I described a recent meal at Clifton’s The Muset on Twitter and Facebook as “the best meal I’ve had in a LONG time”. There is no word of a lie in this statement – it was a rare evening where food, drink, service and atmosphere combined seamlessly to provide the kind of dining experience that I’d more than happily enjoy on a regular basis.
It is no wonder that the venue has made the short list for the upcoming Food Magazine Readers’ Awards – in two categories, in fact. The Muset is up for Best Restaurant, and head chef Jethro Lawrence is aiming to take the Best Chef award – both well-deserved.
We were there as guests of The Muset, and had the opportunity to enjoy a range of dishes from their current menu.
An espresso cup of bouillabaisse – a rich, thick soup made from a blend of Cornish fish, was a wonderfully warming introduction to Jethro’s talent on a cold night, and provided me with a dose of nostalgia thanks to my Francophile father. Served with a deep fried quail’s egg, the presentation was merely a hint of what was still to come.
A rich, meaty slab of ham hock terrine enjoyed a great contrast of flavours and textures with cubes of a subtly flavoured elderflower jelly and crispy chunks of vinegary beer-pickled shallot.
A pair of Cornish scallops, wrapped in Parma ham and served on a cauliflower purĆ©e showed just how good the simplest of dishes can be: we were told that we weren’t the only diners to have raved about the purĆ©e, and we were pleased to see it making a further appearance in later dishes too.
The monkfish dish that followed was undoubtably my highlight of the evening. A ras el hanout crust added spice that worked well with the meatiness of the fish, and a heat that was cooled slightly by the slight sourness of the yoghurt that also featured on the plate. Lentils, king prawns, cauliflower purĆ©e and small cauliflower florets added an intriguing combination of textures and flavours, and presentation-wise…well, it was one of the most beautiful fish dishes that I’ve seen in a while.
Our beef fillet dish was lovely and pink and perfectly seasoned, and served with more of that fantastic cauliflower purĆ©e, baby carrots and a watercress purĆ©e. The veal shank ravioli with which it was accompanied contained meat which was amazingly rich and melted in the mouth – our one grudging criticism being that the pasta was a little too thick and chewy at the base.
Onto dessert…a chocolate and raspberry-based dish which, despite being incredibly full, we couldn’t help but demolish. A light and airy chocolate mousse, a quenelle of raspberry sorbet, a seriously concentrated raspberry purĆ©e, small cubes of raspberry jelly and a mound of tangy sherbet vied for our attention, alongside fresh raspberries and a chocolate “soil”. It certainly tasted as good as it looked…my only bugbear (not just here, but at other places too) being that sorbet is virtually impossible to eat from a slate once it has melted!
Manager Jonathan and the waitress who served our food were attentive and friendly throughout, and if you do pay The Muset a visit, I highly advise asking Jonathan for his wine recommendations with each course. The Muset’s cellar, on display to the public, is incredibly well-stocked, with a page of more accessible wines available by the glass, carafe or bottle, and the rest of the wine list starting at around the Ā£20 mark and culminating in a bottle of red priced at over Ā£200. The wine highlight for me was the 2003 Aleatico de Puglia (Ā£6.90 for 70ml, Ā£44 for a 50cl bottle) that accompanied our dessert – a sticky, medium sweet red that left us hunting it down online over the weekend.
When I say this was the best meal I’ve had in a long time, I really wasn’t lying. While many of the dishes have a price tag to match the quality (expect to pay around Ā£20 for a main course), the restaurant also has a very reasonably priced midweek offer of three courses for Ā£22 from a set menu, and a great Ā£10 lunch/early bird deal, which includes a glass of wine. They also have regular offers available via their Facebook page, meaning that The Muset is equally enjoyable as a venue for a special occasion or for a fantastic midweek meal. Highly recommended.
Please note: this meal was received free of charge, but in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the venue did not see this review before it was put up on the site.
Find The Muset on the Bristol Bites Directory…
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It was a delight to read your post . Really a nice post, thanks for sharing !
Having eaten there over the summer I whole heartedly agree!
Very interesting and cute place, that I recommend for everyone. Thanks for sharing.
[…] I visited The Muset in November 2012, and described the experience as the best meal out I’d had in a long time, “a rare evening where food, drink, service and atmosphere combined seamlessly to provide the kind of dining experience that Iād more than happily enjoy on a regular basis”. […]