We began with some drinks (of course) whilst we waited for our table - a delay caused due to me taking the wrong train, not the fault of the staff. In fact they were extremely accommodating when I phoned up in a fluster from a train headed to Edinburgh not Leeds, and calmly booked me a later table without any hassle. I decided to settle my nerves with the intriguingly named 'Colour Changing One' whilst my dining buddy opted for the White Chocolate Raspberry Martini. My cocktail was tangy and apple-y whilst the martini was a wonderful alcoholic dessert to start our meal with!
We opted for some edaname beans whilst we decided on our courses. I was intrigued to try this 'superfood' and once we were told how to eat them, I dug right in. They were a perfectly salty way to whet your appetite for the dishes ahead, which we started with a sharing platter. This comprised of chicken wings, nachos, chicken pot stickers and some beer battered prawns with a selection of dips. It was a great way to try a variety of the menu and I was generally very impressed. The beer battered prawns were a particular standout, which were crispy on the outside yet not chewy on the inside. I also really enjoyed the chicken wings, which, although very salty, were also spicy with chilli and just what I wanted!
We obviously had to try another drink and this time we opted for a sharer; the intriguingly named Mad Hatter's Tea Party. In order to create this drink, we were brought an amazing contraption which boiled then condensed a variety of alcohol, which was then poured onto dry ice and served in adorable teacups. The result was an infusion of passion fruit and elderflower which not only delighted my eyes, but my tastebuds too.
Next it was time for the mains. My friend chose the jerk chicken and I decided upon the Thai Red Curry. I loved the presentation of the dishes and was pleasantly surprised with my main, having heard mixed reviews regarding food at The Alchemist. However, Living Ventures (who own The Alchemist, along with The Botanist, Gusto and Blackhouse) certainly take their customer feedback seriously and there appears to have been a marked effort to improve their standards as a result of some mediocre reviews. You certainly could tell - my curry was tasty, the right level of spice, and the coconut and lime rice paired with the curry perfectly. I enjoyed the freshness of the curry, which you can see by the huge variety of colour on the plate. We accompanied these dishes with two more cocktails - a Strawberry Cup for me, which tasted of strawberry laces, and a Dead Red Zombie for my friend; a strong, rummy and smokey drink.
Finally, it was time for some dessert. We both couldn't resist the Belgian waffles, with warm cinnamon, sugar and vanilla ice cream as a sweet end to our meal. You can't go wrong with waffles can you? My friend opted for the Bubble Bath, a typically Alchemist magical cocktail, and I chose a Lady Marmalade to accompany this dessert. I can't resist a fizzing and smoking cocktail and the Lady Marmalade lived up to my love for a show, and also tasted fantastic thanks to its alcoholic twist on Lady Grey tea.
Overall, I was very impressed with The Alchemist, as I have been with all of the Living Ventures restaurants. You can really tell that customer satisfaction and love of the produce they offer are at the heart of each and every restaurant, which results in a wonderful experience. If you want your night to go with a bang (literally), then The Alchemist is definitely the place to go, with a fantastic array of cocktails to suit everyone along with some great food. Why not check out the food and drinks menus for yourselves and pop along? Let me know what you think!
