Clifton Wine Bar - 2-4-1 Burger Food Review
Posted on: 2016-10-17
Our rating:
I was transported to a burger heaven previously unknown to my discerning and appreciative palate. Sandwiched between a perfectly toasted seeded brioche bun, the meat was slightly pink hence rendering it sublimely moist and melt-in-the-mouth.
Back with a meaty vengeance, the Clifton Wine Bar in Bristol has relaunched its phenomenally successful 2-4-1 burger deal every Tuesday and Sunday - and with burgers this epic of size and loaded full of flavour, if you consider yourself a true meat patty perfectionist then you'd better head down there yourself as soon as possible to see what all the fuss is about.
Because fuss or reverence or approbation don't really do it justice, nor do any rank of excessively complimentary superlatives. These aren't just burgers. These are Clifton Wine Bar burgers. And that, my friends and comrades, entails a meat-and-bun based combo that is colossal of stature, deliriously delicious of taste, and satisfyingly belt-loosening of portion.
But to Clifton Wine Bar itself first. Wine bar is, in fact, a bit of a misnomer, the phrase conjuring up 80s bankers and traders boasting self-inflated attitudes and egos as gargantuan as their breeze block-sized mobile phones, as well as a certain comedy yuppie wannabe, Del Boy Trotter.
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Thankfully these cabals of wretched smugness and vile capitalism fell out of fashion not long after Tony Blair became PM in the late 1990s, and there's not as much as a whiff of its rapacious legacy at this fantastic, friendly pub restaurant.
True to its name, there are indeed plenty of fine wines on offer, but no more really than you'd expect to find in any other top-tier Bristol venue. There's a good range of draught lagers and ales including San Miguel, Amstel and Birra Moretti, while cider suppers can satiate their thirst with the likes of Thatcher's Gold and Aspall's (my two pints of the latter libation slipped down a treat). From Monday to Wednesday there's an offer when you can get 20% off selected bottles of wine.
Situated on Richmond Terrace, Queens Road in Clifton and tucked snugly in the arches underneath the area's magnificent Georgian houses, it's a venue that is unsurprisingly popular with students as its pretty much next door to the student union and Anson Rooms.
Don't, however, be deceived by its deceptively modest exterior, for when you step inside it's like the pub-restaurant equivalent of Mary Poppins' bag or Dr Who's Tardis. It really is bigger on the inside, consisting as it does of a network of interconnecting rooms which lead to the bar. Furnished with chunky wooden tables, plum coloured paintwork, stripped wooden floor and comfy leather and mismatched chairs, it's a chilled out, easy-going place with a cool, laid back vibe.
Sports fans can take advantage of the few TV screens dotted around the place, and there's a marvelous, sizeable courtyard garden that's perfect for quaffing your favourite beverage on those marvelous British days when the sun decides to shine.
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There are plenty of deals and events taking place throughout the week to pull in the punters including open mic nights on the first Thursday of every month, a glass of Prosecco for £2 between 5.30 and 7.30 from Thursday to Saturday, and you can get stuck into one of their legendary roast dinners every fourth Sunday of the month.
Menu-wise, there's a good selection of firm, hearty traditional pub favourites such as pies, open sarnies, pizzas and sharing dishes. But my culinary partner-in-crime and I were on an unwavering, full-on masticating mission to sample their recently re-launched 2-4-1 burgers being served every Tuesday and Sunday, previously regaled and revered by the city's enthusiastic gastronauts as the food of legend, folklore and general all-round epicness.
There are three burgers to choose from - The CWB (smoked bacon, Monteray Jack cheese and burger sauce), The NYC (pastrami, gherkins and American mustard ) and The Falafel (spinach and falafel burger with tzatziki). A I was about to find out, it's all about quality, not quantity.
Thirty seconds into my rabid, no-holds-barred chomp on my NYC, I was transported to a burger heaven previously unknown to my discerning and appreciative palate. Sandwiched between a perfectly toasted seeded brioche bun, the meat was slightly pink hence rendering it sublimely moist, melt-in-the-mouth and packed with incredible flavour.
Each bite just got better and better, a burger-based revelation that satisfied my gustatory senses with a series of continuous, unadulterated mouthgasmic episodes. People talk of food porn. This, my friends, was such absolute flavoursome erotica personified.
My burger-munching accomplice went for The CWB, which was equally as incredible, packed with flavour, consummately cooked, eye-rollingly mesmerising and delicious. The generous portion of fries which accompanied each burger were thin slices of ultimate potato nirvana, spot-on thin and crispy.
The fact it was 2-4-1 meant that the total cost of the meal clocked in at a ridiculously cheap and pocket-friendly £10.95, a deal that incontestably has to represent one of the best food bargains of, not just burgers, but any food offer in the city. When it comes to the reigning royalty of of such mouthwateringly delicious bun-based behemoths, Clifton Wine Bar truly is a burger king.
5/5
For more info please visit www.cliftonwinebar.co.uk Clifton Wine Bar: 3-5 Richmond Terrace, Queens Road, Bristol. Tel 0117 973 2069
Article by:
Jamie is a writer, blogger, journalist, critic, film fan, soundtrack nerd and all-round Bristolian good egg. He loves the music of Philip Glass, the art of Salvador Dali, the writings of Charles Bukowksi and Hunter S Thompson, the irreverence of Harry Hill, and the timeless, straw-chomping exuberance of The Wurzels. You can sometimes find him railing against a surging tide of passing cyclists, or gorging himself senseless on the Oriental delights of a Cosmos all-you-can-eat buffet.
