At Casamia, menus change for each season, not just as others do by the use of a seasonal ingredient here or there, but rather a menu that in its entirety seeks to capture what the season means such that every dish on the menu plays a role in evoking the seasonal spirit. Even the pictures on the wall change. It does mean that when Winter comes, at least there is something to look forward to beyond inclement weather. Indeed, having 'discovered' Casamia in spring 2013, so taken were we by the food in the restaurant, and the seasonal emphasis, we were at that time instantly determined to return to Bristol to sample each of the seasons and this, the winter menu, represents the final meal on our twelve month journey. At Casamia, winter comes alive with duck and cardamom, cottage pie and rainbow trout with cabbage and cumin.
On my first visit to Casamia, I noted how the final hot savoury, a lamb dish, delivered a taste sensation because unlike so much lamb served elsewhere, it really did have flavour, bags of it. Here, in winter, the venison dish again highlighted how good venison can be (and how poorly it is done elsewhere). It's what they do there, bringing conversation stopping depth of flavour to ingredients that elsewhere pass by unremarkably; well, that together with imagination, invention, understanding, pairing drink, matching ingredients, exceptional cooking, flawless presentation and, most importantly, making you the diner feel happy.
Almost a year after we first published on the spring menu and said that something very special was happening at Casamia, our (many) subsequent visits have reinforced that belief and we continue to expect that brothers Jonray and Peter will be increasingly be celebrated as two of Britain's most brilliant young chefs. And having to got to know them both during our visits there, they so thoroughly deserve it for the hard work and passion they exhibit, their tenacity in persevering with their own thing and because they are two of the nicest people in the industry.
We've said it endlessly, but it's worth repeating: if you want to know where bloggers really like eating, see where they return to eat. It may be three hours away but Casamia is the M starred restaurant that we frequented most in the past 12 months. It could well be for the next year also.
To see our previous posts on Casamia, click on the links below:
Casamia Spring
Casamia Summer
Casamia Autumn
On my first visit to Casamia, I noted how the final hot savoury, a lamb dish, delivered a taste sensation because unlike so much lamb served elsewhere, it really did have flavour, bags of it. Here, in winter, the venison dish again highlighted how good venison can be (and how poorly it is done elsewhere). It's what they do there, bringing conversation stopping depth of flavour to ingredients that elsewhere pass by unremarkably; well, that together with imagination, invention, understanding, pairing drink, matching ingredients, exceptional cooking, flawless presentation and, most importantly, making you the diner feel happy.
Almost a year after we first published on the spring menu and said that something very special was happening at Casamia, our (many) subsequent visits have reinforced that belief and we continue to expect that brothers Jonray and Peter will be increasingly be celebrated as two of Britain's most brilliant young chefs. And having to got to know them both during our visits there, they so thoroughly deserve it for the hard work and passion they exhibit, their tenacity in persevering with their own thing and because they are two of the nicest people in the industry.
We've said it endlessly, but it's worth repeating: if you want to know where bloggers really like eating, see where they return to eat. It may be three hours away but Casamia is the M starred restaurant that we frequented most in the past 12 months. It could well be for the next year also.
To see our previous posts on Casamia, click on the links below:
Casamia Spring
Casamia Summer
Casamia Autumn
Broccoli, Stilton
Duck egg, smoked duck, cardamom
Forest mushrooms, spelt
Cottage pie
Rainbow trout, variations of cabbage, cumin
Venison, parsnip, turnip
Celery root rice pudding
Clementine, rosemary
Josh preparing my Winter's forest floor
chocolate lolly and meringue
About the people: brothers Jonray (left), Peter (right). Photograph from spring visit
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