Brigstow Lounge welcomes one of Bristol best chefs.
You may remember a while ago I wrote a rave review about a Sunday roast I had at The Rummer Hotel, where the delicious vegetable dishes even out-shone the gorgeous meat.
Well, the culinary genius behind that incredible roast is now delighting diners at the Brigstow Lounge which is down on the Millennium Promenade, in the marina opposite the SS Great Britain. On a dark Winter’s eve the Brigstow Lounge is an intimate little bar; on a mild Spring weekend morning it opens up to become a buzzing coffee stop for exploring families.
Andy Clatworthy isn’t just a great chef, he’s a scientist too! If you’re into your food, and the theory behind preparing and cooking it, then spending 10 minutes listening to Andy enthuse is a real treat. A lot of chefs talk about using every piece of meat and offal to respect the animal which has been sacrificed to grace our plates, but Andy takes this to the next level. After a brief chat it quickly becomes clear that this ethos extends to every ingredient which passes through his kitchen. Here Andy shows us some herb infused oil he’s making ready for the Summer season.
On an opening night we were treated to a variety of dishes which are representative of the new menu, and if these are anything to go by, Bristol is in for a real treat!
We enjoyed black pudding fritters, which were delightfully crisp, with the subtle spicy flavours of the black pudding coming through. When paired with the charcoal mayo this was a perfect partnership.
This was an eel milk on a filo pastry thin which was perfectly balanced.
Heritage potatoes tasted a lot better than they looked (there’s something not quite right about food with a purple tinge, but in a chef this good we trust!).
The chicken liver paté with bacon, nut and caper crumble was the star of the show for me!
And you can never go wrong with a selection of top quality cured meats!
Lightly battered salted hake had a brilliantly subtle fishiness, whilst the maple curing process brought out the full flavour of the salmon.
We were also treated to treacle rye bread with sage and apple butter (think classy malt loaf and you won’t be far wrong), and a rich chocolate dessert, topped with popping candy for an old school twist.
By this point the wine had started to kick in properly…
The next day, excited by our taster the night before, we went for a Brigstow lunch. We were not disappointed! We enjoyed a wonderfully rich duck leg with lentils, and chilli sausages with truffled scrambled eggs on toast.
Having this cracking eatery on our doorstep is great news for the soul, and probably not so good for the waist-line!
