Noah's, Cumberland Basin: 'As good a piece of fish as I’ve had anywhere'
So good it's boring
Good afternoon Saucers. Today’s review takes us to the site made famous by Only Fools and Horses, which now houses one of Bristol’s best fish restaurants. Philip Sweeney reports. A reminder that if you’ve ever had a good meal as a result of something you’ve read in these digital pages, and you can afford to do so, please consider becoming a paying Saucer. Thank you!
Noah’s is a difficult place to review excitingly. I could just say ‘great fish restaurant, premises excellent, food excellent, service excellent’ and leave it at that. There are no recipe novelties, witty deconstructions or wannabe media chefs to headline.
There’s hardly any faults worth making a thing of: let’s see, the salt could be upgraded, the bread’s a touch lacklustre... I must be able to find something wrong with the furniture, maybe? No, thoroughly tasteful and appropriate — discreet green banquettes and smart crossback chairs, the discriminating person’s version of the old French cafe seat. It would be even better with tablecloths, but I’m almost deranged on the subject of linen, and it could add a quid or so per meal, so I can’t really make that one stick.
Noah’s product is cleverly pitched, a short menu that covers everything from classic battered cod and chips, to a bargain lunch offer including a mug of tea (£14.50), to silver mullet and grilled lobster. My last meal there included as good a piece of fish as I’ve had anywhere in the last couple of years, and as a widely-travelled sophisticate, I can assure you this includes more places than my local chip shop. Several more.
Noah’s fish comes up from Brixham, Poole and Newlyn, and for the cod and haddock down from the North Atlantic like everybody’s. Though did you know that cod is still caught in the south-west, including the Bristol Channel, the latter only by anglers? Whatever, if it’s as good as Noah’s, I’m not bothered if it comes from the Bedminster Asda. The dish mentioned earlier, by the way, was a whole trimmed grilled sole (£27) so immaculately firm, white and meaty, bathed in such a simple and exact beurre noisette scattered with tiny capers as to be, well, excellent. Sorry, this is getting boring as I predicted. Back to the premises.
In fact, Noah’s does have a stand-out idiosyncrasy: the building, which must be one of the most satisfying architectural stories of modern Bristol. What started as a transport caff under the much-hated spaghetti junction imposed on the Cumberland Basin in the 1960s has turned out to be one of the city’s longest-lived and most oddly attractive restaurants. The Cumberland basin back then was a greasy spoon Mecca. What is now the Chef’s Table was the legendary Browns before starting the neighbourhood’s elevation to fine dining in the 1970s as Howard’s. And serious archaeology this, a round patch of concrete on the ground the other side of the bridge control tower marks what was once a circular glass-sided cafe, now in effect a greasy spoon Stonehenge.
The latest incarnation of Noah’s has been clad with wood planking and some new portholes have replaced the original rectangular windows. I’m surprised English Heritage let them get away with that, but the splendid view of the basin and a glimpse up the gorge to the Suspension Bridge is still there, albeit between the flyover support pillars.
Even the newly smartened and canopied terrace at the back has its bit of view, of the red brick bonded warehouses. Make that iconic red brick bonded warehouses. The interior is light, spacious, and judiciously laid out: there seem to be no bad tables. The place is deservedly praised in guides and reviews, so often quite full, but never feels crowded or impossibly noisy. Even a rather loud party of Italians the other evening failed to drown out the hum of civilised conversation, and what the hell, they were just being Italians, and clearly knew good chow when they saw it.
The service, we’ve already established, is excellent. Just enough staff, all working hard and attentively. No trying to be your mate, or urging you to explain how you are, just pleasant efficiency. Last visit, I asked for an aperitif as I sat down and the glass was on the table before I’d had a chance to pick up the menu.
To return to the food. The cod and chips I tried were almost faultless, chips possibly lacking a final edge of crispness, and the popular end of the fried fish spectrum is honoured by the mug of tea business and the Sarson’s Malt Vinegar on the tables — nasty stuff but undeniably authentic. At the higher end, I’ve had good salt cod croquettes (£3.75 each) with slightly tart aioli and tasty fresh grilled sardines (£9.50 for six).
Expert friends have commented that the wine list could be improved. It’s true that it’s very short, but there’s something satisfying about a short but well chosen selection, and I’ve never failed to find something decent to drink. On this occasion a cool white Corsican Vermentino (£8.85 a glass, £36 a bottle).
Noah’s desserts are also limited but effective, ranging from things like sticky toffee pudding and clotted cream ice cream (£6.50) down to a single scoop of ice cream or sorbet for £2.75. The drinks list gets a bit frisky at this point, including a vanilla flavoured sweet red wine from Uruguay, no less, and a Cornish limoncello (£6.50). Which makes sense: now Hampshire is the new Champagne, why shouldn’t Cornwall be Amalfi.
For all Noah’s success, the question unfortunately arises as to how many more years it will survive. The council have a Draft Plan – cue groans - for the Cumberland Basin, which they now call the Western Harbour, involving massive demolition and new building. If it ever happens, a new much-hated urban disfiguration may obliterate the belatedly-loved institution created, ironically, by the last much-hated urban disfiguration. Complicated old world, but just about worth living in as long as you can get a bit of fried cod and a Cornish limoncello.
All words and most photos by Philip Sweeney
Noah’s, 1 Brunel Lock Road, BS1 6XS
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