This Month's Restaurant Reviews...

BATH
Where did we go? Chequers
What did we eat? To start: a chunky, perfectly balanced pork cheek, black pudding and apple terrine with crisp sourdough toast and soft, fluffy mounds of apple sauce. A heartwarming dish of perfectly seared cuttlefish offset with chunks of chorizo and plenty of fat butterbeans to absorb the smoky juices. Mains: Cod served with saffron new potatoes in an elegant seafood bisque. Fillet of beef with marrowbone, and softly wilted chard. Puddings: vanilla panna cotta with lavender-poached strawberries and a shard of pink peppercorn caramel. Peach melba.
What did we think? “Imagination was evident throughout our super supper, from start to finish.”

Chequers 50 Rivers St, Bath Tel: 01225 360117
Web: www.thechequersbar.com

BRISTOL
Where did we go? Bridge Café
What did we eat? To start: Braised rabbit and field mushroom pappardelle garnished with an exquisite tangle of fresh herbs. Scallops with pancetta and focaccia. Mains: Rump of lamb, smoked garlic and leek mash with red wine sauce. Roast breast of guinea fowl, buttered Savoy cabbages and beetroot chutney. Puddings: An assiette of sweets to share.
What did we think? “[The assiette of sweets provide] a wow-factor finale to a meal that has already bowled us over, and proof that Bridge Café boasts culinary skills every bit the equal to its spectacular setting.”

Bridge Café, Avon Gorge Hotel Sion Hill, Clifton, Bristol
Tel: 0117 906 4652 (cafe) / 0117 973 8955 (hotel)
Web: www.theavongorge.com