The Ashville in Bristol Sunday Roast Review
Posted on: 2015-08-02
Our rating:
The Ashville was packed to the rafters with couples and families animatedly enjoying their Sunday afternoon in this cosy, intimate pub restaurant and tucking enthusiastically into their roast dinners.
The Ashville in Bristol is another in an increasingly long line of pub restaurants in the city serving up a fine plate of the classic, traditional Sunday roast.
It's certainly true that Southville has been making its gastronomic mark on the map for a while, with other venues such as The Lounge, The Burger Joint, The Tobacco Factory and Souk Kitchen dishing up a good range of impressive, quality meals. Power to the people of the area, then, to support their local venues - particularly when you consider around 30 pubs every week in the UK are boarding up their doors - and The Ashville has proven a particular success story.
.jpg "Sunday Roast at The Ashville, Bristol - 15 Leigh Street, Southville, BS3 1SN")
Deservedly so, too. The Ashville's previous incarnation was the The Try Again, a once favourite pit stop for Bristol City fans in need of a livener or two before an Ashton Gate match. It's undergone serious refurbishment since then, with one large, light and airy space decorated with duck egg blue tongue and groove panels, New England-style white furniture and stripped pine tables.
You don't have to eat here if you don't want to, and the marble-topped bar more than adequately caters for real ale drinkers including Bath Ales Gem and Doom Bar, while cider lovers can quench their thirst with Stowford Press, Addlestones Cloudy and Rosie's Pig on draught. If you're somewhat indecisive, there's even the neat option to sample three beers or ciders on a third-pint board to make up your mind.
Sunday roasts are priced at £9.95 and served from 12 to 7pm, with the meat options being topside of local beef, red wine braised leg of lamb, 12-hour slow-cooked pulled shoulder of pork, or nut roast. All are served with roast potatoes, a Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and gravy. Children's portions are also available for £5.00.
My plate was piled with an extremely generous portion of succulent, tender pork, accompanied by pungent cauliflower cheese, consummately cooked cabbage, broccoli, carrots and swede, and rounded off with four crunchy, perfect roast potatoes and a large, masterfully light Yorkshire pudding. It was a superlative roast dinner, packing a memorable punch in the taste and texture departments and all resting in an adequate puddle of rich gravy. For the price, it represented excellent and satisfyingly filling value for money.
My chocolate brownie with strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (£4.95) was an exquisite combo of crunchy top giving way to a warm, gooey, chocolatey, pecan nut-studded centre, while my partner's salt caramel and chocolate tart with creme fraiche was thin pastry encrusted, densely rich, nicely balanced pudding perfection.
Owner Sandor Marton has surrounded himself with top culinary talent with head chef Simon Miller as well as the rest of his attentive, genial staff. By the time we left, The Ashville was packed to the rafters with couples and families animatedly enjoying their Sunday afternoon in this cosy, intimate pub restaurant and tucking enthusiastically into their roast dinners. It might be a little bit off the Southville beaten track, but seeking out this gem of a venue will more than pay gastronomic dividends.
4.5/5
Reviewed by Jamie Caddick for The Bristol website
TAGS : Sunday Roast in Bristol, Sunday Lunch Bristol, Roast Dinners, Family dining, Southville, Bedminster
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.
