The best restaurants in Bristol

Bristol is a truly wonderful city. Don’t take our word for it: Ted Lasso star and Square Mile cover Phil Dunster says he plans to move there in a few years.

There are countless qualities going for Bristol: the nightlife, the people, and of course the restaurants.

The Bristol food scene is quite frankly stupidly good but with so much choice it’s sometimes a little disorientating.

Thankfully we have done all the heavy lifting to compile a list of the best restaurants in Bristol.

Bookmark this article for your next weekend down here; or if you’re lucky enough to live in Bristol, try and visit every restaurant as soon as possible.

Best restaurants in Bristol 

Sonny Stores

This seemingly unassuming restaurant found in an even more unassuming residential street in Bedminster has become somewhat of a Bristol institution. Since receiving a visit by a certain Jay Rayner, the joys of Sonny Stores have been bought to the attention of the masses – and rightly so. Run by ex-River Café chef Pegs Quinn, expect simple yet faultless Italian-influenced cooking, without the River Café Price tag. Needless to say, ordering the deep-fried quail, beef shin ragu and tiramisu is, of course, non-negotiable.

Sonny Stores; 47 Raleigh Rd, BS3 1QS; 0117 966 0821

Gambas

Gambas means prawns in Spanish. And boy do they know how to cook them. Sister restaurant to the iconic Bravas, Gambas offers authentic, seafood focussed tapas on Bristol’s harbourside stretch. If you happen to visit on a fine-weathered day, enjoying a glass of Fino Sherry on their river-facing terrace might just transport you to a beach in Marbella, in a kaftan. Until you hear the seagulls… and the Bristolian accents. Moving on. Gambas’ ever-changing seasonal menu is guaranteed to offer the freshest and best produce. Thankfully, some of the menu icons are permanent features, and rightly so. The oozing tortilla with aioli; gambas pil pil; and pulpo a la Gallega, are some of the best in the game. All washed down with a Catalan spritz, naturally.

Gambas; Unit 12, Cargo 2, BS1 6ZA, 0117 934 9256

Bokman

A truly memorable Korean dining experience, rather unusually located at the epicentre of the Stokes Croft nightlife scene. Run by husband-and-wife duo Duncan Robertson and Kyu Jeon who have a background of working in Michelin-starred restaurants, expect to eat seriously creative and frankly delicious Korean food in a scandi-minimal setting. Bokman specialises in charcoal roasting, fermenting, and pickling, so big flavours are always on the menu. Their signature dish Tongdak – a rice-stuffed, rotisserie-fired chicken served with pickled mooli, is a must-order. The matcha tiramisu comes as a close second.

Bokman; 3 Nine Tree Hill, BS1 3SB

Wilsons

In a world full of complicated, behold Wilsons. An independent restaurant with a distinctive ethos, which proves there is success in keeping things simple. They serve up a £60 tasting menu, with a £45 wine flight, which is both highly impressive and simultaneously no frills. Being almost totally self-sufficient on their own farm, expect the most amazing homegrown and homemade produce including salamis, breads, pickles, smoked fish, butter, and even their own parsnip vermouth. With a limited selection of ingredients to hand, dictated by the volatility of the seasons, expect a menu of pure creativity which is a joy to eat. The venison bao buns are a must have. So are the wine pairings.

Wilsons, 24 Chandos Rd, Redland, BS6 6PF; 0117 973 4157

Pasta Ripiena

Pasta Ripiena, located in Bristol’s city centre, is the sister restaurant to the award-winning Pasta Loco. And like all siblings, they share something in common. Amazing pasta. Specialising in folded pasta dishes, Ripiena serves some of the best-stuffed pasta on the market, alongside antipasti, desserts, and a selection of spritz. Their set lunch menu of three courses for just £22 is daylight robbery considering the quality of their offering. A bowl of ricotta and black truffle mezzalune eaten in a simple wood-lined dining room on your lunch break? Now that’s amore.

Pasta Ripiena; 33 St Stephen's St, Bristol BS1 1JX; 0117 329 3131

Nadu

Nadu brings a slice of Sri Lanka to Stokes Croft, offering traditional Tamil cuisine with a modern twist and a menu of innovative cocktails. It’s a hang-over-worthy combination of daiquiris, hoppers and curries just a stone’s throw from some of Bristol’s iconic nightclubs, what more could you want? Run by Raja Munuswamy and chef Saravanan Nambirajan, Nadu is the sister restaurant to the iconic Nutmeg in Clifton Village, so expect great things. With duct-clearing spiciness, table-sized dosas and an abundance of sambols and chutneys, all aboard this one-way ticket to flavour town. Oh, and their watermelon and chilli daiquiris aren’t too bad either.

Nadu; 77-79 Stokes Croft, BS1 3RD; 0117 944 6045

Little French

Located uncomfortably close to my first-year university halls, I was apprehensive to visit Little French, for fear of somehow re-living some freshers-induced trauma. That said I was totally overreacting because Little French is one to visit. A cosy neighbourhood restaurant serving a French-inspired menu, classic cocktails, and an extensive wine list, which is a far cry from my first-year diet of beans and a warm G&T. The crispy pig cheek terrine with sauce gribiche and the whole roast poussin with bone marrow bread sauce are menu highlights. A particular shout out to the bone marrow bread sauce. Death row meal kind of stuff.

Little French; 2 North View, BS6 7QB; 0117 970 6276

Casa

Having opened in November, Casa is one of Bristol’s newest dining spots, offering a contemporary and refined take on traditional Italian dining. With smaller tapas-style sharing dishes, the beauty of Casa is that you can sample the best antipasti, pasta, meats, cheeses, fish, and iconic Italian desserts all in one meal. Casa takes pride in the quality of its produce, and the Orkney scallops and London-made burrata are the freshest you can find. Some menu-must-haves include the Not Quite Chicken Milanese with cheesy, wet polenta and the tortellini in brodo. A few Campari spritz won’t hurt either.

Casa, The General, Lower Guinea Street, BS1 6FU; 0117 959 2884

Yafo

For those looking for a more affordable dining experience, which doesn’t scrimp on flavour, look no further than Yafo. Tangled amongst the sea of sourdough bakeries and scandi-concept stores which spawn North Street, Yafo serves up delicious and authentic middle eastern food for all. With second-to-none falafel, fluffy pitas, and zesty pickles, it’s impossible to order the wrong thing here. The menu is predominately vegan, so it’s the perfect spot to visit if you’re vegetarian (or you have a dangerous affliction with baklava). Full disclaimer, I have also had a bottomless brunch here, which was an incredibly good time from what I can recall.

Yafo; 238 North St, BS3 1JD; 0117 379 0477

Root

I would easily give Root the accolade of best plant-based restaurant in Bristol. Located in a shipping container, this vegetable focussed small-plate restaurant is the perfect spot for casual and sociable dining accompanied by delicious food. Root celebrates the best the Southwest has to offer through an ever-changing seasonal menu, which features Bristolian veg, Cornish fish and even Somerset brandy. The jerk Delicata squash with pear ketchup and the rarebit pizetta with Roscoff onion and old Winchester are must-orders. Saying this, with Rob Howell (previously of Michelin-starred The Pony and Trap) leading the kitchen, essentially whatever you order is going to be something special.

Root; Unit 9 Cargo 1, BS1 6WP; 0117 930 0260

Tare

Tasting menu restaurants often come with a certain kind of stiffness, but an evening at Tare is quite the opposite. The contemporary 20-cover restaurant located in a former shipping container may be small, but its ambitions are big. Offering a 7-course tasting menu for just £62 and wine pairings for an additional £48, it is the perfect spot to enjoy fine dining without having to remortgage the house. Tare prides itself on creating a seasonal menu which cashes in on the best local produce to Bristol, so expect to chow down on some tasty morsels. Hand dived scallops with wasabi, Somerset venison with black garlic and rhubarb granita to name a few. What’s more, is that they also offer a vegetarian tasting menu (which can be adapted to be vegan), so really there’s no excuse not to visit.

Tare, 14 Museum St, BS1 6ZA; 0117 929 4328