Dog friendly restaurants in Bristol
Published 01 February 2025

Readers love the ‘imaginative, beautifully presented food’, excellent service and ‘exceptional value for money’ on offer at this cool independent, adding that it's a ‘welcome addition to Totterdown’ and feels a world apart from the noise and traffic of the city. It's not too cool though. This is a neighbourhood joint where you're welcome to drop in for a snack and an early-evening cocktail, while Sunday means roasts for lunch – although these are given highly distinctive, ‘experimental’ treatment (think smoked short rib with wasabi mustard or Middle White pork belly with black garlic and miso).

Chef Jack Briggs-Horan's inventive and constantly changing menu is a head-spinning mash-up of eclectic global flavours and surprising textures. Dishes such as 'daikon piccata' with green beans, tomato/peanut sauce and green harissa may sound wacky but they (mostly) taste delicious. Care is taken to use local, seasonal ingredients and the kitchen boasts an open fire, where smoked and charred components add an extra dimension to dishes ranging from burrata with chicory, pickled blackcurrant and 'wonderful' smoked beetroot to larger plates of smoked goat with tandoori carrot, blood-orange pickle and black garlic.

Snacks and desserts also get the open-flame treatment – from charred olives to a whipped, burnt Basque cheesecake served with charred strawberries and Szechuan syrup. The short, keenly priced wine list is augmented by an enticing selection of unusual cocktails, local beers and ciders. Visit at lunchtime or early evening to take advantage of the good-value fixed-price menus.

Chewy sourdough crusts with imaginative toppings cooked in the eponymous white-domed, ground-floor oven make this hip Neapolitan-style pizzeria a perennial local favourite. Loud music, slick service and limited starters, sides and puddings encourage you to stay just long enough to wolf down a quirkily named pizza – perhaps 'You had me at chorizo' or 'Benny and the courgettes' (with mascarpone, mozzarella, courgettes, hazelnuts and red onion pickle). If you’ve got room (doubtful), homemade gelato flavours might include Malteser or strawberries and cream. Inventive cocktails and soft drinks or local beers and ciders are a better bet than the indifferent, no-choice red or white wine.

What began as a supper club operating out of the owners’ flat is now firmly established as one of Bristol's go-to eateries. ‘I’ve been making a regular pilgrimage for the last seven years,’ commented one reporter, ‘and it never disappoints.’ Others wax lyrical about the magical atmosphere, the unmatched effervescent energy of the place and the exemplary service – although the constantly changing menu of seasonal tapas forged from top-drawer Spanish ingredients is the undoubted star of the show.

Whether you’re holed up in the cramped bar (dim lights, pop music, cluttered counter seating) or in the open-air section at the front, the kitchen delivers surprisingly eclectic flavours with more than a hint of culinary finesse. Cleverly reworked versions of the classics form the backbone of the repertoire, from tortilla de patatas with allioli to a freewheeling take on Russian salad with tuna belly and tostadas, but it’s also worth delving into the selection of more substantial specialities from the plancha – perhaps salt-grilled wild prawns, chorizo cooked in cider or roast pumpkin with mojo rojo sprinkled with seeds. 

Beautifully presented regional cheeses make a good finale or you could splash out on the three-part dessert board served with two glasses of vino dulce. The drinks list features an impressive selection of Spanish sherries, beers, brandies and wines, as well as a lengthy gin menu; the choice of seasonal cocktails is also much appreciated. 

It's easy to see why this laid-back neighbourhood diner in the heart of Stokes Croft attracts such a loyal following. Blending classy, seasonal cooking from chef Matty Groves (formerly of Bath’s Menu Gordon Jones) with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere in unpretentious surroundings, a meal here is a reliably good night out. And it may take the whole night – service is never less than charming,  but it can be slow at times. A recent reconfiguration has seen the kitchen move downstairs, allowing space for a chef’s table private-dining experience. The ground-floor dining room now feels a little lighter and brighter, though not much has changed about the shabby-chic, dark blue and white decor, save for a lick of white paint.

Menu-wise, it’s worth ruining your appetite by dipping into the snack section, perhaps for a home-baked toasted crumpet topped with gooey Cheddar emulsion and a tangle of piquant onion. Follow on with, say, a starter of warm crab and crayfish butter with fresh herbs and house bread. Mains could be a classic French onglet with peppercorn sauce, frites and Strode valley salad or a beautifully executed plate of hand-rolled tagliatelle with girolles and toasted pine nuts bathed in a rich Parmesan and butter sauce that would make any nonna smile. Portions are generous, but do save space for the regularly changing homemade ice creams and sorbets. Fixed-price lunches are a steal.

The drinks list offers cocktails, local ciders and ales, but wine is a strength here, so you can rely on decent-value house selections or take the opportunity to try out something new. The owners also run Carmen Street Wine (a bottle shop and wine bar) just round the corner. 

At the hip end of North Street, this cool but relaxed small-plates diner has created something of a tidal wave of enthusiasm since opening in October 2022. It feels like a breath of fresh air, with a spare, white interior and large plate glass windows that flood the space with light. You can book a table or simply drop in and bag one of the countertop stools if you fancy a quick plate of something delicious – perhaps a fennel salami croquette or a scallop served on the shell in a pool of miso and caper butter, with its crispy deep-fried roe balanced on the side. Chef-patron Mark Chapman honed his small-plate chops at tapas joints Bravas and Gambas in the city. Now he and partner Karen have struck out on their own, he is able to blend his expertise with some fine-dining flourishes – witness a simple salad of chicory, fennel, blood orange and almond, which appears on the plate like a beautiful tangle of blush-hued octopus tentacles. It's also worth tucking into heartier dishes such as slow-cooked pork cheeks, each one nestled in a leaf of treviso and topped with shards of pickled fennel. Or try a plate of handmade tagliatelle bathed in a minerally, deep-green cavolo nero sauce enriched with confit egg yolk and ricotta salata – plus a spicy kick from lima chilli. Your commitment to sharing may be tested by desserts such as orange, nutmeg and pistachio tiramisu or dark chocolate and salted caramel tart with crème fraîche and almonds. Like the menu, the drinks list is big on sustainability and draws heavily on local producers: think Psychopomp gin, Iford cider and beers from the Wiper & True craft brewery in Bristol. Almost half the mainly European wine list is available by the glass.

Handy for a classy train snack to go, this excellent bakery next to Bristol Temple Meads station is also a hugely popular destination in its own right. Inside, it’s simply decorated with moveable counters on castors and a gleaming coffee machine in front of the open-plan workspace. There are also a few tables inside and a couple of outdoor benches for those who want to linger over their doorstep sourdough toasties or cinnamon buns. Open from early doors till 3pm, its daily menu of baked goodies is supplemented by lunch specials such as chicken and tomato broth with asparagus and peas. Coffee is from the local Extract roastery. é

Visitors consistently praise the ‘welcome and engaging’ service at this laid-back pasta emporium that has come a long way since its days as a pop-up. Watch owner Chris Davis beatifically shaping a seemingly endless ribbon of pasta in the restaurant’s shopfront window workspace. Inside, the lived-in decor of rough wood floors, bare tables and salvaged chairs, plus high shelves housing trailing plants and bottles of wine, creates a relaxing vibe.

The short menu naturally showcases Davis’s freshly made pasta, though starters could be anything from monkfish carpaccio with orange and shallot to a wonderfully moreish white bean, fennel and sausage ragù with chive butter. Mains are expertly crafted, precisely cooked and lavishly dressed delights, say a generous plate of half-moon casoncelli stuffed with roast celeriac and Parmesan and bathed in honey, butter and chopped pickled walnuts or tagliolini with prawn-head sauce, chilli, basil and butterflied prawn. After such a high, desserts (including traditional favourites such as tiramisu and affogato) can be a bit of an anti-climax.

To drink, a modest list of almost entirely Italian and French wines offers a decent selection by the glass. Visit Tuesday to Friday lunchtime to take advantage of the great-value set menu (three courses for £26 at the time of writing).

Visitors are greeted like old friends at this intimate neighbourhood tapas joint offering a compact menu of Spanish and Moorish-inspired nibbles and sharing plates with a home-cooked vibe. Get stuck into a hearty portion of, say, salty Padrón peppers, chargrilled mackerel with chermoula or chipotle chicken skewers with mint yoghurt and harissa; otherwise, simply drop by for a cocktail, a jamón croqueta (or two) and a pudding – say a generous crema catalana. An enjoyable selection of good-value wines by the glass adds to the pleasure of visiting this local haunt. 

Replacing much-loved greasy spoon Lockside (immortalised in Only Fools and Horses as Sid's Café), this upmarket yet down-to-earth fish and chip joint (with add-ons) deserves to inspire just as much affection. Wooden-clad, with large porthole windows at the front, it looks like an ark that has somehow drifted out of the Cumberland basin and got wedged underneath a flyover. Inside, the attention to detail – from the pretty stoneware salt cellars to the tropical fish wallpaper in the ladies' loo – creates a delightful backdrop.

The short menu is dictated by what's come off the boats in Brixham and Newlyn that morning. Don't skip the starters – chef-owner Daniel Rosser's time in the kitchens of London's Sabor and the Seahorse in Dartmouth shines through in dishes such as a rich and spicy Cornish fish soup loaded with hefty chucks of cod, mussels and a large croûton topped with pungent aïoli. Main courses include deep-fried chip shop staples, say cod loin or haddock fillet in a delightfully light batter, plus hand-cut chips (from sacks of potatoes you can see piled near the kitchen), homemade mushy peas and tartare sauce served on a scallop shell.

However, it's the grilled dishes that really impress: a fat whole Cornish sole, adorned with a vibrant green garlic and herb butter, is beautifully fresh and light. Puddings are schoolroom favourites of the sticky toffee pudding variety, although the dark chocolate mousse with clotted-cream ice cream is a decidedly adult affair. The short but thoughtfully assembled wine list is predominantly white, with more than half offered by the glass.

Housed in the Tardis-like basement of a Whiteladies Road townhouse, this is the latest and largest venture from the Bianchis Group, replacing the much-loved Pasta Loco round the corner. Aficionados of Loco and its sister Pasta Ripiena will recognise the brown paper lampshades, white walls adorned with monochrome photos, slatted wood ceilings and numerous shelves groaning with wines, tinned tomatoes and other Italian delights. Ask the ‘attentive and knowledgeable’ waiting staff for a table in the back if you want to watch the chefs at work in the large open kitchen.

The promise of a list of global ingredients to point up the light, fresh and immaculately sourced modern cooking is lightly honoured – say, with a drop of cider in a dish of bucatini with braised cuttlefish, cream and agretti. Otherwise, it’s Italian all the way, from a snack of oyster mushroom fritti to a beautiful blush-hued radicchio insalata with mustard fruits, hazelnuts, apple and stracciatella. The short selection of desserts might include a perfectly wobbly limoncello panna cotta paired with rustic, crumbly rosemary and pistachio shortbread.

A predominantly Italian wine list is helpfully divided into light, medium and heavy, with a handful by the glass or 500ml carafe, plus ‘Nonna’s list’ of budget-blowing bottles. Cocktails are on special offer on Monday nights, and there are excellent-value fixed-price lunches from Tuesday to Friday.

Opened on Bristol’s waterfront Cargo development in 2017, this 'restaurant in a shipping container' may be starting to show its age (in good weather, the terrace is the place to be), but Root still delivers fresh creativity on the plate. Part of Josh Eggleton’s Pony Restaurant Group, it offers an ever-changing seasonal menu of vegetable-led small plates – although there are always a couple of fish and meat choices, say butterflied red mullet with Isle of Wight tomatoes and saffron aïoli. 

A recent meal kicked off with a simple plate of crudités, elevated by the presence of sparklingly fresh raw vegetables, punchy pickles and a delicious cashew and seaweed dip. Light and fluffy gnudi-style ewe’s curd dumplings are a Root signature dish and rightly so; the accompanying braised greens had great flavour, accentuated by tart and fragrant preserved lemon. By contrast, Wye Valley asparagus with peas, broad beans, radish and cider shallots was spring personified in one fresh and invigorating assemblage. A beautifully made honey and brown butter tart brought the meal to a satisfactorily sweet conclusion. The wine list offers 25 choices, with eight available by the carafe. The emphasis is on natural viticulture, but with enough organic and biodynamic options to please the wider wine-drinking audience. 

With founding chef Rob Howell having relocated to the sister Root in Wells, we couldn’t completely dismiss the nagging feeling that the Bristol original is now something of a poor relation. In addition to the interior’s wear and tear, service was somewhat inattentive and there was a general lack of excitement about the experience. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to love about Root, and it remains a Bristol stalwart.

A neighbourhood eatery that does one thing very well, this no-nonsense Japanese noodle bar offers six varieties of ramen and a handful of lip-smacking sides. Service is slick and turnover fast inside the narrow dining room with its exposed brick walls, tightly packed tables and tiled bar. Chef/co-owner James Stuart creates richly nourishing broths in which all manner of aromatic ingredients (from spicy minced lamb soboro and ajitama egg to garlic chives and homemade chilli oil) nestle alongside the satisfyingly chunky wheat noodles. You won’t have space for sides but order them anyway: maybe oyster mushroom karaage with curried mayonnaise. Possibly the worst kept secret in east Bristol. Booking essential.