It's the evening before Valentine's day and to avoid the pre-empted rush, The Boy and I have booked a table at The Brass Pig in Clifton…
Date and Time: 13th February 2011, 19:00
Name of Establishment: The Brass Pig
Location: 1 Clifton Heights, Triangle West, Bristol
Reason for Visit: Valentine's Meal with The Boy
The Brass Pig is a relatively new venue in Bristol occupying the building which was formally Spanish chain restaurant, La Tasca on the West-side of the Clifton Triangle. I had spotted an advert in 'Flavour’* magazine for the three-course Valentine's meal, plus bottle of Prosecco for just £16.90 per person and without a thought for the content of the menu, I jumped at the chance to try somewhere new at such a reasonable price and booked it up. I'm so glad that I did…
My first thought upon entering The Brass Pig was how spacious it was, with wood panelling throughout the two floors and high ceilings, the space felt grand and airy - if not a little chilly. The Boy did mention the latter as we were being seated though and the heating was instantly turned up. As well as with the service, which didn't falter all evening, I was hugely impressed with the musician who played the piano as we were eating and this, along with flickering candlelight made for a perfectly achieved romantic atmosphere.
With Prosecco poured, the starters arrived - we both had the duck which was served on toasted ciabatta alongside a warm nectarine salad. The meat was expertly cooked, valentine-pink in colour and the tang of the fruit complemented it's flavour in a way which I considered both imaginative and original. We were given ample time to rest before our main courses were served - The Boy opted for sea bass which was sat on top of layers of green beans and mange tout and I chose the butternut squash and sage risotto. Both dishes were generously flavoursome with contrasting textures and tastes – The Boy enjoyed the freshness of crunchy vegetables which were balanced with delicate flakes of sea bass and the sticky, creamy rice of my risotto melted together with the sweetly smoked taste of the squash. Despite being hugely full-up, The Boy and I managed to hand back two very clean plates and even finished our shared dessert, the aptly named ‘Valentine’s Mess’ which was a large heart-shaped meringue filled with Strawberries, ice-cream and fresh cream then topped with a strawberry coulis. The was not a very adventurous choice for me (as I’m known for my love of decadent and chocolaty desserts) but I did really enjoy the home-made taste of the meringue which had a crisp outer shell and satisfyingly gooey centre.
Date and Time: 13th February 2011, 19:00
Name of Establishment: The Brass Pig
Location: 1 Clifton Heights, Triangle West, Bristol
Reason for Visit: Valentine's Meal with The Boy
The Brass Pig is a relatively new venue in Bristol occupying the building which was formally Spanish chain restaurant, La Tasca on the West-side of the Clifton Triangle. I had spotted an advert in 'Flavour’* magazine for the three-course Valentine's meal, plus bottle of Prosecco for just £16.90 per person and without a thought for the content of the menu, I jumped at the chance to try somewhere new at such a reasonable price and booked it up. I'm so glad that I did…
My first thought upon entering The Brass Pig was how spacious it was, with wood panelling throughout the two floors and high ceilings, the space felt grand and airy - if not a little chilly. The Boy did mention the latter as we were being seated though and the heating was instantly turned up. As well as with the service, which didn't falter all evening, I was hugely impressed with the musician who played the piano as we were eating and this, along with flickering candlelight made for a perfectly achieved romantic atmosphere.
With Prosecco poured, the starters arrived - we both had the duck which was served on toasted ciabatta alongside a warm nectarine salad. The meat was expertly cooked, valentine-pink in colour and the tang of the fruit complemented it's flavour in a way which I considered both imaginative and original. We were given ample time to rest before our main courses were served - The Boy opted for sea bass which was sat on top of layers of green beans and mange tout and I chose the butternut squash and sage risotto. Both dishes were generously flavoursome with contrasting textures and tastes – The Boy enjoyed the freshness of crunchy vegetables which were balanced with delicate flakes of sea bass and the sticky, creamy rice of my risotto melted together with the sweetly smoked taste of the squash. Despite being hugely full-up, The Boy and I managed to hand back two very clean plates and even finished our shared dessert, the aptly named ‘Valentine’s Mess’ which was a large heart-shaped meringue filled with Strawberries, ice-cream and fresh cream then topped with a strawberry coulis. The was not a very adventurous choice for me (as I’m known for my love of decadent and chocolaty desserts) but I did really enjoy the home-made taste of the meringue which had a crisp outer shell and satisfyingly gooey centre.
The meal as a whole was of notable quality and very tasty so I was keen to discover the content of the day-to-day menu. I interpreted the offering as posh pub-grub – gastro pub-style burgers, pizzas as well as ‘well known dishes with a twist’* - most of which are priced from £6-8. There are also daily and seasonal specials, a brunch/lighter bites menu, weekly Sunday Roasts and although I didn’t see it, the promise of a cocktail list which has been written exclusively for the venue!
So, back to the night in question and with the evening coming to an end, I wondered why we seemed to be the only couple enjoying the Valentine's Menu (it was the day before but even still) and although this secured an intimate setting and almost personal service for us, I did miss the buzz which can only be created by a fuller occupancy. I urge people who have not yet visited The Brass Pig to do so and as a result give it the only thing which it arguably lacks, a crowd-fuelled pizzaz. That said, I will definitely be returning to The Brass Pig and look forward to seeing this venue become a Bristol favourite, (it's certainly in the running to be one of mine!)
And now for the male opinion…
'The Boy' gave The Brass Pig a rating of 8/10 and when asked to describe it in 3 words chose, 'hard to beat’!
References:
*http://www.flavourmagazine.com/bristol/index.html
*http://www.flavourmagazine.com/bristol/index.html
*according to the website: http://www.thebrasspig.co.uk/Home.html
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