The best family-friendly restaurants in Bristol Published 07 June 2024
Bristol offers memorable dining experiences for the whole family, with a diverse array of restaurants offering a warm, welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. Perfect for parents and kids alike, these restaurants ensure everyone can enjoy a great meal in a family-friendly setting.
Tucked behind Root on the first floor of Cargo (Bristol's shipping-container foodie mecca), this chipboard-clad micro-eatery has more than doubled its covers since converting its terrace to an outdoor dining area. Although&nb… Read more
Tucked behind Root on the first floor of Cargo (Bristol's shipping-container foodie mecca), this chipboard-clad micro-eatery has more than doubled its covers since converting its terrace to an outdoor dining area. Although you can no longer perch at the pass, all 14 of the indoor seats are close enough to see the sweat on chef Elliott Lidstone's brow as he turns out classic, refined modern food from his cupboard-sized kitchen. Front-of-house duties are cheerfully overseen by partner Tess and regulars are enthusiastic about the 'passion' and 'love' that goes into every aspect of this small, independent business. Unless you go for the excellent-value, seven-course 'unwritten' tasting menu (£55), there's a limited choice of seasonal dishes, all of which focus on what's best to eat right now. An early autumn visit might involve a starter of charred hispi cabbage, smoked trout and lemon butter, perhaps followed by hake with borlotti beans, yellow courgettes and sumac or immaculately cooked breast of duck with wild rice, autumn greens and brilliant little flavour bombs of punchy pickled turnip. Puddings usually include the 'legendary' vanilla panna cotta (a favourite with regulars), adorned on a recent visit with caramelised figs and Pedro Ximénez. The drinks list offers far more choice – where do they store the bottles? – with a focus on organic and sustainable wines and plenty by the glass. While there's no charge for the deliciously crusty home-baked bread and carafes of sparkling water, the bill does contain a £1 donation to a regularly changing local charity.
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 re… Read more
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.
‘Cash chemists’ proclaims the 1920s mosaic tiling at the entrance to Caper and Cure – a reminder that the site was famously a pharmaceutical drop-in where poorly folk could procure their remedies without prescrip… Read more
‘Cash chemists’ proclaims the 1920s mosaic tiling at the entrance to Caper and Cure – a reminder that the site was famously a pharmaceutical drop-in where poorly folk could procure their remedies without prescription. The pill boxes and potions are long gone, of course, and the place is now in the business of nourishing the local community with expertly crafted food. Owner Giles Coram has created a bijou shabby-chic success story here, an ‘absolute little gem,’ genially run by a band of helpful, happy staff. Dishes are whisked out of a tiny open kitchen at the back of the restaurant, and they never fail to please: nibble on chorizo croquettes before tackling some scallops enriched with brown crab butter or a serving of cured gilthead bream with smoked caviar and pickled kohlrabi. To follow, regulars continue to rave about the onglet steak and the pan-fried gnocchi, although the day’s market fish served with pink fir potatoes, capers and Muscadet sauce is always a seasonal winner. A scoop of frozen vodka and lemon sorbet makes the perfect palate-cleanser ahead of, say, tonka bean panna cotta with Yorkshire rhubarb. Casual midweek suppers receive lots of support and everyone dotes over the Sunday roasts – and why not, when the menu promises Quantock pork belly, chicken ballotine or dry-aged rump cap with their time-honoured accoutrements. Drinks are top-notch too, with brews from the Bristol Beer Factory alongside some perky wines at keen prices. ‘I would go here every week if I could,’ confesses one loyal local.
A cosy bolthole with a great atmosphere in the centre of Bristol, this wine bar and kitchen feels more informal than sister restaurant Pasta Ripiena on the same street, while offering impeccably sourced, beautifully cooked Italian… Read more
A cosy bolthole with a great atmosphere in the centre of Bristol, this wine bar and kitchen feels more informal than sister restaurant Pasta Ripiena on the same street, while offering impeccably sourced, beautifully cooked Italian food of the same quality. Originally La Sorella (a deli and aperitivo bar), then Bar Ripiena, plans to reimagine the space as a lasagne bar were knocked off course by the pandemic. Cotto emerged in early 2022. The old wine bar, with its countertop seating and high tables for two running along one side of the narrow room, now flows into next door where larger groups can eat in a slightly less atmospheric dining room. While you can still pop in for just a glass from their wide-ranging, carefully chosen selection of Italian and other European wines, it's easy to be tempted by the short, daily changing menu of keenly priced culinary delights. Small plates of, say, panzanella with buffalo mozzarella are large enough for two, while a large serving of rigatoni cacio e pepe or chicken cacciatore with pappardelle is a satisfying and sophisticated meal for one. Order another glass of wine to complement a scoop of gelato or a savoury finale such as homemade 'carta da musica' flatbread with mustard fruits and an oozing slab of Taleggio. The welcome is as warm as a ray of Italian sunshine.
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 gl… Read more
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.
Friendly neighbourhood spot serving fabulous, freshly made pasta
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 rib… Read more
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).
All aboard this upmarket ark-shaped eatery for seriously classy seafood
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. Wood… Read more
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 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 thic… Read more
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.
Intimate and informal, with small, closely packed, square wooden tables ranged along either side of the dining room, this cool, modern Italian offers a short, daily changing menu of fresh stuffed pasta dressed in moreish sauces. T… Read more
Intimate and informal, with small, closely packed, square wooden tables ranged along either side of the dining room, this cool, modern Italian offers a short, daily changing menu of fresh stuffed pasta dressed in moreish sauces. The chefs in the open kitchen conjure magic from simple ingredients, say the ox cheek ragù that's used to fill casoncelli parcels (served on a bed of celeriac purée, garnished with bresaola and Parmesan). Antipasti includes fantastic sourdough focaccia and a salad of Italian tomatoes, ricotta, balsamic vinegar and deeply flavoured grass-green virgin olive oil. Dessert might be a perfectly wobbly panna cotta of pistachio and more of that wonderful olive oil; otherwise, opt for a generous slab of Italian cheese with homemade flatbread and mustard fruits. Though not quite as popular as big brother Pasta Loco, booking is advisable, especially if you want to take advantage of the extraordinarily good-value fixed-price lunch. The dozen or so reds and whites on the carefully chosen wine list showcase Italian vintages, although France, the New World and even Essex get a brief look in.
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 Rip… Read more
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 … Read more
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.
You wouldn’t guess it from the name, but Sonny Stores is a charming neighbourhood Italian, set in a former corner shop amid the terraces and bay windows of Southville. Out front, a blackboard advertises takeaway pizzas, but … Read more
You wouldn’t guess it from the name, but Sonny Stores is a charming neighbourhood Italian, set in a former corner shop amid the terraces and bay windows of Southville. Out front, a blackboard advertises takeaway pizzas, but inside you’ll find no trace of Leaning Tower or Ponte Vecchio chintz: the interiors are bright and contemporary, with Fellini-esque terrazzo flooring, a smattering of potted plants and a sunflower painted over the door – indeed, it ‘feels like you’re in someone’s living room.’
The name ‘Sonny’ is borrowed from the son of owners Mary Glynn and chef Pegs Quinn (ex-River Café) – it's clear the restaurant they run together is also a labour of love. Antipasti are thoughtfully assembled – check out the excellent fat Nocellara olives and the much-loved (though admittedly not Italian) Cantabrian anchovies (chunky specimens doused in salt and oil). Starters might take inspiration from across the peninsula – there are northern Italian notes in a dish of crispy beef tongue with salsa rossa, though deep-fried whole quail with hot honey and crème fraîche on the side is more of a departure.
Pasta dishes might include looping pappardelle with rich chicken-liver ragù, parsley and Parmesan – though our standout dish was a main course of poached cod in a rich broth of clams ‘acqua pazza’, resting on bruschetta that absorbed the flavours. Some might round off with pear ice cream, brown sugar and walnut; others go for a generous slab of tiramisu. Also look out for the good-value weekday set lunches.
Hip micro-restaurant in a converted shipping container
Bespoke eateries offering locally sourced, sustainably produced, seasonal small plates in Bristol's Cargo shipping container complex are not hard to find, but Matt Hampshire’s recently re-branded offshoot of the origina… Read more
Bespoke eateries offering locally sourced, sustainably produced, seasonal small plates in Bristol's Cargo shipping container complex are not hard to find, but Matt Hampshire’s recently re-branded offshoot of the original Tare (now closed) is worth seeking out. Recent feedback noting that it offers the 'same quality of food as Tare but in a more relaxed and vibrant setting,' is bang-on. Step through the sliding glass door and you’re in a light and airy space little bigger than a living room, with white walls, hanging plants, closely packed wooden tables and counter seating overlooking the open kitchen.
The menu is divided into a short selection of ‘snacks’, around a dozen ‘plates’ and a ‘sweet’ trio. Delicious morsels from the former might include a warm, soft-yolked quail and black pudding Scotch egg in a pool of silky English mustard mayonnaise or truffled potato rösti oozing with Cheddar. Tare's sharing plates have something for everyone, and are no less tempting – say, a beautifully presented heritage carrot salad with zingy orange and miso dressing and cashew cream, or prawn cannelloni resting in scallop XO and topped with pickled kohlrabi, or a moreish glazed pork belly and coco bean cassoulet.
‘Sweet’ choices could include a wonderfully light choux bun filled with custard and crunchy apple cubes accompanied by miso caramel and shaved almonds. The drinks list offers a regularly changing selection of thoughtfully chosen wines, alongside cocktails, sherries and a handful of local beers and ciders. Takeaways now available.
Locals wandering down Chandos Road have become accustomed to Wilsons' stained glass sign adorned with stylised cauliflowers, leeks, onions and peppers – their colours glowing vividly whenever the Redland sun shines. The sign… Read more
Locals wandering down Chandos Road have become accustomed to Wilsons' stained glass sign adorned with stylised cauliflowers, leeks, onions and peppers – their colours glowing vividly whenever the Redland sun shines. The sign is, in fact, rather old: a family heirloom inherited by current owner Mary Wilson, rescued from a restaurant of the same name that operated in west London some decades ago. Nonetheless, it serves as a fitting mission statement for the modern establishment it now advertises, with the emphasis on bright flavours, bright ideas – and, above all, fresh produce.
Wilsons has grown steadily in stature since 2016 – thanks in part to its smallholding, which sits under the flight path to Bristol Airport, and now supplies all vegetables and herbs for the restaurant. Meanwhile, the small, whitewashed dining room is sparsely adorned, apart from a blackboard listing the chalked-up tasting menu and a pair of antlers mounted over the kitchen – where head chef Jan Ostle's own creativity takes flight.
Our visit opened with a tiny, tangy portion of rich red mullet and clementine soup, swiftly succeeded by bread from Wilsons' bakery next door, accompanied by moreish buttermilk pheasant and light-as-air taramasalata. There was the faintest foretaste of spring in a dish of sea bass with parsley, labneh and wild garlic ‘capers’, and midwinter comfort in the standout serving of lightly cooked monkfish, grilled celeriac, onion and fig leaf. Punchy, gamey flavours predominated, not least in a ‘very red’ combo of perfectly cooked mallard, beetroot and rhubarb, all half-hidden beneath a January King cabbage leaf.
A few pilgrims come for Wilsons’ sublime signature dessert of tarte tatin with bay-leaf ice cream, but many more are attracted by the prospect of a neighbourhood restaurant that delivers against so many metrics: affable staff, green credentials and a thoughtfully assembled wine list – plus a kitchen that knows precisely when to surprise and when to satisfy its customers with value as well as quality.
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