Venue > Eating Out West > Bristol & Bath Restaurants

CAFE CEITURICA
277 North St, Southville, BS3 1JP
Tel: 0117 966 6880, fax: 0117 953 3341
Web: www.eatdrinkrelax.co.uk
Ceiturica - a Persian phrase which loosely translates as ‘How’re you doing, mate?’ – is an intrinsic part of the Southville scene, open seven days a week, serving an excellent selection of all-day breakfasts (well, until 6pm at least) including English, Irish and continental varieties. Lunches are pretty special, too - favourites include Thai fish cakes with chilli jam and North African chicken tagine – but this bright, buzzy cafe by day turns into a cosy candlelit restaurant by night; when the sun goes down, exotic and informal dinners are the order of the day. Menu S: fish mezze; wild boar, apricot & pistachio terrine with red onion & cassis marmalade, toasted sourdough & pickles; stuffed vine leaves. M: chargrilled lamb brochettes with merguez couscous, harissa, tsatsiki & sumac; pan-fried salmon served with crushed herby new potatoes, black olive tapenade, sweet red pepper & cherry tomato fondue & lemon oil; roasted chicken breast stuffed with mature cheddar, wrapped in smoked bacon & served with creamy mash & a red wine & rosemary jus; Persian lamb hot pot. P: Turkish Delight cheesecake; date & walnut sticky pudding with date syrup & tahini ice cream; pistachio & almond baklava Price Breakfast from £1.80. ALC: from £1.95/from £6.95/from £3.95. Mezze: 3 for £6.50 Wine list Good selection from around the globe. HW: approx £11 btl. Beers/lagers etc (inc Moroccan) Open Daily 8am-10.30pm. Children welcome, menu easily adaptable. Disabled access. Major credit cards. Parties of up to 20 welcome.

DEASON’S
43 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, BS8 2LS
Tel: 0117 973 6230, fax: 0117 923 7394, web: www.deasons.co.uk
A classy, chic affair, to which innovative, stylish chef Jason Deason brings a wealth of experience from time served across Europe. His extensive use of seasonal local produce and immaculate attention to sourcing means that menus change daily, while the restaurant’s elegant, clean lines and the heated front patio (which serves breakfast, lunch and light bites all day long) puts the icing on this perfectly baked cake. Deason’s has deservedly earned warm recommendations in the Good Food Guide, as well as rave reviews in Vogue, Tatler and Venue: ‘Even with simpler menu items, the quality of the cooking shone through,’ said our smitten food and drink editor, having already littered his review with superlatives such as ‘fantastic’ and ‘impressive’, before going on to summarise thus: ‘For six years now, Deason’s has been quietly minding its own business, serving up some pretty audacious modern fusion menus as befits a proprietor who used to be head chef at The Glass Boat. Opening up the front garden and introducing a terrace menu smacks of true inspiration.’ Indeed. Menu S: chicken and duck liver parfait, served with Scottish gingerbread and vanilla rhubarb compote; seared Scottish scallops with champagne puy lentils and apple crisps. M: roast Cornish halibut served with orange-infused potato puree, river Fowey mussels and green beans wrapped in smoked bacon; roast wild boar wrapped in filo pastry with truffle mushroom duxelle, carrot puree and watercress. P: whisky, lemon and Drambuie brulee with vanilla marscapone; banana and chocolate soufflé with vanilla bean ice-cream Price ALC: from £5/from £13.50/from £6.75. Weekday SL: main and a drink £10 (Tue-Sat); Sun SL: 2 £15; early evening (before 7pm) two courses for £12 Wine list Very good selection. HW: £14 btl, £3.65 gls Open Tue-Sun 10.30am-3pm, Tue-Sat 6-10pm (closed Sun eve and all day Mon). Children welcome. Major credit cards. Step up to restaurant, disabled access possible, but no toilet. Two function rooms available for private hire. IDC: CMC. PC: 10% off bill and glass of champagne.

HENRY AFRICA’S
HOTHOUSE
65 Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2LY
Tel: 0117 923 8300, fax: 0117 909 0103, web: www.henry-africas.co.uk
New Orleans-inspired dining at one of the original bar/restaurants to open up on Bristol’s ‘Strip’. Lively bar area on the lower floor, with a trendy, buzzing restaurant upstairs. The menu features mainly contemporary American/world fusion dishes using local produce wherever possible (including a spiffy Sunday roast), while what’s arguably the most popular cocktail happy hour in town makes it a mecca for party animals and live streaming of American sports keeps wannabe jocks very happy indeed. A cool, New York City vibe prevails - if you’re still mourning the loss of ‘Sex and the City’, this is the place to go. Regular website visits recommended for updates, offers and news. Menu S: roasted vine ripened tomato, artichoke hearts and local cheese; Cornish mackerel pate with caramelised lemons and toasted focaccia. M: Welsh rack of lamb with a red wine jus and dauphinoise potatoes; West Country pork tenderloin and bacon with a Somerset cider and mustard sauce, with apple and sage mash. P: baked stuffed apples with butter and brandy cream; chocolate truffle torte with amaretto Price ALC: from approx £4.50/from approx £9.95/from approx £4.50. SD: 2 for £18, 3 for £20 Wine list Extensive, comprehensive. HW: from approx £12 btl. Stacks of cocktails (inc non-alcoholic), shooters, iced teas Open Mon-Sun 12noon-12midnight. Children welcome in bar till 6pm & restaurant all night, own menu. Disabled access difficult (revolving doors, restaurant upstairs). Major credit cards (not Diner’s). Parties of up to 70. IDC: CMC. PC: 15% off bill & 15% off bar tab (min £40 spd).

RACKS
St Pauls Rd, Clifton, BS8 1LX
Tel: 0117 974 1626, fax: 0117 974 1082, email: info@racks-bristol.co.uk, web: www.racks-bristol.co.uk
Long-established, friendly, cosmopolitan Clifton venue, warmly regarded for creating an atmosphere where people can relax and enjoy anything from a pint and a steak sandwich to a full-on foodie blow-out. Excellent breakfasts (inc veggie) at weekends, and snackish offerings of the salad/wrap/homemade burger variety all week long, with long, late, lazy lunches served until 5pm daily. Big screen for sporting events; famous New Year’s Eve parties; barbecues on the terrace when weather permits. Alfresco dining, too, with heated patio. Menu S: homemade soup of the day; breaded cod goujons with aioli. M: steamed Cornish mussels in a Hoegaarden, chorizo & provençale sauce with crusty bread; grilled sirloin aberdeen angus steak with dauphinoise potatoes, roasted tomato and pink peppercorn sauce. P: lemon tartlet with warm berry compote; hot chocolate puddle pudding with ice-cream Price ALC: from £3.50/from £8.25/from £4.50. Sun roast £7.95 (booking advised) Wine list Good international range, beers, full bar. HW: £12 btl, £3.50 gls Open Daily 11am-11pm (food served to 10.30pm Mon-Sat, 10pm on Sun). Children welcome. Disabled access – call in adv. Major credit cards (not Amex, Diner’s). Parties of up to 120 in private function room, special menu provided.

RUCOLA
59 Apsley Rd, Clifton, BS8 2SW
Tel: 0117 973 4892, web: www.eatdrinkrelax.co.uk
Sister to Southville’s Café Ceiturica, with a strong family resemblance showing up in the laid-back atmosphere, sumptuous menus and cheery welcome. Lush all-day breakfasts, groovy lunches and splendid early suppers are the orders of the day here, alongside an excellent wine list, vegetarian options and plenty to keep the kids happy. The all-weather terrace is popular all year round. Price Breakfast from £2.50. ALC: from £1.95/from £6.95/from £3.95 Wine list International. HW: approx £11 btl Open Daily 9am-9pm (last orders 7.30pm). Children welcome (own menu). Disabled access. Major credit cards. Parties call in adv.

BATHTUB BISTRO
2 Grove St, BA2 6PJ
Tel: 01225 460593, web: www.bathtubbistro.co.uk
Charming, quirky, interesting, long-standing, friendly, electic, cosy – the Bathtub Bistro pretty much personifies Bath itself. An old favourite on the city scene; portions - and charm! - go large here. Menu/Price/Wine list/opening hours/details currently under major consideration at the time of going to press (but don’t worry: we’re promised that the spirit of the BB will remain intact). Keep an eye on Venue’s Food & Drink pages for details.

CLARKE’S RESTAURANT
& CHAZZ BAR
7 Argyle St, BA2 4BA
Tel: 01225 444440, web: www.clarkesbath.co.uk
‘There’s no mystery about why Clarke’s is so popular,’ said our girl-about-town after a recent trip across Pulteney Bridge. ‘It’s a bright and breezy, come-as-you-are affair, decorated with stylish flourishes and novelty contemporary eclectica, including exotic video fish swimming around on a plasma screen and red wine goblets big enough to house a shoal of the real thing.’ The dining room is split into various levels - similarly styled areas with lots of stripped wood, crisp table settings and fresh greenery – and service is confident and friendly, courtesy of well-informed staff who are keen to help you make your final choice from a menu that ranges from modern English trad to pan-Asian exotica and an extensive wine list that includes an exclusive ‘own label’ selection and some very special grand and premier crus. Upstairs, you’ll find the Chazz bar where cocktails are a speciality, served in elegantly understated luxury and almost decadent comfort: small but perfectly formed, low-lit and cushion-strewn, with nothing frantic or bustly to distract from the feeling that you’re at one of the hippest private house parties in the city. Sun brunch/lunch is a thoroughly laid-back affair ranging from buttermilk pancakes and eggs benedict to full roast dinners, and they always do ‘something a bit special’ on rugby days. Scrum. Menu S: eggs florentine (sautéed garlic spinach, poached egg & hollandaise sauce, on top of an English muffin); bang-bang chicken salad. M: lamb shank pie (lamb cooked in red wine, orange, onion, carrots, honey, celery, fresh tomato puree & redcurrant jelly, topped with puff pastry); salmon, sea bass, haddock, prawns & mussels in a fennel & tomato broth with saffron potatoes. P: Caribbean coconut ice-cream with dark chocolate sauce, marsala & honey-glazed pineapple skewers; homemade crumble of the day. Price ALC: from £4.50/from approx £10.95/from £5.25. SL: call for details Wine list Spectacular, including own label and vintage. HW: approx £15.75 btl, £4 gls Open Restaurant: Tue-Thur 12noon-2.30pm & 5.30-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-10.30pm, Sun brunch/lunch 12noon-3pm. Chazz Bar: Fri-Sat 7pm-11pm. Children welcome, own menu. Major credit cards (not Diner’s). Parties up to 30 max, whole bar available for private hire. IDC: CMC. PC: Cardholders & up to 3 guests receive 15% off total bill at all times.

NUMBER EIGHT MANVERS STREET
8 Manvers St, BA1 1JQ
Tel: 01225 331888, web: www.eightmanvers.co.uk
Glossy café/bar/gallery with a gorgeous secluded patio area that adds another dimension to this gently chic experience. Following a really hearty breakfast/brunch menu, imaginative risottos and pastas proliferate, alongside a distinctly pan-global range of salads and open sandwiches that boast flavours of the Med, while the very little ones can enjoy their very own homemade organic baby food. Menu Goat’s cheese & caramelised red onion tart; Thai-style fishcakes with dipping sauce; crayfish & Cornish crab salad. M: roast chicken breast with spicy coconut sauce & buckwheat noodles; mozzarella, chilli & olive linguine. Excellent risottos (the house speciality; can be made with soya milk). P: chocolate fudge cake; cheesecake; daily changing selection of yummy sweet things Price ALC: from £3.95/from £7.95/from £2.95. Sandwiches from approx £3 Wine list Well-chosen range. HW: from approx £10.50 btl Open Mon-Thur 8am-7pm, Fri 8am-10.30pm, Sat 8.30am-12midnight (later by prior arrangement). Children welcome – own menu. Disabled access. All major credit cards. Parties welcome – lots of variables in 80-cover restaurant.

THE RIVERSIDE
17 Argyle St (below Pulteney Bridge), BA2 4BQ
Tel: 01225 480532
See Cafés, Bath.

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