Restaurants / Reviews
1 York Place: ‘Eclectic, extravagant and excellent’ – restaurant review
Freddy and Nessa Bird have given an exceptional early Christmas present to Bristol with their newest restaurant.
The area of Clifton that 1 York Place has opened in is affectionately known by locals as Little Clifton, so it is serendipitous that the husband and wife team behind Little French and Littleshop & Pantry are now here.
1 York Place has opened with little fanfare as a neighbourhood bistro showcasing an eclectic meat-heavy menu, which is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
is needed now More than ever
Freddy and Nessa are one of those couples who thrive in Bristol’s food and drink scene: think of Graham and Kate at Bertha’s Pizza, Tess and Elliott at Box-E, Kieran and Imogen at Bravas, Cosmo and Lilly at Marmo, and Jan and Mary at Wilsons.
At 1 York Place, previously Rosemarino and before that York Cafe, Freddy and Nessa – who on Tuesday were enjoying being customers at lunch with three generations of their family – promise to “serve the best of European food and wine in a relaxed environment”.
An extensive wine list curated by Freddy is divided into sections including ‘clean whites’ and ‘tannic and grippy reds’. There are more than a dozen wines available by the glass from £4.50 or a bottle of 2015 Tenuta del Ornellaia from Tuscany is yours for £460.
Baked pigs’ trotters, bomba rice, grilled Iberico loin, squid and alioli – photo: Martin Booth
Bar snacks here start at £4.25 for a poached oyster in vermouth butter, with starters hovering around a tenner, mains from £20, a sharing plate of shellfish for £100 and puddings from £8.50.
This is Clifton – or Little Clifton – and 1 York Place deserves to become a destination restaurant for people from across Bristol who can afford to eat here. Expect national restaurant critics to visit in the new year once word gets out about this culinary gift on our own doorstep.
From the a la carte menu on Tuesday, my two daughters and I chose a selection of dishes and enjoyed a luxurious lunchtime treat. I hope they don’t get used to this opulence but as a one-off special occasion it was the best meal that I have eaten in 2023.
Sadly, as I have spent all of my money on Christmas presents, I didn’t have a spare £200 for a magnum of red wine, so a can of Clear Head from Bristol Beer Factory was my drink of choice.
From the bar snacks, sourdough with salted butter (£4.50) was a perfect accompaniment to our favourite starter, the potato soup with black truffle and chanterelles (£8.50). It was a simple dish but like everything else here, just elevated that extra notch or two.
From the mains, a delicious grilled half chicken (£22.50) was kindly plated for nine-year-old Lois with the bird separate from the Oloroso sauce. Miss Millie’s, eat your heart out.
Sherry – this time Pedro Ximenez – was also a feature of the wonderfully tender slow-cooked ox cheek (£24) with king oyster mushroom and potato puree.
We were sat on the ground floor of the restaurant underneath the head of what appeared to be a gazelle mounted for display on one wall, with our nose-to-tail eating continuing with the baked pigs’ trotter (£25).
If that wasn’t tasty enough, it was served with Iberico loin within bomba rice more typically seen in a paella. And there was more too: with half a dozen circles of squid and an aioli dip. Told you this place was eclectic.
Rice pudding and prune soufflé, with prune and armagnac ice cream and bay custard – photo: Martin Booth
I still dream about Freddy’s chocolate mousse at Little French so couldn’t resist the chocolate and dulce de leche tart (£8.50), rich and sumptuous even without the coffee whipped cream next to it.
On the other side of the table, a rice pudding and prune soufflé (£8.50) was greeted like something magical created by Willy Wonka, and looked like something that wouldn’t seem out of place at Ashton Court during the Balloon Fiesta.
On Christmas Day, just a few hundred yards away from this new eclectic, extravagant and excellent new restaurant, new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa will be seen running over the rooftops of Frederick Place in pursuit of new companion Ruby Sunday and a goblin galleon.
If Gatwa ever returns to this corner of Clifton, he should not just run over the rooftops but shout from the rooftops about the arrival of 1 York Place.
1 York Place occupies what was previously Rosemarino and before that York Cafe – photo: Martin Booth
1 York Place, 1 York Place, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1AH
www.1yorkplace.co.uk
Main photo: Martin Booth
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