Bravas
Order Tortilla, boquerones and the croquette of the day, with a glass of fino.
Bravas has run its candlelit Cotham Hill tapas bar since before Bristol's small-plates boom, sending staff on yearly trips to Spain to research suppliers.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Bristol actually eats.
Where to eat well, no fuss
25 places
Souk Kitchen
Order A spread of mezze and the daily flatbread, with pomegranate over everything.
Souk Kitchen cooks Middle Eastern and North African plates on North Street in Southville, Bristol, a Time Out pick for excellent-value small plates.
The Saigon Kitchen
Order Hanoi-style beef pho, then bun bo nam bo if you are two.
The Saigon Kitchen brings chef-owner Trung's home-style Vietnamese cooking to Zetland Road in Bristol, from Hanoi beef pho to steamed Devon mussels.
Book food experiences in Bristol
Entry ticket · 2 hours
Bristol: 5-Gin Tasting at a Local Craft Distillery
Sip a garnished Bristol Dry Gin and tonic on arrival at St Nicholas Market, then taste five in-house seasonal gins. Learn the distillery's history, how botanicals are ...
from£34 Check dates
Viator · 2 h
Air Raid Shelter + St. Nicholas Market Walking Tour
We are the only tour company with access to Bristol's secret underground Air Raid Shelters! Discover Bristol's subterranean Raid Shelter, explore the historic Old Town...
fromGBP 12 Check dates
Musement · 1h 45m
Guided gin tasting at an independent distillery in Bristol
Embark on a journey of independent distilling with an informal, guided gin tasting nestled in the heart of Bristol. The experience begins as soon as you step through t...
fromUSD 44 Check dates
Cotto
Order Pasta at the counter with whatever the staff are pouring that week.
Cotto is the Bianchis team's Old City wine bar and kitchen on St Stephen's Street in Bristol, pairing fresh pasta with an all-Italian wine list.
Clouds
Order A round of dumplings each, then whatever homestyle special is chalked up.
Clouds folds handmade dim sum in a St Werburghs corner room in Bristol, pairing dumplings and homestyle Cantonese plates with a serious wine list.
Gambas
Order The signature monkfish and sobrasada Valencian rice, with gambas pil pil to start.
Gambas cooks seafood-first Spanish tapas above the harbour at Wapping Wharf in Bristol, a Valencia-inspired sister venue to Cotham Hill's Bravas.
Seven Lucky Gods
- ★ 4.1
- Japanese izakaya
- ££
- Harbourside & Wapping Wharf
Order Korean fried chicken with a yuzu highball; add sashimi if the counter is on.
Seven Lucky Gods runs all-day izakaya plates, sushi and highballs on the top deck of Cargo 2 at Wapping Wharf, Bristol, inspired by Tokyo's izakaya bars.
Cargo Cantina
- ★ 4.0
- Mexican
- ££
- Harbourside & Wapping Wharf
Order Three tacos and a frozen margarita at the open-kitchen counter.
Cargo Cantina is Wapping Wharf's Mexico City-style taco bar, rolling non-GM tortillas and frozen margaritas at a counter in a Bristol container.
Salt & Malt
Order Fish and chips on the terrace, with a view of the Matthew's masts.
Salt & Malt fries gluten-free fish and chips across five Cargo 2 containers on Bristol's harbourside, part of chef Josh Eggleton's Pony family.
Squeezed
Order The cheeseburger with fries and whichever lemonade is fresh that day.
Squeezed flips national-award-winning burgers and homemade lemonades from two shipping containers at Cargo 1 on Wapping Wharf in central Bristol.
Where to stay in Bristol
A sample of Bristol hotels from our booking partner, who list 701 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
YHA Bristol - Hostel
A stay at YHA Bristol - Hostel places you in the heart of Bristol, steps from Arnolfini Gallery and Queen S...
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ibis Bristol Temple Meads Quay
A stay at ibis Bristol Temple Meads Quay places you in the heart of Bristol, within a 15-minute walk of Old...
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ibis Bristol Centre
A stay at ibis Bristol Centre places you in the heart of Bristol, steps from We The Curious and Millennium ...
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Lodge at Bristol
With a stay at Lodge at Bristol in Bristol (Bradley Stoke), you'll be a 1-minute drive from Aztec West Busi...
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Compare for next weekend: Holidu in Bristol from USD 64/night · Booking.com in Bristol from USD 72/night
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Eat a Pitta
Order The falafel box with everything on, halloumi added if you are hungry.
Eat a Pitta's Glass Arcade counter at St Nicholas Market is Bristol's falafel institution, piling boxes with salads, hummus and pomegranate seeds.
Pieminister
Order The Mothership with the Moo pie, or Sunday Best when it is running.
Pieminister began in Bristol in 2003 and its Broad Quay restaurant plates the Mothership: pie, mash, gravy and minted peas facing the harbour.
Oowee Diner
Order A double cheeseburger with dirty fries; weekend breakfast runs from 09:00.
Oowee Diner's North Street original has stacked Bristol's messiest burgers and loaded fries since 2017, spawning a vegan spin-off across town.
The Canteen
Order The daily changing plate with whatever band is setting up on stage.
The Canteen serves cheap seasonal vegetarian plates under Hamilton House's murals in Stokes Croft, Bristol, with free live music most evenings.
Caribbean Croft
Order Curry goat with rice and peas, and a rum punch from the long list.
Caribbean Croft cooks Ms Cat's family recipes on Stokes Croft in Bristol, matching jerk and curry goat with one of the city's longest rum lists.
Koocha Mezze Bar
- ★ 4.1
- Persian
- ££
- Stokes Croft & Montpelier
Order The full mezze spread for the table, with a sharbat or a cocktail.
Koocha Mezze Bar runs a fully plant-based Persian kitchen on Cheltenham Road in Bristol, all pink neon, mezze boards and pomegranate-heavy cocktails.
Thali Montpelier
Order The full thali; buy the £20 steel tiffin and refills become the habit.
Thali Montpelier is the original of Bristol's thali institution, serving award-noted curry plates and reusable steel tiffin takeaways on York Road.
Three Brothers Burgers
Order The Big Messy with a river-deck seat; monthly specials rotate hard.
Three Brothers Burgers grills its patties on a moored barge at Welsh Back in Bristol, from the Big Messy to a vegan tandoori tempeh special.
Pizzarova
Order A classic margherita done properly, or the monthly special if chalked up.
Pizzarova stretches Bristol-made sourdough at four sites across the city; the North Street branch keeps Bedminster in quick, blistered pizzas.
RAGU
Order Two pastas between two, plus whichever fried snack opens the menu.
RAGU packs an Italian sharing-plates kitchen into a Cargo 2 container at Wapping Wharf, Bristol, and won a Michelin Bib Gourmand within a year.
Little Hollows Pasta
Order The day's stuffed pasta; the menu swerves the standard penne pomodoro.
Little Hollows rolls its pasta by hand on Chandos Road in Redland, Bristol, and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand alongside starred neighbour Wilsons.
The Blaise Inn
Order The set lunch, then a walk through the Blaise Castle parkland next door.
The Blaise Inn is a Bib Gourmand village pub by Blaise Castle estate in Henbury, north Bristol, worth the bus ride for its two-course lunch deal.
Bianchis
Order The five-course set with the house pasta; Sunday lunch is the local ritual.
Bianchis is Montpelier's green-tiled Italian trattoria, the anchor of a small Bristol group that also runs Cotto, with pasta made in-house daily.
Marmo
Order The day's fresh pasta with a low-intervention European wine from the list.
Marmo runs an owner-led Italian kitchen and wine bar in Bristol's old Guardian Assurance building on Baldwin Street, holding a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Sonny Stores
Order The day's pasta, then poached cod acqua pazza if it is on.
Sonny Stores fills a former Southville corner shop in Bristol with River Cafe-trained Italian cooking from Pegs Quinn and Mary Glynn, named for their son.
Nothing matches.