On July 5th, The Clifton on Regent Street will be reopening under the management of an award-winning Welsh pub team – with bookings now open.
Sarah and Tom Watts-Jones – the pair behind the Hare & Hounds in Aberthin and the Heathcock in Llandaff, Cardiff – will be bringing their ethos of cooking locally and in season over the bridge to Bristol. Sarah explains, “We’ve got a lovely supplier list of people local to The Clifton: short supply chains are very important to us. We’ll be a really good quality local pub, which also serves excellent food”.
Drinks-wise, she says that they’re fairly tied on the beer front but are excited to be bringing Wye Valley Brewery’s HPA over the bridge. Visitors to The Clifton can also expect plenty of local spirits and liqueurs, as well as an exciting wine list that will feature a number of choices from Bristol’s Déjà Bu Wines.
One of the stars of the show on the food front will be The Clifton’s custom-made Ox Grill, which will allow all of their meat and fish to be cooked over fire. The menu will change daily, with a strong focus on sharing dishes and feasting menus: sample dishes listed on the website include crispy pig with pickled fennel, dandelion & mustard, and grilled monkfish flatbreads with fennel, fermented chilli & green sauce. For groups of eight or more there are also various feasting menus featuring a range of small plates plus a main, sides and desserts to share.
“We’re also really excited that, for the first time, we’ve got a counter at the open kitchen that you can dine at”, says Sarah – the perfect option for those who want to watch head chef Cory and his team at work.
Best of luck to the team at The Clifton: with such a strong gastropub history behind them and food that sounds incredible, I’m looking forward to trying the menu for myself! To experience the new venue, book online here for dates from July 5th onwards.