After a three-hour journey from the ‘Shire to Filton, Bristol, with only a toastie and Coffee from Costa at Strensham services to sustain us, it’s fair to say that The Man Bird and I were chewing our knuckles with hunger when dinner time at The Holiday Inn Bristol Filton came around! When we’d checked into our room at Holiday Inn Bristol Filton, you have never seen a pair of humans quite so excited at the sight of Fry’s Chocolate Creams (courtesy of the PR team) and Shortbread Biscuits, as His Nibs and I were – I think Usain Bolt couldn’t run the 100 metres as fast as we scoffed the morsels.
A quick freshen up saw us then go and scout out the leisure facilities at this recently refurbished venue before, then heading back over to the Open Lobby for dinner. The open lobby is a fantastically modern, design-forward space that offers relaxed surroundings in which to dine and/or drink, and we managed to snag ourselves the only unreserved booth table that was left.
Shamima was our server for the evening and she swiftly took us through our dining options; our dinner, bed and breakfast package offered us a different menu to the ‘open’ one, but still included all 3 courses. All we’d need to pay for was drinks and any upgrades, such as the fries-for-sweet-potato-fries option that I took. I fancied a large glass of Shiraz (£10.20) and The Man had a pint of draught Mahou (£6.85) and Shamima offered us iced water for the table, too.
Now, no-one is going to pretend that the dining menu is earth-shatteringly experimental, but it’s a family hotel, so it’s got to have mass-appeal. That being said, there is a great choice; each dish was well presented, meats were all perfectly cooked, and the food was hot without being so hot as to scald your mouth; these were our reflections, after we’d finished our meal.
For starters I went for the Cauliflower ‘Wings’ with Bang Bang Sauce, a Sesame Seaweed and Lime salad, and Red Chilli; His Nibs opted for the Loaded Nachos with Cheese Sauce, Guacamole, Soured Cream, Pico de Gallo, and Lime. Both dishes were nicely presented and The Man’s Nachos could easily be a sharer portion!
Greedily, we dug in and I have to say that my veggie wings were delicious; I loved the contrast of the softened Cauliflower and the wickedly crunchy batter. A colourful drizzle of Bang Bang sauce added a proper oomph of warmth in the mouth, but didn’t drown out the inherent sweetness of the vegetable. I squeezed the wedge of fresh Lime over the verdant Seaweed salad, scrunching my face at its sharpness, whilst savouring the clean taste of the Seaweed and nutty hint from the Sesame Seeds. Fiery slices of Red Chilli made sure I gave this tasty starter the full appreciation it deserved; not that I needed a prod, I was already a fan of it.
Across the table, The Man Bird was tucking into his obscenely large bowl of fully-loaded Nachos. Having been around the proverbial block a few times, we both know that the secret to a decent bowl of this morsel is that the ‘toppings’ aren’t just confined to the surface. You need that gooey Cheese Sauce permeating the layers of crunchy, corn-tortilla chips to really give it that comfort factor, and you can’t skimp on the Soured Cream or Guac, either…and that’s before you factor in the Salsa or [even better] fresh Pico de Gallo. Chef at Holiday Inn Bristol Filton is a total genius when it comes to this classic starter is all I’mma say. Creamy, gently tangy Soured Cream went brilliantly with the bounce of the Fresh Tomato, Onion and Herb mix, tempered by the silkiness of smooth Guacamole and contrasted by the crunchy Tortillas.
Great start to the meal; could it continue at such a high standard with our main choices of Aberdeen Angus Beef Burger, and Chicken Schnitzel? Short answer: yes. The Man Bird said that his butterflied, crumb-coated Chicken Breast was impossibly moist and juicy, tucked beneath a beautifully crisp, fried-golden blanket. Rather than slather the Garlic and Parsley Butter directly onto the Schnitzel, which might have made it soggy, the team served this melted delight in a separate jug, allowing The Man to add as much as his heart desired…that’ll be all of it, then! The skin-on Fries were nicely crispy and came in their own hammered-metal bucket; they had a gently nutty taste and weren’t at all greasy. On the side of the rectangular platter was a colourful mound of fresh, peppery-tasting Rocket leaves that had been dressed with finely Grated Parmesan and then garnished with larger shavings of the pungent Cheese for more oomph on the palate. This was a truly great meal; one that we’d both happily order if we stay here again in future (which hopefully we will).
Fans of a burger won’t grumble at this offering; full of flavour, and with a pleasingly dense texture, this Beef was juicy and filling. I was pleased to discover that the Bun that housed everything was toasted, preventing it from becoming soggy and claggy with the House Burger Sauce and Mayonnaise. Lightening the flavour profile were crisp Lettuce, slices of sweet-tasting Fresh Tomato and sharp Red Onion, all ably assisted by melting, tangy Mature Cheddar Cheese. I had chosen to swap my skin-on Fries for their [in my opinion] better cousins, Sweet Potato morsels; it only costs a quid more to do this, so why not? The Sweet Potato Fries were just as plentiful as the ‘ordinary’ ones and came in the same hammered metal ‘bucket’ as His Nibs’ ones had done, separate from the Burger.
By now we were fairly full, but there’s always that special space left for dessert, isn’t there? I liked the sound of some Ice Cream, choosing scoops of Vanilla Clotted Cream, Amaretti and Cherry, and Chocolate Truffle from the list of choices. The Man Bird ordered the Honeycomb Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce to conclude his meal, and both options were nicely presented – as all the food had been, I must say.
Chocolate and Cherry are a classic combo, and the sweet Cherry (paired with Almondy Ameretti) pinged brightly against the decadent richness of the Dark Chocolate Truffle variety here. Bringing an elegant smoothness to the Ice Cream party was a silkily rounded Clotted Cream offering that had the unmistakeable warmth of Vanilla at its periphery. Who says Ice Cream is boring? Not me, after sampling this combination! Nom nom.
His Nibs had got a hefty wedge of Vanilla-based Cheesecake to scoff, and it was zhuzhed with Honeycomb’s subtly floral sweetness in this particular offering. The biscuit base was perfect: firm enough to not disintegrate, but soft enough to cut into with a dessert spoon. Plentiful, thick ribbons of Chocolate Sauce added a wallop of depth, and indulgence, to this sweet treat, with crunch provided by the dinky, decorative Honeycomb balls that adorned the surface of the rich Cheesecake ‘body’. Another super end to a great meal.
Throughout our time, Shamima had kept a close eye on us, checking back at each course that we were happy with our meals, and asking if we were ok for drinks. It was nice to see the manager helping his team out when it got particularly busy, too; everyone was working well together, and the atmosphere was happy and upbeat. Our first afternoon and evening at Holiday Inn Bristol Filton had gone super-smoothly, and we headed back to our room with springs in our step, and full of hope for the morning and breakfast…
We were greeted at the hostess desk and, for some reason, our names weren’t down as having breakfast included? This minor glitch was dealt with so swiftly and professionally that the young lady should receive some sort of recognition from her managers. Smoothly, she said “let’s get you settled in and I will go and rectify the situation”, and so we went and sat at a table, quietly impressed with her calm demeanour and attitude.
Whilst I grabbed a couple of orange juices, The Man went to sort out the hot drinks: coffee for him, cuppa Rosie for me. The breakfast buffet at Holiday Inn Bristol Filton is, like most, self-service so, when we were ready, we headed off in search of sustenance. First up, we had some natural yoghurt with fruits; mixed Melon and Pineapple with chopped Nuts scattered on top for me, Forest Fruit compote and Honeydew Melon for His Nibs. In the chilled cabinet, alongside the yoghurts, was a superb selection of meats, cheeses, and vegetables for those who like an authentic continental breakfast.
Next to the toaster were breads of all types (including gluten free) and here you could also help yourself to Croissants, Pastries, and Pain au Chocolat/Raisin. Neither The Man or I bothered with breads or pastries, skipping over to the hot counter instead. Fried and Scrambled Eggs are out on the counter, but you can also request Poached or Soft-Boiled from your server from the kitchen; I believe I heard a fellow guest ask for an Omelette, too. I helped myself to some soft, scrambled Egg, two halves of grilled, fresh Tomato, and plenty of Mushrooms and it made for a super-tasty start to my day. His Nibs, bless his cotton socks, had to go off to his day job, so set himself up with a full-on cooked brekkie; fried egg, slices of crispy bacon (he specifically picked the crispy ones out), half a tomato, beans, hash browns, and sausage. Before you think “well, he’s a working lad, he needs his food”, I will just say that he was going to have a pub lunch (Lasagne, as it turns out), so no sympathy needed!
With bellies full, we went our separate ways: him to work, me to the Spirit Fitness Suite. I spilled the tea on the Holiday Inn’s leisure and fitness offering in another review. so you can head over and check that out if you fancy. After working my muscles, I decided it was time to stimulate my mind and went back into the open lobby to grab a comfy seat in which to read my book. Plenty of other folks had the same idea! Groups of ladies had snagged the large sofas, and some gents had got the tables at the side of the bar, so I headed up to the raised level where the large TVs are and away from the general gaze of everyone. Before I knew it, it was fast approaching lunchtime, so I went to the bar and ordered a Latte (£4.25) and a Deli sandwich of Pastrami, Emmental Cheese, American Mustard Mayo and sliced Gherkins (£11.75) that is served with Tortilla Chips on the side.
As with the previous two experiences, the service team were all over it; nothing was too much trouble and they made sure that I had any sauces and extras that I needed. I have to say that the Deli sandwich was blooming phenomenal! Absolutely stuffed to the brim with thinly sliced Pastrami and Emmental Cheese, with the perfect amount of warming Mustard Mayo to provide moisture but not wetness. The Pastrami was delicious and complex; the meat is smoked, so it already has a good waft of flavour, but the crust on it is Black Pepper, Garlic and Coriander, so this adds even more swagger on the palate. Emmental brings the intensity down a notch with its sweet, nutty notes and its firmness matched the crunch of the tangy, halved Gherkins. This was jolly tasty lunch, and I’d definitely have this morsel again, no hesitation.
So, after finishing my final meal at The Holiday Inn Bristol Filton, what was the overall verdict on the food? Surprisingly good, in a nutshell. We weren’t expecting the food to be lack-lustre by any means, please don’t misunderstand, but for ‘hotel food’ it was far above average. Whatever the time of day, you can be sure of securing a tasty treat for your tummy and the service being spot-on. Hot Wings happily given to The Holiday Inn Bristol Filton; we’d certainly stay and/or eat here again.
