Cote Brasserie - Bristol Food Review

Posted on: 2016-03-22

Our rating:

The menu draws on a classic brasserie style to offer enticing salads, classic mains, sections for chargrilled chicken and steaks plus a dedicated choice of "Plats Rapides".


 

Ideally located in a beautiful area of Bristol, Cote Brasserie takes pride of place as one of Clifton Village’s best restaurants for any occasion. Great quality food is competitively priced and their extensive menu offers something for everyone.

On the evening my wife and I visited we were first struck by how well presented the restaurant was; both the exterior and entrance area were beautifully appointed. We were warmly greeted and shown to our table. Though it’s the very least you would expect, a warm welcome often goes unnoticed. A bad one, however? The dining area was as equally impressive as the rest of the venue; spacious, subtly-dressed tables, warm lighting and an ambience that flowed throughout the building.

Olives at Cote Brasserie in BristolGarlic Bread at Cote Brasserie in Bristol

The menu is large but doesn’t feel overbearing. I will happily order just about anything on any menu, but it’s good to see there’s a wide selection of great looking options – it means you can be assured that everyone in a large group will find something they like. It was quite a head scratcher deciding what to order so we went with some olives and garlic bread while we took our time. I’m certainly glad we did as the garlic bread was superb. My wife is perhaps the harshest critic of garlic bread I have ever met so for her to be seriously impressed, believe me, is quite something.

After some hearty deliberation we chose steak tartare, calamari and the boudin noir. (Yes, we could only narrow it down to three). What we received were three perfectly prepared dishes whose quality couldn’t really be faulted. The steak tartare was served with the egg-yolk combined with the beef. Whilst personally I would prefer it sat whole on top I couldn’t complain about the taste and was thoroughly impressed. Calamari, though rarely overcooked in most restaurants these days, can often be greasy. Not so here. Light, tasty and presented about as well as you can when it comes to calamari! The star of the three had to be the boudin noir. Sauteed French black pudding served with caramelised apples, a frisee salad and a warmly oozing poached egg on top. About as faultless a starter as you can get...providing you like black pudding of course.

Steak Tartare at Cote Brasserie in BristolBoudin Noir at Cote Brasserie in BristolCalamari at Cote Brasserie in Bristol

The mains were equally tough to choose from. The menu draws on a classic brasserie style to offer enticing salads, classic mains, sections for chargrilled chicken and steaks plus a dedicated choice of ‘Plats Rapides’. My wife plumped for the baked spinach and mushroom crepes while I chose the meltingly tender and moorishly rich lamb shank with mustard potato puree and a veal and rosemary sauce – a triumph of classic brasserie cooking and one I would order again and again. The crepes stood up admirably against their decidedly meatier counterpart and would be an excellent choice for carnivores and veggies alike. Just to add to matters, there is also a specials card, from which we chose a side of braised savoy cabbage with bacon lardons, apple and golden raisins to go along with French beans from the main menu. The beans were simple and well cooked while the cabbage was packed with flavour – the fruit complimenting the salty bacon.

Baked Crepes at Cote Brasserie in BristolLamb Shank at Cote Brasserie in Bristol

We were greeted by 10 choices for desert, plus cheese and a special, so yet another round of deliberation ensued. My wife’s tarte au citron was another example of a classic dish being done well. Zingy, lemony, almost creamy filling with a rich, crumbly pastry ably supported by creme fraiche and raspberries. From the specials I went for the classic of all classics – crepe Grand Marnier (crepe Suzette)! The theatrics of lighting the orange liqueur at the table did not disappoint and was a nice touch. Tangy, at times sour, the combination of the oranges and Grand Marnier on their own were certainly punchy, at times bordering on overpowering, but when paired with the ice cream it made for a heavenly mouthful. A great end to a great meal.

Tarte au Citron at Shank at Cote Brasserie in BristolCrepe Suzette at Shank at Cote Brasserie in Bristol

I feel like a quite obvious theme has been running through this piece: a large menu. Often this is cause for concern. If there’s a lot of choice for the customer that means lots of choice for the chefs. The quality of the dishes can drop and the timings are often affected. I want to make it clear that that is simply not the case here. The food arrived in good time – perfect for an evening meal for two – but I also took note of the other diners in the restaurant. Dining that evening was at least one example of all the classic groups you would expect to find during a midweek evening service: a large family birthday comprising 3 generations, a couple likely on a date, two friends in for a drink and quick meal after work and a group of 4-6 friends enjoying a meal together. All seemed to be having a great time and, in fact, this also added to our own evening as it gave the place a real buzz.

Lastly, special mention must go to the excellent and attentive staff. Never overbearing but always there when you needed them, they would share a joke or two and seemed very knowledgeable about the menus and the wines. They only served to enhance our evening, if you’ll forgive the pun.

5/5

Reviewed by James Anderson for 365Bristol.com - The leading events and entertainment website in the city

For more info on Cote Brasserie visit www.cote-restaurants.co.uk. 27 The Mall, Clifton Village, Bristol BS8 4JG



Article by:

James Anderson

Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.