The Star & Dove

Is The Star & Dove Bristol's best-kept gastronomic secret' That so many of the city's foodies are yet to visit this fantastic pub and restaurant with chef and proprietor Eamon Fullalove - previously executive chef at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen - at its helm, is a travesty. On the first floor, above the bustling pub, the relaxed yet elegant dining room is beautiful in its simplicity: white linen, candlelight and wooden floors.

A starter of melt-in-the-mouth grilled squid - served with sweet potato purée, rocket and mint - was fresh and zingy, while sharp, sweet cornichons were the perfect foil for a deliciously smooth chicken liver parfait with onion relish. Bacon-wrapped monkfish on a bed of champ, served with mussels was juicy and succulent, while the pot-roasted guinea fowl with celeriac and black cabbage was superbly meaty and rich. Desserts were almost unspeakably good: an oozing, warm chocolate mousse cake topped with figs and creme fraiche and the best crumble (pear and blackberry) this reviewer has had the privilege of tasting. While the restaurant offers an unfussy, honest menu - the kind only a chef confident in both his ability and locally-sourced ingredients could have created - to merely call it a gastropub is to do The Star & Dove an injustice. The food and atmosphere in the restaurant is virtually faultless, and easily rivals that found at Bristol's, if not the South West's, best eateries.