The Ivy has long been somewhat of a London institution, welcoming the most famous and exclusive guests to its growing number of locations for exceptional dining since 1917. So when I heard that it was opening the doors to its first location outside of London in our fair city, I just had to see if its fabulousness translated into West Country.
Set in the former Natwest Bank on Caledonia Place, iconic art deco typography set against lush greenery welcomed us to The Ivy Clifton Brasserie. We were shown to our seats by a maître d’ wearing a gorgeous floral dress (big thumbs up from me and my New Girl-esque dress collection) and immediately brought a glass of champagne by an impeccably suited waiter, which we sipped whilst admiring the impressive interior.
High ceilings, ornate globe chandeliers and dark mirrors exuded luxury. Inspired by Bristol’s original homeboy, Brunel, the walls were adorned with images and paintings of some of his most important works. To one side of the main dining room was a gleaming bar manned by bartenders in crisp white tuxes; to the other were steps leading to a orangery overlooking a classic Clifton garden.
The scene was certainly set, so it was time to get cracking on the food. We started with some Truffle Arancini appetisers; teeny fried balls of rice which were perfectly crispy when bitten in to and packed a hearty truffle kick. Then I noticed the Zucchini Fritti on the menu and immediately had to order some – courgette fries were my Italian Nonna’s signature dish, and I could eat them for days. The Ivy’s version stood up to the test of memory, and I happily munched my way through most of the bowl all the way through our starter and almost into the main course.
Starters ranged from the classic to the more adventurous, so we decided to sample from both ends of the spectrum; I went for the seared scallops (a bit of a weakness of mine) and Jon tried fried prawns with wasabi. Both were delicious – my crunchy, cheesy Parmesan crisp was the perfect accompaniment to the soft, caramelised scallops, and the hot wasabi complemented the big, crispy prawns.
I stuck with seafood for the main course, choosing a mouth-watering steaming bowl of mussels that were served in a leek, cider and sweetcured bacon sauce, with plenty of thick thick chips to soak it all up. Jon went for one of the specials, slow -roasted lamb shoulder, which just fell apart as he cut into it.
We managed to squeeze in a dessert, mostly because I’d seen the chocolate bombe on Instagram and I certainly wasn’t leaving without witnessing it for myself. We watched in glee as salted caramel poured over the chocolate and melted it into the creamy milk foam, making one hell of a chocolate, vanilla, honeycomb heaven on a plate.
Fully sated, we had time for a quick tour of the other parts of the building before we headed off into Clifton. We discovered the beautiful Western dining room, a private area that’s available to be booked for events from September onwards, again with walls covered in pictures that speak of Bristol’s colourful history.
The Ivy Clifton Brasserie already feels right at home, nestled into the Clifton topography and adding to the area’s fine dining. The food is fantastic, the service impeccable and I can certainly imagine that it will be popular with Bristol’s crème de la crème, much like its London siblings.
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