Restaurants / Stokes Croft
The Arts House – restaurant review
With windows steamed up against the relentless grey drizzle and exhaust fumes of Stokes Croft, the newly reopened Arts House cafe is a true retreat on a cold lunchtime.
New owners Giles Coram and former Harvey Nichols chef Craig Summers met when they both worked at Wallfish Bistro in Clifton Village, and good food is a high priority for the team.
Inside, almost all of the mismatched wooden tables are occupied with hot cups of coffee in red china cups, notebooks, laptops and empty plates, as people settle in for a morning working in pleasant settings. Daffodils in glass bottles act as props for two girls in the corner, taking endless selfies in the stylish surroundings.
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The brunch menu is simple and understated, like the whitewashed wood cladding on the walls and stripped floorboards that make the redecorated interior bright and natural.
Served from 10am until 4pm daily, dishes centre around eggs (£5.50 for Benedict with Serrano ham and £7 for scrambled with smoked salmon) while a full English breakfast for £9 seems a good option for those with big appetites, the long list of ingredients scrawled on a chalkboard above a long table.
At 6pm, the menu switches to substantial dishes (£12 for two courses or £14 for three) including steak and chips or a curried lentil dal.
An extensive range of Teapigs tea is available, as well as a big coffee machine at the back of the cafe, bursts of steam escaping with each fresh cup.
The rarebit was less substantial than expected
A few minutes after ordering at the bar, the aroma of smoked haddock wafted into the cafe from the open kitchen at the rear, and soon a plate of rarebit (£7) arrived at my table.
It was piping hot but less substantial than expected – just two small pieces of toast with the grilled topping spread over them. The bread was fresh with a soft centre and nice crust able to withstand the moisture of the melted cheese without becoming soggy. The fish flaked away perfectly, and the cheese was silky with a delicate flavour, balancing the depth of the fish.
But all too soon it was over, plate scraped clean as more people entered the cafe to shelter from the rain and sip a coffee.
At an adjacent table, a plate of borlotti beans on toast arrived piled high with mushrooms, sliced avocado and tomato, its recipient diving straight in with a shiny knife and fork. Food envy is a real emotion.
As the rain began to clear, along with the windows, the girls sitting below the crystal chandelier snapped a final selfie, heads together looking at the screen to assess it for Instagram worthiness.
“I love it!” one of them giggled as the coffee machine hissed in agreement. It’s definitely a thumbs up for this updated Stokes Croft spot.
The Arts House Cafe, 108A Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU
0117 923 2858
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