In mid-February, Chef Sebastian Merry will be opening A.B.O.E on Whiteladies Road, fusing classical cooking with South East Asian influences and a playful take on traditional fine dining.
The West Country chef, who grew up just outside Bristol, will be taking over the site previously occupied by Flipside cocktail bar. A.B.O.E (standing for “A Bit Of Everything”) will combine Seb’s vast culinary experience with his passion for locally-sourced produce, sustainability, and his belief that “outstanding food shouldn’t just be reserved for the world of fine dining and Michelin stars”.
Seb’s background is certainly impressive. After cooking with his grandmother when young, he started to work in professional kitchens at the age of 18. He competed in MasterChef: The Professionals, before moving to London, then France, working in 1-3 Michelin star restaurants before a five-year stint as Head Chef at one of Mayfair’s best restaurants.
This was followed by a year as Head Chef at Antigua’s Sheer Rocks (renowned as the best restaurant in the Caribbean). He then worked as a private chef on a super yacht – and when he returned to Bristol before the pandemic, he continued to work on his plans for A.B.O.E.
In September last year, Seb began serving up his popular roast dinners as well as a classical-meets-fusion small plates menu at Flipside. Just after Christmas, Flipside closed for renovations – and it’s now set to reopen as A.B.O.E in mid-February, with Seb at the helm.
Menu-wise, expect dishes that showcase Seb’s classical culinary training, with influences from across the globe. His small plates menu will change regularly and promises Japanese, Thai and Indonesian influences, with “playful flavour combinations and cooking methods that diners may not have seen or tried before”. Seb’s famous Sunday roasts will also make a return.
Seb says, “A.B.O.E is an idea and concept I have had for many many years and owning my own restaurant has been a lifelong dream of mine. I love to cook and am so passionate about bringing people something new and exciting without the stiffness and price tag of ‘traditional’ fine dining, and I’m so excited to finally live out my dream. I can’t wait for people to come, try my food and hopefully try new things they haven’t tried before.”
A.B.O.E will be open in mid-February. Opening hours will be 5pm-11.30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12pm-12am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12pm-8pm on Sundays. Bookings have not yet opened, but you can sign up to the A.B.O.E newsletter via their website.