Venue > Eating Out West > Bristol Cafes

ALIBI
96 Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2QX
Tel: 0117 973 7225
Smart cocktails/spirit bar and eaterie with terrific wine selection attracting local residents, professionals and those studes who don’t mind paying for quality. Décor boasts a good mix of seating and plasma screens. Food-wise, expect to find things like bangers and mash, wild game pie, sarnies, nachos, fish pie and calamari. Open Mon-Fri 11am-12midnight, Sat 10am-12midnight, Sun 10am-11pm. Food served Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat-Sun 11am-8pm.

ALL BAR ONE
47 Corn St, BS1 1HT
Tel: 0117 946 8751
When our man and good lady dropped in to All Bar One, his better half’s pea and asparagus soup was ‘a joyous, zingy, green and minty thing of beauty’, while he found the ‘sandwiches and things’ options ‘more interesting still (and) universally enticing’, the crayfish with lime, coriander and spring onions particularly catching his eye. When the nearby court’s in recess, you’ll often find its people relaxing here, atop a street not known for its drinkers’ civility. Part of a chain without the feel, this roomy, uncluttered bar’s enduring Corn Street presence confirms they remain getting things right when it comes to eating, drinking and atmosphere. Wooden flooring and long, utilitarian tables mix with comfier chairs (minor refurb pending) to create a venue where a quiet daytime chat’s as eminently feasible as a drink amid a buzzing Saturday night. The menu incorporates seasonal flavours and changes regularly, but the range of homemade burgers, proudly proclaimed as ‘Bristol’s best’, don’t look like being dropped. In general, there’s a split between heartier fare like steak sandwiches and rib-eyes and, sometimes, pasta and tapas plates bringing influences from East and West. Veggies get excellent options. Good selection of continental beers, with Paulaner and Birra Moretti on tap. Over-21s only. Open Mon-Thur 11.30am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11.30am-12midnight. Food served Mon-Sat 12 noon-10pm.

ANTIX
44 Park St, BS1 5JG
Tel: 0117 925 1139
A determination by owner Laz Lazarides to provide somewhere for an 18+ (21+ on weekends) crowd to eat, drink and dance is realised stylishly at Antix. Don’t just take EOW’s word for it, though: it’s one of only a few venues to be accredited ‘safe and secure’ for customers and staff by Bristol City Council. The food’s in equally safe hands too. ‘The head chef’s cuisine’s good enough for a princess (Anne – he cooked for her at Buckingham Palace), but it’s at prices within a pauper’s reach,’ wrote our chap. ‘Even humble spag bol draws one lady here four times weekly. Never mind royally good; his white chocolate profiteroles is food for the gods.’ Mains offer Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish and Greek plus fish dishes. There’s an excellent cocktail selection (with three-for-two offers), wide draught lager range including Hoegaarden and Leffe plus bottles and fine wines. Entertainment-wise, Greek nights run every two months and there are special events throughout the year. The daytime mood’s magic: drop in for late breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or after-work tapas. Don’t forget: when you’ve had your fun downstairs, there’s the Attix bar upstairs in which to party on. Open Mon-Thur 11am-4am, Fri-Sat 11am-6am, Sun 11am-2am. Food served Daily 11am-late. IDC: 25% off.

ARNOLFINI CAFE-BAR
Narrow Quay
Tel: 0117 917 2300, web: www.arnolfini.org.uk
See Restaurants, European & Mediterranean.

BANCO LOUNGE
107 Wells Rd, Knowle, BS2 2DS
Tel: 0117 908 6010, web: www.thelounges.co.uk
Here’s a question you probably won’t get in the Sunday quiz here: which Bristol bar’s beer cellar is in an old bank vault complete with original safe door? ‘Every area should have a Lounge,’ opined our chief foodie when visiting this, the baby of a family stretching across Bristol in Deco, Tinto, Porto and, erm, Lounge incarnations and into Bath and Cardiff. This Lounge follows its older siblings in being a ‘casual neighbourhood café/bar reflecting our new millennium approach to eating and drinking’, with shabby chic, reclaimed furniture and ‘vaguely disturbing monochrome photographs’. Meat, fish and veggie options are always present and correct, alongside brekkies, burgers, paninis and weekly-changing specials. Menu changes seasonally but retains its distinct style. Chiefie savoured a ‘bang-on stewed squid… always a blighter to get right’ while his good lady enjoyed a lamb kofta wrap which did ‘the yin and yang thing with a cooling mint and yogurt dressing’. Our man found the chocolate brownie as irresistible as those found elsewhere in the family, confirming his belief it would defeat all-comers in a brownie challenge. Roasts served 12noon-4pm Sundays. Open Daily 9am-11pm. Food served Daily 9am-10pm.

BAR CELONA
Regent St, Kingswood, BS15 8LJ
Tel: 0117 961 9311, web: www.bar-celona-bristol.co.uk
The standards which brought praise from a local MP on Bar Celona’s opening ensure this slice of Spain in east Bristol continues to go from strength to strength. What was a new entry in 2006’s Eating Out West saw a restaurant open on the same site, proof positive of the success of operations here. ‘A stylish bar offering excellent food and drink with service warmer than a Catalan sunrise and more atmosphere than the Nou Camp,’ was how our chap found Bar Celona. The food comprises a staggering array of dishes from Italy, Spain, Greece and the Mediterranean: check the website to find your favourite. Our man remarked: ‘Flavours are full, but with a lightness making the food perfect nibbling fodder, accompanying drinks, friends and conversation.’ Wide drink choices include sangria preferred to the genuine Spanish article by returning holidaymakers. Wed-Sat DJs, Soul Train on first Thursday monthly, regular Soul Mate singles nights. Open Mon-Wed 12noon-12midnight, Thur 12noon-1am, Fri-Sat 12noon-2am. Food served (in bar) Mon-Sat 12noon-6pm. IDC: 25% off.

BAR HUMBUG
89 Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2NT
Tel: 0117 904 0061, email: barhumbug@gmail.co.uk, web: www.barhumbug.co.uk
Strip stalwart moving into double figures at the top of its game. Burgers, baguettes and salads stand beside enduringly popular Moroccan dishes like lamb couscous and vegetable tagine amid an impressive menu. Any main is £4.95 before 7pm Mon-Fri and comes with free salad and garlic bread. Terrace out front has space for 20 covers, and makes a lovely dining spot when the sun’s shining. Plasma screens show sports, and there are DJs on different nights. All-day happy hours on Sun and Mon. Open Daily 12noon-11.30pm. Food served Daily 12noon-8pm.

BAR SALT
4-6 North St, Bedminster, BS3 1HT
Tel: 0117 953 1446
Relaxed, laidback south Bristol destination with a heated alfresco patio out back and a well thought-out menu covering everything from sharing platters to steaks and roasts. Open Daily 12noon-2am. Food served Daily 12noon-3pm & 5-8pm.

BEESES BAR & TEA GARDENS
Wyndham Crescent, BS4 4SX
Tel: 0117 977 7412, web: www.beeses.co.uk
‘There’s alfresco eating and drinking, and there’s Beeses Bar & Tea Gardens. This incomparably beautiful spot has an unmatched mood and mellowness,’ wrote our obviously impressed chap. “New arrivals’ jaws hit the floor!” says proprietor Lindy Leahy, so it seems like he’s not alone. Lindy and hubby Phil arrived in August 2006, and set about building a reputation for ‘simple things done well’ at an establishment trading since 1846. Consequently, you’ll come across the usually humble beef burger made using Aberdeen Angus by Taste of Barrow Gurney. Kids enjoy summer entertainment and there’s regular quizzes and live music (check website for details). Bath Ales, Butcombe and Wickwar are among the breweries supplying what’s supped at this super spot. Last year’s beer festival supported Friends of Troopers Hill and the fantastic Eastwood Farm nature reserve next door. This year’s is set for 13 & 14 September, but whatever you do, don’t leave it until then to discover this frankly wonderful place. See also Bristol Cafes. Open Tue-Thur 4-11pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-11pm, Sun 12noon-7pm. Food served Tue-Sat until 9pm, Sun all day.

NEW
BLACK BEAR
168 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, BS8 2XZ
Tel: 0117 973 3993
What was previously Stark, Babushka, Bohemia, the King’s Arms and doubtless something else before that became the Black Bear in November. This new incarnation looks set to stay, offering (as it will do when all is up and running) a café, bar and restaurant situated over three levels with an outdoor terrace. The café sees professionals drop in for coffee and cakes by day, while the bar side brings liveliness later, with a Tuesday poker league, a planned saloon night featuring mechanical bull and fancy dress, and unplugged blues and bluegrass gigs. Kate Nash played recently before a 300-strong crowd. The food details for the bar operation have yet to be established as we go to press, but they’re aiming for excellence, so call or drop in and prepare to be impressed. Expect offerings similar to the café’s, albeit with less variety and more emphasis on snacks and lighter dishes. See also Bristol Cafes. Open Mon-Thur 4/5-11pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-1am, Sun 12noon-10.30pm.

BOCABAR
Paintworks, Bath Rd, BS4 3EH
Tel: 0117 972 8838, web: www.bocabar.co.uk
Hats off to Bocabar kitchen manager Janie Syrett for serving up some of south Bristol’s most talked-about grub. Seems there’s quite a word-of-mouth thing drawing an ever-growing army to this funky, smart yet inviting space for weekend brekkies, daytime tapas and bruschetta, elevated-to-an-art-form sarnies, scrumptious deli offerings and, later in the day, pizzas. The tips jar pretty much overfloweth here, so she’s obviously doing something seriously right. Punters keep coming back: Sunday roasts were introduced by popular demand and they now do 120 weekly. Mums with a veritable starting grid of pushchairs get space to relax, multi-generational family gatherings work wonderfully, and the outdoor areas are ace for the sunshine. Relaxed DJing Fri, live bands Thur, Sat. Open Mon-Thur 10am-12midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-2am, Sun 10am-11pm. Food served Tapas/bruschetta Mon-Thur 12noon-6pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-9pm, Sun 12noon-4pm, pizzas Mon-Thur 5-10.30pm, Fri-Sat 1-11pm, Sun 1-10pm, breakfasts Sat 10am-2pm, Sun 10am-12noon, roasts Sun 12.30-4pm.

BORDEAUX QUAY BAR
V Shed, Canons Way, BS1 5UH
Tel: 0117 943 1200
Modern, airy bar serving extensive and impressive beer and wine range plus nibbles within the environmentally responsible and multi-faceted Bordeaux Quay operation. Live music planned. See also Bristol Cafes. Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-5pm. See also Cafes.

BROWNS
38 Queens Rd
Tel: 0117 930 4777, web: www.browns-restaurants.com
See Restaurants, English.

BSB
U-Shed, Canons Rd, BS1 5UH
Tel: 0117 922 0382
Laid-back bar with jazzy vibe, comfy leather sofas and views across the harbour. The roasts are bountiful and traditional and the soup changes daily. Great sarnies, paninis, melts, tortilla chips and warm salad for business snackers. The main menu changes every four months. Impressive draught, bottle and wine selections. Discounts for Lloyds TSB and At-Bristol staff and on drinks for card-holding students. DJs Fri and Sat, salsa dance lessons Sun 7.30-10.30pm. Open Mon-Thur 11am-11pm, Fri 11am-2am, Sat 10.30am-2am, Sun 10.30am-10.30pm. Food served Mon-Thur 12noon-3.30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-7pm (winter) hours may increase for summer.

BYZANTIUM
2 Portwall Lane, BS1 6NB
Tel: 0800 034 0934
Super-stylish restaurant with bar licence for its casbah reception, which makes for a wonderfully unique drinking/dining experience. The spacious room features elegant pillars and luxuriant couches with, of course, a strong Middle Eastern feel. Comfortable opulence indeed. Weekend entertainments are a strong suit: expect anything from belly dancers and magicians to flamenco guitarists, and even the odd humble DJ night. See also Restaurants, European & Mediterranean. Open Tue-Sat 6pm-late.

CAFE ROUGE
85 Park St
Tel: 0117 929 2571, web: www.caferouge.co.uk
Friendly, authentic French cafe-bar/brasserie/restaurant serving high-quality food in convivial surroundings. See Restaurants, French. See also Cafe Rouge, Bath.

CITY CAFE
1 Temple Rose St
Tel: 0117 910 2700
See Restaurants, European & Mediterranean.

CLIFTON WINE BAR
4 Richmond Terrace, Clifton, BS8 1AB
Tel: 0117 973 2069
This much-loved Clifton institution has a lounge/bar atmosphere enjoyed by a crowd of 25-35-year-old professionals. As we go to press, a new menu is being established with summery dishes planned for April/May. Simple, traditional dishes are likely to feature: expect items like homemade burgers, sandwiches and salads alongside sharing options like nachos, hummus and olives. Pie is good! They did the business over the winter and will stay for the warm weather. Plans remain in place for the garden, with canopies and heaters due for arrival. Food served Mon-Thur 12noon-3pm & 6-9pm, Fri 12noon-8pm, Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm.

COSIES
34 Portland Square, BS2 8RG
Tel: 0117 942 4110
A venue renowned for its late night turntablism (Del Hibbert, ex of this parish, is spinning there on the evening we go to press) is becoming increasingly known for the food upon its tables of a lunchtime. Chef Jim has been 32 years in the biz, including time in Brussels, as well as having worked under the former head chef of Harveys. You can taste this pedigree in dishes like Portobello mushrooms filled with feta and mint, cottage pie, medium madras curry, sea bass fillets, barbecued cumberland sausages with lyonnaise potatoes as well as breaded escalope of pork in a basil and tomato sauce. The menu changes monthly and there are daily specials. Paninis to take away, company buffets arranged. Food served Mon-Fri 12noon-2pm (hours may increase).

DECO LOUNGE
50 Cotham Hill, BS6 6JX
Tel: 0117 373 2688, web: www.thelounges.co.uk
If you’ve not dropped in yet, you’re recommended to give Deco substantially more than a dekko. ‘It’s hard to remember a time when the six Lounges weren’t serving up their trademark easygoing yet stylish grub in easygoing yet stylish surroundings,’ wrote our chap recently of a chain that’s transformed dining from Cotham in Bristol to Bath’s Oldfield Park. Our chief foodie had already recognised Deco, awarding it a bronze in the Bristol Top Bar section of 2006’s Top Bananas. ‘Deco gets a mention for its relaxed, laid-back elegance, not to mention some of the best bar food in Bristol,’ he wrote. He had visited previously in reviewing headgear and enjoyed a ‘fantastic salmon en croute with yielding pastry (which) pulled away to reveal a gorgeous-looking chunk of fish with a deep, healthy colour and sublime taste’. The menu changes six times annually here, the specials daily, with char-grilled swordfish with Thai king prawns and egg noodles as well as linguini puttanesca with anchovies, capers, garlic, black olives and shaved parmesan admirable examples of the latter. Food served Daily 9am-10pm.

EL PUERTO
57 Prince St, BS1 4QH
Tel: 0117 925 6014l ‘The real beauty of El Puerto,’ concluded our chap, ‘is its ability to do the simple things well.’ Our man brought nine diners of varying eating persuasions and all found something satisfying, tasty, filling and excellent value for money. ‘Undoubted highlights included esparragos con ali oli… some hearty red wine-soaked chorizo infierno and… a generous helping of mejillones marinera.’ Mains include fillet steak, sea bass, skewered chicken and paella. The upstairs room with a view across the river can cater for parties of up to 40. Thirty Spanish wines accompany the cuisine, there’s live Latin jazz on Wednesday and Thursday, while a flamenco dancer struts her stuff on Sunday. Also see Restaurants under Spanish & Portuguese. Open Daily 11am-11pm. Food served Mon-Fri 11am-3pm & 5.30-11pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm. IDC: 25% off. PC: 10% off bill and glass of rioja Sun-Thur and glass of rioja Fri-Sat.

GOLDBRICK HOUSE
69 Park St, BS1 5PD
Tel: 0117 945 1950, web: www.goldbrickhouse.co.uk
‘Setting the gold standard when it comes to bar food,’ wrote our chap in a recent article celebrating the rise and rise of the formerly humble bar menu, with Goldbrick among the ante-upping avant garde. ‘A disused furniture store towards the top of Park Street has been transformed into an all-purpose multi-storey eating and drinking den, with a café/bar serving a breakfast and brunchy menu all day and evening, a first floor champagne and cocktail bar with a warren of adjacent rooms, and (see elsewhere in Eating Out West) the restaurant proper,’ wrote his colleague, our chief foodie, after one of numerous visits to this stunning operation. Come the end of 2006, he awarded it second best Bristol bar in the Top Bananas. The aforementioned café/bar’s food includes four daily specials and a blackboard menu plus a regular menu offering Observer-praised brunch, comfort food, open sandwiches, salads and light bites. Neat touches abound, like Gem ale in the rarebit, caramelised onions in the minute steak sandwich, Gloucester old spot bangers in the brekkies and Valley Smokehouse mackerel in a salad making many friends. Nippers get their own grown-up offerings, with the puddings delighting young and old alike. Open/food served Mon-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun 10am-6pm. See also Restaurants, European & Mediterranean. IDC: 25% off. PC: 15% off.

NEW
GRAIN BARGE
Hotwells Rd, Hotwells, BS8 4RU
Tel: 0117 929 9347, web: www.bristolbeerfactory.co.uk
As our chap boarded the good ship Grain Barge, a departing punter ‘told the staff he brought his sister from Southampton here especially. Thanking them for a fantastic night, his “You’ll see me again” is testimony to a terrific venue.’ Describing itself as ‘a boozer doing traditional pub food well’, food here is in the safe custody of the perfectly named Dave Jones. What’s he got in his locker? He’s got the lot, thanks to fine ingredients from places like Bob Wherlock Butchers and experience gained at Picture House and the Star and Dove. Dishes include French brie, apricot and rocket leaf sandwich, smoked bacon sandwich, Pieminister pies, Southville sizzler bangers and mash, rib-eye steak, roast duck breast, pan-fried salmon as well as tagliatelle pasta with roast aubergine, red pepper, goat’s cheese and basil and olive oil. Our chap savoured ‘an excellent three-bean ratatouille with parsnip chips you’d love on Christmas Day’. Live music every Friday downstairs from 8pm, with plans for a quayside stage for the harbour festival. Private function room. While this boat might not be ocean-going any longer, it’ll take your taste buds on many a journey. Long time no sea, perhaps. Long time no see? Never. Kitchen open Tue-Fri 12noon-3pm & 6-9pm, Sat 12noon-9pm, Sun (roasts) 12noon-6pm.

HA! HA! BAR & CANTEEN
Berkeley Square, Triangle, BS8 1HP
Tel: 0117 927 7333
l ‘Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen was started by three sheilas keen to create a more female-friendly way of eating and drinking,’ wrote our One For The Road man. His Let’s Do Lunch colleague had visited earlier with his own friendly female, whereupon Ha! Ha!’s warm, earth-toned dining area had been the setting for a most enjoyable evening. Her pan-fried chilli and garlic tiger prawns ‘passed muster… the prawns were soft and yielding with a great harbour-breeze flavour’, while his goat’s cheese en croute was ‘a cut above your standard issue version’. Main courses saw fish fingers getting a thumbs-up: ‘soft, milky haddock hidden in its sleeping bag of toasted breadcrumbs, with skinny chips and zesty minted peas to offset’. His Moroccan spiced lamb steak ‘kept that fantastic gamey tang that good lamb has’. The menu changes four times annually. Classics like sausage and mash and homemade fishcakes prove enduringly popular, dishes like salad with poached chicken keep the calories down. An extensive sharing section includes nachos and tapas. Top courtyard, possible refurb in the offing. Open Mon-Wed 10am-11pm, Thur-Sat 10am-12midnight, Sun 10am-10.30pm. Food served Daily from 10am until an hour before closing. IDC: 25% off. PC: 25% off bill.

HALO
141 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8BA
Tel: 0117 944 2504
A new chef whose CV includes time at Oxford’s Old Parsonage hotel has said ‘Hello’ to Halo, a deceptively long eaterie/venue/meeting place going back further than archaeology. Our man spent a wonderful alfresco evening at this Bishopston community fave which adopts a swish cocktails/bar-ry feel once the kitchen’s closed. ‘With negligible arm-twisting,’ our man was talked into eating. ‘My crostini is excellent. It must have taken half of Heidi’s herd to supply the cheese. My stuffed crispy pancakes are full with brie.’ The garden which so enhanced his visit has since been refurbished. The food is as diverse as the clientele here, with breakfast and tapas, burgers and open sandwiches, wraps and salads coming in a wealth of flavoursome and filling options. Evening starters include stir-fried prawns, soup and goat’s cheese souffle; evening mains include braised lamb shank, honey teriyaki duck breast as well as courgette and feta cakes, followed by irresistible desserts. A spring menu arrives soon but the roasts celebrate Sundays throughout the year. This welcoming space invites events (‘Happy Birthday’ was sung lustily during our man’s visit) with tango, salsa and acoustic nights featuring in a busy calendar. Function room. Open Mon-Fri 12noon-12.30am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 11-12.30am. Food served Mon-Sat 12noon-6pm (daytime menu)/6-10pm (evening menu), Sun 12noon-9pm.

HENRY AFRICA’S HOTHOUSE
65 Whiteladies Rd
Tel: 0117 923 8300
See Restaurants, World.

HENRY J BEANS
93-95 Whiteladies Rd
Tel: 0117 974 3794
See Restaurants, American.

NEW
JAVA
9 Park St, BS1 5NF
Tel: 0117 930 4561, web: www.javabristol,com
Previously Three, Java’s café bar offers sandwiches, paninis, jackets, salads, homemade burgers and soup, and is perfect for people on the go. As the name suggests, it’s a fine place for enjoying a fantastic coffee (and delicious pastry) too. Open Mon-Thur 9am-12midnight, Fri 9am-2.30am, Sat 9am-4am. Food served Mon-Sat until 8pm. IDC: 15% off (min spend £20). IPC: 15% off.

LAS IGUANAS
113 Whiteladies Rd
Tel: 0117 973 0730
See Restaurants, Mexican & South American.

LOUNGE
227 North St, Bedminster, BS3 6JJ
Tel: 0117 963 7340, web: www.thelounges.co.uk
As per all in the Lounge family, the grub’s eclectic stuff here, offering items like steaks, burgers, paninis, ciabattas, veggie dishes and the chocolate brownies, the removal of which seems as likely as that of the ravens from the Tower of London. Specials have included dishes such as lamb tagine, Asian-style salmon, pork spare ribs and duck confit. Outside seating fore and aft. Open Daily 9am-11pm. Food served Daily 9am-10pm.

MR WOLF’S
33 St Stephens St, BS1 1JX
Tel: 0117 927 3221, web: www.myspace.com/mrwolfsbar/
‘Mr Wolf’s isn’t trying to be like anywhere else and anywhere else trying to replicate this would fail immediately. It couldn’t be in any other city, born as it is of Bristol’s effortless cool,’ wrote our man of a venue which started as a humble yet innovative noodle bar and has become one of the city’s premier music haunts. Today, the dining public has got wise to the nourishment of noodles. Our chap copped for a bowlful: ‘Suffice to say, if there’s no Ashton Court this year, the grub and gigging here is the next best thing.’ If you’re hungry like the eponymous lupine, fajitas, olives, humus, cashews and nachos provide plenty on which to nibble, with the grub cooked to order in front of you in an open kitchen. Beside the live tunes an eclectic calendar has featured live graffiti, DJs, flamenco nights, poetry, open mics, Southmead Project fundraisers, a fortnightly ‘Bitch and Stitch’ night offering clothes customisation, hairdressing and martini masterclasses plus the occasional magic show. ‘Throw in some of the city’s latest finishes and it’s clear Mr Wolf’s knows what time it is better than Flavor Flav.’ Open Sun-Wed 6pm-2.30am, Thur-Sat 6pm-4am. Food served Mon-Fri 12noon-2pm, daily 6-10/11pm.

MUD DOCK
40 The Grove
Tel: 0117 934 9734
See Restaurants, European & Mediterranean.

ONE30
130 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5RW
Tel: 0117 944 2442, email: info@one30.co.uk, web: www.one30.co.uk
‘Head chef Johnny Evans conjures up food recognised by 2007’s Which Good Food Guide under the stewardship of Chris Wicks in this friendly and comfortable setting,’ wrote our chap recently. Its weekend fry-ups have enjoyed their own write-ups, too, with one3o’s breakfast joining an exclusive club when gracing Venue’s cover back in February 2007. Traditional Spanish tapas brings a taste of Barcelona to Bristol, with Johnny’s magic also creating more contemporary fare, brunches and Sunday roasts. Menus change seasonally and use the best local produce plus authentic Spanish ingredients: chorizos, hams, cheeses and peppers from Padron. There is a full cocktail list and a drinks list showcasing some of Spain’s top wine producers. Live entertainment comes by way of spellbinding fado sessions featuring the wonderful Claudia Aurora and lively flamenco nights. Sofa/chill-out and alfresco areas, regularly changing artwork exhibitions. Open Mon-Fri 5pm-12midnight, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-4pm. IDC: complimentary main course. PC: 30% off cocktails & children only receive complimentary starters or puds.

OPPO} CAFE LOUNGE
72 Park St (entry also via Park St Avenue), BS1 5JX
Tel: 0117 929 1166
Funky yet friendly Park Street eaterie attracting a cool crowd to its chilled mood, filling food, top choons and mighty fine artwork on sale. Grub until the autumn is breakfasts coming in full English, American and continental varieties, plus bacon sarnies, meat or veggie lasagne, platters, Greek salad, veggie or meat chilli, nachos and wicked, wicked paninis. Wednesday sees an open jazz jam, Thursday is open mic, Friday the resident band plays and there’s music either live or through the speakers on Saturdays. The comedians are currently taking Sundays off but chances are they’ll be back before long, so call to find out. The next 12 months should see an already impressive outfit raise its game via a garden enhancement and bigger names on the live music bill. The hot chocolate steins belong on anyone’s list of 50 things to do before you die. Open Sun-Thur 10am-12midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-2am. Food served Daily 10am-5pm. PC: 15% off.

PORTO LOUNGE
765 Fishponds Rd, Fishponds, BS16 3BS
Tel: 0117 902 4567, web: www.thelounges.co.uk
This Lounge is named after a city with which Bristol is twinned and occupies what was formerly a travel agent, so it’s appropriate the food should be British/continental with occasional Asian hints. Porto proves the best things come in small packages, this being the dinkiest of the Lounges. Food-wise, you’ll find dishes like rump steak, beer-battered fish and chips, sweet potato curry, pasta, burgers, salads and open club and doorstep sarnies plus a children’s menu. Our main muncher described Porto Lounge as ‘the nearest thing there is to a proper restaurant at this end of town,’ adding: ‘The staff are friendly, the house wine eminently quaffable,’ after his usual recommendation of the Lounge series’ chocolate brownies. The quiz may become a fortnightly affair. Open Daily 9am-11pm. Food served Daily 9am-10pm.

THE PROM
26-28 The Promenade, Gloucester Rd, BS7 8AE
Tel: 0117 942 7319, web: www.theprom.co.uk
If any Bristol food and music venue is worthy of a lifetime service award, it’s the Prom which, in one incarnation or another, has stood here for the best part of three decades. Its Tuesday pop quiz is Bristol’s longest-running, and when the music’s not coming at you in question form, it’s coming at you live. Sunday has an acoustic session from 9pm: bring your instruments and jam (the verb, not the noun.) The diverse menu includes all-day breakfasts, chicken enchiladas (and roast vegetable alternative), burgers, fish and chips, lasagne, steaks, salads and light bites, with Cassis Royale among the desserts. Lovely pavement seating for watching Gloucester Road’s colourful characters promenading (or sometimes running) by. Open Sun-Thur 11am-12midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-1am. Food served Daily 11am/12noon-5/6pm.

QUBA ICE
220 North St, Southville, BS3 1JD
Tel: 0117 963 9222
One of the pioneers of North Street’s regeneration, Quba Ice has added impressive facilities after opening in 2005, during which time its authentic West Indian cuisine has won over the West Country. There’s seating outside for around 60-70 as well as a marquee with satellite and TV features creating a cinema-like feel for up to 80 viewers. The original menu which delighted our chap offered British and European dishes alongside Caribbean ones, but they’ve now switched to a totally Jamaican menu because that was what people were ordering! Praise is due, then, for the success of dishes like St Ann’s Bay-style pork, honey roasted with crushed new potatoes or rice and peas, Brown Star beef cooked in an island beer served with basmati rice as well as Mr Brown’s homecooked barbecue chicken served with Alexander plantain and sweet potato chips. Lighter dishes include a fantastic range of sandwiches. Open/Food served (winter) Mon-Thur 12noon-3pm & 6pm-close, Fri-Sat 10am-close, Sun 10am-6pm/(summer) daily 10am-close. IDC: 25% off.

RANCH
59-61 Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2LY
Tel: 0117 973 7727, web: www.ranchbar.com
‘The emphasis is on enjoyment at The Ranch, a lively party place,’ wrote our chap when tying up his four-legged friend outside and moseying on in to a ‘full-on fun-loving bar (serving) up good times in Texas-sized helpings. If the Wild West had been this easygoing, pistols would have stayed in holsters from Tucumcari to Tahoka and everyone would have just plum gotten along.’ Thankfully, the music didn’t stop when he entered, but if you’re after making your own fun, the karaoke room upstairs can be hired by the hour. Grub is English-based, American-style and included Cajun 20oz rump steak, cod and chips, Cumberland sausage and mash (plus vegetarian option) and an elk burger. A new menu is due to arrive as we go to press, but you can still expect to find something unusual when dropping in. Open Mon-Sat 12noon-12midnight, Sun 12noon-10.30pm. Food served Daily 12noon-9pm.

RIVERSTATION
The Grove
Tel: 0117 914 4434
See Restaurants, European & Mediterranean.

SEVERNSHED
The Grove, BS1 4RB
Tel: 0117 925 1212
As flagged up in last year’s EOW, Severnshed now has a younger sister in Exeter - Exe Shed - as its winning formula journeys down the M5. At the Bristol operation, the bar and restaurant have separate identities, with both areas united by the unique state-of-the-art stainless steel floating hover bar. This can be moved up and down the building, providing the versatility to hold large corporate events while still retaining exclusivity for diners and quaffers alike. Food is modern European, and a new menu is set to arrive shortly. It’s due to be along the same lines of what’s been enjoyed here before, namely dishes such as lobster risotto with asparagus and parmesan gratin, chargrilled swordfish steak with sweet chilli jam, and Bombay potatoes and Somerset fillet of lamb wellington style with dauphinoise potatoes and red wine jus. It’s to be hoped the Severnshed mess – meringue, strawberries, raspberries, butterscotch sauce and whipped cream - which promises the ‘highest level of cholesterol’ - is to be retained. At night the bar changes to a chic lounge/cocktail bar serving classic cocktails. DJs on selected occasions, live jazz Sun. Look out for drinking and dining deals, plus promotions for regular customers. See also Restaurants, European & Mediterranean. Open Mon-Thur 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1.30am, Sun 11am-10.30pm. Food served Sun-Thur 12noon-9pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-5pm.

SLUG & LETTUCE
26-28 St Nicholas St
Tel: 0117 952 9900, web: www.slugandlettuce.co.uk
This popular city centre bar has gone from strength to strength since last year’s reported relocation across the road. The menu does its own shifting, changing as it does every three months. Expect to find offerings like burgers, pasta, Thai chicken curry and fish curry plus some seriously delicious veggie dishes including a mushroom and mozzarella stack. Open Mon-Wed 10am-11pm, Thur 10am-12midnight, Fri-Sat 10am-12.30am, Sun 10am-10.30pm. Food served Daily until 10pm.

SOUL KITCHEN
3a Regent St, Clifton, BS8 4HW
Tel: 0117 973 9937
‘Loud food and spicy music’ are on the agenda at this bar-diner specializing in American bottled beers and food from the American Deep South, including, of course, cajun and creole dishes from Louisiana. Open Tue-Thur 5-11pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-12midnight, Sun 12noon-11pm.

NEW
START THE BUS
7-9 Baldwin St, BS1 1RU
Tel: 0117 930 4370, web: www.startthebus.tv, myspace.com/startthebus,
The girls and the boys and the strings and the drums. And the quizzes, jumble sales, bingo, after-parties and pretty much anything else that’s fun and innovative, because this extraordinarily diverse space embraces scene-setting creativity in a wonderfully eclectic calendar. It’s the kind of place you’d spot in an in-flight magazine when flying to somewhere like Paris or Rome, and you’d make sure you visited. Born of similar operations at Camden’s Lock Tavern and High Cross’s Amersham Arms, it’s part adult youth club and part pub-with-great-food, with punters copping for sarnies, burgers (including a ‘hippy’ variety), Bath Ales’s Gem-battered fish and chips, cottage pies and Welsh rarebit with sides and desserts and admirably varied drink options. Our chap and guests later enjoyed some fine Sunday roasts, so you can chill out in the same place you partied down the night before. Such a bold offering ought to take time to get established, but within an hour of opening it felt like STB had always been around. Open Sun-Wed 10am-12midnight, Thur-Sat 10am-3am. Food served Daily 10am-9pm.

STONEHOUSE BAR
28 Baldwin St, BS1 1NG
Tel: 0117 946 8160
Pub menu serving dishes like steak, jackets and pasta, with a menu change at the end of summer. Offering quality service in a relaxed atmosphere, punters are encouraged to make what they will of the spacious chilled feel and comfy sofas. Open/Food served Mon-Sat 12noon-2am (snacks after 8pm).

SUBLIME
31 King St, BS1 4DZ
Tel: 0117 925 5463
If you were so inclined, you could eat a different kind of burger here every day for a month and still not sample everything. A gourmet burger bar serves everything from the traditional beef and chicken to something decidedly more exotic but if you’re not big on burgers, there are specials to be had too. Live acoustic tunes on Wed and Sat and DJs on Fri. The décor’s a mix of old, new and timeless. Function room/whole venue available for corporate/private hire. Food served Mon-Sat 12noon-1am, Sun 12noon-12midnight.

TAO BAR
128 Cheltenham Rd, BS6 5RW
Tel: 0117 924 7733, web: www.taobar.co.uk
The décor here is ‘Bedouin meets Buddha’, and it’s enjoyed by a mid-20s-upwards crowd dropping in for everything from live drum jams on Tuesdays (didgeridoos welcome) to local bands and regularly changing DJs plus cocktails. Food with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and, indeed, global flourishes covers everything from tapas and small bites to mains, with two blackboards listing the daily-changing specials. Expect to find dishes like thyme, tomato and feta-stuffed red pepper, sage marinated pork with garlic mash as well as spiced chicken, basil and roast pepper salad. Our chap selected a ‘soft and comfortable’ Margaux wine to accompany his and guest’s grub. His guests’s pudding – pan-fried pannetone with cherry and cranberry compote - remains on the menu and was ‘the highlight of her meal, the puddingy fruit bread moistened by the cooking and rich fruit juices’. Whole venue available for private parties of up to 150 people – bring your own DJ! Open Tue-Thur 11am-12midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-2am, Sun 11am-1am.

THE TERRACE
15 Berkeley Square, Clifton, BS8 1HB
Tel: 0117 921 0455
On the ground floor of Clifton’s chic Berkeley Square Hotel, the extremely elegant Terrace bar serves light salads, Italian tasting plates, the renowned Square burger beside seafood offering squid among its delights. This place is all polished wood floors, deep sofas, opulent velvet armchairs, mirrors, artworks and state-of-the-art video wall enhanced by a beautiful garden. Extensive wine list includes champagnes, beers, lagers, cocktails, digestifs, aperitifs. Artist Mary Rouncefield is one of three installed recently in the hotel’s gallery space, with subsequent artists exhibiting for similar periods. See The Square, Restaurants, under French. Food served (summer) Daily 12noon-3pm & 5-10.30pm.

THEKLA
East Mud Dock, The Grove, BS1 4RB
Tel: 0117 929 3301
Mo’ Wax’s DJ Krush, much beloved of our chap’s Parisian mate Clémence, recently manned his decks below decks in this, one of Bristol’s top music venues. ‘By day it gives her city’s cafés a run for their euros, with nearby suits taking lunch enhanced by a bijou view across the harbour. Simply being afloat adds to your hour, with the bow a beaut if you want to smoke on the water.’ The crew was unduly modest when subsequently describing their exemplary culinary offerings - pizzas, sandwiches, carnivore/herbivore platters, salads and burgers beside cod and chips and roasts on Sunday – as ‘simple options done well’. Our chief foodie had visited earlier for an aforementioned roast which arrived in ‘the kind of proportions you have to think about before you can tackle them’. His chicken came with ‘a fine Yorkshire pudding… a great selection of earthy root veg… and some hugely satisfying roast spuds’. He was also pleased to find the atmosphere ‘so nice and unselfconsciously laid-back’. Food served Mon-Sat 12noon-3pm & 5-9pm, Sun (roasts) 12noon-5pm.

TINTO LOUNGE
344 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8TP
Tel: 0117 942 0526, web: www.thelounges.co.uk
The last (alphabetically) of the Lounge family repeats the winning formula of its peers, a blend of mood and munching material good enough here to merit a Top Banana in Bristol Bar category in the mid-noughties. The second oldest of the clan, it was painted red and named Tinto – Spanish for ‘red’. The friendly staff serve up grub maintaining those award-winning standards, including falafel and roasted Moroccan vegetable salad, pan-fried monkfish marinated in garlic and smoked paprika on herb polenta, 28 day-aged rump steak, sweet potato, puy lentil and spinach curry along with a fine tapas selection. Open Daily 9am-11pm. Food served Daily 9am-10pm.

TOBACCO FACTORY CAFE-BAR
Raleigh Rd, Southville, BS3 1TF
Tel: 0117 902 0060, email: cafebar@tobaccofactory.com, web: www.tobaccofactory.com
Novel gatherings abound at this enduringly cool hotspot, popular with a young, funky crowd as well as locals, theatregoers, film-lovers and scientists. Every Monday is dedicated to a different country so you can try its traditional food and drink. Every Sunday is market day from 10am, when the café/bar opens, with local, organic, Fairtrade food and crafts followed by a chilled end to the weekend in the form of live music in the evening. The Southbank Arts Trail runs on 10 & 11 May. Food’s Mediterranean in style, with mezze and tapas both excellent. Mains include a good selection of meat, fish and vegetarian, from rump steak with gorgonzola sauce to wild mushroom polenta with chilli tomato and coriander. Menu changes regularly; homemade desserts available daily. The bar’s low-cost interior design makes a virtue of the industrial feel, while the yard, perfect for the sunshine, saw a refurb last year and the terrace now has a dramatic tensile structure canopy that just has to be seen. Open Mon-Wed 12noon-11pm, Thu-Sat 12noon-12midnight, Sun 10am to 11pm.

WATERSHED CAFE-BAR
1 Canons Rd
Tel: 0117 927 5101
See Restaurants, European & Mediterranean.

WHITE LION BAR & TERRACE
Avon Gorge Hotel, Sion Hill, Clifton, BS8 4LD
Tel: 0117 973 8955
There’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach at this hugely popular bar attached to the Avon Gorge Hotel, complete with magnificent view. One of the South West’s largest terraces overlooks the Suspension Bridge and Somerset’s hills beyond. It’s the perfect spot from which to enjoy the day, from a mid-morning coffee and cake through to a light lunch of maybe a salad or soup with wedges and an afternoon punctuated by the refilling of wine glasses. Open Mon-Sat 11am-closing, Sun 11.30am-closing. See The Bridge Café, Restaurants, under European & Mediterranean. Food served Daily 12noon-10pm.

ZERODEGREES
53 Colston St
Tel: 0117 925 2706, web: www.zerodegrees.co.uk
See Restaurants, European & Mediterranean.

ZEST CAFÉ, LOUNGE & BAR
408 Gloucester Rd, Horfield, BS7 8TR
Tel: 0117 949 0142, web: www.zestlounge.co.uk
Intimate, versatile place to eat and drink, whether you’re after breakfast, morning coffee, lunch or dinner. The menu combines Mediterranean and traditional British cuisine, ranging from light bites like pitta pockets through to evening mains like crispy roasted duck and chargrilled kangaroo steak. Open Daily 10am-11pm.

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ring 0117 942 8491. Only £5.95. Yum.