Whitehall Restaurant Guide

Flute is a distinctive all-day seafood destination in the heart of Bath offering Cornish seafood, an extensive selection of wines and cocktails with a kick. Flute consistently sources the freshest fish from Devon and Cornwall and...

“Working well as a straightforward venue with good fare” – the clue is in the name at Simon & Joy Quarrie’s stalwart fixture, which is now over twenty years old.

This “exceptional” and rather posh chippy is reputedly MPW’s favourite restaurant in the region, and all of the many reporters who commented on it this year praised its “truly excellent” food (“whether you opt for fish ’n’ chips or grilled skate wing, it’ll impress!”). In recent years, they’ve added a roof terrace – plus a sibling, The Oyster Shell, near the Theatre Royal, which offers fishy treats and fritters to go.

“We first went 50 years ago… it was wonderful then and absolutely amazing now!” – this luxurious property (built in the 1520s and part of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s honeymoon itinerary) is “so quintessentially English in its historic ambience” (“it was fun watching overseas tourists being overawed with their surroundings!”). “A recent refurbishment of the Hotel, elevation to Relais & Chateaux membership and appointment of Carl Cleghorn as Executive Chef, have put Thornbury Castle firmly back on the culinary map. The menu and standard of cooking, particularly in the desserts, coupled with friendly and welcoming staff are now a match for the quite stunning rooms and grounds of the Castle itself”.

“An incredible, unpretentious dining experience” with “varied and sumptuous tastes and service that’s attentive but not fussy” is hailed in all reports on Chris Cleghorn’s long-established venue. “The nine-course tasting menu is imaginative, beautifully presented and very tasty with some unusual flavours” (it’s £160 per person, with a six-course option available for £130, and other cheaper menus available at lunchtime and earlier in the week). It’s located in the cellar of a ‘proudly independent’ boutique hotel and is currently the city’s only establishment to hold a Michelin star.

“A good, no-nonsense place to eat, with outside heaters” – this local landmark is housed in an old 1870s station on the fringe of the city centre (next to the old Ironbridge railway line) and is celebrating over 30 years in business. Billing itself as a steakhouse and jazz bar – and they also do a good line in pizza – it doesn’t aim for foodie fireworks, but is well-rated across the board.

Limited but positive feedback, including from a London-based reporter, on this revamped former branch of Lloyds in Totterdown, which opened in 2021 and relaunched in spring 2023 with a menu based around open-fire cooking.

“Really a little gem in Bristol”: the former Severnshed has morphed, post-pandemic, into an “amazing place that has bags of character and history”, being set in a boatshed designed by Clifton Suspension Bridge engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (and also hosting a well-known eatery with a River Café chef in the ‘90s, and an exhibition by Banksy in 2000). Too limited feedback for a rating, but reports say Ross Gibbens now turns out “really competent food using SW ingredients priced sensibly” (and with a particular nod to St Mawes seafood); minor quibble: “the interior is a bit of a barn so wait for good weather and get a table on the terrace”. Need more convincing? Jay Rayner called it “a delightful place to be” in a 2022 review.

Too limited feedback for a rating, but that which we received is promising on this central Japanese two-year-old, which – as well as offering sushi – specialises in Yakiniku, which is cooking over charcoal (it’s named for the Japanese food writer who introduced western-style BBQ into Japan in the 1870s).

The Granary, a new all-day dining restaurant, opens its doors in one of the city's most iconic landmarks. The Granary is not just a restaurant; it's a celebration of history, architecture, and modern British cuisine that champions sustainability, seasonality, provenance and lo...