Clifton Life
Restaurant Reviews
Bibas
51 Welsh Back,
Bristol,
BS1 4AN
Tel: 0845 202 5101
www.bibaslounge.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs noon-11pm; Fri & Sat noon-midnight; Sun noon-6pm
We visited: Tuesday evening
Prices: Very good. Express lunch for £5, mains for under a tenner – and they come with sides
Do they welcome children? Yes
Vegetarian choice: Good
Disabled access: A few steps up
Wine list: Good – plus an exceptional cocktail menu
“With both courses we were offered a choice of veg or salad and chips/mash or new potatoes which, considering my dish was no more than a tenner, represents pretty darn good value. The sides arrived first and boded extremely well: the veg was shredded cabbage, sliced carrot and a delightful, peppery swede mash; the mashed potato was buttery, smooth and utterly heavenly. Our mains didn’t disappoint…
“We were finally seduced by the Baileys and Maltesers cheesecake £5, which we washed down with a couple of decent coffees from that beautiful machine. Crowned with a physalis, leaves dusted with icing sugar, it had a rich biscuity bottom and made a suitably decadent coda to an evening of well-priced sophistication. We think Barbara Hulanicki would approve.”
Primrose Café & Bistro
1 Clifton Arcade
Boyce’s Avenue, Clifton
Tel: 0117 946 6577
www.primrosecafe.co.uk
Opening hours: Café: Monday – Friday 8am-5pm; Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-3pm, Bistro: Mon - Sat 7-10pm
We visited: Thursday evening
Prices: (Bistro) Starters £5.95-£7, mains £11.50-£17. Mon – Wed table d’hote menu, £14.95 for two courses or £17.95 for three
Vegetarian choice: Good. Plenty of fish too
Disabled access: Good
Wine list: Good, varied. Also range of organic ciders, beers and aperitifs
“If any village eatery could be accurately labelled ‘a Clifton institution’, then surely Primrose Café is it. With its old-fashioned signage gracing the cul-de-sac end of Boyce’s Avenue, and small, wooden tables and chairs spilling out on to the street, peopled by lone diners with broadsheets, students being treated to dinner by Mum and Dad, couples smiling at each other over candles and posies, it epitomises the Clifton spirit – that of a quirky, continental village – such that if it weren’t here, this part of BS8 would feel quite different.”
Attix
First Floor,
44 Park Street,
Bristol
tel: 0117 925 1140
www.attixloungebar.com
'Any new bar or eatery that wants to survive in this environment has to have a USP...'
Opening hours: 5pm till 4am Mon-Thur, 6am Fri & Sat, and 2am Sunday.
We visited: Tuesday early evening.
Prices: 4 tapas for £17.50, 6 for £25 and 8 for £32.50
Do they welcome children? It's a cocktail lounge, not a Hungary Horse.
Vegetarian choice: Good.
Wine list: Good but forget wine, the cocktail menu is something else.
Ambience: Chilled and decadent.
Firehouse Rotisserie
Anchor Square
Harbourside
Bristol BS1 5DB
tel: 0117 915 7323
www.frehouserotisserie.co.uk
Opening hours: Lunch 12-2.30pm, dinner 6-11pm daily, except closed Sunday evenings between October and April.
We visited: Monday evening
Vegetarian choice: Good
Wine list: New World and classic wines selected by Great Western Wine.
Prices: Starters from £5.50, pizzas from £9.95, rotisserie/grill from £11.95.
Service charge: Not included
Do they welcome children? Defnitely – there are kids’ options but they’ll also find a lot to enjoy on the grown-up menu.
Disabled access: Good
Reviewed: Issue 78
Published: September
Our Verdict
A favourite with locals since opening in 2000, the Firehouse Rotisserie is ideal for families as well as groups of friends, with a busy, buzzy feel. Inspired by Californian and Mexican cuisine, the menu offers pizzas and rotisserie/grill and is bursting with fresh, favour-rich ingredients.
Zen
Zen, Unit 4B
1st Floor,Harbourside
Explore Lane, Bristol
tel. 0117 9209372
www.zenharbourside.co.uk
If it's the Real McCoy you're after, head down to Zen at Harbourside for the ultimate experience.
Opening Hours: Lunch 12-3pm, dinner 5.30-11.30pm, seven days a week.
We visited: Thursday evening.
Vegetarian Choice: Good - although watch out for rouge meat in 'vegetable dishes'.
Prices: Variable. Starters from £4.50, mains £7.50 - £25.80
Service Charge: Discretionary 10% added.
Reviewed: Issue 77
Published: August
The Square
'Everything that arrived in front of us was beautifully presented.'
15 Berekley Square,
Clifton,
tel: 0117 921 0455
www.thesquareclub.com
Opening hours: Terrace and Bar, Tues-Sat, 12-3 pm & 5-11pm; fine dining 6-10.30pm, except Sunday 6-9.30pm,
We visited: Wednesday evening,
Vegetarian Choice: Good,
Prices: 'Casual' starters from £1.95, mains from £6.95; fine dining £19.95 for two course or £24.95 for three,
Do they welcome children? Yes, except of course in the bar downstairs,
Diasbled access: No.
Reviewed: Issue 76
Published: July
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therestaurant
Cadbury House
Frost Hill
Congresbury
North Somerset
BS49 5AD
tel: 01934 834343
www.cadburyhouse.com
'...in truth, surrounded by moo-cows though it is, Cadbury House is quite a trendy, boutique-y sort of place'
Opening hours: 7–9.30pm daily
We visited: Tuesday evening
Vegetarian choice: Limited but good
Prices: Starters £7–£10, mains £18–£24, desserts £5–£7.50
Wine list: Excellent, comprehensive.
Do they welcome children? Yes.
Disabled access: Yes.
Reviewed: Issue 75
Published: July
Bocabar
Paintworks, Bath Road
Arnos Vale, Bristol
tel: 0117 972 8838
www.paintworksbristol.co.uk
This vibrant café-bar is more than a meeting & eating point for Paintworks residents, writes Alice Curwen.
"All in all it was the perfect summer snack and substantial enough for a light lunch."
Opening hours: Monday–Thursday, 10am–midnight (last orders 11pm); Friday– Saturday, 10am–2am (last orders 1pm, no entry after midnight); Sunday 10am–11pm
Vegetarian choice: Good
Prices: Lunch – bruschetta from £5.95, tapas from £3.95; dinner – pizzas £8.95–£14.95; Sunday roast from £8.95
Do they welcome children? Yes – try a Boca Junior pizza for £6.95
Disabled access: Yes
Reviewed: Issue 74
Published: June
The Olive Shed
Floating Harbour
Prince’s Wharf
Bristol
BS1 4RN
tel: 0117 929 1960
www.theoliveshed.com
Many restaurants aspire to a Mediterranean atmosphere, but this rustic harbourside favourite is the real deal, writes Vicky Green “This was the definition of ‘rustic Mediterranean’
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10am-10pm; Sunday 10am-4pm Vegetarian choice: Excellent, although no longer exclusively veggie
Prices: Tapas starters £2–£5.95; platters from £6.95 small to £13.95 large; mains from £9.95
Do they welcome children? Yes
Disabled access: Ground-floor seating and cloakroom
Reviewed: Issue 73 Clifton Life
Published: May
Café Maitreya
89 St Mark’s Road
Easton
Bristol
BS5 6HY
tel: 0117 951 0100
www.cafemaitreya.co.uk
This lively Easton eaterie transforms the humble vegetable into something sublime, writes Vicky Green. Prepare for a taste explosion…
“Food of this calibre isn’t usually served in such a relaxed environment, We jealously eyed up the pre-dessert amuses bouches”
Opening hours: Evenings only, from 6.30pm, Tuesday – Saturday. Last orders 9.45pm
We visited: Tuesday evening – and it was buzzing
Vegetarian choice: The best in Britain, according to some
Prices: Reasonable given the quality. £18.50 for two courses or £21.95 for three. Glass of wine from £4.55
Do they welcome children? Yes
Disabled access: Yes
Reviewed: Issue 72 Clifton Life
Published: May 12
The Hophouse
16 King’s Road
Clifton
Bristol
tel: 0117 923 7390
Can this Clifton watering hole reposition itself as a sophisticated restaurant? Vicky Green thinks so. “The pinotage was fruity but soft and mellow too, With this risotto, every mouthful was different”
After an extensive, chic refurbishment, this long-established watering hole in the heart of Clifton now doubles up as a sophisticated eaterie. The bustling ground-floor bar serves quality pub grub while the first-floor restaurant offers modern British cuisine. The menu shows imagination and is surprisingly reasonably priced, while friendly service provides a ‘local’ feel.
Opening hours: 12 noon until midnight daily. Food served 12-3pm and 6-10pm Mon–Fri, 12-10pm Sat and 12-8pm Sun. Sunday lunch menu available from 12 noon-6pm.
We visited: Friday evening
Vegetarian choice: Limited but imaginative
Prices: A gastropub that hasn’t run away with the prices. Small plates from £3.50, sharing boards from £6.95, mains from £6.95, puddings from £4.95 and sandwiches from £4.50
Do they welcome children? Yes
Disabled access: Yes
Reviewed: Issue 71 Clifton Life
Published: April 18
Tantric Jazz
39-41 St Nicholas Street
Bristol
tel: 0117 940 2304
www.tantric-jazz.co.uk
Conclusion;
A suitably laidback place with a friendly atmosphere and highly edible tapas served in generous portions. It’s part jazz club, part restaurant and the kitchen is open till late so you can eat as much or as little as you like and there’s no pressure to order as soon as you arrive. With live music every night, it’s one of Bristol’s most characterful eateries.
Vicky Green and the Pub Landlord join the cool cats of Bristol for a feast of tapas at this jazz club-restaurant hybrid. “At these prices you can afford to be excessive. Tantric Jazz has nothing to do with religion or sex”
Opening hours: 6pm-3am daily, kitchen open till late. Admission fee of £3 Thur, Fri & Sat
Vegetarian choice: Great – one meat menu, one veggie, both long
Prices: From £2.40 for some olives to £11.50 for a sharing platter
Service style: Laidback. You order at the till.
Do they welcome children? It’s a nightclub.
Disabled access: All at ground level.
Reviewed: Issue 70 Clifton Life
Published: March 28
Ha!Ha! Bar and Canteen
20a Berkeley Square
Bristol
tel: 0117 927 7333
www.hahaonline.co.uk
Conclusion:
Bristol’s Ha!Ha! celebrates its 10th year this March so Gabi Woolgar pulled up a chair to see how this elegant diner is doing, a decade after opening “In summer this place must be heaving, being so ideally placed”
Opening hours: Mon to Weds 10am to 11pm, Fri to Sat 10am
Vegetarian choice: Yes, delicious options such as stuffed red peppers
Prices: £3.75 to £11.75
Service style: Funky yet helpful
Wine list: Extensive and eclectic collection of wines from around the world
Do they welcome children? Yes, though this is more of a singles’ place
Disabled access: No – steps down from the street make it awkward
Reviewed: Issue 69 Clifton Life
Published: March
FishWorks
128 Whiteladies Road
Clifton
Tel: 0117 974 4433
Conclusion:
Revisiting one of Clifton Life’s favourite restaurants was in order for Gabi Woolgar – would its revamped menu prove to be a winner? “The £15 set lunch was stonkingly good value, with half a lobster, chips and some fizz, In fact I’d go so far as to say that lobster is my favourite thing on ten legs”
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 3pm, 6 to 10.30pm, Monday 6 to 10.30pm
Vegetarian choice: Yes, and plenty of fish of course. Even meat lovers are served now, with steaks on offer.
Prices: Set lunch £15, daily prices for freshly caught fish
Service style: Slick and professional
Wine list: Knowledgeable selection of fish friendly wines
Do they welcome children? Yes with their own special menu
Disabled access: Yes
Reviewed: Issue 68 Clifton Life
Published: Feb 15
Ocean Cafe
185 Whiteladies Road
Clifton
Tel 0117 946 9825
Conclusion:
Gabi Woolgar finds herself unexpectedly in Whiteladies Road, and hugely enjoys an impromptu Spanish-style tapas feast, with some of the best homemade bread she has ever tasted. “Ocean had the relaxed air of a proper Spanish bar, I was delighted with my triangle of lemony heaven”
Opening hours: open 8.30am to 11pm, Mon to Fri, 10am to 11pm Sat
Vegetarian options: Lovely veggie options
Prices: £50 for two including drinks, set lunch available too
Children: Welcome
Conclusion: Just the place to enjoy a taste of the sunshine in winter
Reviewed: Issue 67 Clifton Life
Published: Jan 25
Hotel du Vin
Narrow Lewins Mead
Bristol
Tel 0117 925 5577
Conclusion:
The kind of place that you want to celebrate life in, rain or shine. Gabi Woolgar checked into the Hotel du Vin – for one evening only – and found a comforting oasis of hospitality, great service and mouthwatering cuisine in the bleak midwinter.
Opening hours: Lunch noon - 1.45pm Mon-Fri,
Sun until 2.30pm, dinner 6-9.45pm, Sat 10.30pm
Vegetarian options: Imaginative choices
Prices: £60 for two plus drinks (dinner)
Children: Welcome
Reviewed: Issue 66 Clifton Life
Published: Jan 4
