Bristol

Enjoyed a light lunch of risotto really lovely and excellent service Well Done highly recommend

The staff were very attentive during our visit and nothing was too much trouble.

As a group of four sharing starters, mains and puddings we were pleasantly surprised to enjoy all of the dishes, even those that we expected not to. Our highlights were the garlic and rosemary flatbread, the risotto zucca and the pistachio gelato.

We left the restaurant full to the brim from the more than generous portion sizes and will definitely be returning soon.

We had a fantastic meal at Strada last week.

The antipasti was absolutely delicious - it was the best buffalo mozzarella any of us had tasted. The basket of rosemary and garlic flatbread went down a real treat as well. The olives were probably the only part of the whole meal none of us particularly enjoyed - they just didn’t seem very flavourful.

The main courses were all really enjoyed - the favourite was the Sea Bream which all of us really enjoyed. The pizza was full of delicious combinations and the risotto was full of fresh flavours and really tasty. The pork was another real favourite and was definitely considered one of the ‘to order again’ dishes. The Strozzapreti Pugliese had mixed reviews with one of our party absolutely loving it and another finding it a little bland.

We just about managed to fit in our desserts with the ‘always a winner’ pistachio ice cream which was just packed with fresh, nutty flavour. We all enjoyed the Buney Piemontese and loved the different taste it brought. But OH MY GOODNESS - the Affogato!!! I have literally been having cravings for this. I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of, if not THE best desserts I have ever had. The creaminess, mixed with the espresso - let’s just say we were all fighting to scrape the last drop from the bowl! You must try this dessert - it is absolutely amazing.

Thank you! We will be back again soon…..!!

My hometown’s high street features two curryhouses, two Chinese takeaways and one establishment whose overpriced food puts the gastroenteritis into gastropub. So a childhood deprived of real Italian food (notwithstanding the monthly microwavable lasagna) has meant that I crave a restaurant experience which will teleport me right into a Milanese backstreet at least once a month. Strada, tucked away in a backstreet of Clifton village, managed to do just that.

The interior was cozy without losing any of the contemporary Italian style you’d expect. We were seated at our table in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by chatter and perfectly ambient music, before feeling like the kings of the restaurant as platters of food arrived at our table. Loaded with succulent meats, mozzarella and tomatos, the Antipasto plate was everything a meat-lover would need from a starter, and the Aglio Flatbread was delectably addictive. Sadly, as the balding gentleman on another table less eloquently put it to the waitress, the olives were sadly lacking in meatiness and flavour.

And then the main courses arrived, and soon the table was filled with fish, pork, risotto, pasta and pizza. In hindsight we could have done with a side table, yet the passing of dishes and stealing bites from eachother’s plates added the laidback feel of the restaurant, food and evening. Two of my favourite dishes were the Saltimbocca Maiale and Strozzapreti Pugliese, purely because they were exactly what I wasn’t expecting: I generally hate pork but it was cooked to perfection; I generally hate chilli but it added just the right amount of heat to the pasta. The four of us loved every single dish and our plates were taken away as clean as they were when they came out.

And then finally, the dessert came. For me, the token nut allergy sufferer, it was a real disappointment that there was no nut-free option on our tasting menu. Nevertheless my guests enjoyed all three of the desserts, and were particularly fascinated by the espresso-ice cream combo in the Affogato. It was refreshing to see three desserts on the menu that would be difficult to knock up in your own kitchen, but it did make me pine for the three-scoop gelato or creamy tiramisu. However altogether we left the restaurant impressed by all of the big three in dining: the food, the ambiance and the service.

A cold November evening, visitors from Cornwall, where to take them for a welcoming, warm meal? It had to be Strada in Clifton.

A first visit since the menu change and the opportunity to relax and catch up on news whilst enjoying good food and wine.

Large,succulent green olives, almost sweet, were a welcome start whilst choosing the wine. With these came warm garlic and rosemary flat bread, tearing apart for sharing and chatting, just like home.

The Antipasto platter was a good mix of Italian specialities and the tapinade was a real hit for everyone, the hams, cheese, tomatoes and bruschetta would also be ideal as a main course.

A separate table was placed at the end to enable all the main courses to be placed on it. We were going to try them all. The Sea Bream, baked with lots of tarragon and roast new potatoes was perfectly cooked, firm white flesh was an instant hit.

The Strozzapreti Pugliese, a new dish for all of us was a great mix of regional Italian flavours, the Luganica sausage a change to other sausages I'd tried.

The Risotto Zucca, with the pancetta served on top was especially goodwith the pumpkin and squash flavours coming through.

Saltimbocca Maiale,a pork version of an Italian classic was cooked just right,with the prok fillet being crisp and juicy, a fabulous mashed potato and perfect al dente green beans accompanied this dish.

We left the Quattro Stagioni until the end, our plates having been full throughout, a soft, crisp pizza base with traditional artichokes, Luganica sausage, chestnut mushrooms and cotta ham was just right to finish this part of the meal. A short break before moving onto desserts.

Affogato,asemi fredo ice crean with a shot of expresso poured on top, was unusual to us and an instant hit.
Bunet Piemontese for fans of pannaccota is great, with just the right amount of Amaretto liqueur, flavouring but not overpowering.
A light green Pistachio Gelato, the gentle flvours of pistachio nuts finished off a fine meal. Had we had the time, another portion of desserts would have been on the cards.

A busy restaurant with friendly helpful and knowledgable staff guarantees return visits.

A cold November evening, I had friends visiting from Cornwall and so 4 of us went to Strada in Clifton Bristol.

A warm welcome set the tone for the evening. We decided to try 5 different main courses, each trying all of them. The large juicy green olives were some of the best, almost sweet even non olives eaters enjoyed them. The warm garlic and rosemary flat bread, just right for pulling apart and enjoyed whilst carrying on with the conversation.

The Antipasto served on a large platter were just right, with the tapenade coming in for especial praise, but a platter of true Italian flavours.
The helpful staff bought another table to place on the end of ours, this to enable all the dishes to be places on and for us to serve ourselves from each. The pan fried Sea Bream, with tarragon and roasted baby potatoes came in for special praise, a large fresh fish, almost pure white flesh and perfectly cooked. The Saltimboca, a variant on a traditional classic dish, served with creamy mashed potatoes and perfect al dente green beans.
Non of us great vegetarians, but the Rissotto wowed us all, the flavours of the pumpkin, squash, spinach and pine nuts all came together, the dish just the right consistancy,w ith the pancetta slices placedon top.
The classic Strozzapreti again bought all the traditional flavours together, the Luganica sausage a delighful change for all of us.
We had to leave the Quattro Stagioni pizza until last, this to enable us to relax and savour it all, a delighful crust, again with Luganica sausage, cotto ham, artichokes and chestnut mushrooms using our fingers to tear and eat this excellent dish.

We asked for a break before the desserts were served, and a very enjoyable end to the meal.

None of us had tried the Affogato before and it wowed us, the espresso on top of the semi-fredo ice cream was a perfect mix of flavours. Pannacotta being a favourite of us all, this variant on it, Bunet Piemontese was a delighful mix of flavours with just the right amount of Amaretto liqueur.
The pale green colour of the Pistachio Gelato was just right to finish, no harsh flavours, perfect.

A reasonably busy restaurant for a Tuesday evening, but the staff were attentive to everyone’s needs, just what we have come to expect from Strada in Bristol.

This new menu is recommended to everyone who enjoys classic Italian food cooked just as it should be.

I came to Strada in Clifton on Saturday evening with my husband and two of our friends to enjoy the reviewer tasting menu. Included below is my feedback on the food served, however I feel that the experience could have been carried out slightly differently so that we could enjoy each dish at it’s best. The 5 main dishes were all bought out at the same time, so it was quite an overwhelming amount of food and some of it was served warm rather than hot. It may work better if two dishes are bought out a time. Overall it was a great experience though and the service was very attentive.

Olives, flat bread and antipasto: these were all very tasty, in particular the stretched garlic & rosemary flat bread, with the lovely antipasto. The olives were juicy but didn’t really taste of very much.

Main dishes: the standout dish was the Pasta with sausage, pancetta and chilli, which was delicious, it was also however the only dish that was served hot, so we feel this may have given it an advantage over the others. The risotto was also really flavoursome and I enjoyed the sea bream. I was not very fond of the Pork fillet with Parma ham, which is just personal preference rather than a fault with the dish.

The best course of the evening we felt was the deserts. The Affogato, Pannacotta & Pistachio gelato were all really good and something new that none of us had tried before. We enjoyed each of them very much.

Thank you for letting me come and enjoy the food and be part of this experience.

We tried the biggest olives I have ever seen along with delicately flavoured garlic faltbread that was crunchy and chewy at the sametime.
The Antipasti was a family pleaser, the meats deemed lovely, the cheese creamy and the tomatoes fabulous.

Our main courses were stunning My husbands favourite was the Saltimbocca Maile pork which he found to be juicy and tender with a tasty accompanying sauce, though the real hit was the mashed potato - sublime. The Orata Ilforno fish was lovely and moist with a great choice of vegetables.
My surprise favourite was the risotto Zucca, lovely creamy consistancy with the smoked flavour of the pancetta was a real treat, I had to have a second helping! The Strozzapreti Pugilese pasta was flavoursome with a good chilli kick and plenty of pieces of meat folded through it. The Pizza base was thin, with a delicate topping of cheese and tomato, the other toppings were plentiful with the only problem being which piece to eat first!

The puddings exceeded any expectation, the Affogato expresso dish a surprising hit and managed to balance out the strong coffee taste.The Bunnet Piemontese was amazingly chocolatey with an additional taste of almonds, a match made in heaven! Pistachio Gelato was a delight a lovely more rounded nutty flavour far exceeded and Pistachio I have had before.

The service from start to finish was professional and courteous without being too attentive, giving us space, this is how a family meal out should be.