Alchemilla keeps its Michelin star and its love of vegetables

When Alex Bond opened alchemilla in August 2017, it was his first venture as a chef-owner. Nine years on, the restaurant has become one of the cornerstones of Nottingham's dining scene, and in February 2026 it was once again listed among the one-Michelin-star restaurants in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland.

Bond knows the city's fine dining heritage well. He trained alongside Sat Bains at Restaurant Sat Bains on Lenton Lane, a kitchen whose alumni have gone on to lead restaurants across the country. With alchemilla he set out to cook in his own style, and the response was quick: the restaurant drew early attention from critic Grace Dent and The Good Food Guide, and it won its first Michelin star in 2019. Today it also holds four AA Rosettes.

What makes alchemilla distinctive is the way it treats vegetables. Michelin's inspectors have noted that many dishes are built around plants and vegetables, with meat and fish used to highlight them rather than dominate the plate. Koji, fermentation and pickling run throughout the menu, and the restaurant describes Bond's cooking as aiming for "big yet balanced flavours."

The kitchen draws on world influences while keeping a British base, with produce sourced from across Britain, from the Scottish Highlands to Cornish waters. Guests choose between two tasting menus: a shorter selection and a longer one that shows off more of the kitchen's seasonal cooking. Both change with the ingredients available and focus on flavour, creativity and minimal waste, and there are vegetarian, pescatarian and vegan versions too.

The praise has come from many directions. SquareMeal has highlighted Bond's skill at marrying natural flavours, while the AA has applauded both the modern cooking, grounded in classic technique, and the plant-based dishes.

For anyone who thinks a Michelin meal must revolve around a slab of meat, alchemilla is a delicious argument for thinking again. It is also proof that Nottingham, a city with two Michelin-starred restaurants, has a fine dining scene to be proud of.

Menus, gift vouchers and bookings are available on the alchemilla website.