You loved our first Restaurant Recommendations in Bristol, so now we’re back with round two. Here is Urban Apartments’ updated list of top food recommendations in the city for 2024.

Nutmeg

Under the leadership of Michelin-trained star chef Shishir Sinha, this eatery is revolutionizing Bristol city centre with its unique menu and vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of Indian food stalls. Nutmeg blends quiet glamour with playful neon lights and communal dining, creating a versatile and inviting space perfect for any occasion.

Cor

If you’re looking for Mediterranean small plates with a few surprises thrown in, Cor is the place for you. This restaurant in Bedminster has been the talk of the town since it opened in late 2022. It’s headed up by well-respected chef Mark Chapman, who had already made his mark on the city with his stints at local favourites Bravas and Gambas – don’t miss out on these two.

Bokman

Think homely Korean cooking from super talented chefs. Bokman serves understated food that you’ll be thinking about for a long time afterwards. Go with friends to try a proper selection of Korean stews, mandu, banchan, and noodle dishes. You’ll leave very full and very happy.

Cotto

Simple, yet refined Italian cooking and lots of wine! The team behind Pasta Ripiena, Bianchis, and Pazzo are best known for casual Italian dining across Bristol. Cotto is their most laid back, with low lights, pasta for around £10, and a range of wines to work your way through. This is the place to catch up with friends and stay for hours when you only popped out for one!!

The Saigon Kitchen

Load up on Hanoi-style fried spring rolls and zingy mango salad before tucking into a fragrant noodle dish or one of their grilled fish specialities. Relaxed, refined, and delicious.

Root

Known for taking a veg-first approach to its menu (you’ll only find a couple of meat and fish dishes), Root puts together some wildcard combos which you’ll raise an eyebrow at before fighting over the last spoonful – whether it’s carrot hash browns or beetroot with hazelnuts.

Lucky Strike

There’s been a big move towards nostalgic food in recent years, but Lucky Strike manages to smash out these old-school British recipes without them being too overdone. The evening menu changes with the seasons, but you can rely on classic staples for brunch, including homemade spaghetti hoops on toast, kedgeree, or Anglesey eggs.

Bravas

Get a true taste of Spain at this tapas bar and restaurant owned by couple Kieran and Imogen Waite. This duo takes their staff to Spain annually to ensure their food remains on point and to cement their connections with Spanish suppliers.

Bertha’s Pizza

Right at the top of Wapping Wharf, behind some big yellow doors, is some of the best pizza in the South West. The team at Bertha’s live and breathe sourdough pizza, and it shows. Alongside the best local suppliers in the region, they whip up pizzas with passion and creativity.

Souk Kitchen

Souk Kitchen offers a fantastic array of mezze, including chargrilled halloumi with watermelon and Aleppo chicken wings. However, it isn’t just exotic ingredients on offer here. The sausages are from Gloucester Old Spot pigs, and most of the bread is made by Mark’s Bread, a few hundred yards away.

Real Habesha

Having recently expanded to a second site on Gloucester Road, Real Habesha has won over a new crowd, having already built up a loyal following for their first restaurant in Easton. Order one of their meat or veggie platters which come with a mix of stews, rich and veg, then finish with an intense Ethiopian coffee.

The Scrandit

Whether you’re in the mood for plant-based sharing feasts or steaming bowls of ramen, there’s usually something to tempt you on the line up here. Regular pop-ups include oyster bar The Winkle Picker, Filipino fusion from King Kringz, and hefty Argentinian sandwiches from Choribandits.

Chido Wey

The perfect addition to colourful Old Market, this Mexican restaurant ticks all our boxes for a night out with pals: fun, fresh, friendly, and affordable. Cheekily named dishes, like tacos called Carne-Val and Deep Sea Realness, sit excitingly next to Chido Wey’s killer cocktails including mouth-watering mezcalitas and jugs of margaritas.

Nadu

As familiar as many of us are with Indian and Bengali cuisine, Sri Lankan food is still a bit of a blindspot in the UK. Nadu prides itself on giving you a mouthwatering introduction to typical dishes and drinks from this part of the world, from their mega sharing dosas to fragrant curries, spicy sambols, and punchy cocktails.

Little French

Looking for a hug on a plate or somewhere relaxed for date night? Head to this cosy bistro in Westbury-on-Trym and fill your boots with all the good stuff, from unctuous lamb sweetbreads to light-as-a-feather cheese soufflé. The wine list is also a serious force to be reckoned with.

The Ox

A lowly, easily missed basement on Corn Street is where you’ll find cocktail bar and steak joint, The Ox. Warmly lit by an array of small lamps, the atmosphere here is cosy and upmarket. Leather-bound chairs stand in neat rows while food comes out on oh-so-hip wooden boards. Sample the Hyde & Co cocktails too.

Sky Kong Kong

One of the joys of Sky Kong Kong is not knowing what you’ll be eating. What you do know is that you’ll be eating well and paying little. Korean chef and owner Wizzy moved to Bristol after working in Michelin-starred restaurants in London. This is Wizzy’s showcase of her considerable talent: depending on the day, you might be served Provençal fish stew, paella, Korean-style sashimi, or pad thai.

The Lido

This first-floor restaurant overlooking the water is easily one of the best rooms with a view in Bristol. There aren’t many places where well-dressed gourmets mix with fellow diners in fluffy dressing gowns who’ve come straight from the spa. The food here has a Spanish feel, and the wine list is comprehensive.

….and there it is. Will you try any of these? We’re certainly feeling hungry now!

Published: 17.06.24 by Phoebe Clutton