Review; Salt and Malt, Chew Valley Lake

Lat week I had the most wonderful meal at Salt and Malt at their Chew Valley lake residence.

Now, even after living in Bristol for over 8 years and getting married just down the road from Chew Magna, I had still never had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful place. 

A vast stretch of reservoir nestled in the foot of both the Dundry and nearby Mendip hills, this little restaurant had the most amazing scenic views. 

We arrived a little earlier than planned so took a little walk around, taking in the sunset over the lake and feeding some ducks on the bank. The restaurant itself is right by the car park so it’s easy to find and there is a little playground outside, perfect for those with young children.

The restaurant itself was wonderfully spacious, light and well ventilated. With large pull open doors that can we opened in summer to give that lovely ‘outside, in’ feel. 

We were received with a warm welcome from the lovely Zowie who couldn’t of been more attentive. The staff were an absolute credit to this restaurant and made us feel incredibly special. Something I’ve found quite rare lately.

My husband and I were seated at our table, right by the glass doors so we could watch the sun setting which obviously was the best place to be sat. Enjoying a cold glass of house white, we salivated over the restaurants new tapas menu, wanting one of everything! 

The new ‘Tapas Tuesday’ menu featured plenty of seafood choices, as well as vegetarian options for the reasonable price of £3.50 per plate or 3 for £10. 

After agonising what we would go for, this is what we decided on;

This was my ultimate favourite. So much so that I ordered it twice! Curried brown butter shrimp on toast. This was heaven.

Seeing as we were at a fish and chip restaurant, I couldn’t help but order something deep fried. Halloumi with a side of chilli jam really hit the spot!

One of the nights show stoppers. Cured sea bass with orange. Incredibly light and flavoursome 

Crispy cod cheeks with a chorizo dip. The fish was beautifully firm and flaky, with a sweetness enhanced by the salty, smoky chorizo.

My husbands favourite. A punchy dish of squid with chilli and peanuts

An absolute beast of a crab claw, with a generous pot of garlic aioli for dunking. 

If that lot wasn’t enough, we shoved a pudding in too! Cinnamon Creme Brûlée with apple sorbet. Stuffed!!

It goes without surprise that Tapas Tuesday runs every Tuesday, with the full regular menu on offer too and you’ll also get 50% off your bottle of wine too. The restaurant has a no dog policy within the restaurant but are more than welcome, should you dine outside on the terrace. Salt and Malt is also fully accessible to disabled customers. 

Review; The Jetty at Bristol Harbour Hotel

Earlier this month I got invited to go and try the new A la Carte menu at The Jetty restaurant at Bristol Harbour Hotel on Corn Street.

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you may of seen that I visited The Jetty last year for Sunday lunch (post here) and loved it and twice to the hotels spa. Fast forward a year and I’m back to sample their new summer menu. 

As the name suggests, The Jetty mainly focus on fresh seafood dishes but obviously throw in non fish offerings too. But as a lover of fish, I was a happy girl.

Settling in to our high backed sofa booth, my daughter and I enjoyed an Aperol Spritz whilst we waited for our food. 

First course of the night was the monkfish cheeks with tomato kasundi. A generous portion of two cheeks, with beautifully crisp batter on the outside, which gave way to it’s brilliantly white and flaky interior and not forgetting the punchy, rich kasundi for dipping. This particular kasundi was much thinner and paler than I’ve tried elsewhere but still delivered a wonderful mustardy punch in flavour. 

Now usually I’d always gravitate towards the fish course for my main but once I saw grilled lamb rump on the menu, I couldn’t focus on anything else. 

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Melt in the mouth lamb accompanied with courgettes and basil and smoked almonds. The sauce was rich and full of flavour from the black garlic. Perfect for mopping up with my side of chunky chips. 

Feeling the effect from such rich dishes, I sat and debated about having a dessert but let’s face it, who am I kidding here? There’s always room for dessert! 

The Jetty ice cream sandwich was a beast. Two chocolate cookies encompassed a peanut butter ice cream which I could of eaten by the bucket load. Topped with a rich chocolate ganache, it finished me before I could finish it! Sadly, I couldn’t taste the coffee element that was promised in its description but it wasn’t needed. 

Even though we visited mid week, the restaurant was full to capacity with a private function which meant we had to wait 10 minutes to be seated and a further 40 minute wait between our first and second course. Although the waiting staff were highly attentive, I did feel this let our meal down slightly. 

The Jetty offer a wide variety of dishes including a specials board and early bird courses for a great price. For more info, do check out the site by clicking through the links x

** Disclaimer**

All elements of this visit was offered on a complimentary basis and all views are my own. The Jetty have not seen this review prior to publishing.

Baileys Almande

The lovely guys over at Baileys  have recently sent me a (quite frankly, beautiful) bottle of the new Baileys Almande dairy free drink to try.

Having previously loved the original, I could no longer drink it as I’ve become more intolerant to dairy and it just added to my discomfort. Fast forward to this new wonderful creation, with delicious notes of almond that was ever so subtle and didn’t leave you with an overbearing nutty taste. Baileys Almande is not only dairy free but also lactose free and gluten free too! Suitable for those with related allergies, intolerances and diets. 

Baileys Almonde is made from sweet almond oil, almond essence -(from crushed almonds), cane sugar, purified water and a touch of vanilla. It’s also slightly less strong than the original at 13% ABV 

Of course simply poured over ice is always a winner but on this occasion, I made the most of my afternoon off work and sat in the sunshine. I decided to try it poured over my favourite dairy free ice cream as an afternoon treat. 

For other great recipe ideas, why not head on over to the Baileys page for some inspiration. I’m eager to try out the Flat White Martini!

            How do you enjoy yours? X

Sunday Lunch at Bristol Harbour Hotel

I'll admit that I'm not really one for roast dinners very often so when I do go out for one, it has to be pretty special! Off me and my husband went to check out The Jetty at Bristol Harbour Hotel. It was a scorcher of a day and as much as I was hungry and in need of refreshments, I was sweaty and grumpy. The summer heat and I do not mix well at all. But stepping inside, I was met with a beautiful light, chilled restaurant. With high ceilings, stark white interior and large booths, I knew this was the perfect spot for lunch. 

With two courses for just £15.95 and 3 courses for £19.95, I was pleasantly surprised at the value. I poured over the menu whilst sipping on a much needed Aperol Spritz and chose a cheese soufflé for my starter. I'll admit that as much as a cheese addict I am, I've never ordered a soufflé before. It was delicious! Bubbling hot, rich cheese lent way to its twice baked fluffy interior.

For my mains, I went for the belly pork. The pork was sadly under seasoned, a little too fatty and lacked a crispy top but this was substituted by the accompanying crackling straw on its perch of black pudding purée and poached apple. With sides of cauliflower cheese, large fluffy roast potatoes and honey mustard carrots and parsnips. A relatively light roast dinner that didn't over fill us. 

The dessert was my favourite course of the meal which was a pleasant surprise as I'm definitely a more savoury fan. A simple lemon tart. The pastry crust was light and delicate, the lemon was tart yet creamy which was the perfect contrast to the sugary topping that gave a wonderful crunch. 

The Jetty really deliver when it comes to fine dining on a smaller budget. Set within former banking halls, The Jetty is filled with restored interiors that certainly adds to it's charm. All produce is seasonal and locally sourced and they boast an impressive wine and cocktail list too. For reservations, opening times and contact info, click 

here