Rockfish, Dartmouth, Devon, 24.06.10

"Fish so fresh, tomorrow's are still in the sea." This fantastic sentiment comes from restauranteur and seafood expert Mitch Tonks as he opens his second Rockfish restaurant on Dartmouth's harbour frontage. The first Rockfish rose from the Fishworks ashes on Bristol's Whiteladies Road and quickly established itself as a reliable favourite. However, this new Dartmouth venture is "Seafood and Chips" to Bristol's "Grill and Seafood Market", perhaps suitably reflecting the its proximity to the English Riviera and pleasure cruises galore.

We joined Rockfish in its first week and were disappointed to just miss service at five minutes past nine on a busy June evening despite closing time advertised as nine-thirty. Undeterred by this, and by not being able to book a table (a beautifully casual but un-British "just turn up and you should be fine"), we made it in the following night.

There is a buzz in the air- a full restaurant with pastel shades, wooden tables covered in paper table-cloths, and dozens of fascinating if not slightly voyeuristic family holiday snaps posted casually across the walls. The buzz soon turns to chaos but an air of forgiveness lingers- the wrong wine is brought, orders are pimped round the tables as the fresh-faced waiting staff desperately try to account for a stray battered haddock.

The principle is simple- fairly posh fish (from cod to lemon sole) which is battered (or breadcrumbed) with a choice of accompaniments to include the obligatory chips, mushy peas, bread and butter, a glass of sauvignon or a even a cuppa. Half a dozen oysters start proceedings brilliantly without breaking the bank. After a quick reminder to the waiter, the cockles are nostalgic but suspiciously a bit vinegary. Much of the fish is landed just along the coast at Brixham, but a request for breadcrumbs instead of batter is ignored and the batter is a little overbrowned . Luckily the fish survives and remains moist and flakey. Each component arrives in a cardboard tray with paper liner- a nice "fish n chips" touch but very much out of touch with the apparent recycling culture. Dozens of them are later spied spilling over the kitchen bin. Let's hope they were later salvaged, after all, the paper table cloths did advertise "100% good for planet earth". The "adult" knickerbocker glory has a hint of booze and is delightfully camp, but as the detritus from the main course has not been cleared it becomes a cramped affair and another gentle reminder to the waiter.

This place has great potential and a really positive vibe, but we met it during some serious teething. The service needs extending beyond 9pm; the waiting staff need to pay more attention to simple detail; and the tables need uncramping. With a bit less chaos and a bit less litter, Rockfish will almost certainly have great success as Dartmouth's summer season approaches.

The Canteen, Cheltenham Road, Stokes Croft Bristol, 09.03.10

The Canteen is a new addition to the eclectic mix of shops, massage parlours and pubs that comprises Stokes Croft. The building isn't exactly inspiring- Hamilton House is grey office block courtesy of the good-ole 1960s. The front steps used to be a haunt for the city's strong ale enthusiasts, but the transformation has been made by Coexist, a company that seeks to provide "spaces in which people can coexist with themselves, with each other, and the environment". As well as The Canteen, there are numerous spaces for meetings, classes and creative endeavours.

Now, Bristolians might have to put away their preconceptions about Stokes Croft. This place is becoming safer by the minute, but by no means any less interesting. The Canteen is filled with young professionals, a few dreadlock enthusiasts and the occasional set of parents with grown-up kid. There's live music most nights with the room being big enough to hide away at the sides or alternatively sit right in the hub of the feed.


On to the feed. A delightful bowl of thick and brooding mushroom soup arrives before the main event. It is a complimentary gesture and has a lovely all-inclusive feel to it. They want us to be fed properly. I close my eyes and imagine I'm in a Russian military camp. The appetiser is quickly whisked away, and replaced by a whole trout smothered in caper butter. I don't think the Russians had it this good. It is beautifully cooked- moist and tart, with a snappy salad on the side. Unfortunately, the seafood linguine is thoroughly average and is predictably barren of sea creatures. Dessert is a comforting ramekin of crumble with a rich vanilla-infused homemade custard. Nothing could be better on a dreary March evening.

The bar is well stocked with local brews and organic stuff, the pace is quick but the air informal. The Canteen already has a core group of followers by all appearances and with a smidge of Montpelier loyalty will no doubt go from strength to strength. Who could argue against it, after all, a three course meal just cost me eleven quid.

The Ridge Restaurant, Hollin Hall Hotel, Kerridge, 04.03.10

The Hollin Hall Hotel has been reincarnated several times over the past few decades. The latest refurbishment comes from Clayton Hotels, although at the time of writing their website remains mysteriously plain.

The Ridge Restaurant, within the Hollin Hotel, is situated in the former orangery. The grand piano at the entrance is promising, but unfortunately Better Midler and friends accompany us rather too loudly from the ceiling speakers. After a couple of minor adjustments (Bette volume down, and scented plug-ins turned off) we're ready to begin. The service is a mix of a cheeky chappy who oversteps the line and a nervous but extremely well-intending waitress.

To start, a filo parcel with goats cheese and black pudding is generous but overcooked, with tough edges that are difficult to conquer. The shredded duck tart is a more elegant affair. The chicken Thai red curry is confusingly sticky- not an ounce of coconut milk in sight which leaves it feeling like a rather token effort. Braised Cheshire lamb is beautifully soft and pink, but the accompanying mash is lumpy and the red cabbage is flavourless and dry. The sticky toffee pudding is dense and dessicated, and the tarte tatin is sneaked onto the plate with creme fraiche rather than the the advertised clotted cream.

This is gastropub grub on paper, but unfortunately doesn't hit the mark. The sumptuous interior of The Ridge is in conflict with this menu, as well as with the garish piped music and copies of Marie Claire in the central table. It is a brave but confused venture.

Yum Yum Thai, Park St, Bristol, 28.10.09

I've been to Yum Yum Thai a few times over the past twelve months and haven't been disappointed yet. Yum Yum's philosophy is forward thinking for its genre- all MSG free, organic wines, and free range chicken. Its website has curious jazz trio musak, and details all sorts of offers for theatre-goers, nurses and students alike. There also a sister restaurant in Bath.

The vibe is cafe style with informal place settings and booths. The service is always top class with smiles and efficiency aplenty. Thai green and red curries arrive with trademark domes of rice, and the pad thai is truly gargantuan. Throw in some tasty dumplings and you've got yourself a reliable Park Street favourite.

Star and Dove, Totterdown, Bristol, 22.10.09

Despite living a stone's throw from the Star and Dove, and it being touted as a rather good local, I have only visited once before. Last time was a tasty "thai night" accompanied by a rather humiliating pub quiz experience.


Things have moved on considerably since then, and the Star and Dove is muscling into, and perhaps beyond, serious gastropub territory. On first impressions the dining area certainly feels like a pub- assorted reclaimed chairs and wooden tables, with a bar slapped in the middle. Bold blue walls compete with a touch of Bowie in the background. The main drinking area is separated from the dining, and it is at this point that you start to get the impression they're taking it seriously.


The officious menu arrives on a clipboard. To start, potted prawn cocktail is firm and fleshy with fiery cubes of bloody mary jellies, and a ying and yang arrangement of sauces to bathe the bowl. Duck parfait with sweet beets is silky and is positively enhanced by a lack of accompanying bread accompaniment. The chunky chestnut chowder is dotted with delicate pickled mushrooms.



The mains retain firmly British roots. Hare, game bird and pearl barley is ceromoniusly presented in a piping skillet, perfectly seasoned and polished with a baked egg. The roasted whole quail is moist and conveniently balanced with the salty flavours of a ham hock hash. Crispy pork belly is a generously-presented, tender slab, but has lost its crunch somewhere along the line. Its accompanying black pudding and apple pie favours the stronger pudding flavours. It is a fun idea to deconstruct the pork pie and with a little tweaking it might just work. Side orders are extra, and the green veg are a little too al dente for everyone's taste.



Chocolate and coconut tart follows, with a lovely sting of sour milk sorbet to calm the sweetness down. The enormous cheese board includes some beautiful unpasteurised ewe's cheese with chunky homemade oatcakes.



For what is essentially still a pub, the Star and Dove has set the bar extremely high and will be judged by punters accordingly. It is outstandingly good value but there is no mistaking the quality and finesse with which it delivers its food. However, it is still teething. Even on a quiet Wednesday night, whilst the service is efficient but gentle, dishes are slow to appear. There is a strong leaning towards presentation which includes plenty of wooden slabs, artistic streaks of sauces and delicately placed salad leaves. It is classy, but somewhat out of sync with the reassuringly modest surroundings. I would prefer a punctual and crisp pork belly over a culinary Jackson Pollock any day, but it certainly won't stop me finding myself at this place again very soon indeed.

The Clove, Luckwell Road, Bristol, 15.06.09

I had read some rather slanderous material about the Clove on the internet before this first trip. It described a lack-lustre place with arrogant staff, but with a recommendation from a trusted friend I threw caution to the wind. Indian takeaway on a balmy summer evening- well, there was certainly no evidence that anyone had decided to sit in. Even stepping through the door the eager waiters beckoned us to sit down and read the menus. I got the impression they had been kicking their heels for some hours.

Here comes the disappointing bit. A cursory head count revealed a roughly correct number of dishes in the carrier bag after an unnervingly quick preparation time. Unfortunately our chicken and lamb dishes had transformed into vegetable and tofu curries by the time we got home (I know south Bristol is green, but surely there isn't a meat destroying spell cast on us all?). The rice had turned into two vegetable samosas and the poppadums had done a disappearing trick to make Houdini proud. A quick phone call revealed their unapologetic side and they were apparently unable to save us another 20 minute round walk and jump in a car to deliver the correct food. The offer was four free poppadums if we wanted to walk back and swap it. No chance. Actually the food was between standard and good, but their unhelpful attitude left a bitter pill and not one that I'll go back again to swallow.

The Old Rectory Hotel, Martinhoe, North Devon, 12.06.09

Everyone knows the southern bits of Devon- Torquay, Fawlty Towers, Plymouth, Sir Francis Drake, and so on. Cast your eyes to the north coast and you might get a pleasant surprise.  A flying visit to the Old Rectory Hotel in Martinhoe was the ideal antidote to a particularly poisonous Friday evening  on the M5.  Tucked away beyond Ilfracombe, even your satnav might not locate this little retreat. This hotel changed hands less than two years ago and the new owners have tastefully furnished the eight bedrooms. Other bits still feel like a work in progress, but then they'd happily admit to that.

However, it is food that owner Huw Rees is passionate about, so passionate in fact that he dons a navy-striped apron and cooks it himself. The dining room is spacious but filled with the current cohort of hotel guests. The combination of "Il Divo" (or similar) piped music and lurid carpet of a previous decade sets a curious tone, and the atmosphere is dictated by a somewhat mature audience of diners. A risotto starter with leeks and pancetta is well-seasoned and confidently runny. The rack of lamb is split open to serve, and is accompanied by a simple red wine reduction. It grew up in a field a few miles away and the result is a full-flavoured meat which is left pink and easy on the knife. The vegetables are plain- boiled potatoes and broccoli, plus a rather mushy courgette, white wine and garlic melange that doesn't work. The treacle tart isn't bad, but the cheese portions are a little light. 

Overall the experience is pretty good. On the one hand it's home-cooked fayre with locally sourced meat and fish. On the other, there are confused vegetables and good but homesick risotto wrapped up with an awful CD and a lairy carpet. There's a slight inflexibility in the approach to service, but these are early days in what could be a successful little venture.