Well, it has been a while.  DIY preparing the house for Christmas, then a busy Christmas and new year, there haven’t been many opportunities to write.  That’s not to say it hasn’t been a foodie time though with lots of festive treats and enjoying some nice eateries.

This weekend we went to try out a restaurant that’s about to open in Clifton, Bristol – Côte Brasserie.  It is part of a chain, but don’t let that put you off.  I first came across them with my brother when he took me to the Richmond restaurant, so when we heard that the Bristol restaurant was doing a pre-opening “training” weekend where you only have to pay for drinks in return for testing them with your custom and feeding back, we jumped at the chance.

We had an early evening booking, and despite it being relatively quiet at that time and quite a large establishment, it somehow still felt cosy and comforting and informal in the way you’d expect a brasserie to be.  No doubt they were trying to make a real effort as they are just opening, but the service was really good, with our server clearly being familiar with the menu and able to make an informed recommendation on wine by the glass (apparently having done the wine tasting just the day before), and those we chatted to had already worked at other branches so weren’t novices.

For starters, the steak tartare was good, though I thought the calamari a little underseasoned.  But the revelation for me was the chicken – I rarely order chicken in a restaurant, but described at Poulet ‘Breton’ and served as a half char-grilled simply with a sauce (I chose garlic butter) I just fancied it – and it was sublime.  There were no desserts on these training sessions, but we were full enough anyway, and as we weren’t paying for the food, we weren’t complaining.

When it opens in full, we’ll be going back – and if it is as good as it was this weekend then we’ll be happy.