Polpo - Bristol Restaurant Review
Posted on: 2017-03-17
Our rating:
We visited on a cold and rainy weekday evening, and the restaurant was still nearly full; testament to the great food on offer here. I’ve got a long list of dishes I would like to go back and try, and would have no hesitation in recommending Polpo.
Rather than ‘starters’ and ‘mains’ the menu at Polpo is divided into groups by size and type, with many dishes suitable for sharing. While we considered our choices, we had two dishes from the ‘Chicheti’ menu, which are little snacks. My friend Sam had the marinated baby octopuses at £3.90, and I had the crostini with beetroot cured salmon, horseradish cream & dill at £4.20. Both were delicious and the perfect size to whet your appetite or to tide you over while you choose. I loved the sweetness in the salmon from the beetroot cure, and the fiery horseradish. Sam reported that the octopus was tasty.
Polpo has a small but comprehensive cocktail menu, including some great non-alcoholic choices. Given my super early start the next day, I chose the Elderflower Fizz (elderflower, ginger beer, lemon) which was £3. Another time, I would love to try the £8 Devereaux cocktail, which is made from Four Roses, elderflower, lemon juice, mint & Polpo Prosecco.
After taking advice from our lovely waiter, we chose a selection of dishes to share;
From the Small Plates menu we chose Roasted sea bream, grilled fennel, brown shrimp & capers at £8.20, and Chilli & garlic prawns at £7.20.
From the Meatballs menu, we chose Spicy pork & fennel. We had the £5.80 portion which is meatballs and sauce. Alternatively, for £7.80 you can have the meatballs with a portion of spaghetti. From the Pasta menu, we chose the smaller portion of the Crab & chilli linguine for £8.50. There is also the option of a large portion for £12.00
From the Breads menu, we chose the Squash, Blue Cheese & Walnut Bruschetta £6.80
The meatballs were huge! They were succulent and tasty, and I loved the fennel flavour with the pork. The meatballs are served with tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. They were very satisfying and really moreish. I really enjoyed them, and I think that they would be fab with spaghetti.
The chilli and garlic prawns were plump and tasty. I loved that they had their heads still on, but were shelled, which makes for a much tidier eating experience.
The crab and chilli linguine was a highlight. It has a real kick from the chilli, but was also really luxurious and creamy. The cherry tomatoes gave little pops of sweetness. This portion size is great for sharing alongside other dishes, or for a light lunch.
For the bruschetta, the combination of squash and blue cheese is a classic one, and is enriched in this dish with a layer of squash puree underneath the chunks of squash and cheese, plus a woody note from the walnuts.
Last but not least was the sea bream. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a hint of char to the skin. The accompanying fennel was soft and tender, and the tiny shrimps added another layer of flavour.
I love being able to chose a variety of sharing dishes, and Polpo has a fantastic selection. In addition to the menus we selected from, there are also Pizzas, Market Greens and Frito Misto.
We were both quite full so only wanted something small for a sweet end to the meal. We chose the Chocolate salami, the Aperol sorbet, and the Ricotta doughnuts with blood orange jam, each priced at £4. The desserts were pleasant enough, but didn’t quite reach the heights of the savoury things we had tried. I’ve never had ricotta doughnuts before, so these may well have been a textbook example, but to us we thought they were somewhat dense and a bit heavy. The warm blood orange jam was delicious though. I enjoyed the Aperol sorbet, but Sam found it a bit too sweet.
Finally, the chocolate salami was pleasant, with a sprinkle of salt on top to add flavour, but again, was a bit too sweet. We mentioned our thoughts to the staff, they offered to bring us an alternative, and to cook us some more doughnuts. Our waiter said that the doughnuts are his favourite pudding, so it may well be that they’re just not to our taste. I would certainly have no hesitation in trying something else had I not been so full!
While we may not have loved the desserts, the savoury dishes we had were all excellent and I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite as they were all so good. The staff were attentive, friendly and knowledgeable, and Polpo itself is cosy and welcoming. We visited on a cold and rainy weekday evening, and the restaurant was still nearly full; testament to the great food on offer here. I’ve got a long list of dishes I would like to go back and try, and would have no hesitation in recommending Polpo.
Food - 4
Value - 4
Atmosphere - 4
Service - 5
For further information please visit www.polpo.co.uk. Address: 50 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2NH. Tel: 0117 973 3100
Article by:
Sarah is a writer and blogger, as well as running workshops and teaching. Her passions are food and travel, and you can follow her on Instagram at YesStarling and find her website at www.yesstarling.com .
