Bristol - Cafe Poco

Cafe Poco is a great wee tapas bar that's found opposite the Canteen on Gloucester Road. The kitchen is placed much like a bar, in the middle of the room, and all down one side of the wood panelling is a huge array of fresh fruit and veg. I occasionally saw the chef wander out and deliberate over for it while, before plucking a unpeeled beetroot from the pile.

The menu had a huge variety of both hot and cold tapas, (as well as puddings), and it was all written on a massive blackboard on the back wall. Up on here they also had what sounded like foraged juices - namely Dandelion and Burdock, and Apple and Rhubarb. I alighted on the latter, which was delicious, as although the apple made it sweet the rhubarb then made it zingy, and it has spurred me to make rhubarb crumble very soon.

We ordered a lot of food... We got the traditional warm hummus with flatbreads, the manchego and membrillo, beetroot, butternut squash and chickpeas, and the pork belly.

It was all delicious. And always like with tapas, although I have suspicions that it won't fill me up, the act of picking and choosing and the slow way in which you approach your meal means that it always does. The hummus was probably my favourite part, and was fairly similar to that at Yalla Yalla, which had me holla-ing from the rooftops. (A review for which was written in January). However, the pork belly was a close contender, as it was cooked with lime and fennel and had the best crackling ever.

We then seriously indulged, getting a chilli hot chocolate each and sharing a pomegranate molasses brownie. The chilli in the hot chocolate had a proper kick and when I drained the mug my face may have shown momentary alarm as the chilli residue invaded my mouth. This was, however, only momentary, and subsided swiftly to a warming, pleasant feeling. The brownie had the pomegranate molasses inside it, and not just as a topping, which slightly baffled us with the first few bites - we couldn't work out what that errant taste was - but with creme fraiche it really worked, and made it a moist and yummy brownie with a twist.

As ever, if you order wildly it could end up a tad on the expensive side, but with dishes ranging from £2 to £4/5, it really needn't be too much. It was a really lovely meal and a perfect stop-off if you're on your way to the Canteen. Us third years, however, were far too tired and boring for any of that, and come 10.30, decided it was time to trot off to bed.

J

Bristol - The Bristolian

I heard about The Bristolian a while ago from a friend, and so we wandered down to Gloucester Road yesterday to check it out. To give you some bearings, it's over the road from Kino Cafe and the Arts Cafe, and its prettily lighted front looked old fashioned and inviting on that cold, cold evening. Inside is, as ever - as I am learning in these rambles around Bristol restaurants - incredibly welcoming and friendly.

They serve a range of food, from salad-y goodies in the glass counter and gluten free cakes and shortbreads on top, to a series of (yep, gluten free) breakfasts. The main Bristolian one has everything except the mushrooms! Perfect! The supper menu was quite small, and although it had great dishes they were quite expensive, particularly the starters/tapas as most came in at about £7.

We both alighted on the chorizo quesadillas, which came with onion, aubergine, courgette, pepper, cheese, and a homemade salsa and guacamole. These were pretty tricky to eat, (although I developed the knack), but were really delicious, and so filling.

I would definitely recommend The Bristolian, and hope to return sometime soon to try one of these mushroom-free breakfasts.

J

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Thought I would add a bit to this!
'The Bristolian', lighting up a dark alley deep in the heart of Stokes Croft, is aptly named for it exemplifies what Bristol is all about - quirkiness, independence, and amazing, locally-sourced food.

The quesedillas immediately stood out to us both on the rather limited menu, albeit containing many delicious-sounding meals. After toying with the prospect of a fondue-esque option as a starter, I decided to stick with the quesedilla (which, despite multiple attempts I still can't seem to pronounce properly) thinking it was a type of burrito/tortilla/enchilada-type meal.

I was rather caught by surprise at what turned up. As the photo shows, they are nothing like enchiladas... I wondered how such minimal food could fill me up, but what seemed like barely anything had my hearty appetite quashed. A rather messy meal ensued with Little J mastering the technique to avoid the quesedillas failing apart - me not so much and now my trousers have a nasty compromising stain on the thigh. Can't take me anywhere.

Although the place is a little cramped and I was rather nervous about leaning my head against the wall which was adorned with candles at hair-burning height, it is absolutely worth a visit. They offer a great range of alternative hot-chocolate flavours, including cinnamon, chilli, and mint, and the breakfasts look very appetising. They even have a 'Bristolian Challenge', which is a £12 massive pile of breakfast foods and has most certainly been pushed near the top of my bucketlist of things to do before leaving Bristol.

Go visit! It's also close to the Croft and The Canteen, so if you're heading to a gig and looking for some pre-mosh munch, maybe check it out.

A

Manchester - Teacup on Thomas St

This is a great wee cafe that we stumbled upon when wandering through the North Quarter, that is, as we found out, owned by Mr Scruff. I squealed with delight.

It's very like Bristol's Boston Tea Party, and like BTP, has a range of different teas to try. I alighted on the rosehip tea, which came in a beautiful, creaky glass pot. This also came with a timer that told you exactly when your tea had finished stewing, and when you could pour it into a second glass teapot. Such a novelty.

This tea was not only beautiful to look at, but it was really delicious, and reminded me of when I used to make perfume as a small child by squeezing rose petals into water. You were also allowed to ask for a water top-up too, which I thought was really kind.

I also had the brownie with pistachios on top which was the best brownie I've had in a while, and my friend had the halloumi and pitta salad. Although this place is a bit pricey, (a cup of tea was about £4), I recommend it for the experience, and who knows, you may even bump into Mr Scruff.

J

London - Bi Bim Bap

I ended up popping down to London for an interview on Sunday and wandered into the small Korean restaurant, Bi Bim Bap. Found in Soho, on a road adjacent to Ronnie Scotts, this apparently small and unassuming restaurant bombards you on entering with a plethora of tiny photographs lining its walls, all of happy, smiling diners. However, far from being alarmed, this sight rather spurred me on to try and join these troops lining the walls, and so I sat. (Alas, in case you were wondering, I was unsuccessful). One day, maybe.

The restaurant is named after its signature dish, which is also Korea’s national one, Bi Bim Bap. This is a big responsibility for shoulders of such small metrical dimensions, however, Bi Bim Bap did not disappoint. Its signature dish is terribly healthy and consists of rice mixed with vegetables and possibly meat, then usually with the (almost random) addition of a fried egg. It was served in fantastic bowls that seemed to be carved out of stone and that remained firmly on their slabs of wood, as they were terribly hot. The bowls were particularly great as their circumference was wide enough to allow you to get to the food and mix it up as much as you wanted without the fear of it spilling everywhere. I may just be a messy eater, but I’ve definitely had that problem in the past.

We also had the Korean root tea, which was unusual, but delicious. Oh and just as a heads up, downstairs is plastered with posters of Korean girl bands that look like they are styling themselves on the nineties Spice Girls. A bit bizarre, but you can easily hurry past. Although I enjoyed trying the dish Bi Bim Bap, if I’m totally honest I’m not sure that I would return, oh other than to try and get a photo on their wall, of course. 

J

Bristol - Kookoo Cafe

This wee Persian restaurant situated at a far flung corner of Gloucester Road is, I would say, totally worth the trek. 

And a trek it is. Although a trek that is admittedly partly my fault... I foolishly left my bag there, which resulted in us walking the entirety of Gloucester Road three times in one evening. I may never have done D of E, but I honestly feel I can now put down Bronze Award on my C.V. 

Anyway, the place is small but bright, and incredibly welcoming. A small bouncy man greeted and seated us, and then plied us with Persian teas and a starter of aubergine, egg (?) and tomato. Although we were at first dubious at the inclusion of egg, it was actually a delicious dip that came with yummy flatbreads.

The tea was served in teapots that were on stands above a tea light to keep them warm, and was drunk out of teeny cut glass cups. Much more exciting than your average cuppa.

Kookoo cafe has a different dish each day of the week, and being a wednesday, I alighted upon a lamb stew. However, this was no ordinary stew, and was in fact a whole lamb shank, with a huge mound of saffron and ordinary rice - understated amazing-ness. There was so much food that we both left merrily swinging blue and white striped bags with tomorrows lunch in. A lunch which I am very much looking forward to. 

J