Otira & Chandos Social @ Otira – restaurant and bar review

In London, there are several streets known for specific businesses. Harley Street for example is known for its doctors, Saville Row for its tailors and Fleet Street once upon a time for its newspapers.

Here in Bristol, one small street in Redland is carving out quite a name for itself as a place for top restaurants, and with the opening of Otira – next door to Wilks, almost opposite No Man’s Grace and just down the road from Wilsons – it has just got even better.

It’s a game of two halves here, with two different places underneath the same roof, sharing the same front door but divided by a wall; through which those sitting at the bar at Chandos Social can see the diners in Otira, and those eating in Otira’s dining room can see those sitting at the bar in Chandos Social.

The view into Chandos Social from the dining room of Otira

Otira has been opened by Stephen Gilchrist and Kathryn Curtis of Shop 3 Bistro in Clifton Village, whose aim here is to introduce flavours from New Zealand-born chef Stephen’s travels across the world, as well as head chef Thomas’ time spent in Argentina.

And what flavours, with Stephen a master at different tastes, textures and temperatures on the same plate.

On a recent Saturday lunchtime, it was time to check out the tapas bar, with a glass of Mount Difficulty pinot noir from New Zealand the perfect accompaniment to the current offer of three tapas for £12.

Sit at the bar made from wood that used to make up a Bristol Uni chemistry lab and try beer from New Zealand and Argentina, or closer to home from the likes of Lost & Grounded. It’s not called Chandos Social for nothing and chatter soon breaks out between those sat next to each other.

An undoubted highlight of the half-dozen dishes was the mussel escabeche with parsley and dill oil, beautifully presented on a glass dish with the marinated seafood coming to the fore accompanied by the fresh herbs and vegetables.

Mussel escabeche

Delicious braised short rib of beef was encased in empanadas pock-marked from their time in the oven, more tastes of the sea came from the cod croquettes with aioli, while a small beef and bone marrow slider on brioche was as good as in any of Bristol’s specialist burger joints.

In its first fortnight of opening, guests who have enjoyed dinner in one half have then walked through to the neighbouring half to enjoy a drink.

Returning on Thursday evening, we did it the other way round, walking through the bar where we had sat on Saturday morning to the homely restaurant area, with lampshades of cotton and wire above our heads made by Kathryn and her excellent head waitress Sally.

This time we went for four courses which were to be a mystery until they arrived on the table from the £37.50 ‘trust the chef’ option. (Two courses here are £26.50 and three courses £33)

As a modern tango replaced a brass version of Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye on the stereo, the first dish that appeared were eels that had been delicately smoked and served with parsnip both in a veloute sauce and in something resembling a cracker, alongside Japanese pesto.

Wild mushrooms and venison

Next up from the ever-attentive Sally was violet artichoke, sea buckthorn, radish, kumquat and clementine sorbet – yes, sorbet; an occasion where we really did have to trust the chef. Did it work? The jury is still out on that but it shows that Stephen and his team in the kitchen are prepared to take risks and for that they should be commended.

The main course of venison and and wild mushrooms were served on two different plates, the juicy venison steak on one and piping hot risotto found underneath piles of mushrooms on the other plate. It was a splendid combination, just like the cheesecake, meringue, passionfruit, marshmallow and hazelnuts that made up the ‘late autumn mess dessert’ – a gooey delight.

One of Bristol’s last restaurant openings of what has been an exceptional year is also one of its very best, on a road with an unrivaled food and drink reputation.

Otira, 5-7 Chandos Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6PG
0117 9733 669

www.otira.co.uk

Read more: Shop 3 Bistro – restaurant review