There
is always an element of excitement when a boarded outlet promises to
unveil a brand new dining experience and passing CAU during its
constructive stages was certainly no exception, particularly in light
of the invitation I’d received to attend its launch. Epitomised by
blue skies and grassy pastures, this is an establishment where an
Argentinian undercurrent equals innovative fare; thick, juicy steak
and punchy street food. Mouth watering? Then read on…
Date
and time: Wednesday 13 August 2014, 19.30
Name
of establishment: CAU, Bristol*
Location:
74 Queens Road, Clifton
Reason
for visit: Complimentary carnivorousness!
CAU
is an airy, open-plan space with contemporary furnishings and
minimalistic décor – the acoustics have been carefully
orchestrated so that well-placed lighting and subtle background music
create an essence of sophisticated soul. My dining companion and I
were given a table-for-two with a view given its kitchen-side seats.
This even allowed for a little interaction with those at the helm of
the culinary genius – whereby it became clear that the entire
workforce were keen to showcase their knowledge of the dishes;
encouraging us towards particular edibles and adorning our table with
ingredients that had previously been foreign to us - chimichurri…who
knew?! To start, we settled on the Salt and Pepper Squid (£5.95)
which, thanks to a sprinkling of fresh chilli, established a little
heat before the Chipotle Mayo brought its familiar burn to the
palate. We also tucked into traditional Empanadas (£7 for two) which
consisted of crisp parcels of rich-tasting Spanish chorizo blended
with cooling cream cheese – delicious! Served with fresh tomato
sauce, these are sizeable enough to share and, as you can mix and
match the three variations, you needn’t struggle to agree on just
one filling.
 |
| Empanadas - to share or not to share!? |
 |
| What squid you say...? |
Now
this may come as a surprise to you but steak isn’t usually my ‘bag’
as (innuendo aside) I simply can’t handle a lot of meat! Yet, I had
read glowing accounts of CAU’s ‘richly flavoured and wonderfully
tender…grass fed Argentinian beef’ and found myself ordering the
Lomito (£29.50), a 440g fillet of rump…well, when in the Pampas…!
My dining companion opted for the Asado De Chorizo (£34.95); a
sirloin steak in a churrasco marinade of smoked paprika, chilli
flakes, garlic and parsley which was literally the size of my face!
This wasn’t initially cooked to the requirements that he had
articulated and yet, our friendly server (or CAU-boy) soon whisked it
back to the kitchen and, after a passing exchange with the chef (who
popped his head over the partition to address us directly), it
re-emerged ‘pink…but not bleeding’ which was exactly the
brief…win! I liked that the sides were served separately so not to
interfere with the main event; you can choose from either chips
(American-style fries or triple-cooked wedges) or salad to accompany
your steak which altogether constitutes a mammoth-sized portion.
However, try to leave some room for the chickpeas with spicy chorizo
(£2.95) which, despite its simplicity, proved an incredibly
flavoursome addition.
 |
| The whole CAU-boodle! |
 |
| Asado De Chorizo...A succulent success |
It’s
fair to say that by this stage, there really wasn’t much room for
dessert which was disappointing given the CAU Cornflake Ice Cream
Sundae (£5.95) which I had earmarked for consumption earlier in the
evening. Instead, we settled for a spot of sorbet which, if I’m
honest, was itself a triumph; the coconut in particular, proving
suitably refreshing yet remaining indulgent enough to round off the
evening’s eatings to perfection!
Overall,
a fantastic first impression of CAU…There aren’t many places
where the chef apologises to you in person for not perfecting your
steak the first time around and checks that your overall experience
wasn’t affected as a result. It wasn’t and, in fact, the way that
our visit had been handled by both the waiting staff and those in the
kitchen, really made this a stand-out establishment; both in terms of
the high level of customer service we’d received and the obvious
care applied to the production of each dish. On the other hand, CAU
is really rather pricey and I have to admit that I wouldn’t have
been quite so reckless with my selections from the menu had I been
footing the bill myself. That said, there are plenty of less
financially challenging options…couple one of the crisp Spanish
whites (from a plentiful line-up) with a range of small plates
inspired by the pizazz of Buenos Aires itself, for instance, and you
have a top-notch dining experience which won’t break the bank but
will, without a doubt, wow you with its fresh-faced valour – highly
recommended.
And
now for the second opinion….
My
dining companion gave CAU a huge 9/10 and in three words, summed up
his experience as, ‘generous’, ‘tasty’ and ‘talented’.
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