My lovely aunty and avid follower of my blog, kindly took my sister and I out for dinner on Thursday night to Clifton’s branch of the French restaurant chain Côte, coincidentally a stone’s throw from the Clifton Suspension Bridge (just saying).
It is immediately classy as you walk in, aside from the fact that it is situated in Clifton’s The Mall, you immediately encounter a rounded rail of velvet red curtains before you are greeted by a waitress. We’d booked in advance so were swiftly guided to our window seat further within the restaurant, up a small set of steps. I chose the leather rounded bench seat and placed my coat next to me, too common to realise that there were coat hangers for this purpose. My aunty, more familiar with this type of standard, took full advantage and hung up her coat.
We were handed our menus and were soon asked for our drink orders. We asked for tap water and were swiftly handed “complimentary filter water”, which made us chuckle. But it did come in fancy brown bottles so it still managed to feel posh!
Inside, the tables were laid out across 3 split levels within a rather large restaurant, with mirrors and dim lights, and more red curtains to create optional partitions through the restaurant. We arrived at 6pm, which is relatively early for a Thursday evening dinner, but it was by no means empty. It filled up significantly throughout the evening though, and by the time we left (at around 8pm) I couldn’t see an empty table anywhere.
We were handed our menus and were soon asked for our drink orders. We asked for tap water and were swiftly handed “complimentary filter water”, which made us chuckle. But it did come in fancy brown bottles so it still managed to feel posh!
Inside, the tables were laid out across 3 split levels within a rather large restaurant, with mirrors and dim lights, and more red curtains to create optional partitions through the restaurant. We arrived at 6pm, which is relatively early for a Thursday evening dinner, but it was by no means empty. It filled up significantly throughout the evening though, and by the time we left (at around 8pm) I couldn’t see an empty table anywhere.
For starters we chose the Smoked Salmon (£6.75) and the Charcuterie Board (£6.50) to share between the three of us. The salmon was dressed with creme fraiche dressing and sprinkled with shallots, dill and baby capers and was a beautiful yet subtle flavour, tasting fresh and clean. The board of meats was kept company by a small amount of salad and slices of warmed seeded brown bread, and a small pot of what we guessed was a kind of tuna paste.
Coincidentally, the two starters complimented each other amazingly and were both light and simple. There were three slices each of duck and pork, and a generous strip of good quality ham. The tuna paste worked well as a glue for the meats and bread, and by the end we had cleaned both plates and were left with nicely satisfied stomachs.
Coincidentally, the two starters complimented each other amazingly and were both light and simple. There were three slices each of duck and pork, and a generous strip of good quality ham. The tuna paste worked well as a glue for the meats and bread, and by the end we had cleaned both plates and were left with nicely satisfied stomachs.
It took a while for the waitresses to clear these plates away and come to ask our mains orders, but we had lots to catch up on between us, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was buzzing yet relaxing, so we were perfectly happy.
For my main course, I wanted to order something quite typically French, but also meaty, so I ordered the Cassoulet de Toulouse (left - £12.95). My aunty ordered a starter for her main, the Warm Roquefort Salad (centre - £5.25), and my sister ordered the Risotto Vert (right - £9.95). I hadn’t expected mine to be quite the casserole-type dish it was, so I wasn’t expecting so much sauce, but it was very nice all the same. It came with duck confit, and two sausages; one pork and the other Toulouse, dressed in beans and croutons. The meat was tender and delicious, and the sauce flavoured it beautifully, the beans making it a highly filling dish! My sister’s risotto was very nice, though it wasn’t a varied enough dish for my liking, but she was very happy with her choice.
Thankfully, Côte wasn’t one of those posh restaurants that give pathetically small yet highly fashionably looking dishes that leave you wanting toast when you arrive home. They were filling plates, but the choices of dessert left us unable to resist!
For my main course, I wanted to order something quite typically French, but also meaty, so I ordered the Cassoulet de Toulouse (left - £12.95). My aunty ordered a starter for her main, the Warm Roquefort Salad (centre - £5.25), and my sister ordered the Risotto Vert (right - £9.95). I hadn’t expected mine to be quite the casserole-type dish it was, so I wasn’t expecting so much sauce, but it was very nice all the same. It came with duck confit, and two sausages; one pork and the other Toulouse, dressed in beans and croutons. The meat was tender and delicious, and the sauce flavoured it beautifully, the beans making it a highly filling dish! My sister’s risotto was very nice, though it wasn’t a varied enough dish for my liking, but she was very happy with her choice.
Thankfully, Côte wasn’t one of those posh restaurants that give pathetically small yet highly fashionably looking dishes that leave you wanting toast when you arrive home. They were filling plates, but the choices of dessert left us unable to resist!
We chose two to share between us; the Praline Crepe (£5.45) topped with banana slices, and the Coupe Noire (£4.15). These were also good sized portions, and the crepe was particularly filling, even shared! I would not recommend this for the faint stomached if you’re not planning to half it, as it was very sweet (not that I am at all complaining!) The Coupe Noire ice cream and dark chocolate sauce was amazing and such good quality ice cream. It was accompanied by two wafer tubes which were beautifully crispy caramelised accessories to the dessert, just to top off the deliciousness.
Even after all this, neither of us felt disgusting or bloated or too stuffed at all. We all felt pleasantly filled with great flavours and lovely company in a relaxed environment and proceeded to wander on up to Clifton Suspension Bridge before we parted ways. A lovely evening out and delicious food!