Budapest Cafe — Restaurant in Bristol

We made it over to Mockingbird this morning after having just discovered them a few days ago. My wife and I are American with Southern roots (Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Kentucky, and North Carolina), sojourning in Bristol for a few years while I attend to studies at the university.

Biscuits and gravy is one of my hot-button foods and topics. I have ranted and written about my experience of it often; often disappointed in what I find. Frankly, even in the States I had trouble in some places finding a good exemplar. I certainly don't expect to find biscuits and gravy on a menu here in the UK. But, I also know that there are restaurants with an American flair that may attempt it and enough expats and sojourners that it may show up occasionally. It was refreshing to find something so close to us - just a couple blocks away tucked in behind Clifton Down shopping center.

They're small - maybe seating about 20. But, what they lack in space they make up for in cozy and bright, lit by large picture windows that cover the front facade. They have an American spin, but it is very much an English cafe even with the 48-star American flag on one wall and the map of the Mississippi meander way at Cape Girardeau, MO on another. There is an American connection by way of Mississippi. The staff were friendly and engaging.

The menu is limited, but that doesn't bother me too much. I'd rather have a cafe that has a limited menu, well executed than a huge menu that is, at best, mediocre. And, these folks do a good job. For the brunch menu, they have the biscuits and gravy that I went for, tucked in amongst quintessentially British breakfast/brunch fare like baked beans on toast. I will say that I liked the fact that it looked like they make their own baked beans, they're not Heinz from a can. My wife went for the sweet potato hash with a baked egg on top; she had an extra egg on it and a side of streaky bacon. It was, from all accounts, perfectly done and quite tasty, basil being a nice addition. I will probably sample this next time.

The biscuits and gravy weren't perfect, but they were solid. The biscuits were a little dense; I'm used to a light, flaky, tall-risen biscuit. The house-made sausage was definitely an English-take on American breakfast sausage. My own, and the type that I would expect in the South, would have more black pepper, more sage, a little more sweetness from brown sugar, and just a hint of cayenne and/or pepper flake. But, unlike my experience of most English breakfast sausages, it had a higher fat ratio, making it much more American in texture. It was served as a split biscuit, an "egg-bite" style scrambled egg topping one side and a sausage patty (more like a "dome") topping the other side, all covered in a sausage gravy made with the same, house-made sausage. The sausage gravy had a good consistency and a good sausage to gravy ratio. One thing that I'm thankful for is that I think I'm less likely to encounter horrible, glossy canned or packet-made sausage gravy here, even if they weren't scratch-making things. It might have supported a bit more salt, but that's easily rectified, within a reasonable margin, and more a matter of personal taste.

All on all, above average even for many of the States - I would have been a perfectly contented camper in Oregon if I'd had access to this biscuits and gravy. For the UK, they're very, very good. I will definitely be going back and sampling some of the other fare, taking in the b&g when I don't want to make it at home. (Although I might take a little "zing packet" with me to jazz it up...

Highly disappointing and inflexible attitude - Sunday brunch and Sunday papers go together but not here...

The “no laptop policy” (I found it afterwards, its in small print at the foot of the website) also extends to iPads and is strictly enforced whatever you chose to order.

I get the point - I have owned and run hospitality, the guys who sit in a cafe for 4 hours on a laptop and order one coffee are an increasing problem...

Context - I was really looking forward to a relaxed morning and had done a search for an interesting place in Clifton, Budapest came up well and thought would give it a try.

All looking good, interesting place, made my order for a coffee, ordered a full breakfast, made mental note that should come back and bring friends, settled in, opened iPad to read the paper and was instantly told that “…no laptops and no tablets and a very clear sign on the door.”

OK fine it is your business etc… but then please make this clear and don’t waste peoples time. If you want to extend this policy beyond laptops to include iPads, Kindles etc and enforce it with zero judgement then looking at your website please say no iPads as well and make it clear in your postings.

I guess I am annoyed but I think others in the same situation would be as well…

I just ask you to reflect and wish you good luck with your cafe

PS If you are in the area and are looking for a relaxed brunch then I do highly recommend the Primrose Cafe by Clifton Arcade, cool place, and charming owner….posh...

I have traveled quite a bit in the US and lived in Knoxville, TN for half a year. I really miss the comfort you feel after a Southern cooked meal. I had the buttermilk biscuit breakfast Sandwich. Their biscuits summarize this feeling of comfort food all up. While the British scones are very similar, they serve their own purpose. The biscuits at this place will make you understand why scones and biscuits are two different things and should be used as such. They have done their research well. I think they also make their sausages in house as most things there. It of course helps to have girl around who is from the deep south her self. The coffee is also properly made and tastes really good. Cakes are also made in house and are fantastic. I will return to try the other things on...