REVIEW: Bath College Shrubbery Restaurant - Caribbean Evening

The Shrubbery Restaurant at Bath College hosted a flavours of the Caribbean evening and we decided to pay the student-run diner a visit. Read below as Total Guide to Bath gave its review of the themed evening at the restaurant.

Arriving at the Shrubbery Restaurant at Bath College, I was greeted with a warm professional welcome as I stepped across the threshold of the restaurant and into the ‘Caribbean.’ 

Themed bunting draped around the venue combined with Caribbean music and hula flower necklaces highlighted the efforts of the catering students who had put so much work into the evening. 

After being shown to my seat I was immediately taken through the set menu by the waitress who was able to answer all of my questions surrounding the food before handing me the drinks menu. 

Opting to fully embrace the Caribbean theme of the evening, I chose the Cider blast cocktail as my drink, and I wasn’t disappointed. Upon first taste, the concoction of cider, dark rum, and fresh fruit burst through the taste buds with each individual ingredient playing its role in providing a refreshing and flavoursome quench to my thirst. 

Roughly ten minutes passed before my starter arrived – grilled swordfish - and on first glance, I had to question whether a college student had single-handedly created the dish because the appearance was exceptional and far superior to many a professional restaurant visited before. 

A traditionally chewy fish, I was curious as to how the chefs at the Shrubbery Restaurant would put the dish together, but after my first bite I was quickly satisfied as a cosmopolitan of different flavours cascaded the mouth. 

Perfectly cooked meant the fish wasn’t too chewy and light in the mouth whilst the Cajun seasoning helped bring out the intensity of the swordfish’ natural flavours to complete the dish.

Starter finished it was time for the main course. Famous around the World for its sandy beaches and clear crystal waters, the Caribbean is a hot spot for holiday goers. 

But the food of the Caribbean is just as amazing as the scenery and therefore there could be only one choice for my main course as I opted for jerk chicken cooked two ways served with a medley of continental vegetables and corn on the cob. 

Originating in Jamaica, jerk chicken has become the mainstay dish of the Caribbean. And it’s safe to conclude that the students of Bath Colleges Shrubbery Restaurant certainly did the dish justice. 

Perfectly cooked, well balanced and extremely delicious are all words that can be used to describe the dish as the flavours of the Caribbean burst through every bite I took. 

The grilled chicken breast was spicy but not overpowering whilst the mango coulis added a sweet and refreshing fruity taste to the dish. 

The fried chicken ball was an unusual way of cooking the other part of the jerk chicken but I enjoyed the creativity of the chefs who managed to season this element of the dish well. 

The vegetable combination consisting of Okra and other Caribbean green veg accompanied the meat well, with my only complaint being that I was left wanting more and more. 

Two dishes down and it was time for dessert, a coconut crème brulee. A complicated dessert to create, crème brulee is easy to get wrong but difficult to get right. Thankfully the chefs at the Shrubbery restaurant created the perfect dish.

Cooked to perfection the crème brulee was light and fluffy on the tongue as the coconut flavouring delicately enticed me into consuming bite after bite. 

Before long my evening was finished and after being well fed it was time to leave the Shrubbery Restaurant.

Bath is renowned for having some of the best restaurants in Somerset and Avon, and after an evening of being transported to the Caribbean, it’s safe to say that the Shrubbery Restaurant is now a must-visit for food-goers around the city.