Dining out with Alice

Bristol foodies can now enjoy a steak meal in a special Alice In Wonderland booth created by one of the country’s top chainsaw wood carvers.

The stunning representation of Lewis Carroll’s characters was created by artistic wood carver Simon O’Rourke from a tree that once stood in the garden of one of Britain’s finest historic houses.

It has been installed in the newly-opened Steak of The Art restaurant in Bristol’s Harbourside with restaurant owner Steve Bowen commissioning special Alice In Wonderland playing card seating for the booth.

The carvings have been created from a single Cedar of Lebanon tree that once stood in the spectacular 1,200 acre grounds of National Trust owned 18th century Erdigg House near Wrexham in Wales.

Simon O’Rourke made carvings for the gardens from the tree and the rest has now been used to create the unique dining experience in Bristol.

Mr O’Rourke, who has a degree in illustration, has competed in chainsaw carving competitions in the USA, Denmark, Japan, Canada, Holland and Germany and now captains a European team.

Steve Bowen said: “Steak of the Art is about providing a good steak meal and an exciting artistic experience. We have an art gallery where we want to showcase talent but the whole design is artistic and stimulating.

“We saw Simon’s work and commissioned him to create one of our dining booths and the Alice and Wonderland theme is perfect for us and already proving popular with people ringing and asking to book that area specially.

“Our interior has been designed by James Blinkhorn, who is well-known for his New York scenes so we also have a booth that features the famous Chrysler Building skyscraper. We want people to have an artistic as well as great eating experience with us.”

Steak of the Art is an independent restaurant serving food sourced from the West Country. The Alice in Wonderland booth can be booked on 0117 9297967.