Venue Magazine
“The key to Spyglass is simplicity, really enjoyable fast food based on the principles of ‘what can you throw on a barbie?’”
Yay! It’s sunny! And I’m walking down a basking Welsh Back when the meaty smoke of a barbecue wafts my way. Can it be? Yes! Spyglass is back – so now I definitely know the winter’s over. I call up the Princess and we agree to celebrate the season by eating there this very evening. It’s dark when we arrive and two things are apparent: firstly, that the evenings are still going to be chilly for a while and, secondly, the glow from Spyglass looks very alluring under the green-lit trees on the quayside. Fortunately there’s no queue (you can’t book for less than eight people, which means a bit of a wait in warmer weather) so we’re quickly inside. “Nice and warm!” the Princess exclaims and she’s right. Despite being under a canvas roof the heating restores the illusion of impending summer. The coloured lanterns sway in the thermal breeze above our table and, determined to play along with our fantasy, we order a jug of fruity-sharp sangria, some olives and hummus with pitta. There’s a good spread of people across the room with lots of lively conversation and discreetly unobtrusive music giving the place a buzzy feel – one of those places you’d pick to enhance a good mood.
My own mood is slightly dented by the olives, though. There’s a generous heap of them but they just aren’t very good – the hard, dry kind that you get on pizzas. Given the luxurious choice of olives available in Bristol these days I’d prefer half the quantity of something a bit juicier – as it is, we don’t finish them anyway. But that’s a small cloud on an otherwise clear blue sky as our main courses arrive – Merguez sausages for the Princess and chargrilled squid salad for me, the barbecued ingredients balanced by a heap of crisp mixed leaves, lightly dressed, and with a bowl of French fries to share.
The sizzling, spicy sausages are an immediate hit with Her Highness – she’s never tried them before – and I’m well satisfied with the soft smokiness of the squid rings. The key to Spyglass is simplicity, really enjoyable fast food based on the principles of ‘what can you throw on a barbie?’ and ‘what makes that a good meal?’. With a dozen meat and fish choices, it’s quick to choose and arrives in the time it takes to cook. There’s a grilled vegetarian option (haloumi, natch) as well as a vegetarian tapas plate available.
We do desserts and the Princess approves her chocolate brownie (it’s her ‘pudding niche’, apparently) and I like the tart raspberry coulis with the toffee-tasting meringue of pavlova. “I’m definitely coming back,” she says as we leave. “It’s got a great vibe. Friendly.” She’s right – Spyglass is an agreeable place for relaxed eating with mates and, come the real summer, it should be packed.
(Tony Benjamin)
Venue verdict
food ∗∗∗∗ service ∗∗∗∗ atmosphere ∗∗∗∗
