Harden's says
Bristol can now claim an Ivy cafe, part of the spin-off from the celebrated Theatreland celebrities' favourite; 'accessible all-day dining' in Clifton (of course), overlooking The Mall Gardens.
Harden's survey result
Summary
What does it say about the culinary tastes of the British middle classes that this spin-off chain, with about 40 locations based on the original Theatreland icon, has been such a rip-roaring success? True, there’s some “great people-watching” at the “always buzzing” Chelsea Garden venue (which has one of SW3’s best gardens). And, without doubt, those branches in Kensington, Tower Bridge and Kingston also particularly stand out amongst the rest for their “super atmosphere”. In general though, the knock-off look of their locations “isn’t a patch on the original on West Street, yet pretends to be exactly the same”. And when it comes to their brasserie dishes: although its many followers tout them as “acceptable, albeit nothing special”, their rating-average identifies them as “underwhelming tick-box fare”; all offered by service that’s very “indifferent”. And yet they are “always busy”! In June 2024, it was announced that billionaire Richard Caring had successfully sold his entire Ivy restaurants stake. Now that he is laughing all the way to the bank, it will be interesting to see if ratings reverse, continue or deepen their southward trend.
Summary
Thoroughly at home in Bristol’s smartest village, the first branch outside London of Richard Caring’s national chain is “a very good place to go for a relaxed business lunch” or similar occasion on smart, neutral ground – the food doesn’t inspire much in the way of feedback either good or bad.
Summary
“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”.
Summary
“A busy brasserie atmosphere” is the highpoint at this Clifton offshoot of the glossy Ivy chain, which earnt a better rep this year, even amongst some former foes (“we went in the week it opened and never returned because it was not particularly good… we went back last week and everything was excellent”). A “splendid venue for an upmarket tea – the full works, plus fizz if required”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Ivy Clifton Brasserie?
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £27.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.25 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 8:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 8:30 am‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 9 am‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 9 am‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 9 am‑10 pm |
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