OTHER Restaurant — Restaurant in Bristol

Booked this restaurant based on the excellent reviews, however having visited I’m conflicted as to why their experience varies so radically from mine. To set the scene, prepare to be sat literally shoulder to shoulder with your neighbour, to hear every word of their conversation and that of the rest of the diners, as you all sit bench style in a single row of tiny tables. The menu is limited, which is absolutely fair enough but sadly food is quite unremarkable, dare I say with a whiff of pretension. The food lacks the culinary flare to reflect and justify the high price tags. The larger plates of flatbread, pickled cabbage and a very small piece of slow cooked fatty meat left me wanting. The doughnut isn’t noteworthy however the crème brûlée is wonderful. I wish I could review my £8 thimbleful of dessert wine, however, it was sadly too small to really register. I found the style confusing; for the most part dishes are served on greaseproof paper sheets retro diner-style; this ties in with the decor, the seating and the rapid turnover of tables, however it conflicts with the £££. I could get the juxtaposition if the food was mind blowing but unfortunately its is more fast food than Michelin . In an effort to accommodate as many sittings as possible, the service is hurried. As soon as we finished our meal, we and our neighbours were asked to leave because the next customers had already arrived (and been asked to walk around the block…) Once your 75 minutes are up, be prepared to pay the hefty bill, down your...

Food combinations and flavours don't work, really wanted to like this place and it's idea and was meant to be a treat. The beef cheeks where completely over powered by the mustard accompaniment and the smoking of the meat was too much and virtually ruined a beautiful cut of beef. The hogget dish was OK, apart from my partner nearly losing tooth, due two pieces of bone in hers. Confit potatoes were so over seasoned they were almost unbearable. The Tempura Mullet should definitely be removed off the menu or certainly re-thought out, as its a really difficult dish to actually swallow and that's not in reference to the portion size, but down to the flavour and raw and fried fish combo. The thing I wanted to like the most was the prawn toast, I personal favourite starter and comfort food for me, but this version albeit inventive with fresh lime cucumber garnish, was so stingy on meat/prawn element, it was more like fried bread with essence of prawn. The whole experience did feel a little pretentious and culinarily wise it fell way low of the mark. Also if diners have said to waiters, they wish to get starters first and see how they feel, coming over (more than once) while they are still eating their starters (mid chew) and asking what we want for mains, is a little incessant and really not reading the room. To not get desserts because all the food and rushed service left a bad taste in our mouths, is testament to...

Feel like this place needs to settle into itself a little bit. The decor is pretty cool and quirky. Seating's a little cramped. The service was great and the staff very friendly.The pricing on the food was fine and individually each dish worked and was tasty.

The wine list is tiny and although it's not expensive for a glass, you get a minute pour. I would happily pay more for a larger glass. The glasses they're serving their wine out of are terrible and cheap looking. Invest in some tulip shaped glasses if you want your diners to have a nicer drinking experience. Maybe explore a more extensive wine list too? I feel like restaurants that are selling themselves as trendy/small plates do better for having a more interesting wine list that people can have fun pairing with different dishes.

The food was tasty, the mackerel was beautifully cooked and so flavourful. It was just the menu wasn't very well thought through. Everything tasted the same and was covered in this sticky, asian-inspired, brown BBQ sauce. The sauce was good, just really overpowering. The menu lacked freshness and it was all just a bit sticky and sweet.

The pudding was lovely. But again, it was hard to enjoy having eaten your way through a very sweet/sticky menu.

I would advise you offer more variety. Keep going because the food was really good. I'm looking forward to coming back in 12 months to see what changes you make, it's just not...