The restaurant runs food and cocktail deals throughout the week
Europa restaurant in Keynsham(Image: Bristol Live)
Wednesday evening in Keynsham and it feels like a time warp back to the early 80s. The background music at Europa restaurant is back-to-back hits from the period, everything from Queen’s Radio Ga Ga to In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins.
Only New Order’s Blue Monday keeps this soundtrack on the right side of cool but it’s not just the music that seems to be going back in time – just look at the prices on some of the weekly deals.
Had I been there the day before, it would have been Fish Tuesday when two main fish dishes and two 175ml glasses of house wine cost £40.
If I visited on Thursday, any pizza or pasta dish is £10 all day until 7pm and there’s also a cocktail deal every day (lunch to 7pm) where two cost £12.50.
But I was at Europa on a Wednesday which is when the steak offer is available – that’s £40 for two sirloin steaks and two 175ml glasses of house wine all day – so it was a shame I was eating alone this time and next time I’ll bring a friend.
Inside Europa in Keynsham town centre(Image: Bristol Live)
And these deals are clearly driving much needed mid-week business to this well-established Italian restaurant next to the Civic Centre and library.
Looking around the busy dining room, there were certainly a few couples there for the steak deal, as well a couple of tables of mums and student-age daughters enjoying the cut-price cocktails.
The restaurant covers all the usual Italian bases with a vast menu stuffed with old favourites at pocket-friendly prices.
Even when there aren’t deals to be had, it would be easy to eat well for not very much, with pizzas from £10, spaghetti carbonara for £12.95 and lasagna for £14.95.
The fish and grill section of the menu is more expensive, of course, but still within most diners’ budgets.
A pan-fried sea bass fillet with capers, cherry tomatoes and garlic served with vegetables is £22.50 and kleftiko (slow-roasted lamb shank in red wine with vegetables, mash and gravy) is £21.95.
The ‘unmemorable’ gamberoni at Europa(Image: Bristol Live)
I started with gamberoni (£10.95) which was a little ambitiously priced for what turned out to be just two butterflied, shelled king prawns with sliced button mushrooms in a rustic tomato and garlic sauce with a hint of chilli.
Served on two small slices of toast with a ruffle of chopped salad leaves reminiscent of the stuff you get in bags at the supermarket, it was an OK, if unmemorable, starter.
Much better was the grilled 10oz sirloin steak (£25) which was cooked to medium-rare pink perfection, juicy and properly seasoned the way I like it.
The sirloin steak at Europa impressed our reviewer(Image: Bristol Live)
The accompanying chips were hot, crisp and salty in a good way and the small ramekin of Diavola sauce (not a bargain at £4.95) was not dissimilar to the tomato, garlic and chilli sauce served with the prawns but it did the job.
OK, the accompanying potatoes, carrots and broccoli had the slightly depressing look of a nursing home supper but they were cooked properly and had retained a bite.
The fact that the friendly and welcoming waiting staff, not the chefs, serve the desserts within seconds of taking the order was a sign that the puddings are perhaps not made on the premises.
My disappointingly bland and dry slice of tiramisu arrived in front of me so quickly that I hadn’t even had time to punch my passcode into my phone to grab a photo and at £7.95 it was overpriced, too.
The tiramisu at Europa(Image: Bristol Live)
Still, despite the uneven food, I enjoyed my flying solo visit to Europa and would probably go back for those deals, especially with a friend for steak night.
After all, what more do you want than a perfectly cooked steak and chips, a glass of wine and REO Speedwagon’s Keep on Loving You for a big Wednesday blow out in Keynsham?
Europa, 3-4 Market Walk, Keynsham, BS31 1FS. Tel: 0117 9864888.
Dining and Cooking