifting the flavour profile was an absolutely blinding Raspberry Gel and fresh Raspberries – the pairing of Raspberry and Dark Chocolate is a classic for a reason. Needless to say, both desserts had no trace left behind!
Throughout the evening, Mia had ensured that we wanted for nothing and we had some great conversations as she came and went. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the staff are what can make or break a dining experience. Brooks Deli and Wine Bar in Mickleover is more than deserving of Hot Wings; in fact, it is hard to praise it highly enough. Never mind, Stacy’s Mom; Brooks Deli and Wine Bar has got it goin’ on (those of a certain age will get the reference). To book a table, call 01332 982009 or visit www.brooksderby.com and select Derby from the header at the top of the page, then hit the ‘book a table’ tab.
Brooks Deli and Wine Bar in Mickleover is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Weds-Thurs 9am – 11pm, Fri-Sat 9am – Midnight, and Sun Noon-11pm. Food service times are slightly shorter: Weds – Sat Breakfast is 9am – Noon, Lunch is Noon - 3pm, and Dinner is 5pm – 9.30pm. Sunday Roasts are from Noon: no food on Monday or Tuesday as the whole venue is closed (just for those that need it reiterating!).
You might also enjoy:
