Flinty Red
34 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6LA
http://www.flintyred.co.uk/
It does seem that Cotham Hill really does have the monopoly on excellent restaurants. This time we made the trek to visit Flinty Red.
Flinty Red seems to be one of those restaurants alongside places such as Bell's Diner and Lido which crops up in conversation when discussing great places to eat in Bristol. I think it's earned it's place there by being reliably and consistently good and I was eager to try it out to see what the fuss was about. I booked via email for a Saturday night at 8pm and the place was pleasantly busy when we arrived. We were seated at the back of the restaurant, side-by-side, near the bar which was good for people watching. The first thing which hit us was the heat of the place, it was hot, hot, hot! Being at the back of the restaurant meant the breeze coming from the open front door wasn't really reaching us and it did have us reaching for the water jug to cool down.
We poured over the menus, trying to decide what to try. The menu has a Spanish/Italian tapas feel with a selection of small and large plates. The plates are split into categories such as "cured/preserved", "fried/deep fired", "slow cooked/braised" etc. We decided to start with the fried fresh haloumi with tomato and oregano and the grilled chorizo whilst we debated some more.
We also decided to try the New World 2009, Zinfandel, Nalle to accompany our choices. The wine was gorgeous but we were a little miffed we were served a 2012 vintage with no acknowledgement but it didn't affect our immense enjoyment of the wine.
Whilst we waited for the food to be delivered we discussed the restaurant and tried to work out what it wanted to be: wine bar which does food or restaurant with a pretty substantial wine list.
We couldn't decide. What we did decide was that it's a restaurant for catching up with friends over a couple of (potentially expensive!) bottles of wine and a spot of supper or a place to host business meetings.
Our starters were delivered and although very tasty we were a little deflated. The fresh haloumi didn't have that salty kick you expect or the slightly squeaky texture, it was more on a par with a mozzarella. The chorizo was tasty but I think Flinty Red could do with popping over the road to Bravas and finding out who their chorizo supplier is as compared to the Bravas' "Chorizo in Cider" it was lacking spice and kick.
We turned our attention back to the menu to decide what else took our fancy. In the end we decided to go for two large plates to share rather than any more small plates. This was just personal taste as we didn't really fancy any more of the small plates although there were plenty more to choose from. For main we went with the onglet which came with green beans, potatoes and anchovies and the gnocchi with pesto and again, green beans.
Both mains were tasty but for me the gnocchi with pesto and green beans was superb, husband attempted to steal far too much of it for my liking so it must have been good.
We decided to skip pudding and go in hunt of some elsewhere. We finished the meal relaxed, content and not overly stuffed which was great.
Our overall impressions of Flinty Red were that it's a great place, a lot more chilled and relaxed than we both expected. The food was great, but it did seem a little confused - Spanish mixed with Italian. If it was tapas I was after I would head for Bravas, but I could see this as a Clifton based replacement option for Bell's Diner. The wine list was great and I can see myself heading here with some of my older Clifton based friends for supper, wine and conversation. A real grown-up establishment. The service was swift and polite. It feels like the restaurant have the right mix of covers for staff numbers and that relaxed feel helps as time just seems to seep away. The only negative I could really find was the price, it's not extortionate but not cheap either and to be honest, in relation to other restaurants in the area, the price is competitive, I just felt like I didn't get value for money and I can't quite put my finger on why.
Monday, 21 July 2014
Monday, 23 June 2014
Bravas, Cotham Hill
Bravas
7 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6LD
http://www.bravas.co.uk/
I had wanted to visit Stonehenge for the Solstice, but as we're off to Glastonbury on Wednesday we decided we'd get the Solstice experience there so we decided to stay in Bristol and go out and sample some places we had wanted to visit for a while, return to some favorites and also check out some new openings.
First stop was the re-branded Flipside Cocktail Club which was previously Papaji's for a cheeky pre-meal cocktail. Flipside is a little shabby around the edges with dog-eared drinks menus and gentleman club style décor in need of some TLC, but a very tasty Disaronno cherry kiss put me in the mood for some grub.
Bravas was packed when we arrived, so booking is essential for busy periods. We were shown to a table at the back of the restaurant. I must confess, normally this is my kind of table as it allows me optimum people watching, but for some reason the bustle of Bravas left me wanting one of the bar stools or tall tables to really feel like we were in the thick of it.
We looked at the menu and decided on a strategy of ordering three plates at a time whilst we contemplated the next selection to order. We also decided on the 2012 Gran Cerdo to accompany our food choices.
We ended up with three rounds of plates; 10 in total which matches the recommendation of 5 plates each.
It was interesting catching snippets of conversation from other tables and we ended up with some recommendations of plates to order. The stand out dishes were the duck egg with chorizo, the freshness of cod frito, the spicy chorizo cooked in cider and the amazing Presa a la plancha. The pork was stunning. It was melt in the mouth soft with a beautiful flavour. Like the best filet steak but lighter. It was a total showcase for how good pork could be. We were also bowled over by the simple but scrummy fried aubergine & molasses which we only ordered after overhearing another table rave about it. We were totally stuffed at the end of this, but still had a little room for coffee and salted chocolate truffles.
We were there for around two hours and never felt rushed. The service was fantastic, it was an excellent example of how good service should look and feel. Our waitress was chatty without being intrusive, attentive without loitering and nothing was too much trouble as she juggled multiple requests with ease . She is a real asset to the establishment and made our time at Bravas all the more memorable.
We were also pleasantly surprised at the bill, coming in under £80 including the bottle of wine which for the amount of food we stuffed ourselves with, the outstanding service and buzzy atmosphere was a bargain. I can't wait to visit again!
We finished the night paying a visit to one of my new favourites; Charlie's Bar next to Clifton Down Shopping Centre which we discovered through the wriggle app (if you don't have the wriggle app yet, download it from the play store as soon as you can!) and the newly rebranded Christmas Steps.
7 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6LD
http://www.bravas.co.uk/
I had wanted to visit Stonehenge for the Solstice, but as we're off to Glastonbury on Wednesday we decided we'd get the Solstice experience there so we decided to stay in Bristol and go out and sample some places we had wanted to visit for a while, return to some favorites and also check out some new openings.
First stop was the re-branded Flipside Cocktail Club which was previously Papaji's for a cheeky pre-meal cocktail. Flipside is a little shabby around the edges with dog-eared drinks menus and gentleman club style décor in need of some TLC, but a very tasty Disaronno cherry kiss put me in the mood for some grub.
Bravas was packed when we arrived, so booking is essential for busy periods. We were shown to a table at the back of the restaurant. I must confess, normally this is my kind of table as it allows me optimum people watching, but for some reason the bustle of Bravas left me wanting one of the bar stools or tall tables to really feel like we were in the thick of it.
We looked at the menu and decided on a strategy of ordering three plates at a time whilst we contemplated the next selection to order. We also decided on the 2012 Gran Cerdo to accompany our food choices.
We ended up with three rounds of plates; 10 in total which matches the recommendation of 5 plates each.
- Stuffed piquillo peppers
- Fried duck egg with Chorizo
- Goats cheese and spinach croquette
- New potato, asparagus & soft boiled egg salad
- Cod Frito
- Chorizo cooked in cider
- Presa a la plancha - Grilled Iberico pork
- Tortilla & alioli
- Braised Ox cheek
- Fried aubergine & molasses
It was interesting catching snippets of conversation from other tables and we ended up with some recommendations of plates to order. The stand out dishes were the duck egg with chorizo, the freshness of cod frito, the spicy chorizo cooked in cider and the amazing Presa a la plancha. The pork was stunning. It was melt in the mouth soft with a beautiful flavour. Like the best filet steak but lighter. It was a total showcase for how good pork could be. We were also bowled over by the simple but scrummy fried aubergine & molasses which we only ordered after overhearing another table rave about it. We were totally stuffed at the end of this, but still had a little room for coffee and salted chocolate truffles.
We were there for around two hours and never felt rushed. The service was fantastic, it was an excellent example of how good service should look and feel. Our waitress was chatty without being intrusive, attentive without loitering and nothing was too much trouble as she juggled multiple requests with ease . She is a real asset to the establishment and made our time at Bravas all the more memorable.
We were also pleasantly surprised at the bill, coming in under £80 including the bottle of wine which for the amount of food we stuffed ourselves with, the outstanding service and buzzy atmosphere was a bargain. I can't wait to visit again!
We finished the night paying a visit to one of my new favourites; Charlie's Bar next to Clifton Down Shopping Centre which we discovered through the wriggle app (if you don't have the wriggle app yet, download it from the play store as soon as you can!) and the newly rebranded Christmas Steps.
Monday, 16 June 2014
Cosy Club, Corn Street, Bristol and Southgate Place, Bath
The Cosy Club
31 Corn Street, Old City, Bristol, BS1 1HT
http://www.cosyclub.co.uk/Bristol
The Cosy Club
Unit R4, SouthGate Place, Bath, BA1 1AP
http://www.cosyclub.co.uk/bath
By sheer luck, I have visited the brand spanking new branch of The Cosy Club in Bristol a mere two weeks after visiting the Bath branch so I felt compelled to write a review of both establishments entitled: "Same, Same but Different".
My visit to the Bath branch came one particularly hungover morning with my best shopping companion; my niece. We were both feeling like brunch and although had planned to travel up town to Jika Jika, the sheer closeness of The Cosy Club to the train station made it a clear winner. It's a hidden away little gem in the middle of the new Southgate shopping complex. You could quite easily walk past the door and not even know it was there.
We arrived and asked for a table, asking specifically to sit outside as we could see two free tables. We were declined a table outside and when questioned were told they were for drinkers only and we'd have to sit inside. On further questioning it became apparent that the tables were not just for drinkers, they were just not table serviced tables and to order you would have to go to the bar. What a crazy concept! We, of course, had no problem walking 20 yards to a deserted bar to order and it was much quicker to do this than actually wait for the table service!
I ordered our brunch at the bar - a large pot of Assam tea (anywhere that sells Assam tea gets a massive thumbs up from me - no other tea will do), a pancakes and bacon and a ham hock hash.
I had eyed up the ham hock hash on the menu on the train coming over to Bath; it stood out on an otherwise generic brunch menu, and anything which comes with "breakfast" gravy is a must-try.
The drinks arrived swiftly with an apology of no large tea-pots so that had provided two standard pots instead. Each pot served 3 cups so we were most pleased.
The food arrived shortly after, and for once I won the menu choice game with my niece. Wonderfully roasted potatoes, a perfectly runny poached egg and the most amazing crispy, chewy, soft ham hock and the biggest surprise the best ever gravy to drown it all in. It was like a brown sauce, Worcestershire sauce infused gravy which just went with the ham and potatoes and egg so well that the dish didn't taste right without it. I would have liked another egg on top, but that's because I love eggs and believe they taste better with friends.
My niece's pancakes were great and she had no complaints at all; other than the fact they came with golden syrup instead of maple syrup which is a big no-no in my book but they were totally overshadowed by the hash.
The bill was a pleasant surprise as brunch is a deceptively lucrative market for food establishments nowadays. The staff at the bar were great and the servers polite. The front of house was disappointing with the fiasco of actually trying to sit down and I can see the merits of their policy at really busy times - but a quiet Sunday brunch was not one of those times.
Onto my second visit to The Cosy Club, Bristol.
This time my companion was different; husband was in tow for this visit and after my raving about the Bath brunch he was eager to try the ham hock hash for himself.
We entered the amazing building; totally blown away by the ceiling height and the light and space. We were taken to a table for two with upright chairs right in the middle of the room; with hangovers kicking in, all I wanted was to melt into a sofa in the corner. So I asked to move to a sofa and got the same feeble policy of those seats are for drinkers, you'll have to order at the bar. Fine, again a deserted bar which is all of 10 yards away. No problem. I really find this policy at quiet times totally bizarre. We sat, correction, sank down into the sofa and raided the games selection placed in boxes around our table. You could tell that this place has only just opened by the squeak of the scrabble board as I opened it and the fact it looked like the game still had all the letters. I love this touch and would mean I would venture there to make more of a morning out of my brunch, I just hope they survive the Bristol nightife.
Anyway, I digress, husband went and ordered two ham hock hashs's, a lemon sherbert and a large Assam tea.
The tea, was the same sized pot to share, as we had in Bath each which was a total fail; surely I can expect a comparable sized pot from a chain. It meant we have to share the last cup from the pot and our caffeine levels for the day were left very depleted. The lemon sherbet was a good choice for that furry mouth feeling, it woke us both up and was really refreshing. We asked for skimmed milk which was not provided; I don't understand why so few places provide skimmed milk - this is an easy win for places like this.
After a short wait the ham hock hash appeared. Slightly down in portion size and meat content compared to Bath and the potatoes not quite as well cooked and the ham not as crispy. But, still bloody tasty; we both could have eaten the dish again and agreed it was a real hangover buster.
I can see The Cosy Club in Bristol having a bright future in a building which has seen businesses come and go. It will be popular in the evening and will capture all the Sunday brunchers staying the in the centre. I can see lots of stag and hen groups making use of the place and also a lively after work venue. A welcome addition to the City Centre; but they just need to make sure they are aligned with other branches.
Overall for the chain, my major gripe is the seating policy; it really starts your visit off on a poor note, but I do understand its useful-ness at peak times; perhaps some common sense is needed here by the front of house staff. But, everyone was polite, helpful and both venues welcoming and enjoyable.
31 Corn Street, Old City, Bristol, BS1 1HT
http://www.cosyclub.co.uk/Bristol
The Cosy Club
Unit R4, SouthGate Place, Bath, BA1 1AP
http://www.cosyclub.co.uk/bath
By sheer luck, I have visited the brand spanking new branch of The Cosy Club in Bristol a mere two weeks after visiting the Bath branch so I felt compelled to write a review of both establishments entitled: "Same, Same but Different".
My visit to the Bath branch came one particularly hungover morning with my best shopping companion; my niece. We were both feeling like brunch and although had planned to travel up town to Jika Jika, the sheer closeness of The Cosy Club to the train station made it a clear winner. It's a hidden away little gem in the middle of the new Southgate shopping complex. You could quite easily walk past the door and not even know it was there.
We arrived and asked for a table, asking specifically to sit outside as we could see two free tables. We were declined a table outside and when questioned were told they were for drinkers only and we'd have to sit inside. On further questioning it became apparent that the tables were not just for drinkers, they were just not table serviced tables and to order you would have to go to the bar. What a crazy concept! We, of course, had no problem walking 20 yards to a deserted bar to order and it was much quicker to do this than actually wait for the table service!
I ordered our brunch at the bar - a large pot of Assam tea (anywhere that sells Assam tea gets a massive thumbs up from me - no other tea will do), a pancakes and bacon and a ham hock hash.I had eyed up the ham hock hash on the menu on the train coming over to Bath; it stood out on an otherwise generic brunch menu, and anything which comes with "breakfast" gravy is a must-try.
The drinks arrived swiftly with an apology of no large tea-pots so that had provided two standard pots instead. Each pot served 3 cups so we were most pleased.
The food arrived shortly after, and for once I won the menu choice game with my niece. Wonderfully roasted potatoes, a perfectly runny poached egg and the most amazing crispy, chewy, soft ham hock and the biggest surprise the best ever gravy to drown it all in. It was like a brown sauce, Worcestershire sauce infused gravy which just went with the ham and potatoes and egg so well that the dish didn't taste right without it. I would have liked another egg on top, but that's because I love eggs and believe they taste better with friends.
My niece's pancakes were great and she had no complaints at all; other than the fact they came with golden syrup instead of maple syrup which is a big no-no in my book but they were totally overshadowed by the hash.
The bill was a pleasant surprise as brunch is a deceptively lucrative market for food establishments nowadays. The staff at the bar were great and the servers polite. The front of house was disappointing with the fiasco of actually trying to sit down and I can see the merits of their policy at really busy times - but a quiet Sunday brunch was not one of those times.
Onto my second visit to The Cosy Club, Bristol.
This time my companion was different; husband was in tow for this visit and after my raving about the Bath brunch he was eager to try the ham hock hash for himself.
We entered the amazing building; totally blown away by the ceiling height and the light and space. We were taken to a table for two with upright chairs right in the middle of the room; with hangovers kicking in, all I wanted was to melt into a sofa in the corner. So I asked to move to a sofa and got the same feeble policy of those seats are for drinkers, you'll have to order at the bar. Fine, again a deserted bar which is all of 10 yards away. No problem. I really find this policy at quiet times totally bizarre. We sat, correction, sank down into the sofa and raided the games selection placed in boxes around our table. You could tell that this place has only just opened by the squeak of the scrabble board as I opened it and the fact it looked like the game still had all the letters. I love this touch and would mean I would venture there to make more of a morning out of my brunch, I just hope they survive the Bristol nightife.Anyway, I digress, husband went and ordered two ham hock hashs's, a lemon sherbert and a large Assam tea.
The tea, was the same sized pot to share, as we had in Bath each which was a total fail; surely I can expect a comparable sized pot from a chain. It meant we have to share the last cup from the pot and our caffeine levels for the day were left very depleted. The lemon sherbet was a good choice for that furry mouth feeling, it woke us both up and was really refreshing. We asked for skimmed milk which was not provided; I don't understand why so few places provide skimmed milk - this is an easy win for places like this.
After a short wait the ham hock hash appeared. Slightly down in portion size and meat content compared to Bath and the potatoes not quite as well cooked and the ham not as crispy. But, still bloody tasty; we both could have eaten the dish again and agreed it was a real hangover buster.I can see The Cosy Club in Bristol having a bright future in a building which has seen businesses come and go. It will be popular in the evening and will capture all the Sunday brunchers staying the in the centre. I can see lots of stag and hen groups making use of the place and also a lively after work venue. A welcome addition to the City Centre; but they just need to make sure they are aligned with other branches.
Overall for the chain, my major gripe is the seating policy; it really starts your visit off on a poor note, but I do understand its useful-ness at peak times; perhaps some common sense is needed here by the front of house staff. But, everyone was polite, helpful and both venues welcoming and enjoyable.
Monday, 2 June 2014
Soukitchen, North Street
Soukitchen
We have been wanting to try Soukitchen ever since we visited EatDrinkBristolFashion last year on their night and were blown away by the amazing food we ate. We have several places lined up on North Street which we'd love to try and Soukitchen has been top of our list for forever but we're not often over that side of town to enjoy them especially with poor rail links back to our area later on. We finally got a reason this weekend so after I booked our show tickets to see Extravaganza by Le Navet Bete at the Brewery Theatre I immediately booked a table at Soukitchen through their website.
We arrived early for our 7:30pm booking but this was no problem and we were invited to take a seat. The restaurant is sat on a corner plot and is glazed on both sides which makes it feel very light and airy. The kitchen is to the rear of the room and is open so you can see some of the food preparation. The decoration is bright and colourful and the wallpaper used throughout the restaurant looks to be custom with its depiction of Moroccan style teapots.
We relaxed and browsed the menu, not really having a clue what anything meant, but excited to find out. There were three of us eating so we wanted to get a selection of dishes so we could try as many things as we could. Whilst we debated what dishes we wanted to try, we ordered a selection of flatbreads and dips to pick at. These were lovely; bright colours again and each very tasty. I can't remember what each dip was - I know one was carrot and rose which was lovely and sweet and I think one was made with split peas.
We decided to order a selection of hot mezze:
The food was delivered promptly and we all had our favorites; which turned out to be the item we had suggested we try. For me the Batata Hara and the Chicken Khoresh were the stand out dishes. With the bistilla and lamb kebab a close runner up. The meatballs were disappointing though as we all decided that they needed to be tastier to compete with the other dishes we picked. The halloumi was nice and as a vegetarian option it was great; it just didn't do it for me, but it was husband's favourite and from a dedicated meat lover that's high praise indeed!!
We really enjoyed our meal at Soukitchen. The only thing I would have liked was perhaps a small description of the dish on the menu as I was very unfamiliar with a lot of the terms and even the ingredients, but having sampled a small snippet of food from these guys before I didn't worry as I knew it would all be delicious. We were well looked after even with a packed dinner service. The bill was a very pleasant surprise at the end of the meal considering we had ordered a bottle of red. With it's relaxed atmosphere, tasty food which is big on flavour but light on the bank account I would be happy to visit again to sample the next menu the team produces.
277 North Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 1JP
http://www.soukitchen.co.uk/We have been wanting to try Soukitchen ever since we visited EatDrinkBristolFashion last year on their night and were blown away by the amazing food we ate. We have several places lined up on North Street which we'd love to try and Soukitchen has been top of our list for forever but we're not often over that side of town to enjoy them especially with poor rail links back to our area later on. We finally got a reason this weekend so after I booked our show tickets to see Extravaganza by Le Navet Bete at the Brewery Theatre I immediately booked a table at Soukitchen through their website.
We arrived early for our 7:30pm booking but this was no problem and we were invited to take a seat. The restaurant is sat on a corner plot and is glazed on both sides which makes it feel very light and airy. The kitchen is to the rear of the room and is open so you can see some of the food preparation. The decoration is bright and colourful and the wallpaper used throughout the restaurant looks to be custom with its depiction of Moroccan style teapots.We relaxed and browsed the menu, not really having a clue what anything meant, but excited to find out. There were three of us eating so we wanted to get a selection of dishes so we could try as many things as we could. Whilst we debated what dishes we wanted to try, we ordered a selection of flatbreads and dips to pick at. These were lovely; bright colours again and each very tasty. I can't remember what each dip was - I know one was carrot and rose which was lovely and sweet and I think one was made with split peas.
We decided to order a selection of hot mezze:- Batata hara, chickpeas + merguez sausage
- Spinach, spiced feta + pinenut bistilla with orange blossom honey
- Pork, preserved lemons meatballs with slow cooked tomato sauce
- Chargrilled vine leaf wrapped halloumi, roast beetroot, squash, couscous and mango amba
- Chargrilled lamb adana skewers, sour cherry + bulgar pilaf, zalouk and garlic yoghurt
- Chicken Khoresh, Omani limes, dried plums, split peas + spinach with saffron rice
The food was delivered promptly and we all had our favorites; which turned out to be the item we had suggested we try. For me the Batata Hara and the Chicken Khoresh were the stand out dishes. With the bistilla and lamb kebab a close runner up. The meatballs were disappointing though as we all decided that they needed to be tastier to compete with the other dishes we picked. The halloumi was nice and as a vegetarian option it was great; it just didn't do it for me, but it was husband's favourite and from a dedicated meat lover that's high praise indeed!!We really enjoyed our meal at Soukitchen. The only thing I would have liked was perhaps a small description of the dish on the menu as I was very unfamiliar with a lot of the terms and even the ingredients, but having sampled a small snippet of food from these guys before I didn't worry as I knew it would all be delicious. We were well looked after even with a packed dinner service. The bill was a very pleasant surprise at the end of the meal considering we had ordered a bottle of red. With it's relaxed atmosphere, tasty food which is big on flavour but light on the bank account I would be happy to visit again to sample the next menu the team produces.
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Bakers & Co, Gloucester Road
Bakers & Co
193 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8BG
http://bakersbristol.co.uk/
I have been itching to sample Bakers & Co since it opened and on Saturday whilst strolling down to town for the Bristol Food Connections Festival I got my chance. We wanted a stop off for something to tide us over for a little while whilst leaving room for lots of tasting at the festival and for the first time there were some empty tables when I peeked in, so we took advantage.
The building Bakers & Co have taken over used to be a clothes shop which had been operating on Gloucester Road since I was a teenager. I was sad to see the demise of a Gloucester Road institution but it seems to have been replaced by another. The clever use of sunny bright yellow in both the sign and the awning invites you in to sample the San Francisco style brunch which uses most of my favourite foods especially eggs and chorizo.
When you enter the building you are greeted by a mouthwatering display of cakes and other treats and the room is packed with differing sizes tables which are brightened up by light streaming through the windows in the ceiling. Everything looks crisp and fresh.
We took a seat near the back of the building and salivated over the menu. We decided to share a bakers eggs which was slow cooked tomato and spinach with nuggets of spicy chorizo and topped with two small poached eggs. Alongside a refreshing lemonade and zingy orange juice.
Although we had to wait quite a while to get served, once our order was taken the food was served very swiftly. Most dishes seem to be served in large terracotta dishes which suited the variety of "stews" Bakers serve. The Bakers eggs dish was delicious and the only comment we could think to improve the dish would be to have the chorizo cut up so that the flavour could be more absorbed by the tomato stew, but that was a very minor point.
Our visit was marred slightly as our poor pooch was feeling very under the weather and we ended up not really staying and absorbing as much as we would have liked. But we saw and tasted enough to warrant a return visit!
Bakers & Co already seems like it's been on Gloucester Road forever, and hopefully it will stay for a long time. We really hope that some outside tables might appear soon to take advantage in soaking up the Gloucester Road atmosphere and sunshine.
193 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8BG
http://bakersbristol.co.uk/
I have been itching to sample Bakers & Co since it opened and on Saturday whilst strolling down to town for the Bristol Food Connections Festival I got my chance. We wanted a stop off for something to tide us over for a little while whilst leaving room for lots of tasting at the festival and for the first time there were some empty tables when I peeked in, so we took advantage.
The building Bakers & Co have taken over used to be a clothes shop which had been operating on Gloucester Road since I was a teenager. I was sad to see the demise of a Gloucester Road institution but it seems to have been replaced by another. The clever use of sunny bright yellow in both the sign and the awning invites you in to sample the San Francisco style brunch which uses most of my favourite foods especially eggs and chorizo.
When you enter the building you are greeted by a mouthwatering display of cakes and other treats and the room is packed with differing sizes tables which are brightened up by light streaming through the windows in the ceiling. Everything looks crisp and fresh.
We took a seat near the back of the building and salivated over the menu. We decided to share a bakers eggs which was slow cooked tomato and spinach with nuggets of spicy chorizo and topped with two small poached eggs. Alongside a refreshing lemonade and zingy orange juice.
Although we had to wait quite a while to get served, once our order was taken the food was served very swiftly. Most dishes seem to be served in large terracotta dishes which suited the variety of "stews" Bakers serve. The Bakers eggs dish was delicious and the only comment we could think to improve the dish would be to have the chorizo cut up so that the flavour could be more absorbed by the tomato stew, but that was a very minor point.
Our visit was marred slightly as our poor pooch was feeling very under the weather and we ended up not really staying and absorbing as much as we would have liked. But we saw and tasted enough to warrant a return visit!
Bakers & Co already seems like it's been on Gloucester Road forever, and hopefully it will stay for a long time. We really hope that some outside tables might appear soon to take advantage in soaking up the Gloucester Road atmosphere and sunshine.
Nathan Outlaw & Valentine Warner, Eat Drink Bristol Fashion
Nathan Outlaw & Valentine Warner Fine Dining,
Eat Drink Bristol Fashion, Queens Square, Bristol
https://eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk
For the third year in a row, we patiently awaiting tickets being launched to the annual Eat Drink Bristol Fashion event run in Queens Square by Josh Eggleton, Luke Hasell and their team. The first year we attended a Pony and Trap Sunday Roast which was run a little chaotically in a damp tipi. The following year, things had improved dramatically for our second outing sampling wonderful food by the Soukitchen. This year, having poured over the selection of events planned we decided to attend the opening night featuring a 6 course menu designed and cooked by two Michelin Starred chefs, Nathan Outlaw and Valentine Warner.
— Menu —
The night started off with Josh Eggleton introducing the chefs and asking them to explain the dishes they were preparing that night. Whilst listening to the chefs we were sampling some amazing Doom bar and treacle bread with some fantastic salty Cornish seaweed butter. I could have sat and nibbled on this all night as it was a real treat for fresh bread and salty butter fans.
The first course was a crispy pheasant egg, perfectly soft boiled in the middle covered in golden breadcrumbs with seasonal asparagus and a salsa verde. I'm not a fan of asparagus but when it was combined with the silkiness of the egg and twang of the vinegar from the salsa verde it was transformed.
The second course came from Valentine and was a rustic stew of cannellini beans and clams. I've never had clams before, I was a little bit wary. The stew was packed with clams and I was glad for the lower levels of lighting so I couldn't see the little hooked buttons. The beans still had a crunch to them and the cooking liquor was packed with flavour. Sadly for me, I'm not sure I'll be a clam convert, whilst the stew were perfectly cooked I did find myself making sure each mouthful was full of beans to trick myself into thinking I wasn't eating clams.
The third course came from Nathan and was one I was looking forward too, crab risotto. It was a very understated dish which didn't come with any tricks. Just well cooked food which was tasty. It was on this dish that Nathan and Valentines cooking styles became apparent; Nathan's dishes very precise and calm and Valentines rustic and large. It was almost a reflection of both men in their dishes.
The next course we were back to Valentines more chunky style with a great slab of pork served up alongsideroast (Sorry Valentine!) potatoes and lovely slow cooked tomatoes. My pork was quite hard going as it had quite a ring of fat around it. One of the waiting staff noticed I was finding it hard going; whipped the plate away and came back with a slab of lean meat. It was more meat than I would normally eat for a Sunday Roast and I'm afraid I couldn't finish it. It was beautifully cooked though and really lovely to be served potatoes as most Michelin starred places tend to shy away from them.
We were quite excited for the cheese course having eaten something similar before at Bells Diner, but sadly it was not a big hit with husband who actually couldn't finish it. He's not a great goats cheese lover but we hoped the sweetness of the honey and aubergine would work with the goats curd. I found it hard going as well and would have liked more sweetness.
The final course was a total hit though; the sorbet had a gentle spicy fizz to it and the cheesecake was so luscious. A perfect dessert! This was followed up with coffee and Cornish fudge and fairings brought by Nathan. The fairings were so salty which I loved!
We had a fantastic night, we were sitting next to the some of the judges and organisers of the Food and Farming awards which were held the previous night at St. Georges and it was great listening to some of the stories and having Valentine come and join us for a drink after service.
My only real disappointment of the night came from the drinks department. 25 minutes to get a drink from the main tipi bar and confused wine service within the fine dining tipi.
Other than that, Eat Drink Bristol Fashion is a great summer addition to the city and it's finding its feet now in its third year. A little more work on the drinks side of the operation would really help for next year! We will certainly be back for tapas before the tipi leaves and we wish we had enough money to sample more than one fine dining night!
Eat Drink Bristol Fashion, Queens Square, Bristol
https://eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk
For the third year in a row, we patiently awaiting tickets being launched to the annual Eat Drink Bristol Fashion event run in Queens Square by Josh Eggleton, Luke Hasell and their team. The first year we attended a Pony and Trap Sunday Roast which was run a little chaotically in a damp tipi. The following year, things had improved dramatically for our second outing sampling wonderful food by the Soukitchen. This year, having poured over the selection of events planned we decided to attend the opening night featuring a 6 course menu designed and cooked by two Michelin Starred chefs, Nathan Outlaw and Valentine Warner.
— Menu —
- ~ Doom bar and treacle bread, Cornish seaweed butter ~
- ~ Asparagus, crispy pheasant egg, green sauce ~
- ~ Clams and beans ~
- ~ Crab risotto ~
- ~ Roast pork 'tonnato style' ~
- ~ Goats curd, bitter herbs, aubergine and honey ~
- ~ Rhubarb Cheesecake, rhubarb and ginger sorbet, sugared pistachios ~
The first course was a crispy pheasant egg, perfectly soft boiled in the middle covered in golden breadcrumbs with seasonal asparagus and a salsa verde. I'm not a fan of asparagus but when it was combined with the silkiness of the egg and twang of the vinegar from the salsa verde it was transformed.
The second course came from Valentine and was a rustic stew of cannellini beans and clams. I've never had clams before, I was a little bit wary. The stew was packed with clams and I was glad for the lower levels of lighting so I couldn't see the little hooked buttons. The beans still had a crunch to them and the cooking liquor was packed with flavour. Sadly for me, I'm not sure I'll be a clam convert, whilst the stew were perfectly cooked I did find myself making sure each mouthful was full of beans to trick myself into thinking I wasn't eating clams.
The third course came from Nathan and was one I was looking forward too, crab risotto. It was a very understated dish which didn't come with any tricks. Just well cooked food which was tasty. It was on this dish that Nathan and Valentines cooking styles became apparent; Nathan's dishes very precise and calm and Valentines rustic and large. It was almost a reflection of both men in their dishes.
The next course we were back to Valentines more chunky style with a great slab of pork served up alongside
We were quite excited for the cheese course having eaten something similar before at Bells Diner, but sadly it was not a big hit with husband who actually couldn't finish it. He's not a great goats cheese lover but we hoped the sweetness of the honey and aubergine would work with the goats curd. I found it hard going as well and would have liked more sweetness.
The final course was a total hit though; the sorbet had a gentle spicy fizz to it and the cheesecake was so luscious. A perfect dessert! This was followed up with coffee and Cornish fudge and fairings brought by Nathan. The fairings were so salty which I loved!
We had a fantastic night, we were sitting next to the some of the judges and organisers of the Food and Farming awards which were held the previous night at St. Georges and it was great listening to some of the stories and having Valentine come and join us for a drink after service.
My only real disappointment of the night came from the drinks department. 25 minutes to get a drink from the main tipi bar and confused wine service within the fine dining tipi.
Other than that, Eat Drink Bristol Fashion is a great summer addition to the city and it's finding its feet now in its third year. A little more work on the drinks side of the operation would really help for next year! We will certainly be back for tapas before the tipi leaves and we wish we had enough money to sample more than one fine dining night!
Monday, 28 April 2014
Cherry Duck Bistro, Welsh Back
Cherry Duck Bistro
3 Queen Quay, Welshback, Bristol, BS1 4SL
http://www.cherryduckbistro.co.uk/
A year ago, Derren Brown released details of his "Infamous" tour for which I immediately snapped up front row tickets. So, when the date came around to actually watch the show we wanted to make a night of it!
Cherry Duck Bistro on Welshback seemed a perfect fit. Open at a time which would fit in for a pre-show dinner, within walking distance to the Hippodrome and with a very enticing menu.
I was able to easily book a table over email which is a real perk in today's online world. I often have trouble booking things over the phone as you need to catch staff in a non-busy time of service. We booked the table for 6pm thinking 1.5 hours would be plenty of time to sample the seasonal menu. I had to look up on the website where the place actually was as I couldn't picture the restaurant at all. I found out it was slightly off the beaten track just behind Queen's Square.
We arrived at the restaurant slightly early as we were conscious of time and were surprised to be the only ones in there. We were given a waterside table at the back of the restaurant. The place was bright, airy with the glass sides giving a modern feel. We could see that this place must be popular with surrounding businesses for lunches and we agreed it would be a lovely spot for lunch in the summer.
We looked at the menu and chose wood pigeon and squid & chorizo for starters and a half bottle of malbec to share along with a oddly named Scottish beer for husband who was taken in by the unpronounceable name.
The food arrived quickly as you would hope being the only guests and was wonderfully presented. The bright red of the peppers and white of the squid contracted nicely on a grey slate. We shared both dishes and the squid was the better of the two dishes with an amazingly punchy chorizo stealing the show.
For mains we had opted for the Frampton on Severn Beef which was 40 day aged fillet of beef, oxtail croquette, calves liver, jerusalem artichokes, chantenay carrots, horseradish jelly, watercress, beef jus and the Ragstone soufflé which was a Goat's cheese soufflé, baby beetroot, cocotte potatoes, beetroot puree and red onion jelly.
Now, I like a vegetarian dish and often pick them over meat dishes if they sound creative and tasty. This time however I picked the vegetarian dish as I simply didn't fancy any of the other dishes. Whilst I was spoilt for choice on starter and dessert I really struggled with choosing a main.
Again, the dishes were delivered quickly and the beef looked stunning. The soufflé however, was a little disappointing. It was small and saggy and just looked uninspiring and a little sad. I expected a larger soufflé given the £16 price tag. Taste wise the beef was superb and husband really enjoyed it. The soufflé was quite bland and didn't improve when put together with the beetroot and cocotte potatoes as the beetroot, although mild overpowered the goats cheese. We had ordered sides of creamed spinach and garlic & herb roasted new potatoes and the addition of these to the plate helped bring out some of the flavour as well as inject some punch. The creamed spinach really helped the soufflé take a bigger role on the plate by bringing out the creaminess, I would recommend any vegetarians to add this if they have the soufflé.
I hope Cherry Duck Bistro improve their vegetarian offering on their next seasonal menu, perhaps taking some tips from somewhere like the Maitreya social for tasty vegetarian dishes.
Thankfully, Cherry Duck redeemed itself on the desserts. We picked the lemon meringue pie and the rhubarb and custard and both were outstanding. I wish I had ordered more starters and desserts and skipped the main. The lemon meringue was fantastic. The tartness of the lemon sorbet against the creaminess of the lemon curd and pastry contrasted by the chewiness provided by the meringue, marshmallow and candied lemon was a delight. The rhubarb was equally magical, the crunch of the brandy snap, the silkiness of the crème patisserie and the sweetness of the rhubarb was yummy. If you eat at Cherry Duck, you must leave room for pudding!
Coffee rounded off our lovely meal at Cherry Duck and we had plenty of time to stroll across Queen's Square to the Hippodrome. The staff were attentive and service was swift. I did feel the price for main courses was a little steep and I really feel that for a Saturday night pre-theatre dinner the place should have been packed. Perhaps a pre-theatre set menu might help that, and I would certainly be back with guests if that was offered.
Overall we had a great night, a lovely dinner in an attractive setting with great service followed by a mesmerizingly jaw dropping show.
3 Queen Quay, Welshback, Bristol, BS1 4SL
http://www.cherryduckbistro.co.uk/
A year ago, Derren Brown released details of his "Infamous" tour for which I immediately snapped up front row tickets. So, when the date came around to actually watch the show we wanted to make a night of it!
Cherry Duck Bistro on Welshback seemed a perfect fit. Open at a time which would fit in for a pre-show dinner, within walking distance to the Hippodrome and with a very enticing menu.
I was able to easily book a table over email which is a real perk in today's online world. I often have trouble booking things over the phone as you need to catch staff in a non-busy time of service. We booked the table for 6pm thinking 1.5 hours would be plenty of time to sample the seasonal menu. I had to look up on the website where the place actually was as I couldn't picture the restaurant at all. I found out it was slightly off the beaten track just behind Queen's Square.
We looked at the menu and chose wood pigeon and squid & chorizo for starters and a half bottle of malbec to share along with a oddly named Scottish beer for husband who was taken in by the unpronounceable name.
The food arrived quickly as you would hope being the only guests and was wonderfully presented. The bright red of the peppers and white of the squid contracted nicely on a grey slate. We shared both dishes and the squid was the better of the two dishes with an amazingly punchy chorizo stealing the show.
For mains we had opted for the Frampton on Severn Beef which was 40 day aged fillet of beef, oxtail croquette, calves liver, jerusalem artichokes, chantenay carrots, horseradish jelly, watercress, beef jus and the Ragstone soufflé which was a Goat's cheese soufflé, baby beetroot, cocotte potatoes, beetroot puree and red onion jelly.
Now, I like a vegetarian dish and often pick them over meat dishes if they sound creative and tasty. This time however I picked the vegetarian dish as I simply didn't fancy any of the other dishes. Whilst I was spoilt for choice on starter and dessert I really struggled with choosing a main.
Again, the dishes were delivered quickly and the beef looked stunning. The soufflé however, was a little disappointing. It was small and saggy and just looked uninspiring and a little sad. I expected a larger soufflé given the £16 price tag. Taste wise the beef was superb and husband really enjoyed it. The soufflé was quite bland and didn't improve when put together with the beetroot and cocotte potatoes as the beetroot, although mild overpowered the goats cheese. We had ordered sides of creamed spinach and garlic & herb roasted new potatoes and the addition of these to the plate helped bring out some of the flavour as well as inject some punch. The creamed spinach really helped the soufflé take a bigger role on the plate by bringing out the creaminess, I would recommend any vegetarians to add this if they have the soufflé.
I hope Cherry Duck Bistro improve their vegetarian offering on their next seasonal menu, perhaps taking some tips from somewhere like the Maitreya social for tasty vegetarian dishes.
Thankfully, Cherry Duck redeemed itself on the desserts. We picked the lemon meringue pie and the rhubarb and custard and both were outstanding. I wish I had ordered more starters and desserts and skipped the main. The lemon meringue was fantastic. The tartness of the lemon sorbet against the creaminess of the lemon curd and pastry contrasted by the chewiness provided by the meringue, marshmallow and candied lemon was a delight. The rhubarb was equally magical, the crunch of the brandy snap, the silkiness of the crème patisserie and the sweetness of the rhubarb was yummy. If you eat at Cherry Duck, you must leave room for pudding!
Coffee rounded off our lovely meal at Cherry Duck and we had plenty of time to stroll across Queen's Square to the Hippodrome. The staff were attentive and service was swift. I did feel the price for main courses was a little steep and I really feel that for a Saturday night pre-theatre dinner the place should have been packed. Perhaps a pre-theatre set menu might help that, and I would certainly be back with guests if that was offered.
Overall we had a great night, a lovely dinner in an attractive setting with great service followed by a mesmerizingly jaw dropping show.
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