Eat: Zero Degrees, Bristol

Sorry no pictures with this one, it was a work dinner.

Zero Degrees is a small microbrewery chain that also has a restaurant.  They claim to use locally sourced ingredients and the beer is made on the premises.

The Bristol branch of the chain is located on Colston Street and occupies an expansive space redeveloped out of an older site alongside Christmas Steps.  The interior is like a modern warehouse, open plan and industrial with exposed steel beams.  Steel pipework and vats enhance the feel. A mezzanine floor provides more restaurant seating and there are several outdoor areas on both levels.  The elevated position and large windows offer excellent views over Bristol.

As you enter you will see the large beer vats in rooms with glass walls.  In the centre is a long bar with some seating including a selection of rather worse for wear mock leather and steel sofas (not the slouching type).  The far end of the space is occupied by the restaurant area which includes an open plan kitchen, the pizza oven taking pride of place in the centre.  The open plan nature of the location makes it very noisy, even on a week night and it is made far worse by the “background” music which was being played at an intrusively high volume.

We arrived separately and TB had arranged for drinks to be billed to our table.  The biggest problem being that the staff would not confess the table number so when I and later TB colleague arrived we had to go though a somewhat frustrating renegotiation to with staff to get them to add the new drinks to the existing bill.  They would insist on us giving a table number and we would have to point out they had not given us one (and continued not to).  Kind of guess the table number.

Talking to TB it turns out that although we made a reservation and confirmed it they could not find it.  Making him wait they decided to search their system for it and finally found it on a completely different day the following week.  Some negotiation led to it being move to the correct day and time.

Being a microbrewery you would expect the beer to be good, and in this regard Zero Degrees does not disappoint.  The beers are flavourful, hand crafted drinks that are attractively priced at £2.90 a pint.  Normally they have a core four beers on offer, Black Lager, Pale Ale, Pilsner and Wheat Ale.  They also periodically do seasonal or special beers.  We sampled both the Pale Ale and the Wheat Ale and enjoyed them both, though the Wheat Ale was rather cloudier than expected.  You can also take the beers home in 5 and 50 litre kegs at relatively moderate prices.

When Zero Degrees first opened I ate there relatively frequently due to its convenient proximity to work, but it had been some years since I had been and was interested to see what had changed.  Sadly, it did not appear to have improved in a good way.

The menu is expansive, probably a little too much so, leaving me wondering how they could do such a range well.  The core of the menu is the pizza with more than 20 to choose from.  These range from the standard (pepperoni, seafood, American) to the exotic (Peking Duck, Teriyaki Chicken, Caramelised Pear & Gorgonzola and Thai Green Chicken.  Other items on the menu include a range of 9 pasta dishes, 5 flavours of mussel pot, salads and a weekly sausage selection.  Around 10 appetizers are also listed.  The cooking style is eclectic, although based in Italian style the flavours and concepts hop wildly around the world.

To start we ordered Dough Balls (served with garlic butter and chilli oil), Crispy Fried Calamari (with chilli oil) and Gamberi Prawns (king prawns in garlic, tomato and chilli served with garlic bread).  The 8 or so dough balls were small almost to the point of meaness, hard and slightly charred.  The small amount of overly soft garlic butter and chilli oil were served in tiny paper cups of the type you get in fast food restaurants to fill with ketchup.  I have more of an expectation of pillowy, soft dough balls.

The calamari was very flavourful and well cooked, though not in any way crispy.  A slightly sparse portion made to look bigger by being put in a bowl atop a selection of chopped leaves.  The Gamberi Prawns were reasonably cooked, but what could have been a great dish was let down by far too much chilli that killed the flavour of the prawns.  It was even too hot for TB who is reasonably tolerant of these things.

TB had asked for a glass of water before the starters arrived which only arrived after the main course.  This was thematic of the service, the staff were pleasant but not at all attentive and service in general was on the slow side.

For main courses TB and I had the Peking Duck pizza and TB colleague has the Porcini Mushroom Pizza.  On the positive the pizzas are large and the bases are crispy and well cooked.  Toppings are rather more mixed story.  On the Peking Duck pizza the Hoi Sin sauce was spread reasonably to the edge of the pizza, the rest of the toppings were clustered in the middle stopping a good inch from the edge of the sauce all around.  The crispy tortillas were piled in the middle and were crisp and Tasty.  The duck was very overcooked and dry.  The Porcini Mushroom pizza was similar, with the mushrooms in clumps over the pizza which TB colleague rearranged for a more even spread.

There was then a substantial pause while we waited for the table to be cleared, dessert menus to arrive, then to order dessert and finally to have it arrive.  TB also ordered hot chocolate and TB colleague a coffee.  The desert menu is not particularly creative or inspiring, rather a come down from the dessert menu I remember from previous visits.  When the desserts arrived our expectations were not high, but we were pleasantly surprised.  The baked cheesecake was very light and fluffy, but definitely baked (not gelatine set) which gave good depth of flavour.  Served with chopped strawberries, vanilla ice cream and a berry coulis it was the highlight of the evening.  The Caramelised Apple Tart Tatin (I always thought Tart Tatin was normally made with caramelised apples, so why specify?), was also very nice. The apples were flavourful and caramelly without being mushy and the pasty was still reasonably crisp.  The vanilla ice cream contrasted well with the warm tart.  A good effort.

We asked for the bill and some 20 minutes later it arrived.  At this point the hot chocolate and coffee had still not arrived and we were no longer prepared to wait, so paid and left.  We were offered the coffee and hot chocolate for free as we went to leave, but it was rather ate by then and we all had work the next day.  We arrived at 7pm, sat down to eat at 7:30 and didn’t manage to leave until 10:40.  Slow!  We thought the food was a little pricey for what we got, but a discount voucher brought the price down to what was a reasonable price for the meal.

The other thing they do, which is a pet peeve of mine is to automatically add a 10% service charge on every bill.  It is easily overlooked which means I am sure a number of people end up tipping twice.

I would probably go back for a beer, but given the selection of other great dining locations in Bristol I am unlikely to eat there again any time soon.

ZERODEGREES Bristol
53 Colston Street
Bristol
BS1 5BA
T: 0117 925 2706
E: bristol@zerodegrees.co.uk

Food: 5
Décor: 7
Service: 4

Cost: £25 per head (3 courses and a beer) / £20 per head with discount

Date: 7 July 2011

Eat: TGI Fridays, Cribbs Causeway

The boss is leaving so the gang headed out for dinner and to wish her best wishes as she heads to pastures new.  The popular choice was TGI Fridays so we all trekked our way out of the centre of Bristol to the trading estate that is Cribbs Causeway, or more precisely the segment containing the cinema, bowling alley and a selection of dining establishments collectively known as The Venue.

My first experience with TGI Fridays was more than 20 years ago on my second trip to the USA on a failed romance.  We had several meals at TGIs over that time and maybe it was the love in the air but I have fond memories.  As a university student TGIs was a special treat when we went as a gang for a day out, a movie and TGIs.  It was aspirational as a broke student and a chance for us all to have something a cut above fast food and made even better by being complimented by one (or several) of the cocktails they are known for.  As I grew older, wiser and in possession of a reasonable income I realised that without the cocktails it was little more than better dressed fast food.  Against this backdrop I approached this visit cautiously despite the occasion.

So a dozen of us headed out for a party, but no too much, it was after all a school night.  While it is technically possible to get there by public transport, as it is in an out of town shopping centre a car is really your best option.  The first thing that struck me when we arrived was being belted by a wall of sound.  The place was busy, a lot of parties like ours and a fair number of kids parties providing a relentless din overlayed by an inoffensive soundtrack of “background” popular music.

We were seated at a long table, which is less than ideal for a large group as it is practically impossible to have a conversation with anyone not adjacent to you without yelling, especially with all the other noise.  The décor of dark woods with red and white accessories alongside staff bedecked in red and white shirts and braces with badges has not changed (apparently they are about to celebrate 25 years).

Cocktails were the kick off.  The cocktail menu is a lot glossier and “designery” (probably not a word, but you know what I mean). Somewhat slimmer than I recall and missing a few of the cocktails I remember, but overwhelming never the less.  Some dithering later most of us were armed with cocktails (many of which come in a regular or large version).  Barnamint Baileys, Strawberry Shortcake and Silver Mercedes were amongst those selected and while we all enjoyed them the common consensus was that they were all rather light in alcohol, which is probably how they have moderate prices despite using in their words “premium spirits”.

They do get credit though for having sodas (coke, etc) as “bottomless” in the American style, even if getting the attention of a server to get a refill is a little challenging.

The menu is what I would call American/Tex-Mex, think steak, ribs, burgers, fajitas and the like, pretty much all accompanied by fries.  The menu is by no means small and perfectly formed, it is rather a tome at 16 pages.  A lot of this is because each of the basic items come in a wide variety of permutations.  For example you can’t just choose a burger, you have to choose from classic (three types), loaded (3 types), double stacked (3 types) or Prime Choice (5 types).  Jack Daniels glazes and sauces are applied to many menu items, billed as sweet and smoky though most of us that tasted them felt they were just sweet.

Fortunately there was a salvation for those of us feeling rather overwhelmed by the choice in the Monday to Thursday special where you can have two courses (starter and main or main and dessert) for £9.99 or three courses for £12.99.  For an additional £3.49 you can upgrade your main course.  This special menu is mercifully a lot shorter and represents a very good price when compared against the full price for each of the individual components.

Most of us selected from this menu, with a few souls braving the a la carte selection.  We had ordered our drinks from the bar which was just as well because it took around 35 minutes for someone to come and take our order.  This was rather the theme of the night.

I had stuffed potato skins for starter.  The generous portion of potato had a filling of bacon and cheese (mushroom can be substituted for the bacon) and was served with a small pot of sour cream topped with chopped spring onions (a garnish really although billed in the menu).  The potato was not bad and the bacon crispy, the filling was uneven with some fuller than others, though all had cheese notably on the sparse side.  Other starters round the table included Mushrooms Alfredo (tasty button mushrooms swimming in a vast amount of garlic and cheese gloop) and Mozzarella Dippers (crispy breaded mozzarella with a tomato and basil marinara sauce – not gooey as promised, more rubbery sort of crisp and chewy).   The Bruschetta was 4 chunks of grilled ciabatta with a largish blob of tomato, garlic and basil plonked in the middle, not really bruschetta but the portion was almost a meal in itself.

The starter portions were all on the large side but unremarkable in both flavour and preparation and attention does need to be paid to consistency and making sure dishes are properly cooked/heated through.

There followed a 25 minute wait for the main course with an uncleared table.  Fortunately we were having fun and the lengthy waits gave too much time for high jinks.  I had a full rack of ribs with a piquant beer BBQ glaze (more a sauce really) served with more BBQ sauce, fries and onion rings.  The rack was large, but very well cooked with the meat falling off the bone, moist but not at all greasy.  The accompanying sauce was taste with a hint of spiciness being a good complement.  The fries were on the cool side and limp, like they had been sitting around for a while before hitting the plate.  The onion rings seemed to be all batter and no onion.

The other popular main was “Sizzling Chicken Fajitas” which were edible, but definitely not sizzling.  The onion had no colour to it which does not match with what I would expect from them being sautéed.  The chicken looked like it had been precooked in a commercial kitchen, then heated through and sliced before being dumped on top of the onions and peppers.  Definitely lacking in flavour.  The accompaniments of guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, Colby cheese and chopped lettuce and tomato came in small portions all in the same bowl.  Missable.

Another wait before getting to dessert.  My first choice of Chocolate Brownie Temptation, but credit must be given for immediately being offered the Chocolate Fudge Fixation as an alternative at no additional charge even though it was not on the special menu.  Unfortunately it was forgotten when the desserts were delivered, though our server did notice before I had to say anything and got it sorted out.  For me this was the highlight of the meal, but I am a sucker for gooey chocolatiness.  A warm, soft, moist, rich chocolate cake in three layers with a gooey fudge filling served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Yummy!

The Apple Waffle Crunch was judged delicious, a warm waffle topped with a cinnamon apple compote topped with oatmeal crumble, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce .  The only observation was there was rather too much apple and it would probably have been better to have that much apple and crumble served as its own dessert.

The Tennessee Toffee Pie was somewhat of a brick on the plate.  Billed as soft, smooth and creamy frozen toffee mousse on a biscuit base with chocolate and caramel sauces and honeycomb pieces.  Those that had it found it a challenge to get through as it was thoroughly frozen (thus not soft) and incredibly sweet.

While we all had a lot of fun, that was very much about the event, and the zest with which the servers sang a goodbye to our boss, much to her embarrassment, not the location.  While not overtly bad Bristol really has so many great mid priced restaurants it doesn’t seem worth braving the noise levels for mediocre food.  I think I shall retain my memories of youth and avoid returning.

The Venue
Lysander Road
Cribbs Causeway
Bristol
BS10 7UB

0844 692 0275

cribbs@tgifridays.co.uk

Food: 5
Décor: 7
Service: 5

Cost: £20 per head (3 courses and a soft drink)

Date: 30 June 2011

Eat: Tart

This is the review I wanted to write about Tart on a previous visit (see Tart after Dark), but I couldn’t.  Happily now I can.  Those that know me will tell you I am picky and can be quite critical.  This I am afraid to say is true.  I am willing to try almost anything food wise, but when I eat out I tend to have high expectations.  Some of this is attributable to my grandmother whom I loved and feared in equal measure.  She was a formidable woman, devoutly Roman Catholic a leader in the Woman’s Institute movement and a professional pâtisserie chef.  Members of the Institute knew that when they had baking competitions, even though they were good-natured, if my grandmother entered they stood practically no chance.  She could turn out the lightest cakes, the crispest shortbread and near miraculous celebration cakes.

When my parents divorced we were shipped off and lived with her for several years.  It was then at the age of 8 I started to gain an appreciation of exquisite pastry that she turned out almost effortlessly.  It was also the start of my apprenticeship in the fine art of baking, with my grandmother insisting I learn technique not recipes.  It is against this backdrop I judge what I produce and what I eat.  Yes, I have high standards, but wouldn’t you when you had grown up with some of the finest?

This means I am not prone to gushing commentary about locations I dine in and am a constant source of embarrassment to TB as my South African upbringing makes me comfortable with complaining.  In the case of Tart however, I will happily say that it is by far my favourite place to have afternoon tea and the one against which I measure others.

Tart is not a place where you will get incredibly dainty little sandwiches or utterly perfect bites of cake that look like works of art.  Tart is not a place packed with elderly ladies and the well-heeled sipping tea and gossiping in reverential whispers over the gentle chink of china.  Tart is home.

Walking into Tart for me is like wrapping myself in a warm comfort blanket.  The duck egg blue paint, the dresser groaning with wonderful local treats, the marble tables and the warm welcome make me feel like a boy again.  I love taking that first smell of warm baked goods and tea as I walk through the door.  I love the informality, the fact that people of all ages come here, the fact that it could be my grandmother’s kitchen.

Tart Main Counter

Tart Dresser

On Saturday TB and I took Girl 1 for afternoon tea, like we take so many of our visitors.  TB and I at the risk of being boring once again order the Tart Tea Time Plate with Pinhead Gunpowder tea for TB and Ceylon Adawatte Pekoe for me.  Girl 3, not a great fan of tea opted for Bakewell Tart and wild elderflower bubbly from Luscombe.

The Tart Tea Time Plate is a wonderful creation of a plate with a selection of the cakes available that day.  One of the joys of Tart is that the cakes on offer change daily, so you never quite know what will be on offer, though there is a core set which you will see more often if you visit regularly.  Having a little bit of a number of things appeals to the nosy (and the critic) in me.

The selection for this visit was a Peanut butter and chocolate slice, Bakewell Tart, Morello Cherry and Chocolate Tart, Moroccan (I think) Orange Cake and Baked Cheesecake.

Tart Tea Time Plate: From 12 o'clock - Morello Cherry and Chocolate Tart, Moroccan Orange Cake, Baked Cheesecake, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Slice, Bakewell Tart

Initially sceptical, having had my senses offended by American candy with the same flavour combination, I approached the Peanut butter and Chocolate slice.  I was surprised, very pleasantly.  It had none of the cloying sweetness and fatty mouth feel I expected.  The peanut butter base was thick and biscuity with crunchy peanut pieces in it, a rich dark chocolate topping ensured an excellent balance of flavour.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Slice

The Bakewell Tart is a regular and deservedly so, perfect crisp pastry with a fruity, full flavoured plum jam sandwiched between it and a soft almond cake, all topped with slivers of toasted almond.  I would do serious travelling for this.

Bakewell Tart

The Orange Cake is another favourite that is regularly available, a denser cake with a good citrus flavour, soaked in a spiced syrup.  The subtle flavour of star anise compliments orange really magnificently.  The Baked Cheesecake, is exactly how cheesecake should be.  I truly loathe the gelatine based cheesecake and it is always a joy to get a proper baked version.  The only drawback with this one is that although individually superb it was up against stiff competition on the plate and was well… a little bit boring.

Last up was the Morello Cherry and Chocolate tart, something I have not had at Tart before.  Well, here’s hoping they do it again!  The pastry was the outstanding crisp shortcrust that James, the assistant chef produces, with a full flavoured Morello cherry compote and a thick, unctuous dark chocolate filling.  Not too sweet, not too rich and sadly not quite enough for me, I wanted a really, really big slice of it.

Jennie and her team left us all full and satisfied once again, a wonderful time had in a happy, bubbling place, that is well.. just like home (but I don’t have to do the dishes!).

Tart Café and Foodstore
16 The Promenade
Gloucester Road
Bristol
BS7 8AE

0117 924 7628

Food: 9
Décor: 8
Service: 8

Cost: £8 per head

Date: 11 June 2011

Note: There is no disabled access to the toilets.

Eat: Yo! Sushi, Cabot Circus

I am a huge sushi fan and have been for many years.  We had our honeymoon in Japan and I dragged myself to Tokyo fish market at 5am to eat some of the finest (and best value) sushi in existence.  I miss this.  Bristol has next to nothing in the line of decent sushi which makes Yo! Sushi the default choice.  The visit for today was at the behest of Boy 2 who decreed it as part of his day (where he gets to choose anything to do within reason) following on from watching X-Men: First Class.

I have been to Yo! Sushi in Cabot Circus several times now, it is not bad, but really it not good either.  We arrived at around 2pm and the place was busy but not chaotic and were asked to wait for a table to come free.  For some reason the back half of the restaurant was closed and empty, with everyone in the front giving the impression it was busier than it actually was.

The table in front of us was vacated and cleaned.  The manager (I presume) ambled over and told us that it would be a few more minutes until somewhere would be available, so I pointed at the table and asked why we could not use that one.  He told us that we couldn’t use it as it was not clean.  I told him I thought it was a shame he felt that way given that we had watched the lady standing next to him clean it.  Thus we were seated.

We had a selection of sushi and hot dishes, which were a study in mediocrity.  We had some nigiri, make, a futomaki, gyoza, tempura, miso soup, chicken teriyaki and California rolls.  Like I said, not bad, not good either (except the tempura which was horrible).  The portions are small and the fish doesn’t seem  completely fresh, I always feel mildly uncomfortable with the length of time it sits out on the counter while the sushi is being made.  The menu is also incredibly safe, there is none of the more exotic dishes you find in Japan (or indeed even in the USA). There are a number of items which you would not find in Japan as they are definitely made for the British market.  Consider it Anglicised fast food, non challenging and somewhat bland.

If you are a sushi virgin you may find the experience somewhat challenging.  None of the dishes are labelled and although you are provided with a picture book menu trying to match what you are seeing with a picture in the book is tough going, especially as they keep moving past.

The worst part is always the bill.  Yes, the colour coded plates have their pricing prominently displayed, but it always seems to add up to more than you expect for what you have eaten.  I can’t complain really but I do feel somewhat ripped off every time I go and generally I only go if I have a discount voucher.  Paying full price was uncomfortable.

Yo! Sushi (Cabot Circus), Glass Walk, Bristol, 0117 321 3161

Food: 5

Décor: 4 (think warehouse)

Service: 5

Cost: £65 for 2 adults and 1 child for lunch

Date: 5 May 2011

Eat: Amici

Amici, the Italian restaurant on Cheltenham Road in Bristol is a veritable institution having been around for many years, styling itself as a ristorante pizzeria  We have enjoyed eating there since being students more than a decade ago and getting take out every now and then we when have nothing in the house or simply can’t be bothered to cook.  It is not too long under new management and through a variety of diary mishaps ended up with MT visiting and a house devoid of anything that could easily become a decent meal.  After some negotiation (TB wanted Chinese take out – but it as closed) we ended up at Amici.

While over the years the outside has had a spruce up, the interior has steadfastly remained unchanged.  The look is supposed to evoke being on the terrace outside a rustic Italian building.  If you close you eyes and squint you can just about see it, but it is ageing badly and the rough plaster is a dust trap that is discolouring.  The dead animal heads and the painted boards advertising desserts long since not offered complete the look.  The quality of the food and service has always been reasonable making ideal as a drop in back up.  Sadly our latest visit suggests it has taken a nose dive.

The three of us ambled in and a waitress vaguely waved at another waitress and told us she would seat us before going to chat with the barman.  The other waitress clearly was not aware of this as she carried on in her own world until shouted at by the first one.  Service was slow, such that when we received our drinks (which were not correct the first time and had to be changed – so much for memory instead of an order pad) we pointed told the waitress we were ready to order.

First course we shared Garlic Bread with Cheese and Foccaccia Florentina.  Both were pizza bases (which are not foccaccia last time I checked) .  The garlic bread was swimming in oil and soggy with mozzarella and no discernible garlic taste.  The foccaccia is billed as being home-baked bread with rosemary, rock salt and sliced onions, what arrived was a pizza base with a sparse covering of rosemary, a heavy dose of salt and no onions.  Not bad, but dry!.

In a complete change of pace the main courses arrived before we had finished the starter.  MT had Tagliatelle Veneto, tagliatelle pasta with a chicken and mushroom cream sauce.  The plate that arrived had a grey pile on it, a starchy mixture of pasta and sauce surprisingly light on chicken.  TB had Mushroom Risotto (not a vegetarian dish despite the name as it is apparently made with pancetta).  Another grey pile, looking not dissimilar to what MT had very light on flavour, heavy on salt and containing pancetta which looked remarkably like bacon, rather the traditional pancetta.

I had opted for the lasagna which was also a total disappointment depressingly lacking in the flavour.  The pasta was well cooked, but the lasagna slice was placed in a bowl and drowned in a watery ragu with odd bits of mince swimming in it.  It was lacking in both tomato and herbs and needed to be reduced and thickened.  The meat content between the sheets was minimal, probably a mercy as it appeared that it had just been boiled in the dishwater ragu that the dish was drowned in.

We left feeling that we had all had far too much salt and not much of a meal.  Amici has been scratched from the reliable standby list.  Sad after such a long relationship.

Note that the website is very out of date and the menu and prices have significantly changed.

Amici
237-239 Cheltenham Road
Bristol
BS6 5QP

0117 924 5879

Food: 3
Décor: 3
Service: 4

Cost: £16 per head, for two courses and a soft drink

Date: 3 May 2011

Note: There is no disabled access to the toilets.

Eat: Tart After Dark – Retro Night

I will put my hand up and confess that I adore Tart.  It is a tea shop on the Gloucester Road styling itself as a cafe and foodstore run by a delightful mother and daughter team in the shape of Jennie and Ellen Bashforth with chef Andrew Griffin and assistant James Staunton.  Normally not open in the evening, once a month or so it opens for Tart After Dark, offering a menu changing at each event, previously including Italy and Portugal. The most recent event on 26 May 2011 was a retro 70s evening, but with a modern twist promised.

I would love to be completely effusive in my praise, but I would summarise it in one word, “almost”.  Don’t get me wrong, by most standards it was superb, but for me sadly just missed perfect.  The event is advertised on the website and sent out to the mailing list (join on the website).  The events are popular, with a relatively loyal following and with only 40 places books out fast.

Arriving at the appointed hour we received the customary warm welcome from Jennie and Ellen and once seated were treated to a complimentary aperitif, Gregg’s Pit Blackeney and Butt Herefordshire Perry (from Gregg’s Pit Cider and Perry) selected by Darren Willis of Grape and Grind to evoke Babycham.  Thankfully it did not have the cloying sweetness of Babycham that I feared, although still undeniably sweet, it is only slightly sparkling with a slight acidity and fullness of flavour, making it much more enjoyable.

Tart itself was transformed by low lighting with twinkling tealights and small vases of yellow pinks on the tables, which alongside the existing décor made me imagine an evening on the terrace of a French château.  Busy but not cramped when all the guests (some dressed in theme) had arrived, though the noise level definitely increased due to the open plan layout, but not unbearably so.

The appetizer was mushroom vol-au-vent (made with Tart’s own recipe puff pastry and filled with button mushrooms, ceps and a garlic cream and parsley sauce), which I still have a soft spot for as my grandmother used to turn these out in great quantities on any special occasion.  Call me picky (TB does all the time), but this was where my  “almost” summary started to creep in.  James has an almost magical touch creating light, buttery pastry, a Tart hallmark, but In this case I felt the pastry was lightly overcooked, making it almost too crisp and dry, an effect magnified by the immensity of the vol-au-vent, and a filling that did not reach the brim, and was light on sauce. That said I would be very happy with a big dollop of the filling on a piece of toast for breakfast.

The starter was seafood cocktail (Crayfish, smoked salmon, and prawn salad with rocket, dill, lemon and avocado dressed with Tart’s own cocktail sauce ) with French onion soup (The classic soup, cooked slowly to develop the characteristic sweet onion flavour and served with Gruyère cheese croutes) for the vegetarians.  TB requested having the soup instead of the seafood cocktail as he is a fan, a request that was accommodated with no problem at all.  2 days before TB and I returned from the Pacific Northwest so have been spoiled with shellfish and avocado, so have possibly unrealistic expectations.

Seafood Salad

The plate that arrived looked wonderful and mouthwatering,  the prawns were succulent and the smoked salmon gave a delicious undertone.  The cocktail sauce, dill and lemon added flavour and a nice surprise was small chunks of perfect asparagus adding a nice flavour.  On the other hand the crayfish tasted like they came in brine and the avocado suffered from that UK blight of being under ripe due to how they are imported, making the chunks hard rather than rich and buttery.  The rocket salad was slightly too peppery, distracting from the delicacy of the dish.

French Onion Soup

For the French Onion soup the slowly oven-cooked onions made a flavourful, rich broth based soup with a splash of Madeira.  The croutes were crisp, though the cheese was a little stingy, and absorbed the soup wonderfully when dropped in the bowl.

Duck à l’Orange

The main course was Duck à l’Orange, (slices of grilled duck breast, confit of duck leg with Port and orange sauce made with a reduction of fresh duck stock, Ruby port and orange zest, Duchesse potatoes, peas and Chantenay carrots).  The vegetarian option was a twice baked goats cheese soufflé with ratatouille and mixed leaves.  This was not a dish for the faint hearted with laden plates landing on our table.  The moist duck breast was slightly over cooked giving it a light pate flavour, similarly the confit duck leg was more crunchy than crispy.  Perfect peas mixed with somewhat soggy carrots. In contrast the sauce was exquisite, the orange zest singing out from the rich background notes of the Port, I could have devoured a lot of it given half a chance.  The Duchesse potatoes?  Well done, but a recipe I am happy to leave in the 70s, dry, flavourless and time-consuming to make, though those served were as good as they could be.

Black Forest Gateau

Wanting to undo a button, dessert was upon us, Black Forest Gateau (layers of light-as-a-feather chocolate cake, whipped cream, black cherries and chocolate).  I was fearful of this, but was pleasantly surprised by slices of dark chocolate swiss roll, filled with cream, stacked with layers of cherries.  The cake was denser and darker than I had expected and was utterly divine, the cream filling and cherries provided delicious counterpoints.  Rich, dark, delicious and like the best things just enough to leave me wanting more.

The final mouthful was provided by chef Andrew Griffin, personally delivering a petit four sized lemon meringue pie.  This is by far the favourite dessert of TB and even though full his eyes lit up in anticipation.  It was a perfect example of the “almost” flavour of the evening.  The pastry was very light and crispy, but needed to be much thinner for the size of the mini tart and was fractionally overcooked giving a slightly nutty flavour which I love in many thing but is a slight distraction in lemon meringue.  The lemon curd was sublime, zesty, sharp and delicious giving an exemplary contrast to the wonderful lightly toasted Italian meringue topping.

While not perfect, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, much as I enjoy every visit to Tart.  It feels comfortable, like being at dinner with friends, a great, happy atmosphere with plenty of food and good conversation.  It is excellent value for money  and totally deserves its popularity even with the small niggles.

Before finishing this, a quick comment on the wine.  A succinct wine list is provided, selected by Darren at Grape and Grind to match the menu.  The pricing of the wine list is remarkably good value, especially given the quality and would likely cost a lot more in other establishments.  Not only that although there is no pricing by the glass, Jennie happily allowed TB to order one glass and charged accordingly.  TB tells me that the wine he had was a wonderful accompaniment to his dinner and the pour was very generous.

The next theme is “A Taste of Summer” featuring delights such as chicken, lemon and basil terrine, salmon in pastry and strawberry shortcake.  Of course by the time you read this it will likely be booked out, so hop over to the website and join the mailing list to have a fighting chance of being able to get a table at the next one.

Tart After Dark
Tart Café and Foodstore
16 The Promenade
Gloucester Road
Bristol
BS7 8AE

0117 924 7628

Food: 7
Décor: 8
Service: 8

Cost: £30 per head, including welcome drink

Date: 26 May 2011

Note: There is no disabled access to the toilets.