Reviewer says Colombian cafe meal fell short of expectations

Los Dos Gringos has officially opened on Church Road in Redfield, adding a Colombian-inspired cafe to the east Bristol neighbourhood.

The cafe is at 203-207 Church Road, in the former premises of a branch of The Crafty Egg. It presents itself as “a little piece of Colombia on Church Road”.

A Bristol food reviewer visited with her son for Friday lunchtime. She described the brightly decorated interior as welcoming and vibrant, and said the cafe was fairly busy. They chose a table by the windows and waited briefly to order at the counter; their food arrived quickly.

The reviewer ordered three empanadas for £7.50: two filled with black beans and melted cheese, and one with Colombian-spiced potato, peppers, tomato and onion. She found them smaller and greasier than expected and said they lacked flavour, although she liked the accompanying aji salsa. Her son initially said he did not like the empanadas before tasting them.

An arepa with smoky, spicy beef, aioli and pickled jalapeños cost £8.90. The reviewer found the beef smooth but not especially spicy, and thought the arepa itself was dense. She said the jalapeños added a welcome sharpness to the dish.

The family also ordered five “Pacatones”, described as crispy plantains, for £6.20. They were her son’s favourite, eaten with aioli and grated cheese.

The drinks menu includes smoothies and different kinds of hot chocolate. The reviewer chose a 50 per cent cacao drink with cinnamon and cloves. She liked it but found it thinner than she had hoped, having expected the thicker style of hot chocolate she enjoyed growing up in Barcelona.

She praised the cafe’s warm atmosphere but felt the food needed more work. While she said she would not be rushing back for a meal, she might return for a hot drink on a rainy day. She also suggested a toy box could keep younger visitors occupied.

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