Wellbourne Restaurant Review in Bristol

Posted on: 2017-11-14

Our rating:

The Wellbourne team’s commitment to excellence shines through every detail. Whether you’re popping in for cava and vol-au-vents, for a special occasion dinner or simply for a Monday night supper, Wellbourne is the perfect choice.


Despite only opening a few months ago, Wellbourne has slotted effortlessly into the Bristol food scene. Offering fine dining in a relaxed, contemporary setting, it’s easy to see how this newcomer has been so instantly popular. The team behind Wellbourne have over 30 years of experience, meaning that the offering at Wellbourne feels elegant, understated and accomplished; there is a relaxed finesse to every aspect of the dining experience. My husband and I arrived at the very start of service due to exceptionally quiet roads (a miracle in itself!) and had the pleasure of chatting with the team before the restaurant became busier as the evening continued.

 

We started our meal with a selection of vol-au-vents. Vol-au-vents have become Wellbourne’s signature, and while we were there, one couple came in for a quick glass of wine and plateful of vol-au-vents. Having tasted them, never again will a bowl of olives suffice. We had three different fillings; Mylor shrimps, smoked paprika and rapeseed mayonnaise; hand-chopped veal, Fosse Way Fleece and chervil, and creamed girolles, garlic and thyme. All three were feather-light and delicious, but the mushroom was the favourite for both of us. With our vol-au-vents we drank a glass of house cava. The crisp bubbles provide the perfect accompaniment to the rich pastry and cream.

 

We then tried the sourdough and cultured butter, both home-made. The sourdough was both supple and crisp, and the butter had an unusual but pleasant tang from the figleaf-infused buttermilk. 

 

I don’t know much about wine, so I was more than happy to leave our choices in Martin’s capable hands. To go with our starters of crab and beetroot, Martin chose a glass of Javier Sans Rueda - Verdejo/Viurs. I have spent so much of my life thinking I didn’t like wine, but after a few meals recently I’ve started to realise I’ve just never had really good wine. This white wine is smooth and delicate, with a distinctive passion-fruit bouquet. It is absolutely delicious!

 

To start, I chose the Candy Beetroot, hazelnut, kinome (a Japanese leaf from the Sansho pepper plant) and a mushroom broth. This was a sweet, delicate dish. The texture of the beetroot was wonderful; crisp and delicate and it was the most beautiful shade of shocking pink. The hazelnuts and added richness, and a satisfying hit of umami came from the mushroom broth.Wellbourne Crab | Restaurant Review BristolMy husband had charred lettuce, south coast crab, peanut and tagetes. This was a plentiful serving of sweet, succulent crab. Neither of us had ever had peanuts with crab before, and the surprising combination was really delicious. The simple charred lettuce base meant that the crab was the star of the show.

 

To accompany our mains, we had a glass of the Oveja Negra. If you imagine bottling autumn, this wine is what it would taste like; warming, cosy with just the slightest hint of smokiness.Wellbourne Cod | Restaurant Review BristolMy husband chose the Steamed Cod, sea lettuce, aster and mussel vinaigrette, and I had the duck with wild sour cherries and sea beet. We shared portions of sautéed potatoes and charred hispi cabbage. Simon’s cod was a light and delicate dish. I particularly loved the sea lettuce and the aster, neither of which I had tried before. My duck was perfectly pink, and the sour cherries were delicious with the crispy duck skin. I think I might have to start a campaign to make crispy duck skin a standard bar snack – so tasty!Wellbourne duck | Restaurant Review BristolSide orders don’t typically warrant a barrage of superlatives but these side orders are an exception to that rule. Even if the rest of the menu wasn’t as good as it is, I’d be telling you to go there just for those.Wellbourne figs | Restaurant Review BristolTo finish, I had the Soillès figs, with mascarpone, sage & fresh honeycomb and my husband had the Sea buckthorn curd, meringue and marjoram. My fig dish was a delicious example of simplicity. The fig and sage is another surprising and delicious combination from the chefs. The delicate use of traditionally savoury herbs follows on in the second pudding. Housed in delicate meringue shell, the sea buckthorn curd was a light and refreshing dessert, and it was fun to crack the shell like an egg.Wellbourne meringue | Restaurant Review BristolAs we ate, we marvelled at the fact that even on an otherwise very average Monday, we can eat food of this impeccable standard. The Wellbourne team’s commitment to excellence shines through every detail, from the décor to the wine list, the food and the service. Whether you’re popping in for cava and vol-au-vents, for a special occasion dinner or simply for a Monday night supper, Wellbourne is the perfect choice.

Picture credits; Wellbourne Restaurant

You can find Wellbourne at 25 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4JG. Telephone 0117 2390683 or email clifton@wellbourne.restaurant 

You can find out more on their website, and follow them on Twitter and Instagram

 

 



Article by:

Sarah Starling

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 .