Bird in Hand – restaurant review

“The fish stew is really good, particularly with a drop of Tabasco – but don’t tell chef I said that,” says our server, speaking in a conspiratorial stage whisper.

It is a drizzly and grey Saturday evening, but the cheerful décor and hearty welcome of the Bird in Hand is slowly thawing the miserable springtime blues – aided by the ample wine list.

Tucked away in Long Ashton, barely a ten minute drive from the city centre, this cosy hostelry feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle, as family groups and old friends gather around wooden tables for a relaxed get-together.

Vibrant flowers perch in heavy old spirit bottles, candles cast a warm glow, books sit on a shelf by a bare stone wall and polished cutlery lie on top of crisp white napkins, as more customers pile in through the unassuming wooden doors and conversation flows throughout the wood-floored rooms.

Pub meets restaurant in the Bird in Hand – a gastropub that takes culinary art to the next level and has been awarded a Bib Gourmand & AA Rosette to prove it.

Tonight is the first outing of a new menu and staff are keen to talk through the tantalising options – from a torched Devon trout starter to a day-aged rib of beef mains, a particular favourite, we’re told.

With food ordered and wine delivered prompt and chilled, there’s ample chance to sit, soak up the newly refurbished surroundings and idly listen to the jovial banter of the staff serving nearby tables.

Bright tin adverts promoting Bristol goods such as Robinson’s cakes and Will’s tobacco, adorn the simple white walls, along with a taxidermy head – once belonging to an antelope or similar cloven-hoofed mammal – which looks disconcertingly across from its wall-mounted position with an air of disapproval, which is fair enough in the circumstances.

Without further ado, starters arrive.

The fish stew is thick hearty and wholesome (£8.50) and lives up to expectations, with the recommended drop of Tabasco complementing the strong flavours perfectly.

The soup of the day – turnip and apple – (£6) is more of an acquired taste, with a slightly overpowering tang, but the hefty chunk of bread makes up for any misgivings about the dish and the generous dollop of creamy butter is to die for (no fiddly little sachets here).

Arrival of the mains herald a visual feast – the potato and dry-aged cheddar gnocchi (£16) is a riot of colour, joyously sprinkled with violet artichokes, spring vegetables, curds and floral decoration.

The taste is a revelation, with the gnocchi pieces crisp to bite into and almost melting in the middle, while the accompanying ingredients bring the dish to life with a delicate fusion of flavours and contrasting textures.

In comparison, the pan-roasted cod with celeriac, wild mushrooms and shellfish butter sauce (£17) falls slightly flat.

While technically fine and generous in portion-size, with plenty of delectable shell fishes hidden beneath the slab of cod, the plate lacks pizazz and the fish itself borders on bland after a few mouthfuls.

Full, but not quite finished, a chocolate fondant with banana ice-cream and peanut brittle (£8) sounds too good to resist on the tantalising dessert menu. And the reality does not disappoint.

The alluring scent of chocolate drifts over to the table marking the arrival of the small but perfectly formed fondant. The firm chocolate shell gives way to a rich molten centre that is perfectly offset with the fresh, cooling banana and nutty flavours.

Ending the meal on a high, we take a bit longer to sit finishing wine amid the relaxed surroundings.

A cosy antidote to a cold, grey evening, the Bird in Hand also boasts an ample garden, adorned with fairy lights for balmy summer nights in the countryside setting.

While certainly pricier than your average gastropub, this – likes its sister venue, The Pump House – strives to go that extra step, with locally sourced and foraged seasonal ingredients. And this attention to detail is – for the most part – is reflected in the food.

Bird in Hand, 17 Weston Road, Long Ashton, BS41 9LA
01275 395 222
www.bird-in-hand.co.uk

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