The Richmond

33-37 Gordon Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1AW. Tel: 0117 923 7542

Lancashire mutton hotpot, eel pie and mash, venison faggots, liver and bacon, oxtail soup, rice pudding and treacle tart – the menu at The Richmond reads like a recipe book from Britain between the wars.

Thanks to London restaurants such as St John and chefs like Mark Hix, traditional British cooking has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years and this has filtered out of London and into pubs such as this Clifton boozer.

But before I wax lyrical about the food on offer at Bristol's most interesting new pub opening, here's a bit of history.

The Richmond occupies a site that has had more facelifts than an ageing Hollywood starlet.

Until the late Nineties, it was known as The Richmond Springs, but then tragedy struck when the landlord was murdered by a barman. After that, it took a long time for the pub to regain its composure and shake off its bad reputation.

It became a sports bar, then two gastropubs – Three Magpies and Clifton Cow – in quick succession.

When I returned last week to check out The Richmond in the first few days of opening, it was the third time in less than two years that I had reviewed the place under a different name.

But if anybody is to make a success of this Victorian pub close to Bristol University Students' Union, it is Nick Armitage.

Armitage is fast becoming one of Bristol's most entrepreneurial restaurant and pub operators and a man whose enthusiasm for new projects knows no bounds.

His growing empire of businesses now totals five and includes Picture House East on Whiteladies Road and The Kings Arms on Blackboy Hill.

For The Richmond, he has decided to convert the building back to being a vintage pub with traditional values. Much of the furniture, framed pictures and horse brasses have been salvaged from a recently closed country pub in Somerset, right down to the engraved brass signs for "ales and stouts" and "ports and sherries" above the bar.

The pub itself has bags of character and comprises a warren of rooms and nooks and crannies with wooden parquet floors, wood panels and real fires, which the new owner has opened up and restored to working order. The smoky wood smell when I arrived instantly reminded me of one of those remote pubs you find at the end of a long walk in the country.

There is a music policy of pre-Sixties vintage jazz and although there is a pool table, there are few other modern trappings.

Armitage wants The Richmond to be a pub first and foremost and there are three real ales on offer, alongside a small but well considered wine list.

Bar snacks are all made in the kitchen and include pork pies, Scotch eggs, cheese on toast, sausage rolls and pasties – all of which are also available to take away.

But it is the main menu that really sets The Richmond apart from other food-driven pubs in the area.

Armitage has clearly done his research and come up with a menu of classic British dishes as comforting as a favourite sweater.

Many of the dishes are available in small or large sizes and it would be possible to eat very well for a fiver, which should go down well with the thousands of students in the area.

As well as traditional British favourites, there are retro pub classics – scampi and chips, toad in the hole, meat pie – and regional specialities including the very tempting Somerset Smokey (smoked haddock, leeks, smoked bacon and cheese sauce).

For those with bigger appetites and larger wallets, there is a 22oz cote de boeuf for £39 or a stonking mixed grill (rump steak, venison steak, lamb's liver, bacon and fried egg) that even Desperate Dan might have trouble finishing.

I visited the pub a couple of days after Burns Night and was fortunate to secure the last portion of haggis tatties and neeps (£5.50).

It was a substantial starter and a contemporary twist on the traditional Scottish dish, with the haggis filling forming the bottom layer of a small tower of mashed swede.

It was encircled by a whisky gravy so rich and alcoholic that it would have made Robert Burns burst into song.

A main course of pheasant Kiev (£11) was a cheeky twist on the Seventies retro pub dish and it was brilliantly executed.

Pheasant can be a dry bird but this breast had been breadcrumbed and filled with an outrageous amount of garlic butter, which helped to baste the meat during the cooking process.

When I made the first incision with my knife, hot garlic butter gushed out and all over the shredded January King cabbage, roasted carrots and new potatoes. I doubt whether I will find many more comforting dishes this year.

I cannot recall ever seeing a lemon flummery on a menu anywhere before. An ancient dish of Scottish origin, it used to be an oatmeal-based creation and was often eaten for breakfast.

Armitage and his chefs have modernised it using gelatine as the thickener and the result was a light, zesty pudding with a mousse-like texture.

It was utterly delicious and I very much hope it marks the start of a return to ancient British puddings on menus across the city. It's about time we had a blancmange renaissance.

The Richmond launched quietly last week without fanfare and although I was the only person in the pub on Friday lunchtime, it won't be long before the secret is out.

By taking the pub back to its roots, the new owner has breathed new life into the place with the simple recipe of good beer, solid British tucker and a proper pub atmosphere.

After years of name changes, owners and themes, The Richmond has finally regained its true identity as a classic English pub – and I for one will raise a handled pint glass to that.

Wheelchair access: Yes, but not toilets

Prices: Starters from £2.90; main courses from £6.50; desserts from £4.50

Food: 8

Atmosphere: 8

Value: 8

Service: 8

Overall: 8