Wapping Wharf Restaurants,Bristol- Root Review

Bristol is such a diverse and exciting city. There is so much to see and do and things that Bristol is famous for. Wapping Wharf is one the exciting new developments in the city, where innovative independents have chosen to pop up and share their delicious food. Root is one of these independents, offering seasonal sharing plates in Bristol, from one of the former shipping container Wapping Wharf restaurants. Vegetable focused (with some fish dishes on our visit), the menu is interesting and inviting -the most difficult part of all is deciding what not to order!

We sat on the outside terrace, overlooking the docks on a lovely summers days, to enjoy our lunch. Here, you will find Wapping Wharf restaurants, shops and businesses so is great for a look around whilst visiting.

Drinks:

A glass of Tokaji, a crispy dry white from Hungary, is a good match for the food to come, as are a couple of bottles of the locally brewed Keller Pils by Lost and Grounded. Enjoyed in the sun overlooking the dock – perfect.

To start:

A generous portion of sourdough with cultured butter is great to start off with but really comes into its own when we use it to mop up the left over sauces from a few of the other plates. This food is way too tasty to waste!

Two plump arancini balls arrive next, hidden under a generous layer of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Cheese and onion flavoured with a vibrant brown sauce, they disappear quickly.

The sharing plates:

Grilled sweetcorn, topped with a corn purée and chimichurri follows. We join a debate with some of our fellow diners on how best to eat the corn on the cob. Mel cuts her corn away with a knife- not a surprise as she is one of those people who eats a pizza slice with a knife and fork! I go for picking up the corn and munching away. The corn is crispy, the purée smooth and creamy and the chimichurri brings a distinctive garlicky edge.

Next up a fluffy flatbread topped with silky smooth and smokey baba ghanoush, ewes curd and cashews. This is a winner- really rich and satisfying.

Cauliflower, rarebit, and mustard seeds, topped off with a delicious almond crumb arrives next. This is a luscious plate of food and yes, we like it so much that we use the aforementioned bread to mop the plate.

Scottish Girolles served with lentils, fennel and a delightful pickled egg yolk. This is a lighter dish and sits nicely alongside our other richer choices.

Our final savoury dish is Mel’s favourite. Spiced potato gnocchi served with seasonal courgettes and greens. The gnocchi is light but with a lovely crispy edge which brings strong paprika flavours. A great ending to the main event.

Dessert:

From a short list of puddings we pick out the lemon drizzle cake with a fizzy, fresh lime sorbet and lemon curd. We only opt for one as we were pretty full and saving room for dinner at Casamia in the evening!

Root is the brainchild of Michelin starred chef Josh Eggleton. We ate at his restaurant the Pony and Trap a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so we knew we would be in safe hands.

Wapping Wharf restaurants:

Root is a great option for sharing plates in Bristol. The service is friendly and efficient, and each plate served had interesting and bold flavour combinations, making the vegetables the star of the show. If you are in Bristol then seek it out.

See our 5 favourite small plates restaurants.

See more of our UK restaurant recommendations.