Bristol, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Beautifully cooked, simple yet imaginative dishes” have helped raise the profile of former St John and Brawn chef Cosmo Sterck and his wife Lily’s first venture, and brought critics panting to the door, with Tim Hayward of the FT and Tom Parker Bowles of the Mail leading the charge. Top Tip – the weekday lunch menu is steal at £19 for 2 courses, £23 for 3 as we went to press.

“You can always be sure of a good cheery welcome at this upmarket Italian” which is a longstanding stalwart both of the city and also of Carlo Distefano’s smart national chain. “Perhaps it’s slightly overpriced”, but “the fish is always good as is the pasta” and service is “very efficient and well-trained”.

‘Authentically Italian, sustainably British’ says the tagline of this new Wapping Wharf container restaurant, run by friends Gilda Lombardi and Delphi Ross, which specialises in numerous varieties of pasta made on-site daily. It opened in May 2022 – too late to generate feedback in our annual diners’ poll – but the Bristol press says it’s proving a big hit locally.