Lapin, Bristol: ‘we’re Not In Cafe Rouge Now’ – Restaurant Review | Grace Dent On Restaurants

The French, astatine slightest astatine 1 shape successful culinary history, would not person balked astatine eating nan full formed of Watership Down successful a robust dijon sauce. The British, connected nan different hand, person ever been alternatively little keen, truthful it was astonishing to perceive reports that Lapin, a caller French edifice successful Bristol, had been struggling to support fluffy bunnies connected its classic, single-sheet paper owed to proviso reasons, apparently because its crippled trader couldn’t sprout them quickly capable to meet Lapin’s demand. Instead, its diners had had to settee for confit duck leg, coarse sausage and deep-fried pig’s head.

Lapin patently intends to connection existent French cooking, albeit stopping short of nan likes of pungent andouillette, complete pinch its tubey innards escaping connected to nan plate. That said, I’d stake that cook Jack Briggs-Horan and restaurateur Dan O’Regan tinkered pinch nan thought earlier accepting that serving thing rather truthful smelly successful a small, repurposed shipping instrumentality was astir apt 1 Gallic measurement excessively far. I’ve mentioned Bristol’s emotion of delis and eating spots successful erstwhile shipping containers before, and present we are again astatine Lapin, gasping astatine how, pinch a small imagination and clever sleight of hand, you tin move an impersonal robust container into a mini portion of France. The walls are painted a calm, elegant sage-green, there’s a dinky small drinks trolley and a prix-fixe paper up connected nan wall – £29 for 3 courses – each while France Gall coos Ella, Elle l’a coquettishly complete nan speakers.

‘Who tin resist?’: Lapin’s asparagus pinch condiment gribiche and beurre noisette.

I went pinch Charles, my longsuffering sidekick and a man of French stock, and watched as, aft a short statement successful French astir nan booze-free aperitif offering, nan French server ended up bringing him a agleam greenish solid of sweet, minty diabolo, which is nan sensation of Charles’ childhood. “OK,” I thought to myself, “you guys are bully astatine this stuff. We’re not successful Cafe Rouge now.”

As we waited for immoderate cheese-stacked comté gougeres pinch custardy insides and baguette pinch a upland of whipped cod’s roe, it dawned connected maine that, though rabbit didn’t characteristic among nan entrees that time (there’s usually immoderate rillettes), location were tiny, subtle rabbit motifs connected nan tableware, nan servers’ jackets, nan vino database and nan table. To me, these understated Donnie Darko touches were a delight.

‘Crisp, hot, generous’: Lapin’s chickenhearted schnitzel pinch oyster mushroom, chickenhearted helping and madeira jus.

Would I urge Lapin? On nan whole, yes, because this is simply a paper that could thaw nan iciest of hearts. Who tin defy chunky asparagus pinch condiment gribiche and beurre noisette, aliases a very good, fluffily light, but rich-with-gruyère souffle Suissesse? Both were charming to look astatine and to eat. I erred, however, by ordering nan chickenhearted schnitzel pinch madeira jus, because, though it was crisp, hot, generous and came pinch an oyster mushroom and a chickenhearted wing, it was a small one-note – that statement being “fried” – dissimilar nan colourful Provençal food stew filled pinch mullet, prawns and mussels I saw being delivered to different tables.

Lapin’s paper mightiness moreover travel you up. Take nan gnocchi Parisienne: if you’d ordered it expecting a sedate sheet of Italian-style murphy bullets, past buckle up: these gnocchi mean business, because these are plump, fluffy, choux pastry parcels successful a stew of braised courgette, mint and creme fraiche. They were besides that day’s sole vegetarian main-course option, which was perchance nan slightest French portion of nan meal, because nan French consciousness astir vegetarians astir nan aforesaid arsenic Queen Victoria allegedly did astir lesbians: they’ve vaguely heard of nan concept, but don’t afloat judge they really exist. Rather boldly, Lapin besides offers to adhd a 5g spoon of caviar aliases a scoop of Rollright cheese to immoderate crockery for an other costs (£13 and £7, respectively), which is simply a nifty small measurement of turning moreover nan astir saintly crockery into immoderate arch you-time.

The ‘rich’ St Émilion au chocolat, astatine Lapin, Bristol.

We skipped nan portion of nan paper marked trou normand, offering a accepted palate-cleansing solid of pome cider brandy pinch pome sorbet for £8, and sailed headlong into desserts, wherever Basque cheesecake sits broadside by broadside pinch nan éclair du jour, which connected this juncture was citrus meringue; pain perdu, that rib-sticking classic, was besides connected offer, served pinch vanilla ice-cream and apple. An almost intolerable decision, and 1 analyzable further by a St Émilion au chocolat successful which nan rich | cocoa pick met crushed amaretti biscuits soaked successful sherry.

Lapin is simply a peculiar, meta, somewhat earnest, decidedly delicious French edifice that you would never, ever find successful France – not slightest because nary 1 successful France would beryllium seen dormant eating successful an aged metallic box. But Bristolians are fortunate to person it. It’s only early days, and they’re still uncovering their feet, but mange tout, Rodders, mange tout.

• Lapin Unit 14, Cargo 2, Museum Street, Bristol BS1, 0117-408 4997. Open luncheon Fri & Sat, noon-3.30pm (10pm Sun); meal Tues-Sat 5.30-10pm; Sun noon-8pm. From astir £55 a caput à la carte; three-course prix fixe paper £29, each positive drinks and service

• The adjacent section of Grace’s Comfort Eating podcast is retired connected Tuesday 15 July – perceive to it here