Bristol 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”.

“A small restaurant serving glorious tasting menus” from chefs Jamie Randall and Olivia Barry, who set up shop in Bristol in this “pretty simple” venue near the Docks eight years ago after stints in some of London’s top kitchens (Galvin Brothers, Angela Hartnett). They work hard to keep things interesting, and a number of reports note the “top-notch wine flights”.

“Sister restaurant to Bravas, with similar inventiveness” – “you get brilliant tapas, in a noisy, converted shipping container in the dock area” at Kieran & Imogen Waite’s “very buzzy” operation. Fans feel it’s “perhaps not quite cheap and cheerful, but incredible value, with excellent seafood options”. “The shipping container environment is not a constraint and its first floor location gives good views over harbour” (and is “great outside on a warm day”).

“Tiny restaurant but amazing food!”. Elliott Lidstone (ex-Ortolan and Hackney’s The Empress head chef) and his wife Tess opened their 14-seater spot “in two shipping containers at Bristol harbour’s Cargo development” in 2016, and it has become one of the city’s gastronomic highlights, earning national fame. Their 45-bin seasonal wine list is also a winner (with bottles available on a retail basis).

“The inventive food is amazing” at this dockside container venue, which flips the usual omnivore convention and casts vegetables as the stars of the show, with meat or fish in supporting roles. Part of Josh Eggleston’s Eat Drink Bristol Fashion operation, the venue is run by chef Rob Howell and his partner Megan Oakley (both ex-Pony & Trap). Reporters say they’re “made to feel welcome – nothing is too much trouble”.

The “well-cooked and interesting” “Moghul-style cuisine” at this slick Clifton outfit (and its Bath spin-off) is “a big change from usual Indian restaurants”, with “incredible spice balances”. Top Tip – “the monkfish starter is tops!”

Newly expanded and now sole occupant of the Sanchez Group’s harbourside HQ following last year’s surprise closure of the all-conquering Casamia, this “lively” and “enjoyable” tapas bar (named after patron Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’s father) is “well worth a visit”. Nobody doubts the quality of the “great tapas” and accompanying Spanish wines and sherries, but there are persistent grumbles about the “expense” and the “extremely loud music” that can make conversation difficult for some.

“A hidden gem” “in the heart of Bristol's university quarter” – this “balcony restaurant overlooks a secluded mid-Victorian lido”, now restored and once again full of swimmers. It’s a “well-designed, light-filled space with large windows”, and a “menu that offers imaginative combinations, including vegetarian options”. There was also the odd critical report this year, saying that standards had “deteriorated” of late, but even that said “the tapas served downstairs are still OK” (in the separate café area).

“This is how you treat great produce with care and respect and create beautiful things!” – so say fans of Mary Glynn and Pegs Quinn’s Italian-influenced two-year-old in Southville, whose “excellent” cuisine is informed by Pegs’s 18-year stint at the Hammersmith’s famous River Café. “Service is good and the place is lively and noisy (but some softening of the acoustics might help)”.

Well known down Brizzle way, this small (16 seats) tapas haunt has an outsized reputation for its authentic approach. Our feedback is limited, but it’s a favourite for one or two of our reporters who award it very high marks. It’s part of a local group, and its siblings include Cargo Cantina and Gambas.

“Some of the most exciting food I have eaten in ages” has made this two-year-old Korean with a “short but tasty menu” a big hit in Bristol and beyond. Chef Duncan Roberts, who has worked for Joel Robuchon in Paris, and his wife Kyu Jeong Jeon moved to Stokes Croft from South Korea, and their fans include Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Top Tip – tongdak – whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice and grilled over charcoal.

“Everything here is what one would expect of The Ivy”; so say fans of its popular Clifton offshoot. “It plays it posh, in a posh part of town, and attracts a devoted clientele”, with its “lovely interior”. “The menu is standard and uninspiring, but the dishes are tasty: best for breakfast, with a good range of dishes and drinks”.

A smart Redland gastroboozer, the Kenny is known across town for the “always excellent food, service, convivial atmosphere and great wine list” that make it “a total gem!”.

“Unpretentious, daring, and exceptional value” – Jan Ostle & Mary WiIson’s “accomplished” Redland bistro is widely acclaimed for its “fresh and interesting” take on “fabulous, locally sourced food”, most of which they grow on their own smallholding. “You could be forgiven for missing this small establishment in a residential street – we did! Tables are very close together, but this all adds to the atmosphere – it’s not a restaurant you’d expect to be tasting menu only”.

“Boy is the fish good” at Mitch Tonks’s Bristol outpost – “shipped in daily from Cornwall, it couldn’t be fresher”. “Still a classic but perhaps getting a bit old-fashioned” after more than 15 years (it used to be called the Rockfish Grill) – it’s perfect “if you like white linen tablecloths in a ‘proper’ restaurant”. There are “some inventive flourishes mixed in with the standard fare”, and overall it’s “such a joy to eat there”.

This “great local bistro” from Bristolian chef Freddy Bird (ex-Bristol Lido) and his wife Nessy is “a dream to have on your doorstep” – although it’s “really popular now, so you need to book ahead”. It offers “fantastic French-inspired cooking, quite rich and in generous portions” – “the côte de boeuf was mighty and certainly required a lie down afterwards!”.

“Fantastic for a foodie weekend” – this comfortably boho country-house hotel in the Mendip Hills from the Pig group owes its vibe to the shabby-chic interior designed by Judy Hutson, wife of Robin Hutson (ex-Hotel du Vin and Soho House) who founded the chain a dozen years ago with backing from Ineos billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. The 25-mile kitchen sourcing regime results in some “amazing local ingredients” on the table.