The flickering tree heavy with baubles and fairylights, the teetering pile of panettone boxes in the window and diners wearing paper hats from the crackers they’ve just pulled with friends, family members and work colleagues. It might still be November but San Carlo is certainly ready for Christmas.
And is there a more glamorous room for a festive meal? The high ceilings, mirrored walls, flickering candles and marble tables (although I’m told these are soon to be swathed in white linen cloths for the first time) create a genuinely impressive space for dining.
Throw in galleries of photos showing past guests – Harry Redknapp, Ray Winstone, Tony Blair, they’re all there – and an ice-packed counter piled high with fresh seafood and fish near the bar and it all adds up to an impressive setting for a meal.
This Italian restaurant in Corn Street has been one of Bristol’s busiest restaurants for the past three decades. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve eaten there over the years and my daughter, now in her 18th year, first ate here as a baby in a high chair.
And so we returned this week to try San Carlo’s Christmas menu, which costs £46.95 for three courses and tea or coffee at the end. Apart from one main course with a £4.50 supplement, there are no hidden costs either.
I kicked off with a starter I’ve had at San Carlo so many times, I’m sure the staff have it ready before I even order it. Gamberoni Luciana is a comforting dish of butterflied king prawns in a creamy, spicy tomato sauce spiked with garlic and chilli, served with toasted Altamura bread. It’s still as good as the first time I ordered it 25 years ago.
My daughter loved her burrata e pomodoro – burrata from Puglia served with slices of marinated beef tomato carpaccio and fresh basil. It was beautifully presented, delicate and refreshing.
She followed it with the medaglioni al pepe – seriously tender and juicy medallions of beef fillet pan-fried and served with a blanket of green peppercorn sauce. It was the only dish with a £4.50 supplement but worth every penny.
Of course, I had to go for the turkey, which is not something I normally order in a restaurant and rarely eat apart from on December 25. But it was surprisingly good – the slices of turkey were moist, stuffed with chestnut stuffing and wrapped in pancetta. It was served with a rich and glossy gravy.
Both main courses were also served with festive vegetables. The small roast rosemary-flecked potatoes were crisp and fluffy at the same time, the sprouts were perfectly cooked and retained a bite, as had the carrots and cauliflower.
To finish, a huge wedge of panettone bread and butter pudding arrived with a chilled glass of limoncello and vanilla ice cream. A wobbly and vanilla speckled pannacotta was paired with a compote of winter berries.
By the time the tea and coffee arrived, we were loosening our trouser buttons and as full as we are after the Christmas Day meal itself.
And as we left, we also noticed menus for the £89.95 Christmas Day lunch at San Carlo. For those who can afford it and who want to get out of the cooking and washing up on the big day, that must be seriously tempting and it’s no surprise that bookings are already strong.
San Carlo, 44 Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1HQ. Tel: 0117 9226586.