Restaurants / Reviews
Crave, Clifton: ‘Juicy and oozing with flavour’ – restaurant review
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth winking stared down at me and my friend as we waited for our drinks to arrive at the speakeasy-style cocktail bar in the basement of the newly opened Crave.
The Clifton restaurant is located in what was once the Indian restaurant Rajpoot for more than four decades.
The bar downstairs has taken over what was formerly Hausbar for 12 years and then cocktail lounge Kinkajou for a while.
Founded by Sameer Shetty, Crave has a sister venue in Exeter that opened in 2024.
Guests can choose between terrace seating overlooking the Downs or a table inside where one can dine while watching the magic happen in their open-plan kitchen.
Our cocktails – an ‘Aviation’ for my friend and a ‘Picante’ for me which most cost £12 – were expertly crafted and delivered what their descriptions promised.
The Picante, a twist on the classic margarita, was one for the heat lovers, with strong undertones of spice blending with sweetness and sourness while the Aviation was citrus-forward.
Crave offers “relaxed all-day dining”, according to its team
After a few games of Kaboo in the dimly lit bar, we were invited to our table upstairs on the terrace to a table overlooking Upper Belgrave Road, surrounded by the chatter and chaos of fellow diners and the neighbourhood.
The bank holiday weekend meant Crave was packed, with barely an empty seat in sight.
A steady stream of walk-ins kept staff on their toes, who despite their very best attempts were struggling to keep up with the growing crowd.
When our orders were taken, we settled on ordering a selection of small plates to get a comprehensive feel of the menu.
The first to arrive were our lamb and cauliflower tacos (each priced at £4).
Though smaller in size than expected, the tacos itself were juicy and oozing with flavour. The lamb was soft and lathered in Crave’s house sauce.
The chunks of cauliflower were crispy and a great veggie-alternative to the lamb taco.
As we continued taking slow swigs of our cocktails from downstairs, we ordered the burrata with crispy chili oil and a plate of focaccia for the table.
The burrata (£8) was rich and creamy but the chilli oil sadly did not yield the wow-factor I was expecting after the very spice-forward cocktail.
The tray of rosemary focaccia (£4.5), however, made for a perfect carrier for both the burrata and the olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip served with the bread.
Lamb and cauliflower tacos were a flavoursome start to the meal
The show-stopper for us was the fried chicken and hot honey sauce (£12), paired with an extra portion of fries (£4.50).
All the chatter between me and my friend quietened as we bit into the crunchy chicken that was perfectly moist on the inside.
Our trick was to ask for the hot sauce on the side so we could make the most of it and we so did.
The sauce enhanced the already delicious flavours of the chicken and kept us going back for more.
Unlike the tacos, three pieces of fried chicken seemed like an apt portion-size for the price point.
The highlight of the meal came in the form of fried chicken with hot honey sauce
Despite the unrelenting pace, the staff moved tirelessly to assist every arriving customer with genuine care.
Our server was great at communicating and also apologised several times for the delays in attending to us.
The team certainly has the heart to build a welcoming place and are doing their best to fulfill that aim.
I would love to return in a few months to see how their service and menu have aged.
Hopefully, we will then leave with less apprehensions about the speed of service and only praise for their food.
Crave, 52 Upper Belgrave Rd, Clifton, BS8 2XP
All photos: Karen Johnson
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