Afro-Caribbean

Bristol

PLANTATION CARRIBEAN BAR & RESTAURANT
223 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5QP
Tel: 0117 907 7932, web: www.plantationrestaurant.biz
● This Venue writer visited Plantation in its first year and loved it. Seven years on and there’s no stopping the gentle force that is Bev Forbes and her talented cooking team. A recent facelift and expansion sees this Caribbean restaurant-cum-bar adding more live music in celebration of the rich culinary heritage fusing Spanish, French, African, Amerindian and Indian cuisine to spectacular results. A relaxed vibe suffuses the food, bar, music and art gallery. New weekend-night buffet brings traditional favourites: jerk chicken, curried goat, ackee and vegetarian and vegan dishes (spicy pumpkin soup and fried plantains). Excellent cocktail menu, with Red Stripe and cider now on tap. If you want to shake your booty, there’s live music for all ages every six weeks or so - check website for details. Tue is open mic night – call for more info. Sign up to their regular email updates, which usually include one of Bev’s favourite recipes. Price ALC: £4.35-£4.95/£11.95-£14.95/£3.50-£5.50. Buffet (Fri-Sat): £14.95pp Wine list HW approx £11 btl, £3 gls Open Tue-Thur 6-11pm, Fri-Sat 6-11.30pm, Sun 6-10pm. Disabled access & toilet. Parties of 20+ welcome. Available for private hire. Home delivery menu – check website for menus & details, 10% discount on takeaway orders.

NEW
RICE AND THINGS
120 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5RW
Tel: 0117 924 4832, web: www.riceandthings.co.uk
● The opportunity for proprietor (and kitchen main man) Branatic ‘Chef’ Neufville to share the Jamaican cooking he learned from his grandma as a boy. And share he does, his personality as generous as his portions, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Venue food editor Tony Benjamin wants to be adopted: ‘With well laid out tables with rolled linen napkins, it’s clear on arrival that Chef wants you to take the food seriously. There’s no jerk chicken or curry goat on the menu, but a wide-ranging choice of dishes mostly identified by their Jamaican place of origin, with fish well represented. Michael, the smart and professional maitre d’, helpfully explains unfamiliar choices like ‘bees hive shrimp’. After a complimentary bowl of meat and vegetable soup, my saltfish & dumpling starter is neatly laid out and perfectly cooked, near-sweet dumplings complementing golden fried fish chunks, while her crisp taliapa fillets dunk nicely in a fruity sweet and sour sauce.’ Specialise in fish, with lots of vegetarian and vegan choices. Jamaican Night, last Fri of the month, means all you can eat in a two-hour slot for £14 adult, £8 child. Members Club, second Sat of the month - ring for an application. Price Breakfast £5-£7, lunch £7 (£6 takeaway), dinner ALC: £3-£3.50/£10-£14 Wine list Extensive. HW approx £15 btl, £3.80 gls. Jamaican cocktails Open Mon-Fri 8am-10pm, Sat 8am-11pm Sun, 11am-8pm. Disabled access & toilet. Parties welcome, call in adv. Takeaway available.

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