Biblos Bristol

I finally did it. After living in Bristol for over a year, I finally decided the time was right to splash out on a falafel from the famous Biblos, a Bristol institution, or so it seems. There are rave reviews on the internet, people mention it to me as a falafel eater all the time, it’s on Trip Advisor as if tourists should head there before they visit the SS Great Britain or whatever. So it was time. Technically, not actually my first time, I definitely had one a few years ago, but was far too drunk to do any kind of review. So here it is.

Let me set the scene. I was very hungry. I’d accidentally done a 2 hour gym session, and was on my way to a pub quiz. I had to act fast. I spied the take away over the street on Stokes Croft and veered over there. The alarmingly high price of £5.20  for a medium (£6.90 for large) didn’t put me off this time, I was THAT hungry.

It was a high price to pay, I think we can all agree. I remembered that you could ask for a combination – half of the wrap one thing, half another filling. I decided to take up this offer as, to be quite honest, I am becoming increasingly fed up of falafel. It’s not easy reviewing falafels’ on a regular basis. It’s not easy being me. Anyway, I went for half falafel and half roasted vegetables.

It was possibly the best decision of my life. But before we go into the taste and textures of this particular wrap, a little note on the shop itself. The menu was displayed on a chalk board surrounded by a gold frame, very classy. Fake flowers were placed on each table (very easy to knock over) and there was a range of newspapers to peruse. I was pleased to note that all the employees were female, a refreshing change from the usual male dominated take-away profession. I would say however, that the wooden benches could do with a cushion or two- my bony bum was very uncomfortable as I waited for my wrap to be made.

I reluctantly handed over the money and rushed out onto the always far too busy streets of Stokes Croft and resisted the temptation to rip open the wrap and eat it then and there.

However, I waited until I got home and savoured it, like any good reviewer. I’ll cut to the chase. It was amazing. Maybe it tasted even better because I was as previously mentioned, hungry, but this was the best falafel and roasted veg wrap I had ever had. The veg included sweet potato, giving it a lovely sweet taste, and it also had some sort of Chinese tasting sauce along with a generous dollop of hummus. The falafel itself was flavoursome and not too crunchy, and the salad was wide including the weird red vegetable you get in a falafel that isn’t cabbage or beetroot.

Criticisms include it being a bit sloppily rolled, and the bread was bog standard.

Bread – 3/5

Falafel – 4/5

Salad- 5/5

Service- 4/5

Price – 3/5

Intoxication – 2/5 (high on gym).

Plus points for hummus and delicious sauce.

All in all, worth it. I was full from the medium size but a larger appetited person may want to try the bigger one. Here is a link to their menu for more info. https://biblos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/biblos-cafemenu-2016-v1-web.pdf

They also seem to have a deal on Fridays called Falafel Fridays which I am eager to check out.

My faith in falafel has been restored. Thanks, Biblos.