Pizza Express, Bristol Harbourside (The Express Lunch Menu)

As a household name and with approximately 400 restaurants located country-wide, the chances that you've experienced Pizza Express in at least one of its varying capacities is incredibly likely. Yet, you may not be aware of the brand-new Express Lunch menu which is currently being trialled from Monday to Friday in selected outlets. The intention is to deliver light, tasty and affordable fare within the confines of one's lunch-hour; a concept which I'm confident will appeal to the masses of nearby businesses given the multitude of office-types that dashed past the window, pre-packed sandwich in hand, whilst my lovely mum and I enjoyed a far more civilised affair. 

Date and Time: Thursday 8^th May 2014, 13:00 

Name of Establishment: Pizza Express* 

Location: Unit 1, Building 8, Harbourside, Bristol, 

Reason for Visit: An invitation to sample the 'Express Lunch' Menu 

Settling at our aforementioned table-for-two with a view, M and I noted the light, airy quality of the space. The rain, which had soaked us on route from the centre, became a distant memory in light of the friendly service and a rich, buzzy ambiance; the latter constituting the establishment's varied clientèle and the hustle and bustle emitted from its open-plan kitchen. That said, I have to mention the mix-up that occurred upon our arrival whereby it transpired that our reservation had been all but lost as the online system had crashed. I therefore had to explain the purpose of my visit – basically, that I had been invited, on a complimentary basis, to sample the Express Lunch menu in return for a comprehensive review – rather uncomfortable for those involved and not at all a case of...do you know who I am?! Awkwardness aside, our server (Kasia) was both amiable and efficient; guiding M and I towards her favourites from the menu and encouraging us to begin with drinks and olives, (not that we took a lot of convincing). You might say that, a bold Merlot (£4.35) for M and a crisp Pinot Grigio spritzer (£4.75) for yours truly wasn't particularly in keeping with the return-to-work role play we had undertaken – yet, in reality and seemingly unlike a lot of our fellow diners, we had the luxury of time given that we didn't actually have to return to a workplace – win!

On to the menu itself and options which are priced from as little as £3.45. The soups - Tomato & Basil and Roasted Butternut & Parsley - were not available during our visit and yet, coupled with the venue's signature dough (hand-rolled, slow-baked and served with garlic butter), would no doubt satisfy a smaller appetite, (though perhaps not entirely suit an afternoon with any form of one-on-one contact...hello garlic breath!) 'Romanita' pizzas and lunchtime salads have also been appropriately portioned to typify a hearty snack as opposed to a hefty nosh-up. Both M and I opted for one of the new Piadinas (£4.95); the self-proclaimed 'pick of the bunch' comprising the venue's famous dough which is baked with Gran Moravia cheese, sliced and filled with a multitude of fresh ingredients. I chose the Italian Meat Piadina which had been layered, rather liberally, with cured Finocchiona, Milano, Coppa, light mozzarella, sun-dried tomato, rocket, pesto and finally, drizzled with a good quality olive oil. The explosion of flavours which ensued proved perfectly balanced in terms of texture and taste – not to mention, absolutely delicious! M decided upon the Chicken Avocado Piadina which was as equally well-received. We also shared a portion of polenta chips (£2.35) which, sprinkled with parmesan and plated alongside a punchy honey and mustard dipping sauce, were the perfect accompaniment to our Piadinas – though personally, I'd advise against sharing if your appetite allows! 

At present, the a la carte menu is offered in addition to the Express Lunch menu which I thought may compromise the speed of delivery in terms of the dishes that we ordered but I'm pleased to say that this wasn't the case. That said, the open-plan kitchen meant that M and I could ogle at the chefs in action; the frantic duo managing the workload admirably. Though had the restaurant proved any busier, I think they may well have struggled. 

We concluded the afternoon's eating with a 'mini dessert' each to accompany our cappuccino; for me, the Double Chocolate Espresso Torta with its bitter-sweet ganache and crunchy biscuit base and for M, the home-made Chocolate Fudge Cake which, served chilled, wouldn't have necessarily been my bag but was nonetheless, exactly as billed and, I’d suggest, thoroughly enjoyed! Moreover, for an extra £2 when ordering a hot drink, these not-so bite-sized puds are fantastic value for money and an ideal way to round-up a lighter-lunch for those with a sweet tooth! 

All in all, I'd suggest that the Express Lunch menu has achieved exactly what it set out to do. Although larger appetites remain catered for as per the a la carte menu, the initial objectives have almost certainly been met via a ‘light, tasty and affordable’ assortment of dishes. Plus, although on this occasion, M and I had time on our side, we agreed that we could have easily tailored our visit to adhere to the confines of one’s working-day; altogether owing to our prompt server, the hard-work of those in the kitchen and most importantly, the appropriate simplicity of the lunchtime fare. If only I could move my office into the hubbub of the city centre from its secluded Bristol suburb in order to ditch my home-made sarnies in favour of the appetising alternatives contained within this nine-to-five-friendly menu! 

And now for the second opinion...

Mum gave the Express Lunch menu a rating of 9/10 and in three words, described the fare as, ‘perfect lunchtime cuisine’.

References:

*http://www.pizzaexpress.com/visit-a-restaurant/restaurant/bristol-harbourside/