Places To Eat in Wiltshire: Bunch of Grapes, Bradford-on-Avon

I’ve got a full ‘how we spent our day in Wiltshire’ guide coming soon (you can find my new guide to spending a day in nearby Bath here), but first I want to tell you about a frankly brilliant dinner we had at Bunch of Grapes in Bradford-on-Avon. A lovely neighbourhood restaurant it was welcoming, the food was creative, the wine was good, and I wish that it was in Kent, not Wiltshire so that I could go there regularly!

As I mentioned, the extensive wine list with a very generous amount by the glass is exactly what you’d expect from a restaurant with a bar in the front: yes, this is also one of those places I love you can go for a full meal or just a bite and a glass of something (you can also do a 5 or 7 course tasting menu if you wish, rather than ordering from the a la carte!) As I usually do when there is a guest wines section on the menu I chose a guest Greek white from Macedonia which was crisp, bright and refreshing. Elsewhere there was something for everyone’s tastes, and when my father was slightly unsure about his choice of red he was able to taste a small splash before committing to a glass.

The starters were both excellent, my only complaint being I made the wrong choice! The lightly torched, cured salmon was light, flavourful and perfectly cooked alongside a medley of flavours, textures and temperatures with wasabi avocado, soy gel, and puffed rice. Balanced plates full of textures, tempratures, different flavours and colours was very much the theme at Bunch of Grapes, but in a slightly more creative way (which they pulled off) than some other British produce-focused restaurants I’ve been to recently.

That is not to say that the salad of Cornish crab and cucumber with a fennel gazpacho was not excellent. Wonderfully fresh, and elegantly delicate.

Honestly, more than two weeks later I’m still thinking about my duck main. From left to right we have the most perfectly cooked duck breast, a roasted hoisin carrot topped with sesame seeds, tender pak choi, stacked potatoes (tender in the middle, super crisp on the outside), a jammy roasted tomato, and a spring roll of confit duck, all brought together by a pair of beautiful sauces. With so much going on you’d think there would be a flavour note that did not work with something else, but honestly, this was perfect.

Elsewhere at the table the other mains where also excellent: a medley of pork and apple, again cooked multiple ways, and an end-of-summer glut vegetarian option I was excited to try a piece of, pan fried gnocchi with courgette cream, a battered baby courgette with a ricotta-stuffed courgette flower attached, and plenty of tender tenderstem broccoli, Again more flavours, more textures, and the star courgette done multiple ways. A brilliant, hearty meat-free option with a beautiful flavour.

Apparently the classic sticky toffee pudding going on across the table was rather good, but I was more focused on the pair of desserts my mother and I were sharing. The passion fruit creme brulee with caramalised white chocolate and a violently tropical mango sorbet was lovely, the right balance between light and rich, fruity and creamy. My only criticism of our meal otherwise (except they forgot to bring my dessert wine, but mistakes happen!) was that whilst the plate of chocolate almond cake, cherry sorbet and preserved cherries had some brilliant flavours (the sorbet in particular was stunning) I would say they only 90% gelled together as a cohesive dish, rather than 100%. But I am just splitting hairs here.

You can book a table at Bunch of Grapes (and check out their incredible looking weekend bakery) here.

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