The man at the helm is chef-proprietor, Christopher Wickes, with a reputation only matched by his eateries and so we were excited to be heading down to Montpelier to sample some exquisite cuisine. The restaurant itself could almost go un-noticed if it wasn’t for the BD signage along the front and looking through the window, you can only really see a small, modest portion of what it has to offer. We were welcomed in by the staff and seated at a two seat table at the front of the restaurant before being presented with the menu and wine list. Guests can choose between a tasting menu (complete with selected wines) and the À la carte option, which, with a hungry appetite, we opted for.

Due to both parties driving, we had to stick to the soft drinks, much to our despair but from the brief glimpse of the wine list and sigh from my colleague, I imagine it’s one that’s very well put together.

To start, we ordered Scallop on a celeriac fondant with Chorizo and apple; a great little creation which was a pleasant surprise to someone who is often sceptical of scallops as it was wonderfully sweet and light.
For the main course, we went for the Duck, or Creedy Carver Duck, if you follow the menu. This was a delight; the meat was cooked to perfection, the pumpkin was sweet and incredibly fresh while the Cassoulet added a great twist and volume to the dish. If I’m honest, I was initially put off at the seemingly small portion size, however, by the end of the dish I was pleasantly satisfied.

My colleague went for the Pork Belly with red cabbage, black truffle and wait for it, Macaroni Cheese. The meat and accompanying vegetables were first class and the Macaroni was great but a little rich for the gentleman’s palette.
The mains as a whole were a real stand-out; incredibly savoury flavours which stood up well to an equally as fussy eater in myself and it was one of the first times I had really enjoyed pumpkin too.

Deserts followed in the form of White Chocolate Pannacotta with a tasty Blackcurrant ice cream and apple sauce. The Pannacotta was extremely rich, sitting under a contrasting and refreshing ice cream. There’s such a fine line between being too rich and thus, leaving feeling over-full but this was brilliantly and successfully balanced. The other dessert selected was the Sicilian Lemon which is not for the faint-hearted due to its very sharp initial taste which is then rounded off with the sweet honeycomb. It was a refreshing dessert that had a flavour all of its own and how this is achieved is a mystery to us mere mortals but as with all courses, the restaurant never fails to impress.

There are two venues which have offered an opportunity to visit in Bristol and that really have been an experience and so much more than just great food. Bells Diner is one and Casa Mia the other, however, I found Bells Diner to storm ahead with the experience element and the À la carte menu is the perfect addition. I am just waiting for an excuse to return again and again.

Bell’s Diner Ltd
1-3 York Road
Bristol
BS6 5QB
Tel: 0117 924 0357
Email: info@bellsdiner.com

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Bell's Diner

05 October 2010

For a veteran of the Bristol restaurant scene and a bit of a foodie, there are very few restaurants that are spoken about in consistently high esteem, however, Bells is without doubt one of the chosen few.

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