A new restaurant is launching on Whiteladies Road that seeks to bring something new and exciting to Bristol's hospitality scene 'without the stiffness and price tag of traditional fine dining'. Launching in early February, A.B.O.E, which stands for 'a bit of everything' and is pronounced A-Boo, is a new concept restaurant from west-country born, Michelin-trained chef Seb Merry.
Located on the site of former cocktail bar Flipside, A.B.O.E promises to fuse classical cooking with south-east Asian influences for a playful take on traditional fine dining that will showcase Seb’s broad international culinary experience and passion for sustainable, locally sourced produce.
You may have previously spotted Seb, who began working in professional kitchens at 18, on TV after he made it to the finals of MasterChef: The Professionals. After the competition, he moved to London and then France, working in one, two and three Michelin-star restaurants before spending five years as head chef at Mayfair-based fusion restaurant Magpie.
Read More: Bar 44: I tried the tapas restaurant in Clifton charging 2003 prices
His resumé includes a year as head chef at Sheer Rocks in Antigua before a stint as a private chef on a superyacht. But after returning to Bristol before the pandemic, Seb began developing a concept for A.B.O.E, based on a belief that outstanding food shouldn’t just be reserved for the world of fine dining and Michelin stars.
A.B.O.E first launched as a popular pop-up four days a week at the Cloak and Dagger before moving to the kitchen at Flipside on Whiteladies Road, where Seb has been serving up a menu of classical-meets-fusion small plates and roast dinners since September last year.
Flipside closed just after Christmas for renovations, and owner Andy Dodd recently announced on the bar's website that the popular spot had 'come to an end' but had already already 'handed over the baton' to Seb, who will be taking over the venue when it re-opens as A.B.O.E in early February.
Seb said: “A.B.O.E is an idea and concept I have had for many, many years and owning my own restaurant has been a lifelong dream of mine. I love to cook and am so passionate about bringing people something new and exciting without the stiffness and price tag of ‘traditional’ fine dining, and I’m so excited to finally live out my dream. I can’t wait for people to come, try my food and hopefully try new things they haven't tried before.”
A.B.O.E will open in early February, with operating hours on Wednesday and Thursday, from 5pm-11:30pm, Friday and Saturday, noon-midnight, and Sunday, from 12pm-8pm. Diners should expect a selection of changing small plates, with influences from Japanese, Thai and Indonesian cuisine, with 'playful' flavour combinations and cooking methods they may not have seen or tried before, alongside an drinks menu and the continuation of Seb's Sunday roasts.
You can register to be the first to know when bookings go live by signing up for A.B.O.E’s newsletter on their website here.
Read More:
- Flipside on Whiteladies Road closes after 15 years
- Wapping Wharf has ‘waiting list’ for new tenants to move in
-
Bristol's 'best' Wetherspoon pub still up for sale after almost three months
- The most highly-rated Chinese restaurant in Bristol, where the secret to their success is the people
- New shop Ruby Hue to show entire chocolate-making process from bean to bar
