Paco Tapas
Bristol
Housed on the ground floor of the Grade II-listed former Bristol General Hospital (now an upmarket apartment complex), Peter Sánchez-Iglesias’s high-class harbourside tapas bar aims to transport you to Spain. The thick stone arch entrance has now been softened by an outdoor seating area that's perfect for summer. Inside, there’s a buzzy atmosphere with pop music playing, high stool seating (even at the restaurant tables) and no-nonsense paper menus and napkins. Things may feel casual, but the immaculately sourced, precisely cooked and artfully presented dishes are ambitious and ambitiously priced: this is, after all, part of the Sánchez-Iglesias stable. The best seats in the house are at the stainless steel counter overlooking the open kitchen, where you can watch the chefs working the wood-fired grill, preparing such delights as octopus a la gallega or quail stuffed with sobrasada and dates. The daily changing menu includes traditional favourites (patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo etc) alongside modern, seasonal creations including asparagus on a pillow of whipped ricotta dressed with grass-green wild garlic coulis and crispy strips of jamón. Make sure to leave room for the small but intensely enjoyable chocolate mousse stabbed with shards of olive-oil toast. Service is efficient and friendly. The lengthy wine list, which you will need a magnifying glass to read, includes a carefully chosen selection of sherries, served by the glass or, should the mood take you, in a cocktail.
Dining Information:
Counter seating, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly, Credit card required
3a The General, Lower Guinea Street, , Bristol BS1 6FU
0117 925 7021
