The Baffled King, Easton: ‘A charming addition to Bristol’s food scene’ – restaurant review

On a cosy tucked away corner in Easton, the Baffled King awaits visitors ambling down Chelsea Road for a summer’s evening stroll.

The latest addition to Bristol’s food scene, this charming french bistro offers modern small plates in a casual setting, in what was once the home of beloved Indian restaurant, Pipal Tree.

The name derives from the Leonard Cohen song, Hallelujah, a seemingly romantic ode to the symbolism of Cohen’s wistful lyrics that celebrated the treasured moments of the everyday.

The restaurant’s interior is charming and characterful, with a small open kitchen, a downstairs and upstairs seating area and bar stools lining the windows facing out onto the sun-drenched evening.

Owners Howard and Campbell have opened the Baffled King in the hopes of delighting locals with contemporary but classical French cooking, serving brunch, dinner and Sunday lunch from their little corner of the street.

Joined by head chef Peter, a mutual lover of French cuisine who previously trained in Paris’ Hyatt Regency, the trio make for a formidable addition to Bristol’s food scene.

Give me anything coloured in carmine-coloured beetroot and I’ll eat it

We ordered food over a £12 carafe of Côtes de Gascogne from a menu of French wines from Bristol-based producers such as Avery and No. 12 Easton.

We opted for black olive and seaweed tapenade with focaccia (£4), beetroot and fennel cured salmon, crème fraîche and fried capers (£8), pan roasted hake with pancetta, pea and leek fricassée (£11), rosemary polenta fries with comte and white truffle oil (£6) and caramelised endive with chilli, sumac and pine nuts (£6).

The food was a joy. Each dish was a celebration of simple flavours without the frills. The quirky crockery lifted each plate and playfully elevated French classics, bringing a welcoming charm to the ubiquitous small plate.

The hake was light and flakey, with a moorish crispy skin, and the sumac-covered caramelised endives were soft and buttery with a light heat.

I have gone from hating chicory as a child to appreciating its hardy and enduring disposition in my adult life

The salmon could have been cured for slightly longer and the polenta fries could have benefitted from the white truffle in dip form, but these were merely teething problems in what was a really great value menu.

We had the chocolate mousse with freeze-dried raspberries and hazelnuts dipped in caramel, and a cheese board for dessert. The mousse was perfect, and we indulged in its luxury.

Even the slightly chaotic service was offered with a smile, as mixed up orders brought tables together as each jostled for delightful morsels of flavour amid plates being swapped and wine being shared.

The Baffled King is a truly charming addition to both Easton, and Bristol’s food scene at large.

The Baffled King, 28 Chelsea Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6AF
www.thebaffledking.co.uk

All photos: Mia Vines Booth

Read more:

• ‘Brunch, coffee and hair of the dog’ at new restaurant
• A-Z Bristol pub crawl: The Sugar Loaf, Easton
• Great Chongqing, Park Row – ‘Unfussy, authentic and distinctive cooking’ – Restaurant review

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: