I used to be a big fan of The Burger Joint on Whiteladies Road and, having eaten there quite a few times, I was sad to hear of its closure. However, the fact the team behind Gambas (Bristol's best Spanish restaurant in my humble opinion) was to open a new restaurant there was music to my ears.
Condesa isn't Season & Taste's first Mexican restaurant, with Cargo Cantina on Wapping Wharf bringing some delicious tacos to Bristol (their flavoursome burritos are a Deliveroo go-to for me). So my expectations were high when we sat down to eat on the restaurant's terrace on a sunny afternoon.
Inside, the venue has been transformed from a typical burger place to a classy, intimate and cosy restaurant. The menu felt thought-through but, with my friend being vegan, it felt the options were a bit more limited than in other restaurants you may find.
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However, they didn't make a fuss at all about catering to my friend's son allergy to dairy, not making us feel like we were difficult. On an individual basis, I was so excited the moment I saw bone marrow (£8) on the menu.
Bone marrow is not something often seen in restaurants - Nadu on Stokes Croft was the first place I tried it and I was blown away - but it tastes so good. Being the first dish to arrive, it was delicious; so fatty and full of flavour.
I was pleased it arrived first as, expecting it to be the highlight of the meal for me, this meant I could slowly enjoy it throughout. We also ordered the smashed baked potato with chive sour cream and tajin (£6).
Both of us agreed we had never had a potato like that before, being unexpectedly crispy. This yummy dish was one of those that you could just keep eating.
We also had the carne asada tacos con todo (£13), with the lime juice on the beef giving the meat an unusual flavour. The tortillas were so good we ended up ordering a side of them (£1.5).
The charred hispi cabbage with chipotle butter and smoked almonds (£9) was another meal highlight for us. With a stunning presentation, the cabbage was a bit oily but so mouth-watering. The sultanas (which we both agreed seemed to have been soaked in some sort of orange juice) brought a surprising sweetness, while the almonds brought crunchiness as a texture to the meal.
Finally, we ordered the drunken mezcal prawns in a tomato sauce, serrano chill, salsa blanca and tortillas (£14.5). This felt like a comforting dish, with the rich tomato sauce growing on me.
To drink, I had a half pint of Infinity - the perfect accompaniment - and my friend had one of their cocktails, Picante (£9.50), which she described as dangerous as it was so easy to drink. For dessert, we had the caramelised pineapple with coconut ice cream and pink peppercon sherbet (£6), as well as the masa waffle with dulce de leche and peanut (£5.5).
While the waffle was a classic, comforting dessert, we found the pineapple one to be mind-blowing; surprising and very different to your usual pudding. It felt light but at the same time intense, packed with contrasting flavours and different textures.
I feel we ordered the right amount and left feeling full, but not overly so. We had a lovely meal at Condesa, made even nicer by the sun warming our faces. Our bill (for a generous meal for two people) came to £87.45, including a 10% service charge.
Condesa is another win by the Season & Taste's team. This is a Mexican like no other I have been to before and I would not hesitate to come back.
