I should disclose up-front that I am not vegan. I am sorry – all I can promise is that I make conscious efforts to reduce the amount of meat and dairy I eat and focus on a more plant-based diet. What makes this easier is the ever-growing presence of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Bristol serving some pretty spectacular food.
Take a little wander up Zetland Road and you will find a restaurant doing just that. Koocha Mezze is serving up colourful and delicious Persian inspired small plates that excite the eyes and the palate. They also serve delicious cocktails with variations where elements are not vegan (little tip: I don’t recommend ever googling why something isn’t vegan…)
I was having a little me day and stopped for a little solo meal. At 4 mezze dishes for £12 you can get an absolute FEAST to yourself, but I recommend going with friends so you can try more dishes. You will want most things on the menu… I got some help whittling my choices down while I sipped on a “Nogroni” in the sunshine and finally chose:
- House special fries – I love potatoes so had to get a potato dish in there. Gorgeously spiced, crunchy with skin on. The way I like them 🙂
- Aubergine dip – everyone should try this flavoursome dish of roasted aubergine, caramelised onion, soya yoghurt, seasoned with turmeric and mint. Good flatbread to dip ratios too. This is important.
- Veggie fritters – these were on the dryer side, but added lots of dip and was good to go with this fried mixed veggies, spiced with cayenne and served with pomegranate molasses soya yoghurt
- Crunchy spiced cauliflower – my favourite dish! I hope this deep-fried, perfectly spiced cauliflower option never leaves their menu.
I went during their “soft launch” where they already had people queuing for a seat on a Wednesday evening! It’s exciting to go to a restaurant that has such a buzz so early on – testament to the great food and friendly service they provide.
They have recently evolved their menu to include vegan kebab, beetroot hummus, saffron rice, Persian soup (‘Aash Reshteh’) and mocktails. All of them sound DELISH! Koocha are open 7 days a week from 12 till 10pm – recommend booking at popular times. Word has definitely already got out!
Twitter: @KoochaMezzeBar
Instagram: @KoochaMezzeBar
Disclaimer: I was provided this meal free of cost, however I was not asked to send any copy in advance and this didn’t affect my opinion of the meal – all thoughts are my own.
