It’s actually almost a year since Hemisphere opened it doors on West Bridgford’s prime real estate, Central Avenue. It was an opening I was excited about after their fabulous delivery sushi business, Uramaki, had just about kept me sane during lockdowns. The location is a little hampered by a funny entrance with a steep staircase, though once you step into the restaurant proper, all is well. Its pretty compact with a dozen tables, bar area and wide open view into the kitchen. It’s all very modern and stylish with low halo lights softly illuminating the space. The menu might be the broadest church I’ve seen for a long time. Hemisphere’s website describes it as “blend[ing] Modern European, Asian, and Australasian influences”. Breakfast, brunch, Sunday lunch, tapas and sushi are all available.

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My evening meal with some friends delved into the Tapas and Sushi options. Tempura asparagus (£10) started proceedings nicely. Almost a dozen spears were coated in a delightfully thin, crispy batter. Zesty and tangy sauces were a nice touch but I would have preferred a traditional Japanese dipping sauce. I was a little sceptical about their sushi selection, less doesn’t seem to be more anywhere at Hemisphere and adding hollandaise to raw fish was a new one on me. A slightly more traditional tuna roll (£12) was good. The fish was fresh and well balanced spicy topping. Rice was well made and a good temperature although even with this they felt the need to add spiced miso sauce. Bravely I decided also to try the caramel salmon (£13). The setup was pretty, salmon on the outside with the ‘blow torched hollandaise with some vegetable in the middle of the roll. This all packed a punch and was very flavourful. I just prefer the natural, subtle flavour of the fish to shine.

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Crispy chicken (£12) on a Nottingham menu is a bold move when Iberico’s move beloved creation exists. It didn’t quite reach those lofty heights, the crispy was there but the meat itself not quite as juicy. The sticky chilli sauce was on the sweeter side for me but overall delivered ample enjoyment. Lamb chops (£16) were were a little could have been pinker, however you could still taste the quality of the meat and there was a pleasing char. It felt like the one disappointment of the meal but on reflection, whilst nothing on its own was a let-down, all the dishes contributed to an overall criticism. You cover some quality meat/fish in a sweet, sticky sauce that was very similar across a number of dishes and things start to blend into one. Bold flavours and technically well made but I want to taste the tuna and the lamb, not the sauce.

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That nuanced critique aside I was impressed overall. Bold, bright, food is always welcome and every effort has been made to pack flavour into each dish. Service was little overbearing but we were in on a quiet midweek evening so almost had the teams undivided attention. Prices can look a little punchy but generally the portion size made up for this. West Bridgford has always lacked quality restaurants and if I were a local I can imagine frequenting Hemisphere, especially for their sushi. It wasn’t quite convincing enough for me to recommend a special trip but I will be back at some point to see how it has developed.

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