The Sunday Times gave it a rare five-star review
Jan Ostle, co-founder of Wilsons Restaurant(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
A Bristol restaurant has received a rave review from the critic of The Sunday Times, who described it as ‘delightful’ but went on to compare one dish to a famous fast food staple.
Writer Charlotte Ivers gave Michelin-starred restaurant Wilsons in Redland a rare five-star review in her weekly column.
Wilsons recently gained a Michelin star, making it one of only two such restaurants in Bristol – the other being Bulrush in Cotham.
It has taken Wilsons nine years to get the accolade and Ivers said the restaurant’s long-awaited recognition ‘feels more like a barrister finally becoming a KC: recognition of many long years of excellence’.
The critic went on to add that Wilsons ‘does good food, has no tablecloths and no pretensions’.
She praised every dish she tried, even describing the snacks of pheasant nuggets fried in buttermilk as ‘a wonderfully crunchy middle-class KFC’.
Ivers described the desserts as ‘charming’, especially the ‘proper-sized’ tarte tatin for the table to share at the end.
She also raved about the pre-dessert snacks, especially a ‘superb marshmallowy’ soft meringue, blackened with a hot coal to give it a charcoal edge and served with a herb sorbet.
Wilsons is a small, independently owned and run farm-to-table restaurant in Redland(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
“The outcome is the most remarkable combination of bitter, sweet and fresh. It’s delightful,” she added.
The Sunday Times reviewer wrapped up her glowing review by saying: “Delightful is the word that keeps coming to mind. The room is delightful. The staff are delightful. They clearly care so much about what they are doing here.”
The farm-to-table restaurant uses produce from its own two acre market garden to supply the veg, herbs and flowers for its dishes.
Wilsons had previously been awarded a Michelin green star for environmental and sustainable practices.
Last year, Wilsons was listed as number 20 in SquareMeal’s Top 100 Restaurants in the UK, with plates praised for ‘exact technique’ despite their ‘deceptively simple’ appearance.