Bordeaux Quay

V-Shed, Canon's Road, Bristol, BS1 5UH. Tel: 0117 906 5554

When the Murray family of Clevedon took over at Bordeaux Quay at the end of 2009, they set out to build upon the good work of the original team and only make subtle changes when they were needed.

The tough economic climate may have resulted in a few job losses along the way, but that was inevitable if the business model was to work and if the restaurant and its deli were to become more sustainable.

But then sustainability is what this flagship harbourside building has always been about, from the use of local and seasonal produce to the energy saving building. Bordeaux Quay was put on the map by chef Barny Haughton, who could not have worked harder to make the restaurant, delicatessen, bakery and cookery school one of the South West's most forward- thinking food operations.

Haughton may have moved on but his legacy is writ large at Bordeaux Quay, which has also lost its head chef in recent months.

In charge of the kitchen now is Alex Murray, whose family also run the exceptional Murrays delicatessen and cafe in Clevedon.

Although it's pretty much business as usual in the buzzy downstairs brasserie, there have been a few changes to Bordeaux Quay's more formal upstairs dining room, with softer lighting, new artwork and a generally warmer feel to the place.

Until last week, I hadn't eaten at Bordeaux Quay for more than a year and it was encouraging to find both floors packed. There was a waiting time of an hour for a table in the upstairs restaurant, which I can't recall happening before (there were occasions in the past when I was one of only a handful of diners eating upstairs).

With its prime waterfront location and panoramic view of the docks below, the dining room has one of the best aspects in Bristol. Even at night the view is impressive, with boats bobbing around in the shimmering, inky black water below.

A member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Bordeaux Quay majors on provenance and knowing exactly where every ingredient comes from.

The menu is sprinkled with references to producers and growers – salad leaves from Barleywood Garden in Wrington, beef and pork from Frampton-on- Severn, fish from Newlyn in Cornwall. They don't provide the ear tags for the animals, but they probably could.

Alex Murray wasn't cooking on this occasion. It was his night off and senior sous chef Matthew Brooks was manning the stoves, but you would be hard pressed to notice the join. Each of the three courses was difficult to fault, as was the service, which seemed to flow a little easier than before.

After excellent bread from the bakery downstairs, my starter of ballotine of wild rabbit (£8) was pulled from the top drawer. A small lozenge of the rabbit loin on top was tender, juicy and had the gamier flavour that comes with wild bunny.

Beneath it, there was a layer of pea shoots and buttered rape greens (this month's on-trend ingredient – you heard it here first) which have the rich iron flavour of spinach but a tougher texture, more like curly kale.

At the bottom was a layer of shredded rabbit leg which had been casseroled and generously seasoned. To bring it all together, there was a dark and rich sauce with considerable backbone.

Main course choices included butternut squash, chilli and rosemary tartlet with sautee potatoes and mixed leaves (£11.50) and braised blade of beef with truffled celeriac, baby turnips and roasted shallots (£19.50), but for me it had to be roasted pork loin and glazed belly (£18.50).

The belly took the form of a smallish block of indecently tender meat with a layer of meltingly sweet fat. The crackling had been removed, cut into crisp-sized pieces and scattered among the springy tufts of curly kale and soft, half-moons of Jerusalem artichoke.

Lurking between the crackling and kale was a mobile phone-sized escalope of pork loin which had been judiciously seasoned with plenty of black pepper and sea salt.

From an enticing dessert list that included carrot cake with blood orange and ginger sorbet (£6.50) and an impressive cheese board comprising Montgomery Cheddar, Wigmore ewe's milk cheese, Gorgonzola piccante and Robiola Rocchetta (from Piedmont), I stuck a pin in the menu and came up with caramelised pear with rum and muscavado jelly and yoghurt ice cream (£6.50).

It was a delicate and fragrant dish. The soft pear had taken on a honeyed quality that was complemented by the cubes of dark, sweet jelly and the tart, slightly sour yoghurt ice cream.

Good espresso and well-made chocolate truffles ensured that the meal ended as impressively as it started – not always the case in many restaurants.

It was good to be back at Bordeaux Quay and even better to see it in such good shape.

There may be a different team driving the business, and significant changes in the kitchen, but this was one of the best meals I have had there, full stop.

Prices: (restaurant) starters from £6; main courses from £11.50; desserts £6.50

Wheelchair access: Yes

Food: 9

Service: 9

Atmosphere: 8

Value: 8

Overall: 9