After an early evening visit to Whitelock and Grace for cocktails last weekend, a friend and I were on the lookout for a quick, cheap and tasty meal before meeting friends in town. A wander down Whiteladies Road led us to Bar Humbug, where the offer of a main course for £6 (plus outdoor seating and a half-decent cider on tap!) seemed silly to turn down…
Bar Humbug is predominantly a drinking venue in the evenings, with dimmed lighting, sofas and low tables. There is, however, a smaller dining area in the back room by the kitchen…but we opted for a small table in the front bar instead.
The menu is small but consistent: a range of Mediterranean and North African options for just £6 for one course or £8 for two, featuring dishes such as Moroccan chicken tagine, chargrilled lamb skewers and veggie moussaka.
We both opted for the Hot Mezze Platter, with small portions of hummus, pumpkin dip, feta cheese, salad, olives, samosa, cinnamon couscous, falafel, a chargrilled chicken skewer and flatbreads.
The presentation of the dish was great – it certainly looked appetising. The highlight for me was the pumpkin dip, which was smooth and packed full of flavour. The falafel was topped with a lovely spicy harissa, the flatbreads were warm and delicious, and the range of flavours and textures made for a tasty and filling meal for £6.
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why a samosa was included in a mezze platter, but it tasted good nonetheless. The only real disappointment was the hummus – it tasted as if the chickpeas hadn’t been washed and de-shelled before blending, which was a shame.
Great value for just £6, though, and the friendly and fast service and relaxed atmosphere meant that we had a very enjoyable evening. I’d definitely head back to try out some of the other dishes on the menu…
Bar Humbug
Website: http://www.barhumbug.co.uk/
Address: 89 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2NT
Telephone: 0117 904 0061