A Saturday Lunch with Mum at The Mall Deli

Last weekend mum popped over for a visit and a spot of lunch, so we walked up to Clifton village and sauntered around the streets looking for somewhere we had not tried before. Tempted by Cordial and Grace only to see it was too busy we crossed the road to try The Mall Deli cafe. Always enjoyed buying little bits and bobs in here but it's not somewhere I have been for a good while. As we sauntered in I noted they stocked the infamous bacon jam as well as other interest peeking products like lavender sugar, perfect for a topping on a pear crumble by the way.

As it was slightly too early for lunch we started with a pot of tea each, mum went for English breakfast and I went for the girly Earl Grey. If I'm honest this wasn't the best start to our lunch, mum's tea pot did not have enough tea in it and was very insipid and mine was just a bad choice of tea. The girly grey had the added extra of rose petals in the normal Earl Grey mix. I like the flavour of rose in tea, big fan of Lahloo Pantry's Rosebud mix, but this was so heavily perfumed it was bordering on drinking potpourri crossed with cleaning products.

Girly Grey tea

The smell of lunches around us was encouraging so mum picked a jacket potato with coleslaw from the deli and salad, whilst I went for a brie and onion jam panini with a side salad. Tempted by the delicious looking ploughman's that passed us as we waited, piled high with freshly sliced deli meats and pickles, we suddenly realised how hungry we were.

Gooey Brie and Onion Jam

Our lunch was very delicious. The brie was very smooth and the onion jam wonderfully sweet and complimentary. A classic combination that I too often neglect. Mum praised their home made coleslaw very highly, simple flavours but well combined. As we had been eyeing up the cakes on the counter the entire time we were there we thought it would be unsporting not to sample at least one of them. So we picked the raspberry and coconut cake to share.

Coconut cake

Desiccated coconut in the sponge, cream, jam and topped with fresh raspberries was a great way to end lunch. The sponge was lovely and soft, I've had cake flavoured with coconut before, but not like this. It was subtle and the raspberries gave it a fresh lift, mum and I agreed it was something we'd like to replicate next time we fancy trying something new in the kitchen.

So after a wobbly start with the tea, The Mall Deli really picked it up with the food and it's definitely somewhere I would go again, if only to sample the delicious looking ploughman's that passed us earlier in the day. To see what the deli has to offer check out their website.

A Healing Breakfast at Cafe Cosmopolitan

The other weekend Rich and I were flagging, it was time to do the supermarket run and energy was running on empty. We decided to find something breakfasty and near the shops so after browsing Cotham Hill and considering our usual Deco Lounge we decided to pop up to Cafe Cosmopolitan just up from Richer Sounds. Cosmopolitan almost sits on the fence of the Clifton version of a greasy spoon, although you can be assured this is no Tasty Stop à la North Street, although that is a bit of a guilty pleasure, a story that will have to wait for another day.

The decor is clean and bright with a good amount of outdoor seating. The menu is mostly made up of panini and all day breakfast, we went for the small and large full English, with a tea and coffee. 

Large Full English

My Smaller Full English

 Apart from, what my sister would call butter bombs, warm bread with butter only smeared on the middle like a bomb of butter has fallen on it, the breakfast was really good. Admittedly it was no Rosemarino level breakfast in terms of flavour but as a standard full English I was very happy. The sausages were meaty and of good quality, the bacon and fried egg were perfectly cooked and none of the items were greasy so it didn't feel really unhealthy afterwards. 

Breakfast Extreme Close Up

If you are passing the area and are low on funds but high on hunger check out Cafe Cosmopolitan, a small full English is only £4.95 and a large a mere £1 more and you get a cup of tea or coffee thrown in. Top marks all round.

Mini Visit to Cordial & Grace

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, no change for our current Summer, and we had arranged to go for a tea with Boz and Jamie in Clifton Village. Tentatively heading to Boston Tea Party, we met there and it was packed, finding a spot for tea in Clifton at the weekend can sometimes be a mission. We passed by Cordial & Grace and it did not look quite as busy so we decided to chance it.

A really sweet cafe especially if you are into crafts. They have lots of sewing nights and craft workshops for you to join in on. Really gives the place a homey feel, very kitsch and girly, the boys didn't look super comfortable surrounded by all the cuteness but I loved it.

Craft Table at Cordial & Grace

Crafty Wall

I ordered a pot of chai tea and some Welsh rarebit crumpets whilst everyone else had a cold drink from their selection of coolers on the menu. My tea rocked up with a super twee cup and saucer, which I loved because by looking at other tables not all the cups were the same and I actually really like it when crockery doesn't match. The tea also came with an egg timer to show when my tea would be properly brewed and ready to drink, which was a nice touch, shows the venue cares about a good cuppa.

Kitsch Tea Cup of Joy

My Welsh rarebit crumpets arrived and smelt delicious, which was exactly what they turned out to be. Grain mustard and strong cheese oozed from every little mini cave that make crumpets so special. I do not know what they did to these crumpets but they were fantastic, most satisfying savoury afternoon treat I have had the fortune of tasting.

Welsh Rarebit Topped Crumpets

Perfect little independent tea venue with the personal touch great for a rainy afternoon catch up with friends definitely check it out if you are in the area I definitely plan on returning to sample some of their delicious looking cakes. For information on sewing meet ups or just a look at their tea, cake and general food menu check out their website.

Obligatory Pinky Out 

A Thursday Night Out at Bistro Biere (now closed)

It was an extremely rainy Thursday evening in Bristol, the British Summer we have grown to expect, and we were dodging the raindrops to meet our friend Claire at the recently renamed Bistro Biere, or The Clifton Kitchen as was. We were the only customers for about half an hour then it really started to fill up, this place was popular possibly because Monday-Thursday you can get 3 courses for £20 which is a real steal, plus you can bring your own bottle, for a corkage charge.

Rich ordered us a bottle of Prosecco, it had been a crap day with rubbish weather so a little sparkle always cheers. The light in restaurant was low and lots of candles dotted about made it a really relaxing atmosphere, perfect for an impromptu romantic evening.

We all thought in such bad weather to go for all three courses, comforting ourselves with food it didn't take me long to decide what to choose. The menu consisted of about 4 choices for each course which certainly helps me decide quicker, large amounts of choice on a menu tends to make me extremely indecisive. I went for wild mushrooms on toast with a poached egg and smoked salmon. Mushrooms, particularly wild ones, are a bit of a weakness. Claire chose Coquille St. Jacques and Rich a duck pate.

Wild Mushroom Starter

Coquille St. Jacques

Duck Liver Parfait with Smoked Ham

Got to say the food really knocked me for six I wasn't sure what to expect but it was really delicious. Those mushrooms were fragrant and full of flavour and Claire's coquille was creamy, rich and melted in the mouth, perfection. Claire and I both went for the guinea fowl for our main because we'd never had it before and it came with more mushrooms, what can I say I am obsessed with good mushrooms. Rich opted for the steak and frites, which was going to be my second choice, being the steak fanatic I am.

Guinea Fowl with Crushed Potatoes and Mushroom Sauce

Steak Frites and Fresh Béarnaise

Seasonal Veg

The sauce on our guinea fowl was wonderful, really complimented the meat. The guinea fowl itself, though well cooked, it wasn't astounding enough a meat to warrant me ordering it again, not quite chicken and not quite duck flavoured enough. I would if faced with guinea fowl on a menu again I would probably bypass it, it was tasty but not quite different enough for me to deviate from duck. Rich's steak was a wonderful piece of meat really naturally full of flavour and cooked to perfection, rare, but the only criticism was that it was a tad over salted but the béarnaise was one of the best I've tasted.

We were all pretty full but you know once you are tempted with the dessert menu it is hard to say no. Normally I would go straight for the crème brûlée but I saw peach crumble with crème anglaise and as you rarely see peach desserts and I love peaches it won me over. Claire meanwhile had the chocolate orange tart and Rich the cheese plate.

Peach Crumble

Chocolate Orange Tart

Cheese Plate

I was a little disappointed with my peach crumble, the skins on the peaches were a little tough after being cooked so probably would have been best skinless but the crumble and crème anglaise were some of the best I've had. Claire's chocolate tart was rich and decadent, I definitely wouldn't have been able to manage it myself, but I am not known for my tolerance of sugar, that is Rich's skill. Rich in a change from the usual went for the cheese plate, which was very generous and filling.

 It was almost like dining in the home of a friend, albeit one who could make multiple dishes at once, when our glasses of Prosecco or Malbec were in danger of hitting a low point they were topped up. The service was second to none, one lovely man attending to all the tables and he did a superior job, very attentive and detailed. We were impressed. For more information on Bistro Biere visit their website.

Post Aquarium Snacking at The Clifton Wine Bar

The day after Rich's birthday weekend we had off and the weather was unexpectedly glorious so we thought as it was a Monday it would be an optimum time to go back to the aquarium whilst it was still quiet. How wrong we were. After paying our entrance fee we headed in to see the place teeming with a school trip full of children. Wide eyed with horror at our peaceful fish viewing being ruined we backed out and had a look round the gallery for a bit. With skill and finesse we managed to move round the aquarium avoiding the school trip but only by missing out on the bay of rays demo.

After skipping breakfast and it being the hour of lunch we pondered where to go for a munch. After throwing around a few ideas Rich decided as we had not yet sampled the food in the Clifton Wine Bar, and it was just up the road from our flat, so we headed up the hill.

Being it was a Monday the pub was pretty empty so we browsed the menu and waiting for something to jump out at us. It was a warm day so we didn't feel like a huge meal each. Starring at fish for a couple of hours had rather influenced our choices.  So we went for one main to share, the breaded whole tail scampi, chunky chips with peas, and some of their tapas snacks. £3.25 each, 3 for £8.95 or 6 for £15.95. We basked in the garden sunshine me with my ice cold Crabbies and Rich with the ever reliable Thatcher's Gold and waited for our food.

Breaded Scampi Tail and Chunky chips

Scampi Up Close and Personal

I know as a little girl I used to adore Nik Naks scampi and lemon flavour I used to eat them in the playground at break and they were always my favourite, until some other kids pointed out how bad they smelled and I felt like I would be a social pariah if I continued to eat them so I gave them up from that point. I don't even think they make that flavour any more. Either way I cannot remember whether I have ever even tried real scampi before, I must have and yet I have no recollection of it. So when I bit into a piece I couldn't quite believe where it had been all my life since the crisps in the playground.

The fish was meaty and flavoursome and the crumb was super crispy. It was definitely love at first bite I couldn't quite believe how tasty it was. The chips were very delicious too and the peas were super sweet and fresh tasting, my mouth is just watering at the memory. The tapas dishes we chose were, deep fried brie wedges with cranberry dip, battered calamari with tartar sauce and mini roast potatoes with gravy dip, it is funny how looking at fish can make you want to eat fish.

Trio of nibbles

Brie Wedges with Cranberry Dip

Battered Calamari Rings with Tartar Sauce

Roast Potatoes with Gravy Dip

First off having roast potatoes with gravy on the menu is a genius idea. Roast potatoes, when done properly, are on par with the meat as my favourite part of a roast. This was amazing the roasties were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and the gravy was thick and flavoursome. Also perfect when you are nursing a delicate head the morning after. Batter is way too heavy for calamari, tempura being the exception. The flavour of the calamari was completely obscured by the coating which was a shame but we found the totally delicious scampi more than appropriate consolation. 

Cooked brie or Camembert is one of my favourite starters, in fact I often bake a Camembert for tapas nights to dip carrots or bread in. We recently had the baked brie at The Bristol Flyer to soak up some wine we'd been having at a friend's birthday drinks, I don't know whether it was the drink talking but it was wonderful. Anyway I digress, the baked brie wedges here were also very nice, cranberry and redcurrant make such a good accompaniments for brie and it's other similar cheese relatives it really cuts through the richness.

All in all I was really surprised by the food at Clifton Wine Bar it was delicious and well cooked, definitely worth a look in, although plan your visit carefully if you aren't a sport fan as they do advertise the sports they show fairly heavily outside. If you are a sport's fan you probably already know and love to hang here. Check out the menu on their website.  

Birthday Eve Lunch at Côte

Meandering through Clifton Village on a not-very-sunny and looking-like-it's-about-to-rain grey day, but enjoying the rare day off from work, we looked for somewhere for lunch that we hadn't been before. And owing to the fact that later in the week for birthday celebrations we'd be spending a lot more, we wanted something nice but that wouldn't break the bank. And so we chose the now not-so-new, but still very shiny and polished Côte.

Now when Côte had opened I remember being quite disappointed. A series of three and four storey flats had been constructed, with the bottom floor across four blocks left empty for potential businesses and when finally Côte stepped in and then opened, it all looked a bit unexciting. And also, to start with, massively crowded. Passing by though on a nice relaxing despite-typical-British-summertime-weather day, and with some good menu options, it seemed like a perfect choice, and we popped inside.

So what is Côte? Basically it's a French-styled Brasserie, offering a decent range of 'French Classics' at a good price - it by no means is a restaurant for that romantic meal for two though, more for an easy-going lunch with friends, the hustle and bustle being friendly and creating a nice atmosphere, but sometimes being just a too noisy and busy for an 'event' dinner. That's not to criticise the establishment in the slightest however as that is essentially what it is aiming for, and it works well, offering a nicely not too formal but still good food dining experience.

Loving the complimentary water bottle

Drinks are the standard for such a venue, with an adequate selection of soft drinks, beers and wines at the expected prices, and the food menu is a good size offering a good choice without giving too much. Lunch though is where Côte scores top points, with a good number of deals, reductions and 'plat rapides'. On this particular day for just over £10 each me and Abby were both able to order a starter and a minute steak with fries, and we were not disappointed in the quality of either at all.

Calamari 

Coarsely shredded duck and pork pate with cornichons

Abby's calamari was delicious and nicely light, while my coarsely shredded duck and pork paté with sour dough bread was both very good but perhaps just a little too much for just me. The main of steak frites too was uniformly top rate, with the fries being perfectly cooked and with a good crisp outside. And the thin minute steak was excellent, with plenty of flavour, a nice soft melty texture and all topped by a garlic butter that complimented both the steak and the fries absolutely brilliantly.

Steak and frites, heavy on the garlic butter

Super crunchy frites, delicious

Pacman on my steak!

So food good, price good, atmosphere good. In fact there is much to like to about Côte, and with little to really criticise. If there is anything to raise as a criticism it would be the service, which actually was frustratingly poor. Upon entering the restaurant the head waitress was very attentive, full of bubbly energy, made us feel welcome and was keen to do as much for us as possible. Sadly for the remainder of our time there we were saddled with a miserably morose waiter who seemed to offer us service as if he was bored with customers, the job, and life in general. Every time he came to the table he looked sour and deliberately grumpy, and his few utterances to us bordered on monosyllabic, all in all helping to briefly suck the enjoyment out of the air each of the three times he came over, he also never once asked how our meals were. At the end of the meal too, the restaurant wasn't particularly busy, and yet he was nowhere to be found. How long do you wait to pay a bill before just walking out? It's a question I've always pondered, and I've waited much longer in some places than we did here, but the place was hardly running at a breakneck pace.

If that seems like ending on a down note, then let me say that I was won round with everything the restaurant had to offer aside from this one wrinkle. It's a great lunch venue, with a good atmosphere, a varied menu, tasty food and much more else besides to like, and it really does offer a nice alternative to a pub lunch if you're feeling lazy in the afternoon, and fancy a friendly and social meal. I'd certainly go there again, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone passing through. 

Check out the menu options here

Lunch and Cake at Bar Chocolat

Saturday was Rich's birthday. We had already booked Hotel du Vin for dinner with his family and so we didn't really want to fill up on much during the day. We strolled on up to the village for a look around for a bite to eat for lunch. Everyone knows that Clifton Village has about two cafes for every shop you would think there would not be the custom for so many. But weekends are crazy busy in Clifton and nearly every place was rammed.

We settled on Bar Chocolat, formerly Me Me Chocolat, as we noticed it now did sandwiches and panini as well as many delicious sounding cakes. I used to find Me Me Chocolat a tiny bit haughty but they seem to have softened the decor a little, popped some smooth jazz on and employed some really lovely staff in the new incarnation.

The panini menu has a few different combinations but all sounding amazing. I went for goats cheese and salami whilst Rich picked chicken, Parma ham and mozzarella.

Panini Central

The ingredients were good quality the flavours were really delicious, although I would have personally put some sun blushed tomatoes or a chutney with the goats cheese. There was a pleasingly large amount of it but as always it is pretty rich and needed something to cut through.

I definitely would recommend popping in to Bar Chocolat for lunch it was relaxing watching the world go by sat in the window, plus they had some beautiful fresh roses on the tables.

It did seem a bit of a crime going to Bar Chocolat without actually having a chocolate or cake but I have my eye on the Victoria sponge and a hot chocolate with cinnamon syrup and the whole works on top. Might even go this weekend as the idea of a cinnamon hot chocolate is making me drool.

**EDIT** Now I can bring you the results of cake from Bar Chocolat.

 Last weekend after getting caught in a downpour after a lovely walk around the downs we made it to the village, myself in particular resembling a drowned rat. As Bar Chocolat was the first cafe we arrived at and keen to avoid more rain we nipped in for a warming drink and a well needed sugar fix. I was keen to sample their hot chocolate so I ordered a regular milk chocolate, with what I thought was all the trimmings and cinnamon syrup. Rich went for their Mississippi Mud Pie whilst I picked the classic Victoria Sponge and in our greed we ordered a scone with jam and cream to share.

Victoria Sponge

Mississippi Mud Pie

The Victoria sponge was pretty good I have to say but I have yet to find one to top my mum's. Every year I request her vanilla sponge with vanilla butter cream for my birthday cake and it is probably my favourite cake, by the way if you are reading this, mummy, you still owe me one for this year, just saying. The mud pie was possibly the richest chocolate dessert I've tried in some time, even for sugar enthusiast Rich, it was a struggle. It was basically a torte the bulk was solid fondant with biscuit base and sides. It was very nice but there is no way you should attempt this cake on your own, unless you are a certified chocolate expert.

Hot chocolate and Scone

Fruit Scone with Jam and Cream

The hot chocolate arrived without any of the extras I had asked for and I can only assume it was because of the noisy coffee machine behind the counter which had previously interrupted my order. Ordinarily I would have contested my wrong order but after seeing the mountain of cakes we had to climb I decided that I didn't need any more sugar on the table.

The hot chocolate was probably the best you'll get in Clifton at least if not Bristol, but willing to be persuaded. It was made with actual melted chocolate compared to powder which most hot chocolates are made from in cafes. Really rich and very chocolatey but fairly sweet I was glad I didn't order a large, I have quite a low tolerance for how much sugar I can take on board but it doesn't mean I love it any less.

The scone was pretty nice but not as good as those you get in Lahloo Pantry, and yes I do prepare my jam and cream the Cornish way, jam first. The cream was not clotted though it was a extra thick double cream which was a little disappointing. All in all definitely go to Bar Chocolat, they have lunch and cakes in spades and you won't be disappointed.

Dinner and the Morning After

So just a very quick post before the weekend consisting mostly of photos of my dinner last night, pizza puff tart and my breakfast this morning, a butterscotch and hazelnut Pippin doughnut.This weekend is going to be fairly sedate but I do plan on checking out the huge varieties of tea tomorrow at Lahloo Pantry in Clifton. They have a special Valentine's Day wild rose tea that am very curious about. Also it seems like the ideal venue for my birthday afternoon tea, their menu sounds divine so I am very excited about that.

Meanwhile here are some hunger inducing photos

Puttanesca style sauce with mozzarella a smattering of cheddar and mixed Italian meats

 

Jim from Pippin doughnuts told me this morning that he will now be selling his doughnuts at the Friday market at St Nicks instead of the Wednesday one. For me it makes the temptation even more great as he has moved up to the Wine Street bit which is 10 seconds from my office door. Damn those tasty beasts!