The Travel Critic

The thing we often forget, and I’m as guilty of this as anyone, is that going out for food isn’t about ‘the food.’ I mean, we all need to eat, but we can do that anywhere. The real joy lies in the ‘going out.’ It’s the atmosphere, the ambiance, the sense of occasion, and—yes—the service.

Take Bar 44 in Clifton, for example. Now, if I were to say the service was slow, I wouldn’t be wrong. It was slow. But here’s the rub: it didn’t matter. We were told right from the start that they had new staff on board, and that they were finding their feet. And do you know what? That honesty was refreshing. The people who served us cared—actually cared—about what they were doing. It was service with a smile, even if that smile took a bit longer to reach our table.

But let’s not pretend the food is irrelevant. When it arrived (in its own time, mind you), the tapas was excellent. The Manchego plate was a lesson in simplicity and style—just the right amount of bite and tang. The overnight sherry-braised ox cheek? Meltingly soft and utterly moreish. The whipped cod roe was everything you want from whipped cod roe: light, airy, and full of punch. In fact, everything that passed our lips was, if not perfect, damn close to it.

Yet, here’s the twist—almost more importantly than the food, we had a lovely evening. The kind where the minutes stretch into hours and you find yourself leaning back in your chair, completely content. It felt special, as if the world outside had paused just for us to enjoy this moment.

So, bravo, Bar 44. You’ve reminded me that a meal out isn’t just about feeding the stomach. It’s about feeding the soul.