4.3
Superb
142 Reviews
735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham
Customers’ favorites
- Garden Fresh with Hendricks Gin
- Chocolate Basque Cheesecake
- Salmon with Apple and Sauce
- Black Truffle Spaghetti
“Excellent meal from start to finish. We celebrated our anniversary here and it was among the best service we have received at any restaurant. The meal started with a nice note waiting at our table and a couple of glasses of champagne, bread service was provided - very good focaccia style with high quality side of olive oil. We ordered two apps , the black rice arancini with crab and the yellowfin crudo. Both were outstanding and I was surprised when the arancini was served made from the black rice which is a staple on their menu. I may not have read the menu right but wasn’t expecting that. Very unique texture and great flavors for an arancini which we like to order at many different restaurants. The crudo was extremely fresh and very light with complex flavors and not overly acidic. The fish shined thru. Next we split the pink Caesar which was a unique take on a Caesar that I believe had walnuts in lieu of traditional croutons and once again very fresh and delicious flavor for a salad. The dressing was lighter and less salty than many Caesar dressings but you could still taste some anchovy. At this point the meal was going great and our server and the kitchen continued to time it perfectly. Our server also provided knowledgeable recommendations and reserved the last fish special for us which he had asked us when we began ordering - a touch that I appreciated as this turned out to be the highlight of the meal before dessert. The entree was a grilled turbot - not a fish I am familiar with and our server explained it is similar to a Dover sole. Spot on. Grilled perfectly with a texture less flaky than typical sole and reminding me a bit more of a swordfish. One of the best pieces of fish I’ve had dining out. We finished the meal by ordering the baked Alaska which was great and not a dessert I personally had eaten before. Quite the presentation. That said our server also added us a comped piece of the chocolate cake which I believe is flourless and my wife and I were both surprised to find that we enjoyed it even more than the baked Alaska as it wasn’t on our radar to order. Samy and Matt have quite a team going at forest and the kitchen is on point. Multiple check ins from management and our server while also allowing us plenty of time to celebrate our night together. We’ve been fans of Phoenicia and Layla for many years but I would honestly say that this meal at Forest elevated it to their top restaurant in my mind. This is the level of service that you look for when celebrating but you could tell that the restaurant is consistently very busy as even every seat at the bar was full during our meal. Last addition is that the updated interior was very nice and the vibe of the restaurant was intimate and easy to have a good conversation. Also had friendly patrons we chatted with sitting next to us. 4th or 5th time I’ve eaten there and never been disappointed but this meal was above and beyond and exceeded all expectations. Thanks”
New American · $$$
