Restaurant review: Townhouse, Bristol.

Yesterday was my second visit to Townhouse on the Whiteladies Road. Once again the standard of food served was so high that I felt it was now necessary to write a review on it.

The front view of the restaurant.
 

Yesterday we went to Townhouse for brunch to celebrate a friends birthday. We had already looked at the menu online which looked amazing, however we were disappointed to find that half the online menu was not on the restaurant menu. Never-the-less, when we ordered out food this proved not to be an issue at all- everything was incredible. I went for a muffin with 2 poached eggs, large roasted field mushrooms and roasted tomato. Everything was cooked to perfection and it tasted delicious.

Poached eggs on a muffin with mushrooms and tomato.



Dishes other friends had included Eggs Royale, Sausage Sandwich, Eggs Benedict and Fried egg with bacon and toast. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and really went out of their way to make us feel welcome without being intrusive.

All the girls at Brunch.

My visit to Townhouse prior to this one had also been equally as incredible. I went for one of my housemates birthdays along with his parents and a few other friends. We got there for 6:45 so we could make the 3 courses for £10 deal that Townhouse have on every weekday evening before 7pm.
Normally with these sorts of deals they often want you to have eaten and left the restaurant by 7pm, and the portion sizes tend to be small. Neither of these issues were the case at Townhouse. The menu was very extensive with good sized portions, and we were able to stay for as long as we wanted.
I ordered scallops in a creamy sauce with bacon to start, moules-frites for main, followed by a delicious apple and blackberry crumble to complete it off (not to mention the birthday cake that followed that.) It is fair to say by the end of the night I was VERY full.

The delicious apple and blackberry crumble I had.
 

All in all I have been thoroughly impressed by both my visits to Townhouse recently. Not only has the food been delicious and great value for money, but also the staff have been very friendly which really makes such a difference. I will be back!

MM xx

Restaurant Review: Moreish, Bristol

There is often very little to do in Bristol at the weekends, so I tend to take up my Saturday and Sunday mornings trying all the different brunch places Bristol has to offer (see previous review of Deco Lounge). Yesterday I went with 3 friends to test out Moreish which is located on 6 Chandos Road in Redlands (the heart of where Bristol University student's live in 2nd year.) There was a wide selection on the menu, and prices were actually very reasonable. I went for a delicious portion of french toast with maple syrup and banana. The french toast was thick and crispy, yet still light and not stodgy. There was just the right ratio of maple syrup and banana also. 

My delicious french toast- £4.95!

Outside view of Moreish.

Two of my friends went for the Eggs Benedict (a delicious combination of thick cut toast, two poached eggs, parma ham and plenty of hollandaise sauce), whilst another friend had some incredible looking pancakes (Crêpe not American style) with maple syrup and multiple rashers of bacon. 
Other options on the menu included a full english (and a vegetarian one), Eggs Florentine and Eggs Royale, and homemade granola with natural yoghurt and honey. 
Moreish is not only a brunch place- it offers a good lunch menu (with a wonderful build your own sandwich deal), tapas deals from Monday to Thursday, and a wonderful dinner menu. They are currently taking bookings for Christmas and have a great Christmas menu on offer, and trust me this is somewhere that you want to book in advance for!

Here is a link to their website. So, if you are in or around Bristol I highly recommend paying Moreish a visit. And those students that are on a budget, Moreish is a great place to bring the parents too!  

MM xx

Spa/Restaurant Review of the Lido, Bristol

After a delicious brunch at Deco Lounge (see my previous post) we continued my friends birthday celebrations by treating ourselves and heading to the spa and restaurant the Lido in Bristol. Having been voted 'UK Best Restaurant' runner up in the Observer Food Monthly Awards we were expecting great things- and by no means were we disappointed. 

  When we arrived three of my friends headed to the spa, whilst myself and another friend headed  to test out the award winning restaurant. Due to having just consumed a very large brunch neither of us were therefore very hungry, and so we decided to stick to the tapas menu. I ordered a glass of the house red wine, and then between us went for some delicious giant marinated olives, Spanish tortilla and some deep friend tiger prawns with sweet harissa. Due to so many tempting things on the menu we couldn't resist then going on to order some patatas bravas and a quince tart even though we were both incredibly stuffed already. When our friends emerged from their swim they ordered bread and oil, a charcuterie board and some delicious looking pineapple and cucumber coolers.

A selection of the food we ordered

Delicious Quince Tart

The extensive tapas menu

                                     
  The Restaurant, which covered two levels was in prime location overlooking the outdoor pool of the spa. Those that swam were very positive about the spa itself, saying there was a great sauna, steam room and jacuzzi on offer. The only negative comments they had was that they found the outdoor pool itself slightly cold, and that the main changing rooms were outside and so therefore getting changed in the middle of winter wasn't the nicest experience! There were indoor changing rooms, however there was a lack of benches to put clothes on when you were changing so instead they would get wet on the floor. Building works are currently underway to create an end of pool terrace which will further extend the cafe/restaurant area for guests.

The view of the pool from the restaurant

                                                                         

All in all we came out of the Lido feeling very happy and refreshed. If you want a true spa experience then this may not be the best of places for you, and you may be better of travelling further afield to Thermae Bath Spa in (unsurprisingly)Bath! However, if you fancy mixing swimming with a relaxing cup of tea and cake from the cafe, or a delicious meal in a top notch restaurant then the Lido is really what you are looking for. I look forward to my return trip!

MM xx

Cafe Review - Deco Lounge, Bristol.

Pancakes. Ultimately one of the greatest food creations ever invented. My friends and I are obsessed with them, and so when the opportunity arose to organise a birthday brunch for a friend we were all on full internet menu browsing alert to try and find somewhere original in Bristol to test out some pancakes. Luckily, one very clever friend suggested Deco Lounge, a new cafe/bar that recently opened on Cotham Hill- a conveniently short walk from the University Campus.

Deco Lounge on Cotham Hill

It took all of us an entire 10 seconds to eye up the menu before knowing exactly what to order- of course the 'Triple-stacked buttermilk pancakes with sliced banana, blueberries, peach sauce and crème fraîche.' We could also go for pancakes with bacon and maple syrup (although all 8 of us that got the pancakes went for the banana option!) THEY WERE DELICIOUS. Just the right ratio of sauce to fruit to pancake, and enough to make you feel pleasantly full but not stuffed. 

The Delicious Pancake Stack

The rest of the menu looked incredible, so I will definitely be returning to Deco Lounge again to not only test out some other brunch options, but also to sample the rest of their extensive menu. It ranges from ciabatta sandwiches, to hot dogs, to burgers, to tapas and a fantastic pudding selection.

Deco Lounge is part of a large chain of 'Lounges' that was established by a trio of friends in 2002. The first was opened in an empty opticians in Bedminster, and it has been expanding ever since. The aim of the Lounges is to create a relaxed and friendly environment where family, friends and locals can meet for a coffee, a drink or something to eat. 

The interior was really fun (and rather eccentric!) and I liked they little touch of providing boardgames that were available for people to play with- such a great idea.

So, a trip to a 'Lounge' is hugely recommended- you know what I would advise you to order, however for those of you that are not such avid pancake fans as myself then there is a huge selection of other delicious looking things on the menu to go for....Enjoy! 

Here is their website: www.thelounges.co.uk

MM xx