Gramofon Review

Kick off your shoes and settle down for a treat at Gramofon Bistro. The new owners of this Merchant City delight have been toiling passionately for 8 months and are making their mark with a vibrant menu, buzzy atmosphere and a sociable team.

Gramofon is an intimate, relaxed bistro with its walls covered in a gallery of eclectic statement art. Downstairs is a cosy den with a mish-mash of seating and a small stage that plays host to an open-minded variety of comedy, theatre and music.

There’s some hearty banter between staff and customers and the kitchen opens onto the bistro so it feels transparent, bustly and friendly.

The menu is diverse and refreshingly exciting - the only problem was deciding what to have, especially when the chef came over to animatedly add that he also had fresh tuna, monkfish and salmon that he could cook to our fancy.

It was a struggle to pick from the various options that included confit of duck with pearl barley and beetroot risotto, Catalan fish stew or buffalo steak with slow cooked garlic and rosemary potatoes. I finally plumped for firm spicy Thai fishcakes with a sesame seed coating served with a tangy home-made mango chutney, fresh salad garnish and crunchy parsnip crisps. I went with the chef’s recommendation on the main and savoured every mouthful of a luscious piece of meaty monkfish pan-fried to perfection with a spicy beany salsa and spring onion mash, all washed down with a chilled zesty sav blanc.

There’s nothing twee or pretentious about this place. It’s honest, high quality, personable and flexible to your notions and tastes. The food is exciting and fresh, made with great ingredients and prepared and served by experienced people who really care about what they’re doing. Gramofon Bistro feels indulgent, comfortable, like being spoilt by an old friend.