Severn Shed, The Grove, Bristol, BS1 4RB
t: 0117 925 1212
w: http://www.severnshedrestaurant.co.uk/
e: info@severnshedrestaurant.co.uk

I’ve eaten at Severn Shed, just off Welshback three times now over the past four months – more than enough I think to do a just and fair review.

A contemporary bar and restaurant, the left hand side is a cocktail bar with comfy booths and high rise tables and an extensive cocktail menu. This side of the bar is full of the clinks of glasses and the rattle of cocktail shakers. A great atmosphere for pre-dinner drinks (even better if you arrive during happy hour!)

On the other side, is the restaurant. Large and spacious, very modern, with high ceilings and lots of natural wood. There’s also a terrace outside, which is perfect for alfresco diners when the weather is fine.

The menu is mixed, but essentially modern, european cuisine -  a selection of pizza and pasta dishes, salads, burgers, and grills. I’m often underwhelmed be these sorts of menus as they have little in the name of identity. But on the plus side it means there’s something for everyone.

Prices are fairly standard, Severn Shed is not a bargain by any stretch but it’s not too expensive either. You’re looking at £8/£9 for pasta, £10 for a burger. The more expensive dishes such as the steaks are £16/£17. There is a good value ‘prix fixe’ lunchtime menu available Mondays to Fridays however; £6.95 for one course, £8.95 for two and £10.95 for three.

Food overall is okay – not bad, just okay.

My first meal there was chicken schnitzel; chicken breast, stuffed with melting cheese, wrapped in parma ham, served with spinach. Portion wise it was huge – I couldn’t believe how huge! The chicken tasted nice, the breadcrumbs crispy but I felt the spinach was a bit bland (some seasoning would have helped). The dish overall was a little too greasy for me. My fellow diners had ordered oven roasted chicken and fish, amongst other dishes. It was all pretty nice however nobody was really raving at the end of the meal. We agreed it was satisfactory but nothing special.

My next visit was on a team lunch. I went for a ricotta tartlet off the lunchtime menu served with salad. My team mates went for pork chop and a salad dish. My meal was really nice on this occasion, pastry nice and crispy although the portion was pretty small – a million miles from the gargantuan chicken schnitzel from my last visit. I’m told the salad was nice however the pork chop a bit bland and boring “Yeah it was okay, it was a just a pork chop”. For the price of the lunchtime menu we were pretty satisfied but had we paid evening menu prices I think I’d have been pretty miffed. None of us really had anything bad to say but again it was a bit, “meh”

My most recent visit was in December. I bypassed starters and went straight in for the burger. When it arrived it looked fab, stacked high and served with lettuce, coleslaw and relish. The burger itself was overcooked, and therefore pretty tasteless, meaning I could taste little more than chargrill. On the plus side, the chips were excellent – thick cut, crispy outside, fluffy middle. My fellow diners commented they also felt the burger was a bit over done, that the vegetarian spanish tortilla was fairly mediocre, however the fish – pan fried red mullet was apparently pretty good.

I decided to go for a dessert; sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. This was really yummy, lots of sauce, nice and gooey – as a group we decided that we didn’t think it was homemade but tasted nice all the same.

So there you have it. The food at Severn Shed is… Okay.

I find these reviews the most difficult to write, largely because when the dining experiences are so painfully average it’s incredibly hard to get excited or passionate about their review (at least with a horrendous dining experience I can rant and rave!)

All in all, nice looking restaurant… and that’s really all I can say?!