Pony and Trap Bristol Restaurant : My first Michelin star experience
I had been wanting to try the food at the Pony and Trap for ages and ever since I booked in Sunday lunch a few weeks ago I have been looking forward to it.
I am currently trying a lot of sunday roasts in Bristol to find the best one. The Pony and Trap restaurant is just outside Bristol in Chew Magna. The drive from my house was lovely as it is in the countryside. The restaurant is down a country lane with amazing views over luscious fields.
They had outside benches and it would be a lovely place to eat when the weather is warmer. Also a lot of the fresh produce is grown in the garden next to the pub so I was expecting such vibrant fresh flavours.
The Pony and Trap has so much going for it, a lovely building in the countryside, they use local producers and the head chef Josh Eggleton is a great chef I love his other venture Yurt Lush and I have met him at a blogging event so I was excited to be trying another one of his restaurants.
This is my first Michelin star experience and the way I am feeling it might be my last as I was so disappointed with the food.
I was happy to pay £30 for 2 courses a little bit more than I would normally spend on a sunday lunch but with it being a Michelin restuarant near Bristol I had high expectatiohs so was willing to pay extra for something delicious
However I was so disappointed, the food was just not up to scratch. We have been visiting pubs in Bristol for sunday lunch and paying about £12 for something so much better.
The menu varies depending on season. The starters were not to my taste. The mains however all sounded nice and I was looking forward to white chocolate cheesecake for dessert.
I took my mum and as usual we both went for the beef option. It was sirloin roast and the meat was served as a steak rather than slices this is a first for me it did feel like I was having a steak dinner rather than a roast dinner.
We were asked if we were happy for the meat to be served pink or did we want it “finishing off for longer” I like it rare and to be fair the meat was delicious. Unfortunately the kinfes were blunt and I couldnt cut a roast potato never mind the meat. I ended up having to tear at the meat rather than cut and I got cramp in my hands I gave up with the vegetables in the end. My mum also felt the knives were too blunt.
The beef was served with a huge Yorkshire pudding which is normally my highlight but it tasted burnt and was so dry.
The roast potatoes were very hard and with a blunt knife I couldnt cut, one nearly ended up in my lap I gave up with the last potato as it was more tiring trying to cut it than eat it. They were fluffy in the middle though.
It came with a side order of vegetables which included a type of kale, mashed suede, shallots, 1 carrot each and some roasted beetroot. Another pot of watery cauliflower and leek cheese which was bland and not nice. The gravy was also watery and tasteless.
We had 12 oclock sitting and was one of the first to be served and we were sat by the kitchen so they didnt have far to bring the food but it was cold.
We ended up leaving without having the dessert as I didnt want to waste any more money on food that was tasteless. With a drink each it came to £52.50 and paying this price I at least want something with a bit of flavour. This is the first sunday lunch in Bristol I have left still feeling hungry.
I am so dissapointed as I have been to Yurt Lush which is another restaurant in Bristol by the same chef Josh which was amazing and I would highly recommend. All I can say is he must not have been in the building as no way he would let food like this be served.
Have you had a delicious Sunday roast near Bristol, let me know as I would love to give it a go.
