In a country that excels in almost every global cuisine, are fusion restaurants the future of UK gastronomy? Bristol already makes a healthy contribution to this trend, with Rock Fish and Per & Kor all excelling over the years with Chinese-Indian and Persian Korean menus respectively.
Yet the fusion revolution is not something I’m totally convinced by as of yet. While fusing more than one cuisine on a menu is considered inventive and radical, I fear it leaves more room for error when offering so many different elements.
Just when you think you've seen it all, perhaps no other fusion restaurant has dared to break the conventions so boldly than the Indian-French-inspired MUSE Brasserie. Serving traditional bistro dishes alongside Indian street food, I am willing to keep an open mind. It has reaped huge success at its inaugural site in Cheltenham since 2019 with gleaming reviews from its customers that earned it a top Tripadvisor accolade.
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The Cotswolds restaurant’s winter menu has been replicated in Bristol for the expansive new venue by Queen Square, offering around 100 covers in the former Prince Street Social, an unfortunate pandemic casualty. The old wooden interiors are a faded memory, now awash with baby pink and teal blue, fitted with plush seating and trailing artificial cherry blossom trees, a feature I can forsee attracting Instagram influencers in their droves.
The brasserie-esque formalities began with a small bread roll presentation, sourdough or multigrain resemblant of the bread you’re given on an aeroplane. They offered an amuse-bouche, a take on the popular Indian street food snack - Pani Puri - reinvented as a palette cleanser with cucumber and pomegranate served with a shot of herby, spicy water (as per the tradition of the dish).
To start, the soufflé held its own and showcased technique being both light and fluffy, but lacked a punch, calling out for a stronger, more offensive cheese (£10). This archetype of culinary elegance was sat on the table next to Vada Pav (£9), a potato dumpling in a roll widespread on the streets of Mumbai. There were three miniature versions in this instance, generous for a starter, almost resembling buffet food in appearance until you had a hit of the glossy, spicy tamarind sauce.
This was punctuated by the MUSE Thali (£19), a labour of love with seven components, which may have been one too many. There were a couple of inconsistencies, the daal was too salty whereas the spiced Jersey potatoes lacked seasoning, but the vegan take on butter chicken was delicious, smooth and creamy. The rice pancake was delicious finger food, topped with homemade chutneys.
Conversely, the beef cheek bourguignon fell apart perfectly, daringly breathing new life into a typically unchangeable classic (£24). Those with a sweeter tooth will see chef’s patisserie training hard at work with an elegant take on tarte tatin and Mont Blanc.
The presentation mostly took French influence, therefore, was beautiful by brasserie standards while offering generous portions. The staff evidently pride themselves on a warm, friendly service - being attentive without making a fuss. Clearly, a lot of work has gone into the drinks menu with beautiful cocktails. My first sip of MUSE’s signature cocktail (£12) was imbued with nostalgia, resembling a Tango Ice Blast in both aesthetics and flavour, but made grown up with lemon vodka and blue Curacao.
I so desperately wanted to adore MUSE’s confident, courageous menu, but the starter and main courses failed to bring me entirely on board. Perhaps that makes my palette unprogressive - and the dishes worked well in isolation - but darting from the creamy, rich Parisian dishes to spicy, fragrant curries was a little unsettling. I had also hoped for more of the fusion element to appear on the same plate, like the catch du jour, which is cooked tandoori style with polenta chips.
Granted the USP is memorable and the menu invites intrigue - where else can you have crispy okra followed by moules et frites? Or escargot paired with a chicken tikka?
Starters range from £7-£13, mains from £16 up to £28 for the trio of venison. Desserts sit at £8-£10 each, with plenty of vegan options.
Crown House, 37-41 Prince St, Bristol BS1 4PS. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch (12pm-2pm); Monday to Saturday for dinner (5pm-10/11pm). Tel: 0117 239 2596. https://www.musebrasserie.com/locations/bristol/
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