Despite Bristol being named one of the UK’s most vegan friendly cities, vegan eateries in our city have been struggling over the last 12 months. Oowee in Montpelier completely abandoned its plant based menu in favour of returning to its meaty burgers and vegan restaurant Pastan recently closed.
But Koocha Mezze Bar on Cheltenham Road, which opened in 2018 and claims to be the city’s first fully vegan restaurant, continues to serve vegan food inspired by Persian cuisine. The place is truly unique with dishes you are unlikely to find anywhere else because it is both vegan and Middle Eastern but also has a selection of dishes which are based on Chinese or Indian cuisine.
The colourful leopard covered blue building on Cheltenham Road cannot be missed and the interior decor is just as pleasing to the eye as the food itself. The friendly welcome and the beautiful decor inside makes the place feel more homely than I had expected.
The food menu itself offers a range of small and larger plates but we decided to go for the option of three mezze for £21 with bread on the side (£4.50). I selected kookoo, oyster wings and gaymeh and frites, which we found to be enough for two people.
Out of the three small plates, the kookoo was my favourite. The dish was made up of four spinach and leek balls, stuffed with cranberries and walnuts, served on spinach borani with a sweet chilli sauce.
The oyster wings – oyster mushrooms in batter with a spicy sauce – were tasty enough. But the gaymeh and frites, were very different to what I had expected so although it was enjoyable, I was disappointed with what was more of a lentil based dish than aubergine.
Despite there being a wide variety of cocktails and mocktails to choose from, alongside a small selection of beers and wines, I decided to try something different and went for a mango, ginger and lime kombucha. The drink thought to have its origins in China is thought to have health benefits – I don’t know if it made any difference to my gut but it was enjoyable enough as a drink.
After the mezze, I had enough room for a dessert and went for the homemade saffron and pomegranate cheesecake which was absolutely delicious. I almost forgot it was vegan while I ate it as it did not taste particularly different from a standard dairy cheesecake.
I would recommend Koocha and would return again. It may not be the cheapest vegan place around but the unique dishes have been put together with care and attention and the friendly service and comfortable interior makes it a pleasant experience for all.
Koocha Mezze Bar, 203b Cheltenham Road, Bristol, BS6 5QX.