HOW TO WIN! Until the end of February, EVERY time you leave a review, simply put ‘january’ in the promo code field and you will be entered into the competition to win a meal or 2.

Winners will be drawn at the end of February.

Keep reviewing – keep winning!

We’d like to extend our thanks to everyone who participated in the competition – we’ve had a fantastic response and there are now many more quality reviews on EATOUT as a result. Please keep it up and help us make EATOUT the premier restaurant review site that you deserve!

Below we have published the winners of the competition, if you were lucky enough to have won – we’ll be in contact shortly – CONGRATULATIONS!

Happy New Year 2009 from the EATOUT team!!!!

1st Day of Christmas : A Spa Day for 2 at the newly refurbished Cadbury House – the Spa

Winner: Ruby

2nd Day of Christmas : Champagne meal for 2 at Hotel du Vin

Winner: dandelion

3rd Day of Christmas : Girls Night In at Aztec Hotel & Spa

Winner: Ach77

4th Day of Christmas : Champagne meal for 2 at the new Living Room, Bristol Harbourside

Winner: Lauraloo

5th Day of Christmas : 3 x pairs of tickets to see Swan Lake Ballet at the Hippodrome

Winners:
Hiwend, Watersp, Freiny

6th Day of Christmas : 3 x pairs of tickets to see Copellia Ballet at the Hippodrome

Winners:
Lauraloo, Denise20, viennamonk

7th Day of Christmas : £50 voucher to spend in designer men’s clothing outlet William Francis

Winner: Hussey83

8th Day of Christmas : £20 EATOUT restaurant certificates

Winners:
Matthew, Lauraloo, Hiphotdog, RWhite08, Bobbins, Obtuse, Reidjules, Freiny, Cherr1e5, Curryfiend, Littleoldme, Ashwin, Hussey83, Denise20, Simon39ward, Andydonut01, Charliedavis, Scoo26, Broady, viennamonk, madmonster, Sparky , Ines, republic, dancourse, difranco, Chowdown

9th Day of Christmas : Celebrate Buddy Holly’s 50th Anniversary with 6 x pairs of tickets to see BUDDY at the Hippodrome

Winners:
Chowdown, Laralou8,
Denise20, Foodraver, Piglet, republic

10th Day of Christmas : £50 voucher to spend in woman’s designer fashion store Fate Clothing

Winner:
Lollypop09

11th Day of Christmas : 10 copies of the brand new 2009/10 Invitation Book and Diners card

Winners:
RWhite08, Smiley1, Cherr1e5, Ashwin, Denise20, Hungry, Rachel,
Piglet, Tallp, Johnnyboyuk

12th Day of Christmas : A Celebration Christmas Hamper from Harvey Nichols

Winner:
spaniel

Member Offer: They are also offering EATOUT members a chance to try flavour FREE for 3 MONTHS. Click here for more information.

flavour catches up with owner of London restaurant Smiths of Smithfield at the launch of his latest book John Torode’s Beef.

f: Was your decision to write about beef in any way prompted by the return to more traditional British cooking?

J.T: The whole point of Beef is really trying to celebrate the greatness of Britain. The idea of the book is for people to understand a single great subject – beef seems to be one of those extraordinary ingredients that everybody is scared of. People are now happy to go and ask for a different type of apple but we are much less adventurous when it comes to the different cuts of beef. I wanted to demystify the subject a little bit and make it more exciting.

f: You have emphasised in the book that good food should be accessible to all – how did you try to achieve this when putting the book together?

J.T: Everybody should have the right to eat good food. What I’ve done with the book is to take it from the really basic to the quite complicated, and from ingredients which are expensive such as fillet for beef Wellington down to cuts like shin which are really cheap and make the best curry.

f: You mentioned supermarkets sometimes use misleading labels when it comes to meat – would you always advocate using your local butcher instead?

To read the rest of the article, click here.

EATOUT MEMBER OFFER – GET 3 MONTHS flavour magazine FREE

The Restaurant at Clifton Lido will bring a unique new dining experience to Bristol when it opens this month.

Key to the £2 million redevelopment of the grade II listed Clifton Lido was for an ambitious new restaurant to shape the future of this historic facility and make it socially relevant today.

The Restaurant at Clifton Lido is a destination in its own right, serving fresh, rustic seasonal food, much of it locally grown, cooked in an Italian wood-fired Valoriani oven imported from Florence.

In keeping with the leisure setting, the restaurant is informal and the food reasonably priced with options to order starters or mains, little plates or sharing plates. See over for a sample menu from head chef Freddy Bird.

The restaurant will open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, while the poolside bar will open in the morning and afternoon for breakfast, brunch, afternoon teas and light meals, with a drinks service during the evening.

“Produce will be sourced locally where possible but the influence comes from much further afield, from European and Middle Eastern countries,” said owner Arne Ringner, the man behind two landmark floating restaurants in Bristol, Glass Boat and Spyglass.

For Arne, the opportunity to open another restaurant by water – this time in Bristol’s “West End” of Clifton – was what drew him to this most challenging redevelopment of a grade II listed site. The Lido’s 75 seat restaurant overlooks the pool with a vast sliding glass wall to maximise the views.

“We have a vision of the Lido being very accessible as a social hub for local people and as a destination for people from further afield who are curious to see how a 19th century Lido can be adapted to modern life,” says Arne.

HOW TO ENTER >>

1st Day of Christmas

WIN! A Spa Day for 2 at the newly refurbished Cadbury House – the Spa Includes use of wet facilities, use of robe slippers and towel, light lunch and a full body massage PROMO CODE: CadburySpa

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

2nd Day of Christmas

WIN! Champagne meal for 2 at Hotel du Vin Kick back and relax in the magnificently restored dining room with a bottle of Champagne on arrival followed by award-winning food. PROMO CODE: HDVmeal

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

3rd Day of Christmas

WIN! a Girls Night In at Aztec Hotel & Spa You and up to 3 friends spend the night in a deluxe room in your fluffy robes and slippers with tapas delivered to your room and full use of the Spa facilities. Wake up refreshed the next morning and enjoy breakfast together in the comfort of your room. PROMO CODE: Girlsnite

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

4th Day of Christmas

WIN! Champagne meal for 2 at the new Living Room, Bristol Harbourside Set over 2 stunning contemporary floors, this is the latest place to be seen in Bristol’s trendy Harbourside development. PROMO CODE: Livingroom

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

5th Day of Christmas

WIN! 3 x pairs of tickets to see Swan Lake Ballet at the Hippodrome PROMO CODE: Swanlake

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

6th Day of Christmas

WIN! 3 x pairs of tickets to see Copellia Ballet at the Hippodrome PROMO CODE: Coppelia

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

7th Day of Christmas

WIN! £50 voucher to spend in designer men’s clothing outlet William Francis “Directional Fashion” for men, you’ll find top designer labels here including Replay and Rock & Republic, many exclusive to William Francis. PROMO CODE: William

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

8th Day of Christmas

WIN! one of 50 £20 EATOUT restaurant certificates EatOut Certificates will knock £20 off your bill in a selection of Bristol & Bath’s best restaurants. Click here for Ts & Cs + participating restaurants PROMO CODE: Certs

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

9th Day of Christmas

WIN! Celebrate Buddy Holly’s 50th Anniversary with 6 x pairs of tickets to see BUDDY at the Hippodrome PROMO CODE: Buddy

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

10th Day of Christmas

WIN! £50 voucher to spend in woman’s designer fashion store Fate Clothing Obsessed with fashion, Fate stocks top designer brands for woman including Guess, Full Circle, SOS and many more. PROMO CODE: Fate

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

11th Day of Christmas

WIN! we’ve got our hands on 10 copies of the brand new 2009/10 Invitation Book and Diners card Save up to £10,000 on dining out in over 200 restaurants as well as Leisure & Entertainment activities during 2009. PROMO CODE: Dinerscard

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

12th Day of Christmas

WIN! A Celebration Christmas Hamper from Harvey Nichols With 2 bottles of Champagne, Italian panettone and a fesitve array of sweet and savoury treats, this hamper provides all the vital festive provisions for a great celebration. View the full range here. PROMO CODE: Hamper

Start reviewing: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

back to top

HOW TO ENTER:

EVERY time you leave a review until the 6th January 2009, we’ll enter you into ONE prize draw.

1. Choose your prize from the list above and Grab its PROMO CODE.

2. Search for a restaurant and Add a review (you must be logged in – it’s free to register). You can start reviewing here: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants

3. Enter your promo code and ‘Submit’.

4. Enter as many times as you like – the more you review, the more you can win!!

5. Closing date: January 6th, 2009.

Prizes will be drawn after January 6th and the winners notified – we will publish the results right here (member username’s only)

Automated entries will be disqualified.

More prizes available from Loquax and The Prize Finder

After a small build delay the Living Room Bristol has opened its doors to it’s new trendy restaurant and bar, located near Gala Casino, in a district of the harbourside that is yet to create its own identity.

My Wife and a couple of friends were invited to the Glamorous opening on Saturday evening, greeted by a very friendly front of house you can’t help but be stunned by the excellently designed interior – the attention to details is immense.

We were shown to our table where we ordered some bread and olives and four glasses of House Champagne, it was after all our friend’s anniversary too!

Our starters arrived without delay, the Mussels were a great choice accompanied by hot fresh bread and dipping accompaniment, my wife ordered the Duck Pancakes which were perfectly cooked. Our friends ordered the Beer battered king prawns, which I’m told were delicious if a little greasy.

The menu as a whole has been exceptionally thought out, offering a number of home comfort dishes in addition to a selection that tease you to pick them – you’ll find something for everyone.

The atmosphere in the Living Room was buzzing, tucked in the corner we noticed a baby grand which sat an excellent pianist and singer belting out likeable hits from yesteryear and today.

Mains arrived quickly which considering there were over 200 people in the restaurant was a pleasant surprise.

My Rib eye steak was tender and cooked rare as ordered, the side of honey roasted carrots were excellent too. The Ostrich was a favoured choice on the table as was the Thai Green Chicken Curry – both dishes went down well.

For our desserts we requested a 30 minute break, which gave us time to relax and take in the vibrant atmosphere whilst enjoying the fine wine and beers available.

Still feeling rather full, we opted for the Chocolate Fondant for two to share, this was an excellent choice with fresh fruit, biscotti and delectably soft marshmallow.

Time flew by as the Pianist was replaced with a DJ who livened up the bar area where a number of people had decided to dance away – The attentive Manager Toby informed us that he’ll be a regular at the venue.

We moved on to taste some of the excellent cocktails, the Amaretto Sours being a hit.

Our experience at the Living Room was very enjoyable, and whilst you can’t class it as fine dining it is a very welcome addition to the harbourside scene offering a destination venue to dine with friends and relax until the early hours in a trendy, vibrant, buzzy and entertaining environment.

Only time will tell how the Living Room will evolve and what clientele it will attract, Being a local to the area I’m sure I’ll be back to check on its progress some time soon.

Many would argue, Clifton in Bristol is the hub of the restaurant scene. With over 70 Italian, British, Chinese and Indian restaurants, as well as some of the best European restaurants in Bristol, you don’t need to look too far to find exactly what you’re looking for.

With the imposing and magnificent Brunel suspension bridge linking Clifton to Ashton Court and North Somerset, it also makes Clifton ideally situated for visitors coming from the West Country.

However, with so many Gloucester Road restaurants as well as the new developments at Bristol Harbourside and the brand new Cabot Circus areas, competition is strong.

Looking for a stoll in the country followed by a great gastro pub meal and a pint by a roaring log fire? Check out our new ‘Country Pubs’ search.

With our Country Pubs section, you can plan your walk or drive around the best local pubs serving real ales, fine wines and great gastro food – simply search for ‘Country Pubs’ and take a look at the map for country pubs in Bristol and Bath.

Our favourite one this week is The Kings Arms in Didmarton which we only discovered on EatOut as we wanted something close to Westonbirt Arboretum. And what a find! After stomping around in the mud taking in the gloriously coloured Japanese Maple on a fine crisp (and damp) autumn day, The Kings Arms was a welcome sanctury offering friendly staff, really great food (scallops yum yum), well-kept ales and very cosy decor with a roaring fire.

We want more! – If you find any we’ve not listed, we’d love to know about them – you can also advise them to contact us and we’ll display their photos and menus for free!

The much awaited Cabot Circus has presented eatout.co.uk members with a veritable deluge of eateries affording numerous opportunities to sample and savour, rate and review.

The centre abounds with examples of the UK’s most tried and tested brands from both ends of the culinary spectrum.

Fast food fanatics can feast from McDonalds to….the other McDonalds, or choose between three Costa Coffees.

If John Cabot, the great explorer of North America, were alive today, he would have to sail to the far ends of the globe in order to sample the array of foreign cuisines available under the roof that bears his name. These include Japanese cuisine (Yo! Sushi) SE Asian cuisine (Tampopo), Italian cuisine (Zizzi, Carluccio’s or Piccolino), Spanish cuisine (La Tasca), Portuguese cuisine (Nando’s) and French cuisine (Café Rouge).  There’s a particularly large chunk of New World culture with Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Frankie and Benny’s, Shakeabout, Giraffe, Starbucks  and Coal Grill and Bar.

Café society-goers can sip and sup at Patisserie Valerie, Amano Café, John’s York Café and Chandos Deli and Café.

One circus star is The 2nd Floor Restaurant and Bar at Harvey Nichols, open even when the store itself is not. A selection of classic and indulgent meals is available, all under the supervision of Louise McCrimmon, the head chef.

Another star of the big top is Brasserie Blanc, also in Quakers Friars.  This joins Raymond Blanc’s group of fine French brasseries and features traditional and modern dishes, all with Monsieur Blanc’s inimitable’ je ne sais quoi’.

Great shops, great restaurants…something to suit anyone and everyone.  And it all cost a mere £500million.  Who could ask for anything more?

Click for more Cabot circus restaurants on EATOUT.

So what makes us different?

• Restaurant videos giving you a more interactive insight into your favourite restaurants
• All our data has been checked so EatOut is the most definitive and extensive online guide in the region (so please let us know where we can improve)
• Purchase EatOut certificates to give a guaranteed saving of £5 every time you dine up to £100 off your bill!
• Interact with your friends and meet fellow food lovers

What is the future of EatOut?

We will be hugely extending the social element of the site. To give you a little taster of what we plan on introducing in the not so distant future, here are some of our idea:

• Interact with your friends and invite them out for dinner
• Find out when your favourite restaurants get new menus or have special events
• Download more and more restaurant certificates at all your favourite restaurants
• Find out the favourite restaurants of local celebrities and famous chefs
• Join groups and share your hunger of all things foodie
• Upload your own photos and videos
• Want to eat in a restaurant and meet new friends… watch this space

And lots lots more…Your comments and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.