Restaurants / Condesa
Condesa: ‘A mezcal-fuelled delight with doses of culinary magic’ – restaurant review
It’s a brave restaurateur who opens a new venture in the current climate, let alone one in the ever-fluctuating location of Whiteladies Road.
But the Season + Taste team are no strangers to Bristol’s culinary scene with their highly-acclaimed portfolio that includes Bravas on Cotham Hill and Gambas and Cargo Cantina in Wapping Wharf – and now the much-anticipated Condesa.
A labour of love that the dedicated restaurateurs have been building up to since 2007, with extensive research trips to Mexico, the new opening – named after the La Condesa borough of Mexico City – promises a Mexican-inspired menu, with many dishes cooked over charcoal.
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Mexican-inspired the food may be, but there is no escaping the great British weather on Thursday lunchtime as we dodge the latest downpour to enter the cosy restaurant as fat raindrops ping off the outside tables.
Most recently home to the Burger Joint and close to the recently opened Pazzo, the interior is like a warm embrace on a gloomy day with its bare brick walls and flickering candlelight. A ‘mezcal cave’ makes the best possible use of a mini inlet, with a little ‘peephole’ from one of the toilets (far more innocent than it sounds) allowing people to get a better look at the extensive collection of the revered Mexican spirit.
Condesa is the latest much-anticipated opening from the Season + Taste team
Life is full of difficult decisions but the choice between a tequila margarita (£9) or mezcal margarita (£9.50) is the kind of quandary I’m here for. It’s a tough job, but I’ve put in the research here and can say mezcal is the way to go. The smoky undertones really set it apart.
The menu at Condesa is divided into snack, small, medium and larger plate sizes, which our knowledgeable server goes through in extensive detail. In addition, there’s a special smoked pork belly dish with a dark chocolate mole created from 37 traditional ingredients served with homemade sourcream (£16) that catches my partner’s eye.
The trouble with experiencing something really great is it can often ruin subsequent versions. And so it is with me and Mexican food, having been spoiled by my brother and sister-in-law’s incredible food at Pica Rico in Cornwall, where they grow, grind and cook their own corn to create tortillas.
The Condesa team have sought inspiration from the traditional, artisanal methods still used in Mexico and the soft tortillas (£2.50 for a stack of ten) are probably the best I’ve had in Bristol – and prove perfect for mopping up the rich, smoky and zesty flavours.
The comforting quesadilla is soon overshadowed by the queso fresco
The queso fresco is a riot of colours and flavours
A Bristol Cheddar quesadilla, with shallots and pineapple salsa (£5.50) from the snack section of the menu is pleasant and comforting, although not mind-blowing. It is soon overshadowed by the arrival of the queso fresco, served with hot agave (the plants used to make mezcal and tequila) and preserved lime (£6.50). A riot of colours and flavours, this dish is quickly devoured with the fresh, crisp tortilla chips leaving us crying out for more.
The charred hispi cabbage, oozing with chipotle butter and topped with a generous scattering of smoked almonds (£9) is already a firm favourite among diners and it’s easy to see why. On a menu that has admittedly quite limited vegetarian options, this is the crowning glory. There’s a special place in heaven for the chef who can make a cabbage taste this divine.
The sea bream ceviche, served with grapes, red chilli and herbs (£9.50) is fresh and flavoursome, although could benefit from a bit more lime for zest for my taste. The pork special, I’m told, is as rich and unusual as you’d expect from such a medley of ingredients.
The smoked pork belly dish with a dark chocolate mole (right) is as rich as it sounds
There’s a special place in heaven for the chef who can make a cabbage taste this divine
A table of four arrive for a meal, having popped in a couple of nights ago for a drink, and remark with delight at the eclectic menu before talk turns to some of the other culinary greats in the vicinity, including Bravas. Condesa is certainly an opening that is creating a buzz in Bristol’s culinary scene – and setting senses reeling.
The final hurrah for our lunch comes in the form of a tamale, a steamed cake of dough made from masa (corn dough), with rhubarb and vanilla anglaise (£6.50). It is as beautiful as it is inventive, but is perhaps one corn dish too many for us and could have benefitted from a touch more rhubarb to cut through the stodge.
Open for a drink, a snack or a big, blow-out feast, Condesa is fast proving itself to be worth the hype. A new opening that is an exciting, mezcal-fuelled delight with the odd dose of culinary magic.
Condesa has opening in the building that was most recently home to the Burger Joint on Whiteladies Road
Condesa, 83 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2NT
www.condesabristol.co.uk
All photos: Ellie Pipe
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