I'm breaking a few of my usual rules for this restaurant because my experience there was so unique…read moreand enchanting. Normally, I shy away from reviewing Italian restaurants, since I do not usually feel qualified to judge them fairly. Secondly, I have never before given a 5-Star review to an establishment based on a single visit. But, Al Fresco definitely deserves the highest marks. I even went through the trouble of creating their Yelp profile and filling in all the necessary information.
Here's the scenario: My travel buddy and I were on our way back to San Francisco, after having traipsed all through the West Country, Dover, Calais, Paris and back to Bristol. In the entire holiday, she and I never had a decent Italian meal. She is quite the connoisseur, unlike myself. Even while in Paris, she was less than impressed.
On our last evening in the "Sceptered Isle", set in a silver sea, she wanted good Italian food and Al Fresco happened to be the closest place to our hotel. After having come from Paris and Amsterdam, we did not have high hopes heading out to this hidden little bistro in a sleepy suburb of Bristol.
But, when we arrived, we knew we were in for something extraordinary. The manager (ironically named "Fats") leads us to the bar to wait for a table. We're immediately plied with beverages, as if we were old friends who had come calling all of a sudden. Our table was set and while we're looking over the menu, the scents of Tuscan and Milanese cooking have us properly ravenous.
The Calamari Fritti came out with the most delicate, flakey coating and the generous rings of squid beneath the crunch batter were soft and flavourful (not rubbery like a lorry tyre, as they usually are in other places).
The salad starter was a dazzling array of colours and flavours, with a massive block of goat cheese set atop it. I am not exaggerating (see the pic), the bloody thing was the size of a hockey puck.
Then, my lovely travel buddy's lasagna arrived and it made her eyes roll back into her head, with delight. I opted for a seafood linguine that had mussels, prawns the size of crayfish and a light sauce that did not overpower the delicate taste of the seafood.
Afterwards, a knowledgeable waiter patiently explained to us the names and etymology of all the Italian desserts. I never knew that "Tiramisu", loosely translates to "Pull me up". We decided on trying the Affogato (meaning "drowned") and it was pronounced to be the best the best affogato my friend has ever had. The ice cream was drowned in espresso and finished off with a generous shot of amaretto.
Another lively waiter named Aldo brought us shots of grappa with cream to finish off the lovely meal. It was, hands down, the best service and food we've had in two weeks of traveling through the UK and Europe. Fats, the manager, arranged for our transport back to the hotel.
Later, cuddling in bed with my travel buddy, she and I giggled and could not help but wonder if it had all been some wonderful hallucination that we had jointly participated in. Only the receipt from the restaurant provided any evidence, the next morning. There were no leftovers to bring back to the hotel; it was all so delicious that we devoured every bite while we were there.
