Bristol Restaurant Guide

“No flock wallpaper here”, but a “classy” and “tastefully decorated” spot in Clifton. The food is also “like a work of art” and “tastes as good as it looks” – “spicy, interesting and not too hot”. (It also has a branch in Bath).

“Proper jamon, a good selection of small plates, and an excellent Spanish wine list with a wide range of good sherries” – “a great drinks list with something for everyone” – help inspire positive reviews on this Hispanic yearling – “a great new addition to Bristol” and the first English branch of a small minichain originating near Cardiff.

“Vibrant stuff!” – the Lovells’ “buzzy” Middle Eastern venue (there’s also a sibling in Clifton) turns out an impeccable array of shakshuka, mezze and hummus and is particularly of note for its “very enjoyable brunch”; a location opposite the Tobacco Factory makes it ideal for pre-theatre dining.

2020 Review: “Elegant and imaginative cuisine” and an excellent standard of service again won nothing but rave reviews for James Wilkins & Christine Vayssade’s small restaurant in a Redland sidestreet, whose ambiance was “greatly improved” a couple of years ago “with a new feature street-art wall and intimate décor”. But in October 2019, the pair put it up for sale in order to pursue an opportunity overseas: hence we’ve removed the rating for now.

Delayed by lockdowns but now open, this Sri Lankan and Tamil restaurant in Stokes (on the former site of Msa + Mezcal) Croft comes from the team behind Clifton's Nutmeg.

Launched during the 2021 lockdown for delivery and takeaway, Bronx (on the former site of Wellbourne, RIP) comes from chef Matthew Demichele, who previously ran a pizzeria in Corsham for 15 years.

“WOW!” – “every mouthful is wonderful and foodgasmic” at the Sanchez-Iglesias family’s “sensational” HQ: a “flawless experience” that has regularly won a place at the top of our list of the UK’s top 100 restaurants. It marries a “stunning, stone-walled venue” on the ground floor of the city-centre’s former General Hospital with “sublime” dishes from a twelve-course tasting menu, with the option of “perfectly matched wine flights”. Getting a reservation is no mean feat though: availability is released on the first Tuesday of each month at noon (UK time) for the period four months in advance! And even fans “dislike being required to pay (non-refundable) in advance at the time of booking”.

Near the docks, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’s aim is to ‘transport you to Andalusia’ (well that’s what the website says) at his casual tapas haunt (named after his dad). As a concept, it’s “absolutely spot on” and “tapas of the highest quality, with every dish a delight”, alongside a decent list of wines and sherries. “Try to get a seat at the counter for top banter with the chefs and great views as they toss stuff into the open fire”.

Chef-owner George Livesey’s “very adventurous tasting menus” – full of “unusual ingredients and foraged items” – have made this modest-looking, former greengrocers a top star of the Bristol dining scene. Some reporters reckon it’s “a bit of a Marmite restaurant – love it or hate it”, but all are converted by the time they leave, and if some dishes “don’t look appealing on the menu or on the black plates, they certainly taste good”. Service is “friendly and well-informed”, and there’s an “interesting, mainly organic wine list”.