Bristol
EL PUERTO
57 Prince St, BS1 4QH Tel: 0117 925 6014, web: www.el-puerto.co.uk
• Our food editor loves this vibrant, authentic, stylish contemporary tapas bar: ‘While honing my critical palate all over town, I return time and again, bringing other subsequently grateful friends to share the lively Spanish ambience and great food. With a cool jazz trio playing live to the nearly full restaurant, we discovered that £50 covered the food bill for three. How good is that? Bloody brilliant, I’d say.’ Find Spanish flavours like the crisp, salty skin of grilled sardines, fat alubia beans in tomato sauce, succulent chulatito cutlets, and espinacas El Puerto (spinach mulched in cream, cheese and almonds). There are a few sturdier dishes, too (steak, sea bass, chicken skewers). Live flamenco every Sun from 7.30pm. Price Tapas £2.95-£6.50, ALC main £11.15-£15.50 Wine list Excellent Spanish wines. HW £13 btl, £3.25 gls Open Sun-Thur 12noon-11pm (kitchen closed 3-5pm), Fri-Sat 12noon-11.30pm. Disabled access. Parties/groups welcome - call in adv.
EL RINCON
298 North St, Southville, BS3 1JU Tel: 0117 939 3457, web: www.elrincon.moonfruit.com
• Hungry hordes after authentic tapas, language lessons or live music flock to this Bedminster gem. Our reviewer spent his birthday there: ‘The ambience is casual, like a friendly dinner party, unpretentious and comfy, with recycled chairs and tables. Bullfight posters are scattered around the brightly painted walls, with a view into the garden revealing cushions on the steps welcoming smokers. What a spread it turned out to be, covering the table with colour and filling the air with delicious smells. Perfecto!’ This is a family-friendly and seemingly endless homage to nibbling delights – book ahead, particularly on Fri when there’s live music (see website or call for details). Price Tapas £3-£7 Wine list Extensive, Spanish selection. HW £13 btl, £3.20 gls Open Mon-Fri 6-10pm, Sat 12noon-10pm, Sun 12noon-6pm. Disabled access - a few steps and no ramp, but staff happy to assist. Parties welcome - call in adv.
LA TASCA
Glass House, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BX Tel: 0845 129 7623, web: www.latasca.co.uk
• Find warm surroundings, rustic cookware and bright prints and posters in the last of what used to be three Bristol branches of this small franchise. Homecooked dishes made with fresh ingredients include authentic paellas, cooked in traditional style in a classic paella pan. Try the fragrant jamon serrano (cured dry ham) from the cool Spanish mountains and rich, creamy manchego cheese (from land of the windmills, La Mancha). Kids get highchairs and their own menu. Bath branch, too. Price ALC: £2.25-£6.95/£7.95-£14.95/£3.25-£5.95. SL: currently £12 (2 sharing – call or see website for current offers and online booking) Wine list Good range of wine, sangria, Euro-beers. HW £13.45 btl, £3.65 gls Open Daily 12noon-11pm (10.30pm Sun). Good disabled access. Parties 20+ welcome.
NANDO’S
Glass House, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BX Tel: 0117 3763 876
49 Park St, BS1 5NT Tel: 0117 929 9263
Aspects Leisure Park, Longwell Green, BS15 9LA Tel: 0117 967 2631
Unit 208, Cribbs Causeway, BS34 5UR Tel: 0117 959 0146, web: www.nandos.co.uk
• Nando’s is Portuguese via South Africa, where, apparently, the indigenous South Africans introduced Portuguese sailors to the bird’s eye chilli that became the base of Nando’s famous peri-peri sauce. What started out as a sauce is now a mini fast-food-franchise empire, with an already-established branch in Bath, and Bristol adding its fourth venue last year. South African artists on display; world music a go-go. ‘We watched the cleaver-wielding chefs sundering marinated chickens and tossing them on the grill,’ wrote our reviewer. Open-plan kitchens serve burgers, pitta, salads, steaks and platters to share, especially those comprising their trademark chicken. Takeaway service, and you can buy sauces to try at home. Children get highchairs and their own special dishes. Price ALC: £2.90-£7/£6-£12.80/£2.95-£3.95. Party menus, 2-4-1 deals, etc - call or see website for updates Wine list HW £13.20 btl, £2.60 gls Open Aspects: daily 11am-11pm. Cabot: Sun-Thur 12noon-10pm, Fri 12noon-11pm, Sat 11am-11pm. Park St: daily 11.30am-10.30pm (11pm Fri-Sat). Cribbs: Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Disabled access to Aspects & Cabot Circus via lift. Parties welcome.
Bath
NEW LA PERLA
12a North Parade, BA2 4AL Tel: 01225 463626, web: www.la-perla.co.uk
• Brand-new Spanish restaurant and tapas bar (courtesy of the head honchos behind the acclaimed Minibar) in the intimate yet bright’n’breezy caved-vault environment formerly occupied by the long-standing La Flamenca. They’ve updated the whole experience (including the decor) while still paying homage to the theme. Award-winning chefs produce genuinely authentic Spanish fare (top tapas, valenciana/mariscos paellas, superb desserts) in an open kitchen, the wine list is fabulous, and there’s a cookery school attached. Price Tapas from £4, paella/main from £8 Wine list Extensive, strong Spanish focus. HW from £14 btl Open Tue-Sun 12noon-12midnight (last food orders 10pm). Limited disabled access. Parties - call in adv.
LA TASCA
36 Broad St, BA1 5LP Tel: 01225 466477, web: www.latasca.co.uk
• Funky, popular Spanish-style tapas bar and restaurant. Price/Wine list See Bristol listing Open Daily 12noon-11pm (10.30pm Sun_. Disabled access possible (one step off street) & access to women’s toilets. Parties 20+ welcome.
NANDO’S
Kingsmead Leisure Development, 5-10 James St West, BA1 2DT Tel: 01225 789901, web: www.nandos.co.uk
• Home to Portuguese flame-grilled peri-peri chicken, among other things. See Bristol listing. Price/Wine list See Bristol listing Open Sun-Thur 12noon-11.30pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-12midnight. Disabled access with lift & toilet. Parties 20+ welcome.
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