Pieminister, Broad Quay: Review

The new Pieminister restaurant on Broad Quay, which opened in early March 2016, replaces the short-lived Fuego, which proved to be not a patch on its predecessor, My Burrito. Things are looking up for the location now, though, with members of the team telling us that the new pie restaurant was proving popular in the early evening for those looking for a quick bite to eat before a trip to the Hippodrome, and new diners continued to arrive throughout the evening on the night of our visit.

With its black exterior, dimmed lighting and industrial feel, it’s got a pretty similar atmosphere to the Stokes Croft restaurant. Diners sit on school-style chairs at wooden tables, illuminated by orange strip lighting and with plenty to look at, such as the neon orange “Live & Eat Pie” signage, and plenty of random things in jars on the shelving in the middle of the restaurant.

When it comes to the menu, it’s the same offering as in Pieminister’s other restaurants: a variety of pies, hotpots and salads; nibbles such as pork scratchings and crisps for while you wait; both standard and “super” sides; various toppings and sauces; and the option to “pimp up your pie” with a stick of chorizo, pigs in blankets, halloumi or onion rings.

The drinks offering’s pretty impressive too: cocktails (which are 2-4-1 before 6.30pm and after 9.30pm), draught and bottled beers and ciders, wines and soft drinks. While I stuck to a Diet Coke, Chris opted for a Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout (£4), the bottle served with a retro glass tankard.

While I’ve enjoyed Pieminister pies many a time, I’d never before tried their hotpots: slow cooked options baked in heavy individual metal pots with a potato top – perfect for those who don’t fancy a heavy pastry-based option. My choice was the Cheeky Chick hotpot (£7.50) – a combination of chicken, white wine and leeks, topped with crispy cheese potaties, according to the menu.

The flavours were amazing: the sauce thick, rich and creamy, with plenty of leek and packed full of root veg. Sadly there wasn’t a massive amount of chicken in there (and the bits I did have were pretty small), but the thick slices of potato on the top were perfectly cooked and there was a generous sprinkling of cheese on the top.

I decided to order my pie with sides of mash and homemade slaw (£2.20 each) – while the mash was lovely and smooth and creamy, the portion seemed a little stingy for the price. The coleslaw, however, was amazing, the julienned strips of spring onion, carrots and white cabbage mixed with a cheesy, mustardy mayonnaise with plenty of flavour.

For Chris, the Deerstalker pie (£5), which promised venison, dry cured bacon, red wine and green lentils. It was the lentils that provided the primary smell on cutting into the pie, which featured a thick, rich gravy with lovely tender venison and a slight smokiness from the bacon. I say slight – he felt that the bacon flavour should have come through more strongly – but he was impressed with the pastry. His sides (also £2.20 each)? Some fantastic minted mushy peas, and the mash – again, he wasn’t convinced by the portion size…

A bit hit and miss, all in all – it seems that portion sizes have been decreasing over time, and some of the key ingredients in both of our meals could have been more prominent. The service was faultless and friendly throughout, though, our meal was served promptly, and there’s no denying that the Broad Quay restaurant has plenty of atmosphere. It’s good to see the Pieminister team increasing their presence in their home city…

Please note: Our food and drinks were complimentary, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the venue did not see this review before it was put up on the site.