**This is a sponsored post in collaboration with tastecard**
With the cost of living soaring, justifying the cost of a meal out – especially for a larger group of people or a family – can be challenging. But what if there was a service that could save you money on meals out at a range of local independent and chain restaurants, cafés and pubs…?
That’s where tastecard comes in. I get my tastecard membership as part of my bank account, but you can sign up from as little as £1 for a 60-day trial for a range of different perks. These include 2 for 1 meals in Bristol and all across the UK, 50% off food offers, 50% off pizza delivery and 25% off barista-made drinks, as well as other benefits like discounted cinema tickets and days out at UK attractions.
In Bristol itself there are plenty of places that have partnered with tastecard, including chains like Prezzo (2 for 1 meals Sunday-Friday), Burger King (25% off total bill Sunday-Thursday) and Zizzi (2 for 1 Sunday-Thursday).
But it’s not just chain restaurants that are involved. You’ll find offers for plenty of Bristol indies too, like 50% off food at Ray’s Pizzeria at The Lanes, 2 for 1 meals at Ganesha, 2 for 1 at Assilah Bistro and 25% off your total bill at Bardolino.
As I needed to be in central Bristol one Friday I decided to look on the tastecard app the day before to see what was available nearby. I settled on Java on Park Street – which I’ve only ever been to in the evenings when it transforms from a café into a bar and club. With tastecard you can enjoy 50% off food at Java Bristol from Monday to Sunday (excluding bank holidays and celebrations) for up to six diners, you just need to call to book in advance and mention the tastecard offer.
There are two entrances to Java from Park Street: the bar entrance (pictured above) and the café entrance. The two rooms both have a very different feel: while both wood panelled with chandelier lighting and quite opulent-looking, the bar area has music and lower lighting during the day, giving more of an evening vibe.
With more natural light, no music and its chillers filled with sandwiches, wraps, cakes and drinks, the café area felt more relaxed, and almost hotel-like.
When I arrived I was impressed by how smartly dressed the team were, with male and female staff members all dressed in black trousers, white shirts, black braces and black bow ties. I’d arrived slightly early so headed to the bar to order and pay for a coffee before finding my table in the café area.
My latte (£3.20) wasn’t badly made, and was served in a tall glass with a Lotus biscuit on the side.
There’s plenty of choice on the lunch menu at Java Bristol: pies made in-house, Jamaican chicken curry, a couple of burgers, steaks, chicken supreme…and a specials list that included moussaka, mushroom risotto, ratatouille and goulash when I visited. There aren’t a huge number of vegetarian or vegan options on the lunch menu, it must be said – but the breakfast menu is a little better on this front.
It was the fish and chips (£10 – or £5 with a tastecard) that intrigued me – the fact that Java Bristol marinate their cod loin in masala butter before battering and frying sounded like an exciting twist on the classic British dish. I headed to the bar to order and pay, scribbling down my name and tastecard membership number for the team to redeem my 50% off offer.
It certainly looked impressive when it arrived, the salt-sprinkled cod perched on a mound of chips, a wedge of lemon plus little pots of tartare sauce and crushed peas to the side. The batter on the fish was crisp, flavourful and not too thick and the cod was succulent, the subtle masala spices only really coming through when eating the fish without the batter, sadly. I loved the fact that the chips were peppered as well as salted, which added a great deal more flavour, and they, like the batter, were lovely and crisp.
The tartare sauce was very citrusy and tasted good, I just wasn’t a massive fan of the texture. I much prefer big chunks of caper and gherkin but this sauce had been blitzed up pretty well. The peas were lovely, though, with a buttery yet fresh flavour, just a little light on the mint.
At £5 with the tastecard offer, I can’t complain at all – it was an absolute bargain. While quiet when I first arrived, the café area at Java had livened up significantly by the time I left, which was good to see. If you’re looking for a bargain lunch on Park Street in an impressive setting, I’d suggest that booking a meal at Java Bristol with a tastecard (which you can trial for £1 for 60 days) is worth a shout.