Sunday Roast at The Steam Crane in Bedminster - Bristol
Posted on: 2014-04-10
Our rating:
The pleasantly chilled atmosphere and comfortable surroundings gave us a relaxing Sunday afternoon out, topped off by the excellent standard of food that was placed in front of us.
Newly refurbished and under new management and ownership, The Steam Crane sits on North Street in South West Bristol's Bedminster.
The décor is colour co-ordinated and edgy, keeping hints of the traditional pub décor with appropriate accessories like faux brass antler head wall mounts, whilst bringing in splashes and drops of modern art, with alternative and abstract pictures propped up on mantle pieces and hanging on walls.
With a random assortment of seating, from the occasional wooden chair to ornamental seats and vintage sofas, your surroundings are cosy and eccentric. The elegant candles on tables add an element of mood to even a Sunday afternoon dinner, which is what my friend and I went for.
We both chose the 'Roast Topside and Shin of Hereford Beef with Yorkshire Pud: Served with Carrot Puree, Parsnips + Roasties' (£12.45). The roasts are served as a dish, rather than a traditional pub carvery buffet style, and we were presented with a generous amount of full beef piled in the middle, revealing more meat than you initially think – a brilliant surprise in my opinion!
The parsnips were perfectly browned and deliciously flavoursome, the Yorkshire pudding puffed up and crispy, and the cabbage a nice light addition to each forkful. The carrot purée was an interesting substitution for actual carrots, but acted as a really nice dip for the potatoes and meat.
Crispy roast potatoes were served generously in a full dish each on the side of the mains, and a pot of horse radish followed to share. I asked for some mustard too and a whole tub filled with English was swiftly brought to my side, complimenting the meat nicely with some added bite.
The quantity of food was just about enough to fill us very satisfyingly, although I couldn’t finish the whole dish of potatoes we were given, unlike my friend that accompanied me. The meat was deliciously cooked, not too tender but not overly tough either, and the mixture of flavours from the other parts of the meal; the carrot puree, the parsnips and the texture of the Yorkshire pudding, complimented each other gracefully. I felt I had been treated to a more unique and distinctive carvery than what I had expected and what I am used to, and I thoroughly enjoyed that.
The price tag attached to our meal seems a lot, but you undoubtedly get a great portion for your money, and the food is clearly top quality and made very fresh – hinted at by the appropriate amount of time we waited for our food. The pleasantly chilled atmosphere and comfortable surroundings gave us a relaxing Sunday afternoon out, topped off by the excellent standard of food that was placed in front of us.
Reviewed by Maria Skinner for 365Bristol on Sunday 6 April 2014
Lots more roast potatoes served in a side dish!
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.
