The Travel Critic

Bristol, it seems, is getting good for food again. I know, I know – the foodie influencers of the world will tell you it’s been great for the past 20 years, but let’s be honest, it dropped off around the same time as the pandemic, which is hardly surprising. Even before that, places were nice but never really managed to pull off the full package: food, service, decor, and that elusive ‘special something’ all in one go.

But here’s the thing – in the past week, I’ve eaten in three of Bristol’s best, and I’ll say it straight: none of them missed a step. Including today’s lunch at 1 York Place.

To start with, it feels authentic. A neighbourhood restaurant with a bit of swagger but also a reassuring, relaxed air. Not the sort of place where the waiters scowl at you for existing, nor one where they bounce over with a “Hey guys!” and a clipboard. Just a solid, well-run room with people who know what they’re doing.

Service? Friendly, efficient, properly trained. And the food? Bang on. We opted for the £35 three-course lunch menu, which, in this economy, is practically charity. Ox cheek croquetas to start, hake with vermouth butter for mains, and a blood orange set cream to finish.

The croquetas were textbook: rich, crisp, deeply beefy. The hake was moist, bathed in a silken butter sauce that actually tasted of something rather than just greased the plate. And the blood orange set cream? A perfect balance of sharp, sweet, and smooth – the sort of thing you think you’ll just have a spoonful of before realising you’ve scraped the bowl clean and are now eyeing up your companion’s.

Frankly, I’d go back for any of those courses alone. The fact that all three landed so effortlessly in one meal is rare enough to be worth shouting about. Bristol, you might just be back in business.