With its scaffolding shelves lined with packets of flaxseed, cartons of oat milk and tubs of savoury ‘engevita’ (for those of us who thought that was some kind of embarrassing ailment, that’s yeast flakes) the offering at Flip is certainly a step up from the building’s previous life as a nocturnal Indian takeaway.
Bright, airy and positively oozing with health and vitality (most things sold here are free from wheat, gluten and dairy) this new vegan deli and café on North Street opened this month after a lengthy delay but it has been clearly embraced by Bedminster’s healthy-eating massive.
This is owner Sophie Fox’s first solo venture, although she also runs the café at Create Centre near the Cumberland Basin so is no newbie to feeding people.
And now she has turned her attention to North Street, where neighbours include Corks wine and beer shop and Hugo’s greengrocers.
Breakfasts at Flip include a full English featuring meatless sausages and bloodless black pudding accompanied by scrambled tofu doing a very good impression of eggs.
Lunch choices take in salads (it was chickpea, red pepper, radish and sweet chilli when I was there) and a vegan burger in a sesame bun with ‘chipotle cheese’, dill pickle and triple-cooked chips.
Most dishes on the menu can also be taken away to enjoy at home, with locals encouraged to bring their own reusable pots to reduce waste, although all takeaways in this plastic-free café are served in compostable and reusable packaging.
From the deli counter, I started with a mushroom, miso and pearl barley sausage roll (£3.50) - the pastry wrapped around a plump and generous filling that had an intense mushroom flavour, pleasing chewiness from the pearl barley and an overriding herbiness.
The only gripe might be the fact it was served fridge cold and would have benefited from being warmed up a bit as the pastry was a touch tough.
From a trio of pasta options, I went for the ‘virgin’ puttanesca (£9) - a heap of fresh linguine topped with a rich and glossy tomato sauce spiked with plenty of capers, fleshy Kalamata olives and chilli flakes and served with a Parmesan-like flurry of grated cashews.
OK, it wasn’t a groundbreaking dish, and at £9 not especially cheap for a plate of pasta lacking an expensive meat element, but it was made with care and the flavours were robust.
I washed it down with a bottle of booze-free organic ginger and chipotle beer from the fridge although there is a short wine and beer list plus locally roasted Triple Co coffee and organic, loose-leaf Bristol Tea on offer.
On a drizzly lunchtime, tables were soon filling up with young mums and their bouncing babies. But then this has long been one of Bristol’s contenders for Nappy Valley and Flip offers a decent kids’ menu including fresh pasta with basil and pine nut pesto (£4.50), and southern-fried nuggets with smoky beans and triple cooked chips (£6.50).
The Verdict:
Whether you are vegan or not, the intelligent and vibrant food at Flip is a cut above the usual depressing beige stodge served up in many places following a similar dairy and meat-free mantra. Vegan food never used to be this interesting or enjoyable.
Ratings:
Overall: Three
Food: Four
Service: Three
Ambience: Three
Value: Three
Where? Flip, 81 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1ES. www.flipfood.co.uk
