The Prince Street Social - Bristol Food Review
Posted on: 2017-08-03
Our rating:
Food fit for a king costs less than princely sum at The Prince Street Social, the modern-style bar on the western face of Queens Square in central Bristol.
Anyone who has looked at a map of Bristol will find the manufactured peninsula jutting into the River Avon as one of the more striking aspects of the city’s topographical layout, the synthetic oxbow carved into the floating harbour creating a perfect ‘U’ around the lungs of Queen Square, hemmed by the water-borders of Narrow Quay to the west and Welsh Back to the east.
This bird’s eye view, of course, is difficult to appreciate whilst on the ground, when the area is more notable for the variety of the activity it dictates: there’s the warm Friday night hubbub spilling out onto the cobbles King Street, the Arnolfini art gallery calmly looking out across the water in which HMS Thekla is moored, the quiet coffee shops nestled in nooks behind Queen Charlotte’s Street.
And standing its ground in amongst this commercially-congested promontory is The Prince Street Social, whose sloping awnings jut out sleekly over the pavement opposite The Bristol Hotel. Functioning in the homogenous space shared between a café, bar and restaurant, and with an interior of reclaimed wood and glossy tiling to facilitate this, the Social operates in the daytime under the auspices of a modern brunch/lunch spot, until the fading light brings the introduction of the dinner menu. This comprises an impressive range of dishes representing contemporary updates and upgrades of classic pub grub.
I pick a pair of these from this evening’s offerings, with the pressed ham hock (£5.75) to begin, and the 8oz ribeye steak (£21.95) to follow. The ham hock is presented in two discs, garnished with croutons and a pot of pickled cauliflower, beans and other spring vegetables. It works well together, with the warm sweetness of the veg nicely offsetting the cold salt of the ham.
Next up is the ribeye, which is presented with the same simplicity as its predecessor: the meat lies in shadow of the overflowing bowl of fries, its well-reached medium-rare pink referenced in the red flashes of the garlic tomato. It’s a classic plate of steak and chips, and is therefore difficult to describe in any other such terms – though a drizzle of the peppercorn sauce adds a welcome addition of surface-level heat to the palate. The whole thing goes down brilliantly, not requiring much help from a glass of Moretti.
In the meantime, tonight’s companion James has managed to make his way through a starter of smoked gravalax, cucumber and lemon sour cream (£5.75) - which, he notes, between noisy chews, “Is available as a gluten-free option: that’s a wonderfully sensitive addition for the discerning 21st century consumer!” – and a slow roast pork belly (£14), which he describes as “fabulously tender”.
The cheeseboard (£9) represents the ideal sequitur to this, whereas I opt for a warm chocolate brownie (£5.50).
Both of these desserts are carried off with aplomb, and send us happily on our way – via a friendly farewell from the waiters who have been wonderfully attentive all evening.
The Prince Street Social makes for regal addition to the area and a natural heir to Bristol’s culinary throne.
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Value: 3
Article by:
An ardent Geordie minus the accent, Sam seemingly strove to get as far away from the Toon as possible, as soon as university beckoned. Three undergraduate years at UoB were more than ample time for Bristol (as it inevitably does) to get under his skin, and so here he remains: reporting, as Assistant Editor, on the cultural happenings which so infatuated him with the city. Catch him at sam@365bristol.com.
