Birthday Lunchings at Lido

Last month we were celebrating my parents in law's birthdays. Rich and his sisters had decided to treat them to spa and dine at the Lido with us joining them for the lunch part. Rich and I used to live round the corner from the Lido and we often used to pop in for a glass of wine and some tapas at the cafe bar bit. We arrived at the cafe early so we could take advantage of a hot drink and catch up with Natty and Pepper. I ordered a chai latte and some of their spiced fruit loaf with maple butter, as I hadn't had breakfast yet, and Rich tried the breakfast martini and the girls went for hot drinks all round. The service in the cafe part of the Lido has always been, let's say relaxed, certainly don't expect for things to arrive promptly or for ordering to be a breeze. But as long as you are in no rush you can while away the time looking out over the pool and chatting around the table.

After whiling a way a couple of hours, Rich's parents emerged, blissful from their massages. We headed upstairs to the Lido restaurant to take advantage of their set lunch menu. Their set menu is served at lunchtime but you can also catch it early evening between 6-6.45. Two courses will cost £16 and you can get three for £20 which isn't bad at all. I decided to opt for the avocado, chilli and coriander on toast followed by poussin with crispy potatoes and a paprika with hazelnut sauce. Everyone else had a mix of all the options available, including hake for main and a vegetable mezze with some flatbreads.

In comparison to the cafe the staff in the restaurant were much more attentive and I couldn't fault the service. We ordered a bottle of Rioja for the table and we had some of the freshly made bread with a choice of oil or butter to enjoy whilst we waited for the starters to arrive. One of my favourite things about the restaurant is the wonderful light you have coming through the wall to wall windows and looking out over the pool does make you feel like you are on holiday.

avocado toast

                         

scallop baked in it's own shell

roasted poussin

vegetable mezze

Avocado toast, the en vogue brunch favourite, including mine, this was fresh and zingy the nigella seeds were a nice touch of texture. There was a mistake in the scallop order so our waitress kindly brought the excess to the table so I was able to try one. Hot and cooked in their own shells this was salty and tasted like a hit of the sea. These were a popular choice on our table. On to the mains.

The poussin main for me elevated the meal to the next level. The poussin was juicy and the potatoes were like mini roasties. The sauce was phenomenal. A subtle smoky hit of paprika with the texture of coarsely ground hazelnuts really added an extra dimension. This was one of the best dishes I've had out in a while I would happily eat this over and over again, I left a very clean plate.

I was trying to decide whether to opt for a third course and thought perhaps the rosemary manchego and quince jelly would round off the meal nicely. However my father in law, as it was his birthday, decide to go to the a la carte menu for his dessert and he chose pineapple tarte tatin with black pepper ice cream. I sampled a spoonful and immediately regretted not ordering it. It was a brilliant dessert, a proper tarte tatin as well, I have not had a decent one in Bristol yet and this thankfully put an end to that.

It had been a long time since my last visit to the Lido restaurant and I should never have left it so long. The set menu is a great way to sample the food as it's good value for the quality and taste offered. For something a little extra special going in the evening means you can enjoy the all the lights for a romantic atmosphere. To find out more about the Lido restaurant visit their website.