The Cowshed - Food Review in Bristol
Posted on: 2015-08-25
Our rating:
My rib eye steak was faultless - retaining a fabulous succulency, tenderness and flavour which easily ranked it as one of the best steaks I've eaten in a very long while.
There's certainly no shortage of restaurants serving steak in Bristol, but finding a restaurant that serves an exemplary steak is an entirely other matter - but Cowshed on Whiteladies Road bucks the trend with some of the best meaty mouthfuls in the city.
A few years ago, Cowshed expanded the scope of its operations by taking over what used to be the Dog & Duck pub, the old ABC cinema and a few incarnations of various restaurants. This doubling in size has paid dividends with the restaurant generating a real buzz and name for itself and it's now one of the most popular and successful eating and drinking venues in the city.
The ambiance of Cowshed is immediately warm and inviting, elegantly combining rustic manor/farm house and gastropub charm, and tastefully furbished with flagstone floors, large pine tables, stone walls and an apt selection of bovine paintings dotted around the place. It has a sophisticated and upmarket feel but a totally unpretentious, informal vibe.
Cowshed sources the majority of its meat from the butchers next door, Ruby & White, but, although its reputation might primarily rest on it being a bar and grill there is, in fact, a much wider selection of dishes to choose from and they have Early Bird, party, lunch and dinner menus as well as their estimable steaks.
There were so many great starters to choose from it was something of a conundrum deciding which one to go for, but I finally opted for the smokey pulled pork scotched duck egg with hispi slaw and barbecue mayonnaise (£7.75). The scotch egg was served in a Kilner jar which, when unclipped and flipped open, released a cloud of smoke which had permeated and infused the golden orb with a sensational smokey taste. It was a nice, Heston Blumenthal-esque touch, and the crunchy, breadcrumbed sphere cracked open to ooze out a runny, luminous yolk and wonderfully tender pulled pork. The hispi slaw was blissfully crunchy and creamy while the barbecue mayonnaise possessed a light, smokey kick.
My partner's Devonshire scallops with Stornaway black pudding, cauliflower and golden raisins (£11.35) was a deliciously diverse amalgam of flavours and textures. The scallops were impeccably cooked and the black pudding was exquisitely soft and rich, while the cauliflower actually took the form of a puree which kissed the palate with a subtle, piquant deliciousness.
My rib eye steak (£24.70) was faultless, well done as requested, but still retaining a fabulous succulency, tenderness and flavour which easily ranked it as one of the best steaks I've eaten in a very long while. My partner's rump steak (£18.50) was equally as consummately cooked, packed with flavour and a melt in the mouth addictiveness. We both went for skinny fries (£3.00) to accompany the steaks, while an additional side of sauteed garlic and parsley mushrooms (£3.50) packed a sensational, earthy potency flecked with chunks of garlic, and the Cowshed coleslaw (£3.00) was satisfyingly crunchy, light and refreshing.
Pudding presented another gastronomic head-scratcher but I succumbed to the appetizing allure of treacle tart with whiskey ice cream and orange curd (£6.50), which was presented as seven bite-size chunks on dollops of tangy lemon which cut perfectly through the tart's richness along with the outstanding, heavenly ice cream.
My partner went for the lemon Eton Mess (£6.50), which actually turned out to be something of a misnomer in that it wasn't the usual (and expected) slap-dash combo of meringue, cream and berries, but instead offered lemon flavours in four different ways - as meringue, sherbet, marshmallow and curd. It was presented so beautifully and artistically it seemed sacrilege to eat it, but the still-warm marshmallows, zesty, thick curd and light accompanying sponge rendered any apologies obsolete - it was a truly stunning dessert.
The staff were cordial and attentive and, by the time we left, the restaurant was alive and buzzing with a fervent throng of enthusiastic diners. Not hard to see why either. Cowshed is a cosy, vibrant venue with some serious gastronomic talent in the kitchen plating up first class, expertly cooked food.
5/5
Reviewed by Jamie Caddick for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol
The Cowshed is located at: 44-46 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NH
Tags: Food, Review, Steak, Meat, Butcher, Local, Restaurant, Whiteladies, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks.
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.
