The picturesque, tranquil (although I'm not sure it would be on a windy, rainy day) and very Bristol location of this sophisticated boat restaurant is the perfect place to go for a romantic meal. Instead three friends and I decided to take our friend out for his birthday meal here. I'm sure we somewhat disturbed the romantic diners' Friday evenings as a group of four boys and me.
We all chose the set menu of 3 courses for £20 , which included about three choices within each course. Most of us dared to try (for the first time for me) Crispy Frogs Legs , wild garlic risotto (left), which would ordinarily cost £7. I absolutely loved this. Frogs legs taste like fish but with the texture of a chicken wing, and the garlic risotto complimented them beautifully, dressed with cheese and flowers , although some of my friends felt the garlic flavouring was too strong. Depending on your budget, I would say that this starter is only really good value for money if you get it as part of the 3 courses for £20 option.
For my main course I chose Chicken supreme, crushed potatoes, king cabbage (middle), and this is only available as part of the set menu. The chicken was tender and succulent, although there wasn't very much of it, and we are a group with a big appetite, so were still quite hungry. The chicken sits on a bed of potato and a smattering of cabbage, and these tasted great together, but I could have eaten about three more of them, as I said. One of our group, who describes himself as 'only liking bland food', asked for the chicken to be without the sauce, and this was something they were more than happy to accommodate.
The dessert was probably everyone's unanimous favourite course (although I enjoyed the starter just as much). All but one of us chose the Chocolate Brownie, Vanilla Ice cream (right), and it was incredible. The presentation, as you can imagine for a place like this, was stunning, the brownie warm with the perfect combination of soft inside and firm on the outside, and the vanilla ice cream was probably the best I've ever tasted.
For a place of this standard, 3 courses for £20 is great value, and the range of options within this set menu meets the needs of most, despite there only being a handful for each course. You're paying for the location of this unique restaurant too; right on the water where you can watch rowers row past and ducks swim about beneath you. The restaurant is very easy to get to (just next to Bristol Bridge), a 15 minute walk from the train station, and a 5 minute walk from the heart of the city centre. Glass Boat is also right next to various pubs such as The Apple - known for its ciders - so if you fancy somewhere less up market for your post-meal drinks, there are plenty of very close options.
I would definitely recommend Glass Boat for a special occasion, and is also perfect for a romantic spot, tucked out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the main waterfront and harbourside of Bristol.
For my main course I chose Chicken supreme, crushed potatoes, king cabbage (middle), and this is only available as part of the set menu. The chicken was tender and succulent, although there wasn't very much of it, and we are a group with a big appetite, so were still quite hungry. The chicken sits on a bed of potato and a smattering of cabbage, and these tasted great together, but I could have eaten about three more of them, as I said. One of our group, who describes himself as 'only liking bland food', asked for the chicken to be without the sauce, and this was something they were more than happy to accommodate.
The dessert was probably everyone's unanimous favourite course (although I enjoyed the starter just as much). All but one of us chose the Chocolate Brownie, Vanilla Ice cream (right), and it was incredible. The presentation, as you can imagine for a place like this, was stunning, the brownie warm with the perfect combination of soft inside and firm on the outside, and the vanilla ice cream was probably the best I've ever tasted.
For a place of this standard, 3 courses for £20 is great value, and the range of options within this set menu meets the needs of most, despite there only being a handful for each course. You're paying for the location of this unique restaurant too; right on the water where you can watch rowers row past and ducks swim about beneath you. The restaurant is very easy to get to (just next to Bristol Bridge), a 15 minute walk from the train station, and a 5 minute walk from the heart of the city centre. Glass Boat is also right next to various pubs such as The Apple - known for its ciders - so if you fancy somewhere less up market for your post-meal drinks, there are plenty of very close options.
I would definitely recommend Glass Boat for a special occasion, and is also perfect for a romantic spot, tucked out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the main waterfront and harbourside of Bristol.