Bristol Restaurant Guide

“Having moved to a new location and despite the loss of one of the Sanchez brothers, this fine dining eatery is still in the top tier” – the Sanchez-Iglesias family’s “relaxed and stylish” dining room beneath central Bristol’s old General Hospital wins formidable all-round support as a “magical experience” with “clever cuisine”, “intriguing wine”, “impeccable service” and yet “somehow still with a cosy and friendly feel about it”. There is the odd caveat about prices that are becoming “extremely steep for Bristol” however, and even those who say it’s “undeniably excellent” can find it becoming “absurdly expensive”.

“Seldon Curry and Liberty Wenham continue to excel and have created a large and loyal following” for this “little gem in Clifton”. It gets “top marks for versatility, innovation and remarkable choice, coming out of a tiny kitchen” (“makes me want to move to Bristol and if I did I’d eat the amazing value lunch here everyday”).

“The best tapas ever (especially having watched them make them by sitting at the bar) with superb flavours followed by desserts to die for” has made an instant smash hit of the Sanchez-Iglesias family’s Spanish tapas and sherry bar, where “the ambience makes the best even better!”

Elliott Lidstone, ex-of The Empress in Hackney, has left the Big Smoke for this new solo venture on Bristol harbour. “Restaurants don’t get much smaller than this” – a tiny 14-cover spot “tucked into a shipping container” like its retail park neighbours – but the “refined” and “robust” cooking is “exactly spot-on” (including some old Empress faves). “If you are lucky enough to get the chef’s table you can see absolutely everything Elliott does”.

James Wilkins’s “world class” food delights a committed fanclub of his backstreet Redland HQ, where “classical cuisine with imaginative flavouring” is “impeccably served, but in a manner that’s in no way stuffy”. If there’s a reservation it’s the “slightly dull room” – but in a better location this could rival Casamia as Bristol’s most highly rated destination.

A “great place to take friends who are blown away by the first glimpse of the pool” – this “very unusual” and “very relaxing” Bristol icon is part of a restored and immensely characterful Victorian lido. Ex-Moro chef Freddie Bird’s distinctive Mediterranean/North African slanted cuisine is “equally good in the upstairs restaurant and poolside tapas bar”.

Jamie Randall and Olivia Barry have parlayed stints at leading London lights (Galvin Bistro Deluxe, Odette’s, Corrigan’s Mayfair) into this superlative two-year-old indie, tucked away near Queen’s Square; its seasonal fare is “imaginative” and “superbly cooked” (with meats cured in-house) and staff are notably “engaging” too.