CAU Bristol
Posted on: 2016-11-17
Our rating:
Do have a CAU, man.
We visit CAU, the Argentinian steak restaurant on the Clifton Triangle to sample their speciality and also to measure how they cater to those less cow-inclined. Suffice to say, we didn't have beef with them on either point.
Steak is the undisputed star of Argentinian cuisine, with abundant access to the freshest cuts proffering ingenious and idiosyncratic ways of tempering their meat. This sentiment saturates the philosophy of CAU, a small chain of restaurants which aims to emulate the ‘irresistibly chaotic energy’ of Buenos Aires dining. It even takes root in the name, which sees the acronym of ‘carne Argentina unica’ combined to pronounce a homonym for the animal at the heart of it all.
With this immediately reflected in the interior of their Bristol base, a mid-sized restaurant on the Clifton Triangle which stylishly combines a corrugated metal aesthetic with slightly garish tableaus of azure sky and green field (presumably representative of the free-range lifestyle enjoyed by their cattle), what is perhaps most surprising about our evening is just how well they cater to the palettes of those not particularly cow-inclined.
Having been politely seated and breaded (£3.75) in a booth, I begin with the belly of pork tempura (£6.95) while my companion opts for the spinach, ricotta and date empanadas (£3.50), with the innovative flavour combination working well within the trappings of the traditional Argentinian pastry. The encasing of my perfectly tender pork within its delicate batter is an interesting one, and, when combined with the accompanying CAUchup, creates a taste sensation. This is all washed down very nicely thank you with a few glasses of the house white, the amusingly-named ‘Fancy Pants Chardonnay’.
Our mains arrive seconds after we have dropped cutlery following the reluctant final mouthfuls of these starters. My friend’s quinoa and mushroom burger (£10.95) poses that most-welcome of problems of at first appearing too large to eat, and the early attempts to do so somewhat put the brakes on conversation for a few minutes. Between bites and satisfied sighs, I glean that it is “so good”, with it worth noting that she had not been a huge fan of mushrooms until this point - a real game-changer.
In such a surround, I think it would have been rude not to sample one of CAU’s speciality steaks, so plump for the big daddy that is the 500g tira de ancho (£34.99). It is, quite simply, the best I have ever tasted - perfectly tender and cooked to a beautiful medium rare, the sumptuous chimichurri marinade is almost by the by. Accompanied (as it should be) with fluffy chunky chips, this is a classic meal done extraordinarily well.
Despite being absolutely fit to burst at this point, between us we manage to make short work of a chocolate fondant (£5.95), another classic combination performed fabulously, with the chill of the ice-cream the ideal complement to the fondant’s molten centre.
Only just barely able to waddle from the restaurant, we are wished well by the waiting staff who have been swift, attentive and friendly throughout. The whole dining experience was wholly enjoyable, with well-executed and sophisticated simplicity given the hint of Buenos Aires that makes the Argentinian food so special.
If you would like to book a table, or for more information on the recently-unveiled Christmas menu, visit their website.
Article by:
An ardent Geordie minus the accent, Sam seemingly strove to get as far away from the Toon as possible, as soon as university beckoned. Three undergraduate years at UoB were more than ample time for Bristol (as it inevitably does) to get under his skin, and so here he remains: reporting, as Assistant Editor, on the cultural happenings which so infatuated him with the city. Catch him at sam@365bristol.com.
