The problem with the small child now having started school is that any shopping trips that need him to be there now have to happen at the weekend. And weekends in central Bristol, as we all know, are BUSY!
It meant that when shopping for his new wellies took longer than expected, lunchtime had rolled around. We needed to find somewhere to eat: and FAST.
As we were in Cabot Circus, there was plenty of choice. The problem was, everywhere was rammed. Yo! Sushi had a massive queue. The waiting time for food at PizzaExpress was 40 minutes. We hadn’t planned this well at all.
Luckily, there were plenty of tables free at Coal Kitchen – plus a separate kids’ menu – so we grabbed a table on their “terrace” – right next to the barrier so we could see all the action on the ground floor of Cabot Circus below.
The Bristol restaurant is one of three in the mini Coal Kitchen chain: you’ll find their other two restaurants in Exeter and at Gloucester Quays. As a brand, it sounded promising: they’re all about taking inspiration from global dishes, using local and sustainable ingredients where possible.
They’re certainly kitted out for little ones, with this one getting his own menu, complete with crayons. More educational than many places, too, with a herb identification challenge as well as animals to colour in on the back.
The kids’ menu is pretty decent: veggie sticks and hummus to nibble on, followed by a choice of four mains and four different sides, plus a scoop of ice cream and a drink, all for £6. Unsurprisingly, he went for a babyccino (why do so many places – Coal Kitchen included – serve them too hot to drink immediately when they’re designed for small children?), served in a stylish plastic cup and complete with straw and a light dusting of cocoa powder.
His nibbles and his main (grilled chicken tenders and chips) turned up at the same time – slightly frustrating that we had to wait for the hummus and veggies as we’d asked for them to be brought out as soon as they could. Keeping him occupied while waiting for food to arrive is a challenge, those nibbles would have made it far easier!
The main was a refreshing change from the normal chicken nuggets (or goujons, if you’re somewhere trying to be fancier) : three seasoned mini fillets on skewers and a decent mound of crispy chips. He demolished all but one of the skewers and the majority of the chips before turning his attention to his chocolate ice cream. I was pretty glad of the plastic sundae glass…
While we grown-ups had been tempted by the set lunch menu (2 courses for £12.95, 3 courses for £13.95), the realisation that it meant attempting to keep a small child entertained for even longer took us to the a la carte menu instead. There’s a decent number of vegetarian and vegan options, as you’d expect – and I like the way that Coal Kitchen puts a green heart next to the healthier options on the menu, too.
Across the table, the smell of the truffle rigatoni (£11), “baked in truffle-infused Somerset cream, topped with focaccia crumb and Parmesan”, was mouthwatering, and the first bite confirmed that they hadn’t skimped on the truffle. We wondered, though, if they’d forgotten to add the cream: there clearly hadn’t been much of it when they put it in the oven as the pasta was incredibly dry.
Trying to be healthy-ish, I went for the Asian noodle salad, priced at £9, plus an extra £4.50 for halloumi on top. I hadn’t expected there to be crispy noodles on top as well as the mound of softer noodles underneath – a pleasant surprise.
The spicy soya and lime dressing had a decent kick to it, the heat intensifying the more I ate. There were plenty of the promised edamame beans and crispy onions but sadly the halloumi was a little disappointing. The thin slices had been over-fried, making them quite tough and chewy.
As a quick lunch stop while out shopping, Coal Kitchen served its purpose: we were seated and served quickly, and left feeling full. Our server was absolutely lovely, and really good with the four-year-old, too, which makes a big difference. The food, though? Nothing really that special, sadly – there are other places at Cabot Circus that I’d choose over Coal Kitchen next time.