Bulrush Restaurant

Chef George Livesey’s culinary CV reads like a Who’s Who of the UK restaurant scene (we’re talking St John, Club Gascon, several Roux institutions and the White Rabbit in Dalston), and all that experience is paying off handsomely at Bulrush. The Bristol gaff he runs with wine-savvy partner Katherine Craughwell received its first Michelin star in 2018, and we can understand why. Together, they’re an “enthusiastic and skilled couple” who have turned these premises into a genuine neighbourhood restaurant with a “relaxed but very professional” outlook.

Meanwhile, George’s kitchen delivers “amazing food at unassuming prices” – you can get an eight-course tasting menu for a mere £55 a head, Tuesday to Thursday, whereas on Fridays and Saturdays, a ninth course is thrown in for a doable additional fiver.  With seasonal flavours and foraged pickings figuring prominently on the menu, and lots of perky, imaginative ideas executed with real élan, the menus are constantly changing, but always exciting. Think pig’s trotter with gooseberries and a duck liver macaron; Orkney scallops with green strawberries and lemon verbena; and Chew Valley strawberries, wheatgrass parfait and camomile.

There’s also a vegetarian tasting menu showcasing British vegetables in the most humble and innovative way: Isle of White tomatoes are simply (but wonderfully) served with smoked ricotta and watermelon, whereas the leek and seaweed terrine comes complete with coal crème fraiche and summer truffles. Don’t leave before trying the cheese board, which is a celebration of English types, served with crackers and chutneys.

From the a la carte, dishes such as whole roast quail with asparagus and morels feature on the starters list, while stars of the likes of Tokyo turnip with girolles and fermented cep broth or guineafowl with almonds and a green tomato and elderflower salsa can be expected as mains.

Katherine’s drinks list covers everything from local beers, cider and cocktails to a decent showing of biodynamic wines. 

Sitting neatly in between Cotham and Redland, two of Bristol's smartest, leafiest neighbourhoods, Bulrush is exactly the sort of restaurant we think of when we think of Bristol - intelligent, interesting food, with an emphasis on proper cooking and great produce over unnecessary frills. 

The restaurant itself subscribes to the same notion, with smart wooden tables and whitewashed walls leading the eye towards an open kitchen at the back. Save for the blackboard on one wall and a few pops of colour from flowers on the tables, the interior is clean and minimal. The emphasis, clearly, is on the food. 

Chef George Livesey has a significant CV behind him; the influence of St John is palpable in the whitewash and wood of Bulrush's decor, but he's also worked in several Roux kitchens, as well as with Pascal Aussignac at Club Gascon, and at the White Rabbit in Dalston. His partner Katherine handles wine duties in the restaurant and between them they clearly make quite the team, picking up a Michelin star in 2018 and cementing their place as one of Bristol's top restaurants.

The eight-course, £70 tasting menu doesn't pull any punches and certainly isn't afraid of trying new things. The first trio of snacks - a swede chawanmushi, crab and elderflower tart, and duck liver macaron - sets the scene for things to come. There's heritage beetroot with whey sorbet and rosehip, scallops with kohlrabi, smoked pike roe, seaweed and verjus, then a slab of monkfish, barbecued on a Japanese konro grill, and served with smoked mussels, yuzu and salsify. Diners can add an optional cheese course, featuring Tunworth, honey, Wiltshire truffle and homemade crackers. 

Desserts go even further into unusual flavours, with buckwheat honey and salsify brulee, and a cep ice cream that comes with cajeta (a thick, sweet goat's milk caramel) and chocolate.