Bagel Boy: exceptional bagels right in the city centre

A bagel is a bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior, often topped with seeds.

The bagel is becoming a popular bread product in the United Kingdom where the bagel is prepared in many different ways. The Bagel Boy in Bristol, located in 39-41 St Nicholas Street (BS1 1TP), is the place where I had the tastiest and most original bagels so far. A friend recommended it to me, who said they were the greatest bagels ever. First, I must say that I thought bagels, no matter how you put inside, would always just taste as bagels. However, my opinion completely changed after I gave the Bagel Boy a chance.

The outlet is bigger than I thought and there are many wooden tables in different sizes, perfect to have a quick lunch by yourself or to enjoy a nice dinner with a group of friends. I went at 1pm on a Friday and there were many tables free where I could choose from. However, when I left half an hour later, there were many people waiting for me to leave and take my table. A busy place must mean there is something really good going on there.

I took some time to go through the menu (here). They have loads of different bagels divided into three groups: Classics, Supremes and Patties. Prices vary from £4 to £6 per bagel. They also have sides such as fries, sweet potato wedges and chili beans (£2.50 each) and salads (£4.50). There are also very interesting deals: the lunch deal includes a classic bagel, a soft drink or coffee and a side for £5 (everyday from 11am to 3pm) and the whole kaboodle deal includes any bagel, a side and a Samuel Adams lager for £10 (everyday from 11am to 11pm) . And all ingredients come from local suppliers!

I ordered a Naughty Bagel which has chicken breast, bacon, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce and some sweet potato wedges (£7.5). The waitress brought the lunch to my table within 10 minutes and a few minutes later I could realize why the place is always so busy: the ingredients are obviously good, they are very well cooked and the combination of flavours is amazing!

Overall, it is a very welcoming place in the city centre where you could celebrate your birthday in a very original manner, always with exceptional food. Very recommendable!

BAGEL BOY WEBSITE: http://www.bagelboy.co.uk/index.html

WIKIPEDIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagel

Loch Fyne

I thought I would never write about a chain restaurant in my blog but Loch Fyne really deserves a post. Located in historical "Old Granary" in the waterfront, Loch Fyne is a very beautiful seafood restaurant.

I made a reservation for Sunday lunchtime although we later realized that there wasn't a need for a reservation (you never know, though). We decided to go at lunchtime as they have set menu on a reasonable price of £10.45 for a 2 course meal and £12.95 for a 3 course meal. However, we decided to go for quality instead of quantity and ended up choosing our lunch a la carta. 

STARTERS

• Chilli and Garlic King Prawns (£6.45) in white wine, cream & shallot sauce and crusty white bread
• Scottish Rope-Grown Mussels (£5.95) pan-fried with lemon oil, with granary bread

MAIN

• Whole baked 1lb Lobster (£23.95) in garlic butter with French fries and mayonnaise

We share all dishes between two people and it was perfectly enough for a good lunch. I loved the king prawns, the sauce was a bit spicy in perfect amount and the lobster was perfectly tender and juicy, cut in half so that each one could have our piece with some French fries and mayonnaise sauce. French fries were a little bit disappointing as they were similar to the ones you get in McDonalds, for example, and mussels, although the taste was great, they were a little bit small.

When you signed in the website, you get a £10 discount voucher when you spend 30 pounds a la carta, and our bill was a reasonable £26.35 for the great food we had. Highly recommendable! :)

ADDRESS: The Old Granary, Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol BS1 4HQ
TELEPHONE: 0117 930 7160
WEBSITE: http://www.lochfyneseafoodandgrill.co.uk/locations/bristol