The Bristol Hotel is a chic hotel, situated on the waterfront area of Bristol, close to the At-Bristol science museum, Bristol Hippodrome theatre and a 20-minute walk from Cabot's Circus. On a trip to the area recently we were invited to review the hotel on my blog and report back to my readers.



I remember visiting the hotel a few years ago and was excited to go back. Memories of modern rooms with a touch of luxury and a fabulous restaurant overlooking the waterfront were still fresh in my memory. It would be good to see if it had changed. 

If you are coming by car, parking is easy as the hotel has a multi-story car park next door. Take a ticket and get it validated by the hotel to park for £5 for 24 hours. A bargain in the centre of a popular and busy city like Bristol.

Check in was by Javier, who was very efficient and pleasant. When he offered us a warm towel to wipe our hands, I thought I was back in Dubai! Flavoured water was also available free of charge in reception and was so refreshing, a sparkling concoction of apples, cranberries, and elderflower, delicious!



Our room wasn't ready but they offered us a room on the third floor with a view of the harbourfront area, and of course, we agreed! If you book directly through them you get a priority upgrade too so that is good to know.  















The bathroom was compact and bijou, but everything was in excellent condition and modern. The toiletries were excellent quality too being from the Temple Spa brand. Good to see a bath and a shower.





It was great to see a safe in the room, which I feel is an essential these days. I also appreciated the note that was left encouraging you to conserve resources - if you did not want to change towels every day, just let the staff know.

So after a freshen up, we went down to the hotel bar for a drink and a meal.




As we waited for the lift we spotted a cool seating cream leather seating area. I bet many a guest has sat there after a glass of wine waiting for the lift to arrive.


The River Grille restaurant has a fabulous view of the waterfront area and we were seated right by the window.  To be honest every table has a great view of the waterfront area though! The restaurant was relatively quiet as it was a Sunday night but it still had a cool vibe.



The menu that evening was, for want of a better word, a mix of 'posh' dishes such as sea trout fillet with roasted cauliflower and salsa verde and comforting British classics such as sirloin steak and fish and chips.

Two dishes that caught my eye were the duck breast with savoy cabbage, crushed new potatoes and port sauce and the slow-cooked lamb shank with colcannon, romanesco broccoli, beets and jus, both at £18. I have an issue with mashed potatoes after being served cold mash at school so colcannon may have been one mash too far. I selected the lamb however they kindly substituted crushed new potatoes instead of the colcannon.  Mr W went for the Jasper grilled chicken breast with Jerusalem artichokes, rainbow carrots, beets and jus also priced at £18. But firstly our starters -  scallops and tomato and basil soup.

I was invited to review Las Iguanas in Cardiff's Mill Lane, but as always my opinions are honest and reflect the experience I have and the food I eat.

Now, honestly, I like Mexican food but sometimes, well, it looks all the same, wraps with or without refried beans, baked or fried with a sauce. Now I am sorry if I have disrespected your favourite cuisine, but you must know what I mean! So it was interesting to see what food they had on offer at Las Iguanas.

Ollie our server was pleasant, accommodating. He whizzed through the main menu with us and the lunch time offerings too, patiently responding to my questions and queries. One thing I picked up on quickly was the Happy Hour menu with 2 for 1 cocktails and coolers every day.  Now I love a good cocktail but as it was lunch time I decided to order a raspberry cooler - well two raspberry coolers for the price of one. Mr W ordered a coke, he is a creature of habit.



As you can see I couldn't wait to try the raspberry cooler, it was sweet without being too sweet, refreshing and perfect for a warm day, the raspberry really came through in the flavour. A good start.

The menu



There is a lunch menu and the main A La Carte menu. The lunch menu is served until 6.30pm every day and is made up of smaller starters at £2.95 and normal sized main meals between £7.50 and £9.50.

The A La Carte menu is available at all times throughout the day. So if you visiting at lunchtime and wanted to mix and match dishes off both menus you could. Prices for starters on the A La Carte menu are from £4.95 to £7.50, and main courses are from £10 to £17.50, the latter price is for the steak.



Highlights of the main menu were 'taco planks' - grilled soft corn & flour tortillas topped with your choice of filling &  fresh taco slaw, as well as a wide range of tapas including empanadas, quesadillas, nachos and chicken wings. You can also find Mexican classics such as burritos, fajitas and enchiladas, a selection of burgers with a South American twist and Cuban sandwiches and steaks. 

Recently on our stay at the Corinthia Hotel Budapest we were lucky enough to be invited to review their Rickshaw restaurant.

The Corinthia Hotel Budapest is a 5-star hotel set on a bustling high street in the centre of the city. The hotel is an iconic hotel, being there since 1896, and was the inspiration for the film The Grand Budapest Hotel.



When we entered the restaurant we were shown to out table by Brigette. Brigette knew we were coming and had our reservation so we were seated quickly and given a menu before we even had a chance to look around. Excellent!



The restaurant serves food that is a fusion of eastern cuisine from across the Orient. The theme of the restaurant reflects this being decorated with buddhas, orchids and middle eastern symbols. An elegant but authentic eastern decor.

We ordered a bottle of the house white, a Chardonnay which was fresh with flavours of lychees and gooseberries and a bottle of still water whilst we examined the menu.

The menu contains classics like Peking Duck, and Teriyaki Pork, to more unusual items such as Rendang Buaya Katak, which is Rendang style crocodile. We ordered from the menu and while we waited Brigette brought us prawn crackers with a peanut sauce. The prawn crackers were crispy, light and non-greasy and the peanut sauce was tasty, but perhaps could have done with a little spice. We were given warm towels to wipe our hands after our prawn crackers which were a lovely touch.



As we waited for our starters we discussed the menu. We thought the prices were good for a restaurant in a 5-star hotel but were obviously higher than the average Budapest restaurant, being between 2900HUF to 6400HUF, which is about £8 to £18 without side orders of rice or noodles.

After a short wait, our starters were brought to us. I had scallops with poppadums and my husband had the Asian style chicken salad.  




As you can see the scallops were beautifully presented. The scallops were nestled on a bed of grated carrot and were surrounded by a light mayonnaise dressing and the plate was decorated with wasabi drops and a spicy red sauce. I really enjoyed the carrot salad mixed with the sauces. The scallops were very lightly browned and I feel they could have been cooked just that little bit more and the poppadoms were a little soggy. Still great flavours. 



MR W has a lovely Asian salad which was fresh and tasty. The chicken was browned and the shredded vegetables had a lovely crunch, with peanuts adding even more texture. Wasabi peanuts also added a bit of a kick at the end. A very nutritious and healthy dish. 




After a short break, the main courses were brought over - Massaman beef curry and jasmine rice for myself and Kung Po chicken and stir fry noodles for Mr W.

The Massaman curry tasted delicious, the sauce was very authentic, rich thick and tasty, the beef tender and the sweet potatoes added a great flavour. If I was being extra picky it was a little sweeter than similar dishes I have had in the past, probably due ti the addition of the sweet potato.

The jasmine rice which accompanied the dish was similar to sticky rice and was very pleasant.

Mr W really rated the Kung Po chicken. The chicken was in a sticky and spicy sauce with onions and bamboo shoots. Accompanying the dish was stir-fry noodles which were well seasoned with soy sauce.



We ordered stir fry Asian vegetables but unfortunately the waitress forgot these but was very apologetic when we reminded her and they then were quickly brought. The Asian vegetables were a mix of Chinese mushrooms, broccoli, bamboo shoots and other vegetables in a light soy sauce with ginger and a hint of garlic. The vegetables were al dente and still had some crunch and the sauce was similar to an authentic Cantonese style sauce. Personally, I felt this was the best dish being extra flavourful and the vegetables being perfectly cooked.

The food was plentiful and delicious so I wasn't sure if I could manage a dessert but the lure of a green tea Mille Feuille persuaded me.




When it came the dessert was elegant and beautiful, presented on a black plate. The Mille Feuille, which is a French dessert of layers of flaky puff pastry with a cream filling, had an extra twist with the green tea flavoured cream. The sesame seed coated ice cream which it was served with, added a nutty crunch. 

When browsing the menu I noticed that the Corinthia hotel chain make a point of having a "Food For Thought' section on their menu. This is designed in conjunction with a nutritional therapist to provide fresh vitamin packed options which they say increase mental alertness. I loved this idea, as, especially if you eat out often, or if you are watching your weight, you may want a healthier menu choice.

Rickshaw restaurant is a restaurant that is worth visiting if you enjoy Far Eastern cuisine. Whilst not everything was perfect, the food, on the whole, was delicious, the starters and desserts particularly served with finesse and was a feast for the eyes. Perhaps a little thought on the presentation of the mains would have made the courses even more enticing. Service was efficient and although the prices were on the high side, you must remember you are in a 5-star hotel. 

Mr W and I both enjoyed our meal and would return. Recommended 4 out of 5 stars.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to have afternoon tea at the Corinthia Hotel in London. This stunning five-star hotel right in the centre of London has a beautiful foyer, impeccable service and left a lasting impression on me. So when my husband and I decided to take a short break to Budapest and Vienna recently for his birthday, there was only one hotel to stay in, the five-star Corinthia Hotel, Budapest. 

The Corinthia Hotel Budapest is an iconic Budapest hotel, originally opened in 1896 and being THE place to stay for famous people including movie stars and dignitaries. You may have heard about it as it was the inspiration for the Wes Anderson film The Grand Budapest Hotel.  




As we arrived at the hotel the door staff warmly welcomed us, took our bags and showed us where to check in. 






As you can see the foyer of the hotel is genuinely beautiful with marble everywhere, a grand staircase, and elegant design. My husband and I both thought the hotel had that WOW factor as we walked in.