Aquila in Bristol - Food Review scores top marks
Posted on: 2015-06-25
Our rating:
Recently crowned Best Modern European Restaurant at the Bristol Good Food Awards, Aquila breezes to a five star review.
A relatively new addition to the Bristol restaurant scene, Aquila sits on Baldwin Street in the city centre. The impressive glass fronted building gives a good sense from the outside of what you can expect within. Lavishly decorated, yet wonderfully tasteful, the restaurant itself has a feel of something a little special about it, something you don’t find with many other offerings in the city. Clearly no expense was spared when creating the setting for this family run modern Italian restaurant. Design is evidently very important here, with cream leather upholstery and sleek dark wood tables complimented by stunning features and decoration. The food is just one part of the overall lavish dining experience at Aquila.
The ground floor is a mix between traditional seating and round banquettes, a nice touch for accommodating a larger group in a friendlier manner. Moving up to the first floor, it can seat a further hundred diners along with sporting its own bar to speed up service, a nice touch. A pre-requisite for any good Italian restaurant, the staff are warm, friendly and certainly very knowledgeable. They enhance the overall experience and you get the sense they are every bit as passionate about their role in the restaurant as the chefs clearly are – you can watch them at work in the semi-open-plan kitchen being lead by the experienced Emilio Titillo as head chef.
Gazing over the modern Italian menu, it’s great to see some old favourites re-imagined alongside the newer offerings. Enticing rather than intimidating, the menu will leave you scratching your head trying to narrow down your choices. Luckily there is often an amuse-bouche to accompany you as you peruse the dishes, a wonderful crab cake with pesto cream on this occasion. Should you wish there are vegetarian and even vegan menus available as well as an express lunch option for £8.95, £12.95 or £15.95 for one, two or three courses.
The wine list is as extensive and varied as you will ever likely see. Aquila are rightly proud of the vast selection on offer and their expert sommelier is on hand to guide you through it. They even have a commitment to providing organic and biodynamic wines explained in detail on the wine list itself and noted next to each bottle that fits the bill. After explaining your tastes or simply what you will be eating that evening, the selection will always fit the bill. The 2012 Negroamaro del Salento was warm and rich, exactly as requested, and complimented the food perfectly.
Starting with the Antipasto Aquila and Gamberoni alla Griglia (king prawns), both the old and new interpretations of Italian cuisine were put on show. What is in essence a simple dish, antipasto is often something of a letdown - cold meat with a little bread and a few olives. This, however, was lovingly put together and dressed beautifully. The meats were exquisite and the accompaniments only served to accentuate this. The modern take came in the form of the grilled king prawns served in an Aperol glaze with an avocado cream. A classic combination but a rather bold move to pair the prawns and avocado in this manner, the chefs pull it off in style. The prawns, cooked perfectly and tasting spectacular on their own, marry wonderfully with the dish as a whole.
There is a wide selection of mains to choose from. Pizza, pasta and risotto feature heavily as you would expect, but these are joined by a number of meat and fish dishes. There’s even a burger and a couple of salads thrown in to the mix. Interestingly, all the pasta and risotto dishes (with the exception of the lasagne) are available as either a main or starter and priced accordingly. This is another great touch that shows real thought has gone in to making this as enjoyable a dining experience as possible. Again choosing one classic and one modern, the Aquila Carbonara and Agnello in Crosta (rack of lamb) showcased a level of cooking that demands admiration. Featuring a salt cured egg yolk and crispy pancetta, the carbonara is a great version of the classic dish. As for the lamb, quite simply it’s a triumph. Served blushing pink, the lamb melts in the mouth and is accentuated beautifully by the Parmesan and mint crust alongside a red wine reduction. If that wasn’t enough, the breaded ’lamb lollipop’ packs a huge punch just for good measure.
Often the downfall of many Italian restaurants, desserts frequently consist of not much more than ice cream or tiramisu and are more often than not bought in. Not so here. Eight offerings demand serious attention and thought as you happily struggle through your choices. Deciding on the Cremoso al Mascarpone and Chocolate Fondant Emilio, the duo finished off the meal perfectly. Shortcrust biscuits and sweet cream of mascarpone cheese were served with an espresso shot. The biscuits melt away and pair perfectly with the not over-sweet cream. As for the fondant, you will simply have to try it for yourself; words can’t do it justice here. Served with vanilla ice cream and a limoncello Crème Anglaise, it is a true stand out dish and one Aquila can hang its hat on. The evening was rounded off wonderfully with an espresso martini and good conversation with Sebastian, one of the waiters.
Overall, Aquila brings unpretentious fine dining to the city. It is as far from intimidating as it is possible to get yet serves up dishes that astound and often amaze. The restaurant may be young, but it is accomplished in every facet of the dining experience. Rightly honoured with the award for Best Modern European Restaurant at The Bristol Good Food Awards it’s easy to see why this large yet all together intimate venue is fast gaining a reputation as one of the city’s very best restaurants.
5/5
Reviewed by James Anderson for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol
Aquila Restaurant is located at Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1NR
Tel. 0117 3210322
Web. www.aquila-restaurant.com
Email. bookings@aquila-restaurant.com
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.
