Lido

Tucked away in the stunning area of Clifton you’ll find the Lido, a spectacular restaurant serving outstanding modern plates with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. As soon as I entered the bar area I noticed the floor-to-ceiling windows that span the length of the bar overlooking the refurbished Victorian swimming pool. The decor is sleek, colourful and unpretentious, transporting diners to warmer climes. My dining partner and I were shown to our table upstairs in the restaurant area by the friendly, attentive staff, who made us instantly feel welcome. As soon as I sat down a feeling of tranquility washed over and I felt as though I was on holiday, just for the evening.

Before we perused the menu we were served a generous portion of crusty bread with top-quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. After much deliberation, we opted for albondigas in sweet pepper sauce and aged Manchego, and juicy wood-roasted scallops served in the shells with sumptuous sweet herb and garlic butter. We accompanied our meal with a glass of garnatxa blanca, which was delightfully fresh with botanical aromas; an ideal pairing for our delicious starters.

Moving on to the main course, I chose the wood-roasted Cornish ray served with summer chanterelles, coco beans and sherry butter sauce, while my dining partner plumped for the seared Iberico pork bavette with chorizo, new potatoes, roasted Breme onion and Pedro Ximénez sauce. The Cornish ray was cooked to perfection and simply fell off the bone. The delicate flavour of the fish married beautifully with the rich butter sauce and summer chanterelles. The Iberico pork bavette was served pink in the middle, and the addition of the fried chorizo and Port sauce afforded the dish an impressive depth of flavour. To finish we decided to treat ourselves by sampling a selection of ice creams and sorbets alongside an expertly made flat white. The salted caramel ice cream and apricot sorbet were highlights of this most indulgent conclusion to a spectacular evening meal.