Poco in Bristol review
Posted on: 2015-05-10
Our rating:
Poco is, without doubt, one of the best priced tapas joints in town. The food is of the highest quality and every time you venture in there?s always something new to try.
A seasonal tapas bar based in Stokes Croft, Bristol, Poco is a restaurant which puts ethical eating first. All Poco’s fish is sustainably caught (their blackboard listing the very boat it came from), 90% of their fresh ingredients originate from local suppliers and Poco even weigh their waste every day so they can reduce their levels even further. Now that’s commitment. It’s safe to say there is no guilty eating here. Well, unless you take on more tapas dishes than you can handle. A mistake which anyone can be forgiven, given the wonderful range of dishes Poco list on their menu each week!
Poco is a relatively small establishment. The bar sits between the high tables at the front and the more formal seating in the back with an open kitchen lying just behind it, pots and pans dangling from above. The surrounding décor has a similar earthy-rustic style, with greenery lining the edges of the ceiling and intricate chalk patterns surrounding the extensive blackboard menu.
Divided up into cold, hot, seasonal and sweet dishes, Poco’s menu is based upon Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, the majority of which are vegan and vegetarian friendly. So under the recommendation of our cheery waitress we chose five tapas dishes for our mains which were brought out as and when they were ready, although the dishes all arrived in pretty swift succession.
The first to arrive was the fava bean hummus with sourdough drizzled in oil and Poco’s infamous rosemary chips with aioli on the side which were both an instant hit. The chips were more like small wedges, and went well with the garlicky sauce. The creamy fava bean hummus was generously served and smooth in texture. We ended up mixing it with pretty much everything and there was still some left over!
Finally, the saddleback chorizo and merguez (a beef based sausage) in red wine, purple sprouting, caramelised onion, pickled ewes cheese and the polenta, asparagus, Kalamata tapenade arrived at our table. Of the three, our favourite dish was probably the purple sprouting one. The combination of the seasonal ingredients creating a marvellous spring flavour sensation on the palate without one ingredient overpowering the others. The one meat dish we had, the saddleback chorizo was sadly a little disappointing. Three sausage-shaped pieces of meat swimming in red wine turned up in a small saucepan looking unappetising and tasting excessively chewy. It may have been nicer if they had been paired with another ingredient, although I guess the whole point of tapas is to mix and match.
For dessert, we chose the Peruvian chocolate pot with Chantilly cream and a scoop of homemade salted caramel and clotted cream vanilla ice cream. These went down tremendously well. The chocolate pot had a beautifully smooth, creamy texture with a slight bitter twang and the ice cream was light and sweet by comparison. I recommend pairing the two together.
Poco is, without doubt, one of the best priced tapas joints in town. The food is of the highest quality and every time you venture in there’s always something new to try. So if you’re meandering about Stokes Croft this summer, do give Poco a look in, if not for tapas then for their brunch menu. Be sure to book for an evening meal though - they fill up quick!
4/5
Reviewed by Grace Fox for The Bristol recommendations website 365Bristol.com
10th May 2015
Article by:
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.
