Brunch with a Turkish twist

Brunch is brilliant. But it can get a bit samey.

You know, the similar menus at different backdrops and cities, all largely offering the same kind of thing.

So what to do if you love brunch but are getting vaguely bored?

Head to Clifton’s Soukitchen, that’s what.

Nestled in Apsley Road, just off Whiteladies Road in Bristol, you’re greeted with a creative menu you’re unlikely to have encountered everywhere else.

They describe themselves as serving bold and vibrant Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African market food. And I’d call them creative geniuses.

They’re doing mezze dishes post-lockdown and the options are mouthwatering.

How do these dishes sound to you? Chargrilled marinated halloumi with roast fig and orange blossom and rosemary honey or mussel saganaki, ouzo, feta, tomato and fennel, anyone? Serve them up, right now, thanks.

We took one look at the Turkish breakfast for two and were sold.

For £14 each, we got a feast of flavours and a warming Turkish apple tea, served in cute miniature glass mugs, to wash it all down with.

The little plates that arrived were so pretty it was a dilemma of where to start first.

The cast iron frying pan full of Menemen eggs and bacon called to us to dig right in. So we did just that. Light, fluffy golden eggs, were the perfect foil for the salty, spicy slices of Sujuk sausage they were topped with. We dipped in piping-hot slivers of glossily oil-drenched and spice-dusted flat bread. And fought over who’d had one more slice than the other.

A side salad of chopped tomato, cucumber, radish and fresh mint was a revelation of dazzling fresh flavour and added a sense of healthiness as we eyed up an enormous slice of gently chargrilled halloumi, generously drizzled in black seed honey and topped with the plumpest and sweetest figs and mint leaves.

Fluffy whipped ricotta was heavenly mixed with an indulgent walnut hoshaf that was overflowing with prunes, raisins and pomegranate.

We almost didn’t need the little dish of green olives, but the saltiness cut through the sweet creaminess of the ricotta beautifully.

With a relaxed, unfussy interior, friendly, nice staff and outstanding food, you’re on to a winner here. It’s even better that the bill doesn’t break the bank.

Just be sure to book - we watched at least half a dozen walk-ins get turned away on a Saturday lunchtime because they were fully booked.

For more information visit www.soukitchen.co.uk