The Metropolitan opened in Bristol in late 2022, but being the parents of a toddler, and living on the opposite side of the city, we only visited for the first time last month. We took the day off work, bunged the boy into nursery and treated ourselves to a brunch, cinema and cocktails day. And it was great!
Housed in the old Cafe du jour site on Whiteladies Road, it fills a welcome space between the bustling Cotham end and the always-reliable but less fancy Boston Tea Party at the top. It’s also great to see that despite cost of living, covid, Brexit and everything else thrown at hospitality over the last few years, genuinely independent places like this are still opening – and seemingly, thriving.
Rainy day perfection
We chose a wet and wild Friday afternoon for this day-date and as we ran up the road, the rain was hitting our faces hard. Handing over our wet coats and taking a seat in the warm was just what we needed. We almost *almost* ordered cocktails but with it being 11:30am we decided against it and went for tea and coffee whilst we decided what to eat.
What we ate
The brunch menu is a good size, totalling 10 items to choose from, mostly with eggs but with a couple of Vegan options. I went for the dish I’ve heard most about – the Ox Cheek Hash. And Dave went for Eggs Royale, which as it turns out really were pretty royal.
Let’s start with my dish. A plate piled high with an almighty potato and ox cheek hash brick, two poached eggs and an array of brightly coloured pickles, the whole thing finished with a gochujang hollandaise and rich gravy. Well, they say you eat with your eyes first right? This was a very pretty plate of food.
As I ate, my mind ran back and forth. It was amazing, it was confused, it was too much, it was just right. Honestly, I’m still not sure but I think I loved it. I did. I loved it. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. For me, the hash was everything. Rich, caramelised potato hash packed with a thick wedge of melt in the middle ox cheek. Gimme more. The gravy was divine too, and with the egg yolk adding creaminess perfection. The pickles cut through everything and I appreciated the crunchy danmuji. The gochujang hollandaise though, that was the thing I wasn’t sure about. It added a warmth but also a slightly harsh heat which I don’t think was needed.
It’s a must-try dish though – very similar to one that the head chef had on the menu at his previous establishment too so I’m sure we’ll continue to see its development and transformation over the years ahead.
Dave’s Eggs Royale was simply stunning. Cured Cornish sea trout on toast with poached eggs and a delicate lemon hollandaise. The sea trout was a fantastic shout and really elevated the dish from its more usual smoked salmon. He only let me try a little bit but wow, that was the star of the day. The hollandaise was silky smooth – they really know what they’re doing with a sauce, I’ll give them that!
Final thoughts
From what I’ve read online, brunch is better than dinner at The Metropolitan in Bristol. I haven’t eaten there at night so can’t confirm or deny but I will say that we really enjoyed our food and valued the risks taken to elevate the dishes to the next level. I’d like to return and try some of their other menu items – the mackerel kedgeree with roast tomato, creme fraiche, pickled cucumber and soy egg sounds great, as does the oyster mushrooms on toast with cashew cream, spinach, garlic and red pickled onions.
The bill came to £40.18 for two of us making it the pricier end of Bristol brunching but given the gorgeous setting and innovative food, I’m ok with that and would recommend for a treat.
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