Review: Klosterhaus Bristol

#AD Food and drinks at Klosterhaus Bristol were received free of charge but this had no impact on the review below. The venue did not see the review before publication. 

Is Klosterhaus the escapism that Bristol needs right now?

Let’s get the ‘Klosterhaus through time’ history lesson out of the way, shall we? Bristol’s biggest post lockdown opening occupies the Friary Building in Quakers Friars that dates all the way back to 1747. Previously a Brasserie Blanc (no, not since 1747), the team from restaurant group D&D London have gone to town on the cavernous building. At its centre is a stadium bar, illuminated by a halo of light and stocked with an impressive selection of glassware. A second-floor balcony runs around the whole building, which we immediately scaled to get get a better look of the place. It’s a bit tight up there, and we ended up playing an impromptu game of Pacman with the army of waiting staff that definitely had better things to do, weaving in and out of perspex screens as the tables filled up.

Klosterhaus refers to the menu as Mittel-European (drawing on cuisines from Central European countries). If you’ve even been to a semi-ironic UK Oktoberfest event you’ll recognise the bratwurst and two-pint beer steins, but that’s about where the comparison ends. The rest of the menu is as authentic as you’re likely to get in the UK, with currywurst, soused herring, and Vienna schnitzel on the behemoth of a menu. 

Drawn to the golden halo of the bar like a moth, the server coerced me into trying the 5.5% Rothaus Pils. Cold, crisp, and available in two-pint steins at £11. Not wanting to burden the bar staff with two individual orders in these troubling times, I decided that this was best for everyone. Luckily any calories from the beer were offset by the sheer weight of the thing, as I swung it around like a kettlebell pretending that my forearms weren’t screaming with lactic acid. 

The pork knuckle which comes as part of the butchers sharing platter (£29.50 per person), was the meaty highlight, sat on top of a pile of sauerkraut that had been warmed by the hunk of meat. As everyone else was occupied by the perfectly medium-rare chunks of venison fillet, this lockdown weary foodie scuttled off with the pork bone, shrouded in the darkness like a Gollum, and had my way with it. 

A smaller lunch menu (still extensive) is available here throughout the week and brunches have just been launched, inexplicably with live DJs so you can chow down one some leberkäse at a serious rate of BPM. I’d advise the full evening menu for the best dishes, however. 

The prices here are not what would be classed as usual for the city, but this is not your usual Bristol experience. The venison at £26 is a serious chunk of change, and other items like burgers etc aren’t exactly pocket money. It’s an Ivy like experience that would have flourished in the days of corporate entertaining. In 2020, Klosterhaus has its place creating a unique experience for diners with excellent service in stunning surroundings. It’s almost worth it just for the escapism.