Thornbury Restaurant Guide

“We first went 50 years ago… it was wonderful then and absolutely amazing now!” – this luxurious property (built in the 1520s and part of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s honeymoon itinerary) is “so quintessentially English in its historic ambience” (“it was fun watching overseas tourists being overawed with their surroundings!”). “A recent refurbishment of the Hotel, elevation to Relais & Chateaux membership and appointment of Carl Cleghorn as Executive Chef, have put Thornbury Castle firmly back on the culinary map. The menu and standard of cooking, particularly in the desserts, coupled with friendly and welcoming staff are now a match for the quite stunning rooms and grounds of the Castle itself”.

2022 Review: This much-loved neighbourhood restaurant on the border between Westbury Park and Henleaze recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, with the founders having come a long way since their days as floorlayers; their “very pleasant” Italian food can now also be consumed on the heated, covered and fairy-lit terrace spawned during Covid times.

It’s “hard to get a table in this tiny French bistro” in Westbury Park (one of the most commented-on destinations in Bristol this year), where locally born “chef Freddie Bird’s classics with a twist” make an “outstanding addition to the Bristol scene”, with “proper gutsy French cooking, and delicious to boot”. Top Menu Tip – “the pommes aligot alone is worth the trip, absolutely delicious and indulgent”.

2021 Review: Taking over the Montpelier premises that for over 40 years housed the much-loved Bell’s Diner (RIP), this summer-2019 Italian yearling is from the team behind local hits Pasta Loco, Pasta Ripiena, and La Sorella. Top Tip – very competitively priced lunch deal.

2022 Review: “Recently opened of all places in a retirement village” – a modern development of 64 apartments in Redland – “but open to the public”: this September 2020 newcomer is run by local caterers CleverChefs and occupies a light-filled space with open kitchen overlooking an arboretum garden. Open from breakfast and throughout the day, it wins strong early feedback for “assured cooking at reasonable prices”.

“Standards remain consistently high” at this Redland boozer – “part of the Pony and Trap Group” and offering “a step above pub food” (though not straying from the classics and laying on proper Sunday roasts). Top Tip – “there are two rooms upstairs you can have for exclusive use of groups”.

“A combination of casual style and fine dining” – Jan Ostle & Mary Wilson’s modern bistro in Redland is “well worth seeking out” for the “always excellent, ethically unquestionable” cooking (much of it using home-grown produce) that they’re “always pushing to improve”. “The food is most definitely refined but the venue, a small Victorian shop in a shabby-chic part of Bristol, is relaxed and the vibe is more cafe than restaurant”. “At lunchtime, you can opt for a cut-down tasting menu which is great value at this level”.

2020 Review: “Elegant and imaginative cuisine” and an excellent standard of service again won nothing but rave reviews for James Wilkins & Christine Vayssade’s small restaurant in a Redland sidestreet, whose ambiance was “greatly improved” a couple of years ago “with a new feature street-art wall and intimate décor”. But in October 2019, the pair put it up for sale in order to pursue an opportunity overseas: hence we’ve removed the rating for now.

2022 Review: A restaurant of two halves partly inspired by Kiwi chef Stephen Gilchrist's home country of New Zealand, and also featuring an adjoining Argentinian tapas bar with counter-style seating – both highly regarded for their unusual combinations and accent on foraging. Only the latter, Chandos Social @ Otira, was open as of October 2021 – and offering tapas menus to share per couple – so do check ahead before you visit.

“Outstanding food” – “both interesting and tasty” – is on the menu at this small independent in Stokes Croft from founders who cut their teeth at the late, lamented Wallfish Bistro, Craig Summers & part-time actor Giles Coram. “Don’t like crab in general but months later I’ve not forgotten the race to extract as much tasty buttery goodness as possible before the plate was taken away!”

“Small, friendly, super fish” – the MO of Mitch Tonks’s longtime Bristol outpost, the former Rockfish Grill, which is “slightly old-fashioned” (a “proper restaurant with proper tablecloths”) but whose “beautifully fresh” catch, shipped in daily from Cornwall, makes it “so good” by absolutely all accounts.

2023 Review: “Some of the most exciting food I have eaten in ages” has made this two-year-old Korean with a “short but tasty menu” a big hit in Bristol and beyond. Chef Duncan Roberts, who has worked for Joel Robuchon in Paris, and his wife Kyu Jeong Jeon moved to Stokes Croft from South Korea, and their fans include Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Top Tip – tongdak – whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice and grilled over charcoal.

2023 Review: Well known down Brizzle way, this small (16 seats) tapas haunt has an outsized reputation for its authentic approach. Our feedback is limited, but it’s a favourite for one or two of our reporters who award it very high marks. It’s part of a local group, and its siblings include Cargo Cantina and Gambas.

It’s “slightly surreal watching swimmers while eating a selection of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern tapas” at this restored Grade II-listed mid-Victorian swimming pool in Clifton, which offers a “warm welcome and some very accommodating touches”. “Great breakfasts and small plates” are available poolside and fuller meals served upstairs, with windows overlooking the pool. “Overall it’s pleasant but not perhaps memorable”.