The Gallimaufry - Food Review in Bristol

Posted on: 2016-05-19

Our rating:

I can't fault the place - great atmosphere and quirky decor at an independently run operation which is just thriving with life


 

Before I moved to Bristol around 3 months ago, I spent far too much time trawling social media to find all the best places to eat once I arrived. As a food blogger I was very excited to leave Loughborough (home of a university, the foundry which made Big Ben and not much else) to come to this gloriously foodie city.

The Gallimaufry - A Review by Gingey Bites

Gingey Bites is, in reality, Alex Ryder: a 5ft nothing greedy girl from the Midlands who now calls Bristol home. With a big love of cooking and eating out both locally and further afield, she’s a champion for independents with eyes almost as big as her (ever growing) pot belly. 

The Gallimaufry on Gloucester Road was right at the top of my list of places to try with its gorgeous looking food, high tripadvisor ranking and seemingly endless goings on. It’s not just a restaurant, it’s a bar, a music venue, arts space and all round champion for everything local.

We visited ‘The Galli’ on a sunny Sunday mid-afternoon and the place was heaving with drinkers and people eating. We walked inside, pleased to have a table reserved, and were instantly greeted with a smile. Drinks ordered, we got down to business - ordering food.

Firstly we shared a galli plate - explained by our waiter as a tapas-sized dish which could be eaten as a starter. Every galli plate on the menu sounded delectable, interesting and modern; cod cheek, potato, pea & gherkin, and crab, basil, courgette & radish to name a few. We opted for the bavette steak, tomato, mustard & mushroom priced at £9. Steep, you could say, but when it arrived, we realised it was worth every penny.

The Gallimaufry

Two slices of medium rare bavette and a flat mushroom on a beautifully presented plate dressed with mustard, beef jus, tomato reduction and incredible semi-sundried cherry tomatoes. To say we licked the plate clean was an understatement. This was glorious food.

As our plate was cleared away we sat back and enjoyed the wait for what we were sure would be an excellent sunday roast. I opted for the chicken with rosemary & bacon stuffing and my other half went for the venison with date, mushroom & chestnut stuffing. These came with roast potatoes, gravy and a bowl of seasonal veg.

Roasts at The Gallimaufry

The chicken was sublime, a breast and leg, each moist but with the crispiest skin. I’d love to try roast pork there - I bet the crackling would be spot on! The venison too was cooked perfectly - these guys really know their meat. The accompanying veg was great - carrots, with leeks and spring beans, cooked (I’m hazarding a guess)  in the same way my mum does them - sauteed in a pan with water, butter, salt and black pepper. Not an overboiled cabbage in sight. The roasties were fluffy inside and the gravy was excellent. Shall I continue?

If I had to pick fault - and it’s hard to - I would say that the stuffing and gravy were on the salty side. Not a problem for me, the salt monster, but definitely at times, on the edge of comfort for some people and one to watch out for.

Almost stuffed to the brim, we did manage to squeeze a pudding in and shared the orange marmalade posset & shortbread. It was too rich and sweet for me (I do not have a sweet tooth) but my other half polished it off, even trying a bite of the candied orange peel decorating the dish!

orange marmalade posset & shortbread at The Gallimaufry

I can’t fault the place - great atmosphere and quirky decor at an independently run operation which is just thriving with life. The Galli definitely has a cool edge with staff who are friendly though reserved but who cares? I don’t like that in-your-face American style service anyway.

With all that said, I give this place a full 5 stars and am already planning my next visit.

Reviewed by Gingey Bites for 365Bristol.com - The Bristol website

Please visit thegallimaufry.co.uk for more info.

The Gallimaufry in Bristol



Article by:

Gingey Bites

Gingey Bites is in reality, Alex Ryder, a 5ft nothing greedy girl from the Midlands who now calls Bristol home. With a big love of cooking and eating out both locally and further afield, she’s a champion for independents with eyes almost as big as her (ever growing) pot belly.  Keep up to date with her blog at www.gingeybites.com.