Juniper Restaurant - Cotham Road South, Bristol

Embracing the final year of my twenties was always going to be difficult to swallow and thus, an appropriately edible birthday gift from the Best Foodie Friend (BFF) had been thoughtfully designed to sweeten the otherwise bitter aroma of one’s descent into the dirty thirties! A touch dramatic perhaps and yet, a Living Social voucher entitling the BFF and I to a three-course extravaganza from Juniper’s à la carte menu, (with a glass of wine each to boot), would no doubt constitute the kind of dining experience that only a 'special' occasion of this nature could ensue.

Date and Time: Tuesday 30 July 2013, 19:30
Name of Establishment: Juniper Restaurant*
Location: 21 Cotham Road South, Bristol
Reason for Visit: A birthday treat from (and with) the BFF…

Juniper is a homely, intimately arranged (and largely plum-coloured) space with tables for two nestled within each and every nook and cranny There is an unmistakable sense that this establishment could serve as one's home from home whereby, with a regular following, it ultimately has community at its core. Its style appropriately compliments its ambiance which is friendly and welcoming - lending to the establishment a first-rate level of service which extended way beyond the booking process and into the evening itself; an evening where nothing at all appeared too much trouble. Sipping our complimentary vino (a Spanish Macabeo if you're interested), the BFF and I perused the menu which head chef Nick Kleiner describes as ‘contemporary’ and ‘eclectic’; intending to balance ‘bold and fresh flavours’ in order to deliver consistently first-rate fare. To that end, I chose to start with the crab cakes (normally £6.95) which had been tastefully-arranged upon a young leaf salad. Crushed almonds provided an earthy undercurrent amidst an otherwise powerfully flavoured dish whilst a liberal drizzle of saffron aioli added a notable vibrancy; both in terms of its exquisite flavour and visual appeal. The BFF opted for the home-made scotch egg which had been plated alongside an ample portion of buttery mash and, she enthused, ‘an incredibly tasty piccalilli’ – she also mentioned that the egg itself had proved the perfect consistency; melt-in-the-mouth moreishness!

Main courses followed promptly; for me, the supreme of free-range chicken (usually £15.95) which was juicy and expertly executed. Here, the main event had been coupled with a sun dried tomato stuffing which, combined with sporadic dollops of onion jam and flecked with chorizo, filled the palate with its sweet-salt deliciousness. Potatoes dauphinoise completed the bill, proving rich and creamy – perhaps a touch too rich and creamy however, due to the mushroom and tarragon sauce that had been liberally applied to the meat which you could say. had a somewhat comparable disposition. The BFF reported similar findings, opting for the rump of lamb (normally £18.95) which she admitted was really rather hard-going given that it had been slathered with a spinach and feta cream sauce which, albeit, very tasty, was really rather heavy, (especially in light of the meat’s indulgent accompaniment; the aforementioned potatoes dauphinoise)..She also pointed out that the lamb was disappointingly over-cooked which was a real shame as the dish was otherwise beautifully presented and generously portioned. 

When it came to the all-important dessert selection process, the BFF was quick of the mark; opting for the chocolate truffle pot (usually £6.50); yet dismaying in the knowledge that the peanut butter and salted caramel ice cream had expired well before our arrival. Powering through with home-made vanilla as a ‘pleasant’ substitute as well as a side-serving of summer berry compote, she praised the ensemble, commenting that the chocolate was of a good quality; its subtle bitterness suitably complimenting the zing of the fruit. I’m afraid that on my part, the ice cream situation was very much a deal breaker, meaning that my typical choice of pudding (which is altogether dominated by its chocolate content) was overthrown in favour of the warm blueberry bakewell tart, (also £6.50). Here, a whole tartlet had been served with merely a smudge of banoffee ice cream which, although fantastically flavoursome, just wasn’t plentiful enough – thus, I quickly missed the contrast between the cool, sweetness of the ice cream and the warmth of the tart’s sharp-noted filling.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed the laid-back appeal of Juniper – the drive to deliver locally-sourced, organic fare of an exemplary standard was evident from start to finish and, on the large part, achieved. It could be argued that some of the dishes were a little too complex for their own good (you really can have too much of a good thing, you know) and yet, one cannot deny the imagination behind their intricate construction. Therefore, if we return to the ethos of the menu and specifically, the concept of balance, we could argue that this still needs a little work – that said, the attention to detail, both in and out of the kitchen coupled with a genuine passion for hearty, innovatively assembled cuisine really is reason enough to keep coming back for more. I’d suggest that overall, given its calibre, the menu is reasonably priced but certainly reflects the ‘special occasion territory’ that we started this review with. As a result, this isn’t an establishment I’d regularly indulge in and yet, in the event of said special occasion, its fair to say that it would most certainly be in the running.

And now for the second opinion…

The BFF gave Juniper a rating of 7/10 and in three words,commented that there was 'just something missing'...

References:

*http://www.juniperrestaurant.co.uk/

The Burger Joint – Cotham Hill, Bristol

The Burger Joint all but saved the day last Tuesday from what could have otherwise been hailed as a dinner-time disaster. I think it speaks volumes that my friends and I opted to trek all the way from Gloucester Road, in no less than monsoon-style conditions, from the venue initially chosen for our natter and nosh up. Although our 'first choice' served up a catalogue of errors which caused us to jump ship, the pull of The Burger Joint's undisputed reliability factor led to a burger-based pilgrimage across town and will no doubt underpin the (rather gushing) review that follows...

Date and Time: Tuesday 7^th August 2012

Name of Establishment: The Burger Joint*

Location: Cotham Hill, Bristol

Reason for Visit: A trustworthy tummy tantaliser!

Intimately inviting, The Burger Joint hints at an American diner theme and yet ditches the tried-and-tested 'retro' effect for block-colour and sophisticated simplicity. It fathoms a similar appeal to that of a friend's gaff in that the venue's established neighbourhood-favourite badge has been channelled through its closely-arranged furniture and friendly ambiance; the latter clearly securing a strong following in that it can sometimes prove difficult to bag a table at all. In fact, this is perhaps the primary reason for the hotly anticipated re-location of The Burger Joint whereby owner, Dan and his crew will be swapping premises with the Whiteladies Road branch of Planet Pizza in the Autumn of 2012.

On to the menu and first of all, I have to commend the novelty-factor of ordering from tick-lists; checking the boxes that correspond to your chosen content; toppings, sauces and side-orders. I almost always opt for the grilled chicken burger as it ultimately constitutes a free-range, amply-sized and juicy chicken breast which, coupled with crispy bacon and slathered with melted Swiss is simply delicious! Besides chicken, you can choose from the likes of 6oz prime beef, lamb and mint, pork sage and apple, mixed mushroom and even venison – on the large part, burgers have been priced at £7.50, though there are often 'Voucher Cloud'* deals to be had to satisfy the spending-savvy amongst us!

Toppings, at 70p each or three for £1.80, are positively plentiful and you're encouraged to unleash your creativity with a multitude of available combinations; in fact, a friend of mine once ordered the unthinkable and 'doubled up' his burger via an unusual multi-meat approach; sandwiching chicken with beef with a buffer of onion rings - tasty? We can only take his word for it...! Extremities aside, there are four varieties of cheese on offer including the aforementioned Swiss as well as Brie, Cheddar and a good-quality blue. There is also the option to add chorizo, roasted peppers, grilled red chillis, sautéed mushrooms or even a free-range fried egg! Sides (the first of which is free with your burger) are as equally abundant; the hand-cut chips proving thick and moreish and the home-made coleslaw, flavoursome and creamy. That said, the absolute winner for me has to be the sweet potato fries which are by far, the best I've ever tasted given their well-executed composition whereby a crisp exterior suitably encases the distinctive soft, earthiness within. We're also talking thirteen different sauces - two of which you can choose for free - which include all the usual suspects. These can can either be added to your burger or provided in rather lady-like dipping pots on the side of your plate! When it comes to the bap itself, gone is the doughy, anaemic-looking bloat-provoker that can so often be cheaply sourced elsewhere and instead, ciabatta rolls have been facilitated from a nearby artisan bakery. It is also worth mentioning that lettuce, red onions, sliced tomato and slithers of (the dreaded) gherkin are added to each burger as standard and so if any of these ingredients don't particularly float your boat, it is best to add a brief sub-note to your form, (complete with smiley face as let's face it, it always pays to be polite). Finally, you can remove the carb-component altogether in favour of the burger salad which is exactly what it says on the tin – your choice of burger, with all the trimmings, sans bread!

Grilled Chicken Burger with all my favourite trimmings!

Check out those sweet potato fries!

As a licensed venue, The Burger Joint offers a compact yet thoughtfully arranged selection of beers, wines and cider which, in my view, stand at prices outside of the usual Clifton-style spectrum, (vino coming in at just over three quid for a medium-sized glass). Alcohol aside however, the milkshakes (at a mere £2.60 each) are definitely where it's at given their thick, rich-tasting appeal; the caramel edition in particular proving especially decadent. This also makes up for the limited line-up of puddings which, to be fair, I've never had room to sample!

In conclusion, I really can't recommend The Burger joint enough; if the premise of tasty, build-your-own burgers doesn't move you, nor the notion of fresh, locally sourced ingredients whereby an 'emphasis on quality' denotes that everything is hand-made in a cutesy home-from-home style kitchen, then surely the timely money-saving deals, in addition to the option to order your din dins 'to-go' so to enjoy it from the comfort of your own home, will swing it for you! Yes, it may not be considered gourmet cuisine but The Burger Joint is definitely the best of its kind in our beloved Bristol – get involved...you'll definitely be glad that you did!

And now for the second opinion...

My fellow diner, the beautiful SM, gave The Burger Joint an impressive 10/10 and in three words, summed up her experience as 'satisfying', 'delicious' and 'consistent'.

References:

*http://www.theburgerjoint.co.uk/index.html

*http://www.vouchercloud.com/