Rise Restaurant and Terrace Bar was awarded an AA Rosette in November 2021 and has retained it since then. I was invited alongside my colleague Darren Greenwood to sample their newest offering.
Immediately, upon walking in, we were met with members of staff offering to take our coats and bags and offered a glass of Gusbourne Blanc De Blanc sparkling wine (£15 per glass).
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From start to end, the service was fantastic with members of staff going above and beyond to accommodate us both.
The atmosphere was relaxed and informal with diners dressed in a variety of styles -some patrons in trainers and others dressed to the nines. The setting itself was classy, whilst still remaining understated and comfortable, and offered a view over the city walls.
To start, we ordered the Staal’s Salmon Tasting Plate – which included beetroot cured salmon, regular smoked salmon, crème fraiche with salmon roe, lemon, capers, and pickled shallots.
For the price, I felt this was a little expensive for the amount of fish that you received, but the quality was top notch. Whilst I only had a small taste, leaving the majority for my dining companion, my favourite part was easily the beetroot salmon.
For the main course, The Grand Surf and Turf experience costs £120 and hopes to offer diners ‘the perfect blend of land and sea’. It includes beef wellington and a full lobster thermidor platter, served with bearnaise sauce, beef jus, parsley mayo, mixed salad with house dressing, and a choice of two sides.
This was paired well with a smooth Origin Gran Reserva Malbec at £43 a bottle – a full-bodied red that matched the beef wellington perfectly.
I started my meal with the lobster and very much enjoyed it. Whilst it was slightly tricky to remove from the shell, there was a pick each to assist with the process and ensure that all meat was easy to remove from the tricky corners. The parsley mayo was a perfect accompaniment, and I found myself slathering it onto the lobster meat.
The beef wellington was equally as tasty – with the steak at the centre wrapped in an incredible mushroom duxelles, that I found myself devouring (even when I was too full for meat), and pastry. Two sauces accompanied the wellington, and I enjoyed both equally – alternating between the two as I unsuccessfully tried to decide which was my favourite.
For us, the sides were selected, and these were the charred summer vegetables with balsamic and basil oil and a truffle mash.
Whilst I felt the vegetables were unremarkable, the mash was fantastic with the truffle flavour balanced perfectly – strong but not overpowering the creamy mash.
I also added a little of the leftover beef jus to the mash and it made it all the better.
To finish up the night, we found ourselves far too full for pudding and instead ordered a cocktail each. Whilst these drinks were fantastic, they did take around 30 minutes to arrive at our table with our waiter popping behind the bar to make them, leading us to believe they may have been forgotten by the main bar staff.
I had a B&B Espresso Martini (B&B standing for brandy and Baileys, the two main ingredients alongside Kahlua, espresso, and caramel) which, as a connoisseur of espresso martinis, was fantastic and worth its £14.50 price tag.
Darren had a chocolate orange cocktail at the same price, containing Cointreau, espresso, crème de cacao, Kahlua, and cream. It was smooth and creamy and tasted like a Terry’s chocolate orange and was, in his words, ‘perfect way to finish things off’.
We left the Grand that evening absolutely stuffed yet satisfied with our meal and experience.
Tables can be booked through OpenTable with no prior notice required for those planning the surf and turf special.
