Reviews

Brasserie Blanc - Cabot Circus in Bristol

Posted on: 2014-04-22

The Spring Menu at Brasserie Blanc has a perfect mix of dishes for this transitional time of year having both hearty classics and fresh, clean dishes using the best of the new season?s veg and fish. I would definitely recommend Brasserie Blanc!

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Brasserie Blanc is situated in a stunning former Georgian Meeting house in Bristol's Cabot Circus. It has two medieval halls attached which were built in the 13th and 14th centuries as a monastery and the building was then used by Bristol Bakers and Cutlers Guilds. The resulting setting is elegant and atmospheric. You walk into the building opposite a grand staircase leading to a beautiful gallery which runs around the edges of the room. 

The brasserie is a fascinating room, with much to look at, including a fable in French around the gallery which occupied me for a good few minutes trying to decipher it using my GCSE skills… (Luckily for me, the translation is in English above the door). 

While we were deciding on our meal choices, we had some baguette and butter. Whenever I’ve been to Paris on a tight budget, baguette and butter is always a sure fire bet for a simple and delicious lunch accompanied by some fresh tomatoes. Brasserie Blanc’s crisp baguette certainly bought back memories of Parisian sunshine! 

On to our starters. My boyfriend Simon chose the Charcuterie Platter which was composed of Bayonne ham, Rosette de Lyon salami, pork rillettes, Coppa, herbed Savoyard sausage, pickles, and sourdough. I went for the Baked Manx Queenies which are Isle of Man queen scallops, topped with tomato & basil butter, and crushed new potatoes.

The charcuterie platter had a great selection of meaty goodness. The meats were all satisfying and flavourful. Simon’s favourite was the Savoyard sausage which he praised for its complex and punchy flavour which he likened to salami, but with additional layers of flavour from the herbs. I tried a little of the rillettes which I thought was lovely. There was a selection of very gently pickled veg to accompany the meats. They were very delicately flavoured and each retained its distinct character. Personally, I’d have loved a slightly more astringent punch of vinegar, but I know lots of people who would very much welcome such a gentle touch here. 

My scallops were fantastic! They were tiny, tender morsels of meat with their roes attached. The topping was perfectly balanced and seasoned, giving a buttery and deeply savoury hit to the delicate scallops. The scallops themselves were perfectly done; still tender but not at all overcooked. It may be gauche to pick up and lick a scallop shell clean but I did it anyway!

For our main courses, Simon had the Boeuf Bourguingnon described as “slow cooked in red wine, lardons, braised baby onions, smooth mash”, and I chose one of the specials; Pan fried hake, with chorizo, potato, peas, broad beans, pak choi, celery, beurre blanc. We shared a side order of buttered carrots. 

 

The beef was very satisfying and traditional. The slow cooking was apparent in both the depth of flavour and the tenderness of the meat. Each of the elements of the sauce retained their own flavours and the red wine had not become lost in the sauce at all. The meat was in one substantial piece and was at that perfect point where it could have been eaten with a spoon and nothing more! The mash was as described; creamy and smooth. 

The Chantenay carrots were appropriately sweet and buttery, but I would have preferred them more al dente, but Simon said they were just right for accompanying the type of meal he had chosen. 

My hake was a perfect dinner for the warmer spring evenings we are now enjoying. The hake’s skin was crisp and the flesh was flaky and delicious. The fish sat on a bed of thinly sliced potatoes. I don’t know how they were cooked, but they were delicious! This dish made excellent use of young spring vegetables. The broad beans still had their jackets on, but they were young so it didn’t matter. If I had to nit-pick I would say that I’d have preferred the celery to have been cut into smaller pieces. They lost their heat very quickly, and were not as flavourful once cold. All the flavours were delicate and distinct, and the beurre blanc brought them together beautifully. It was a clean and fresh dish, which felt healthy (despite the buttery sauce!). 

I am always a sucker for a pudding, and the Brasserie Blanc menu did not disappoint me as it had several of my favourite things on it. One of my absolute favourite puddings is a chocolate fondant, and another is pistachio ice-cream, so imagine my delight to see that pistachio ice-cream accompanies the chocolate fondant at Brasserie Blanc! My choice was clear. I also love anything with rhubarb so I encouraged Simon to choose the Poached Champagne Rhubarb, with kirsch sabayon, and cinder toffee. 

The rhubarb dish was lovely. I find myself using much the same adjectives as in the rest of this review; it was both delicately flavoured and tender. This dish is served in a sundae glass so that, plus the addition of cinder toffee, gives the whole dish a fun and playful appearance. The cinder toffee still had a definite tingle from the bicarb, and had an excellent crunch. 

And the fondant! Well, I don’t say this easily but that was the best fondant I’ve ever had. It was absolutely spot-on in every respect. Dark and not too sweet, with a cakey crust just thick enough to contain the molten middle.

Absolutely wonderful. The pistachio ice cream was fantastic too; tasting deeply of freshly shelled pistachios and beautifully creamy. I cannot fault this dish at all. 

 

 

 

365Bristol's summary of Brasserie Blanc

The Spring Menu at Brasserie Blanc has a perfect mix of dishes for this transitional time of year having both hearty classics and fresh, clean dishes using the best of the new season’s veg and fish. We chose from the A La Carte menu, but the set menu also had some very appetising choices. I would definitely recommend a visit to Brasserie Blanc, and we will be back to try the set menu too. 

Reviewed by Sarah Millington for 365Bristol

Brasserie Blanc. Bakers & Cutlers Halls, The Friary Building, Cabot Circus, Bristol, BS1 3DF

Tel: 0117 9102410

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