(I’m squeeeezing this one in right at the tail-end of summer. Sorry pals.)
A few weeks ago me and Tom went on a date night along the harbourside; the evening consisted of dinner at No. 1 Harbourside, testing out their freshly-revamped menu, followed by a very dense David Lynch doco at the Watershed. How very romantic.
I’ve always been a big fan of No. 1 Harbourside. The combination of tapas-y style pickings, whimsical decor and beautiful waterside views is always a winner in my eyes. Having said that, it’s been a good few years since I’ve been there, ever since some yuppy nob backchatted my dad at the bar. I know it wasn’t No. 1’s fault, but I just made sure I gave it a wide berth on account of the clientele, you know?
This particular evening, however, there were none of the sort. We managed to blag a decent table outside and were served by the nicest man ever behind the bar.
As well as crowd-pleasers such as their signature burger and fish & chips, there’s plenty here if you just fancy a nibble, too. Take these olives for example, marinated in house to a secret recipe that our barman told us has red wine in. You could definitely taste it!
Look at Tom waiting patiently for me to take a photo.
Tom being Tom, there was soon a burger in his little grubby hands, accompanied by a mountain of chips. I was desperate to smother myself in that heavenly beetroot houmous I sampled back at the Bristol Food Tour, so went for the vegan bowl. Alongside a generous dollop of the good stuff was the most *incredible* aioli I have ever sampled, which I pinched a few of Tom’s chips to mop up the last of. Also – that chargrilled bread is something else. Being a vegan in Bristol is a piece of cake when you’ve got delicious options like this on your doorstep.
Bellies full, we waddled along to the Watershed. The documentary was pretty good, if a little dense, and explains A LOT about some of the recurring themes in David Lynch’s work. If you’re a fan of him or not, it’s well worth a watch.
Thanks to No. 1 Harbourside for having us, and for the super friendly man with the septum piercing behind the bar for being awesome. I was invited along for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are my own.