my partner bragged about this place and during his time working for HP he would take all his exec level clients here on his business account. This set the bar for me wayyyyy high especially knowing they have a location in Thailand and France. I have a gluten intolerance and really wanted to try the pasta as they are known for their homemade pasta. on the menu it stated gluten free pasta available so I ordered the lobster pasta dish with gluten free pasta; the original dish came with linguine however for gluten free I could only get Penne which would mess up the dish as its a much heavier thick noodle that goes best with a dish with some type of sauce. So I said I will suffer through this dish as it will be worth the side effects....WRONG. It was not worth the night and next morning. my dish was flavorless, and the lobster was extremely small. My partner ordered the steak medallion dish and truly enjoyed his; however I believe it was the nostalgia of the moment of return versus anything else. For the drinks I ordered a lychee martini and we had a bottle of wine. my lichee martini was too strong to enjoy so I gave to my partner. I have came, saw, and no desire to return. read more

Had the opportunity to dine here for a work dinner while in Bristol. The overall experience was really good... the wait staff was very attentive and the layout of the restaurant is really interesting. There are lots of traditional and unique menu options including a variety of pastas and antipastos to go around. I ordered a caprese-esque app with fresh burrata and avocado and tomato. A bit of balsamic glaze would have really set it off but it was good. I got the lobster pasta for main course which came layers over the shell. It's a nice touch but admittedly becomes an obstacle in working through the dish. The pasta is fresh made and was cooked perfectly... the lobster however was a little over done and a bit chewy as a result. Still a well composed dish with lots of flavor. I also ordered a side of truffle/parm fries... the truffle was plentiful but the fries were pretty basic (almost as if they were frozen vs fresh cut). In my opinion, a more rustic chop would be preferred. The only major complaint I would have is that it took forever to get our main course served. The apps came out quickly but the kitchen must have been backed up because even the maitre de was visibly frustrated. One person in my party had to wait an additional 8-10 minutes after our food was served almost as if her order was forgotten. We had a fairly large party (12) so it is not unusual to wait a little longer for food but it did seem excessive. Overall though it was a good experience and I would definitely go back again if given the chance. read more

San Carlo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bristol, BST

See all

Really nice food at a reasonable price. Venue and service was really good. We will definitely be returning soon. read more

See all

When I visited San Carlo restaurant in Bristol a few months ago I was really looking forward to it. I'd been wanting to go there for some time and one weekend I bit the bullet and walked through its doors. The dining room is impressive. A bit cramped but done out really nice and it's the kind of place you'd expect to see in the centre of London rather than a back street in Bristol. The food itself was lovely. You, couldn't fault it at all. I had a fresh calamari and fried shrimp starter which was very tasty. The batter was perfectly cooked and the fish was very fresh and tasty. The spaghetti carbonara was excellent as I thought it would be. The huge monk fish pictured is actually a display piece but it is real!. I thought it was possibly a taxidermied fish until I touched it and found out it was indeed a real monk fish! Which was quite strange because monk fish wasn't even on the menu. The restaurant was very busy and very noisy which made conversation a little difficult. The staff where friendly enough but not very attentive. I put that down to the fact that it was very busy and they where probably understaffed? That aside the food came out in good time and was beautifully cooked and very tasty. The only gripe I had was that a 10% service charge was added to the bill. That does annoy me with all restaurants. That was knocked of the bill as the service wasn't in my opinion worthy of the tip that they where asking for. All in all it was a nice evening with good food and wine. I wouldn't rush back though. read more

See all

San Carlo is one of the best places in Bristol for a romantic first date. Filled with couples staring deep into each other's eyes, a lively atmosphere and authentically Italian service it's fun, friendly and memorable. ...and that's not including the food. Oh the food! The menu reads like a fatties dream - creams, garlic, cheeses, wines, fishes, meats, breads, sweets and vegetables are in abundance here. I opted for a spaghetti and tomato dish which was packed with flavour and left me wanting more. Just make sure you save room for desert - you'll only regret it if you don't! read more

San Carlo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bristol, BST

If they are busy they REFUSE to do take away, for 6 people, with a four hour notice... apparently it's very difficult for them to make pasta and salad in four hours time if you are unable to dine in due to work circumstances Even explained work situation to the manager and he couldn't have cared less read more

I haven't been this restaurant for years. I forget how good it actually is. Always end up coming here for special occasions as the service, food with the up market atmosphere doesn't come cheap. The food is excellent quality and I've never had a bad meal. I had the chicken breast and ordered veg sides. You only get the meat and you would need to order a least 2 sides to make a full main course, also the fish here is very fresh and perfectly cooked, order a whole sea bass and just ask them to de-bone the fish for you! I Noticed the photos on the wall of all the celebrities that had been the restaurant but would expect most of the pics were taken in the London restaurant. Would advise to book as this place is always booked up! read more

San Carlo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bristol, BST

See all

I've been to San Carlo many times - usually we save it for special occasions as it's such a special place! The atmosphere is always busy but relaxed, the waiting staff all sound Italian, and give that extra little bit of attention. The decor is lovely - all glass and marble. The food is second to none, especially the seafood specials. It's great for a decently priced pasta or pizza, but you can really go to town with lobster thermidore if you want something more special. We love this restaurant! It is highly recommended for couples as it's very romantic. There are plenty of big tables too. Ask for a table downstairs since it's much nicer than on the mezzanine level. Go there - you won't be disappointed! read more

San Carlo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bristol, BST

Do not go! Bad service and bad food. Every time an english person came in, they were offered a cheaper lunch special. Every time a tourist came in they were given a full expensive menu. The food was bad and the service even worse. To top it off the waitstaff pretended to not know that the service was included. Why bother when the street next to it has so many vendors with street food to offer. Do not go! read more

very nice food, made me sit on the toilet all day. Thank you so much san carlo, helping me lose some weight.

San Carlo's is the perfect special occasion type restaurant, particularly on the romance side of things. Being an Italian it is always going to rank high on my list of favourites, but with the furnishings finished in glass and marble, this one has a touch of class and sophistication absent from other similar restaurants close by. The food itself is second to none, particularly their fish menu which is outstanding. The prices are slightly higher then Sergios for example, but in many ways your paying for the finer dining experience as the service is excellent. The last time I was in one of the waiters asked if we wouldn't mind moving to another table, because they needed to create space for another booking. Of course we said we didn't mind, but as an appreciation of our laidback attitude, they gave us our evening drinks for free. Only wish I had ordered the more expensive wine I had been eyeing up. read more

San Carlo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bristol, BST

Diners can expect to be delighted at the superb San Carlo, the main reason being that it genuinely appears to be an authentic Italian. I say this because the staff appear to be actual real-life Italians and thankfully the standard of service follows from there. As in their motherland, you get a crack squad of waiting staff, as opposed to our system of employing a couple of inexperienced and unenthusiastic youngsters, and as in Italy you seem to get served by about five people at once. They're in and out in a blur of activity and your food always arrives promptly. As for the food, the prawn starters are a bit small, so I would recommend the bresaola instead, served as it is with parmesan shavings and rocket. As for the mains, which arrived a tad quickly for more liking, the petto di pollo lucillo is superb, and my partner greatly enjoyed the vongole pasta. It's fair to say that San Carlo is definitely more Bologna than Broadmead! read more

This Italian fish restaurant on Baldwin Street is apparently one of the top ten Italian restaurants in the country, according to the Times. I have no reason to disagree with them, as my experience has been very good both times I've been here. They have an excellent and diverse menu, and although their speciality is fish, they have a number of delicious meat dishes as well. I opted for a starter of mussels (which was massive! Could have been a meal in itself), followed by pasta with chicken and prawns, which was cooked in an excellent creamy sauce. Their wine list is wide ranging, with options to appeal to all budgets, and the staff, who are mostly authenitically Italian, are both helpful and friendly. The walls to the lavatories are adorned with many pictures celebrities who have eaten here, or at one of their other restaurants, over the years. read more

San Carlo Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Bristol, BST

The food is very fresh and and funky. They take delivery 6days of the week (fresh fish) The service is excellent but make sure you book in advance if you're going at peak times as it books up fast. The range of options on the menu are great, although wines by the glass are quite limited and expensive. Great Italian read more

When I learned that we had booked this place for our Christmas do I was very excited as it looked pretty good and I had high expectations. Sadly these were not met. When we arrived it was clear that something must have happened as they seemed surprised that we had shown up (a party of 12) and our table wasn't ready. They put 3 tables together, different shapes and forms which made sitting at them very awkward. There was one square, one round and one square. As I was sitting in the middle it meant I was not really sitting comfortably but had to choose to lean to one side. Add to that the fact that it was too busy and so you constantly had someone hit you with their elbow or knock your chair - all in all not a very pleasant experience. We had to wait over an hour for our starter and the entire meal took 3.5hours to get and finish. Then the food was not what you would expect - it was OK at best and not something to shout about. For the price that they charge this food was not up to the expected standard. read more

A destination for a Saturday night celebration, San Carlo's in-your-face WAG style glamour might not be to everyone's taste but it's certainly fun. Luckily the food lives up to the hype, with a fantastic, huge antipasti a big favourite. Meat mains and specials are expensive but tasty, with fresh seafood a particular favourite- there are usually about 10 options on the specials menu! Pasta on the a-la-carte menu is more reasonably priced, with a salmon ravioli in vodka sauce particularly delicious. read more

Amazing atmosphere, location and food! The food and wine selection are of a very high standard. The staff is delightful. This restaurant provides a very good ambience for a special dinner and celebrations! read more

San Carlo has been around for quite a while and It's a place which is always on my preferred list of places to go in Bristol. It's expensive for an Italian but 9 times out of 10 the food is awesome. I would definitely recommend the Calamari (the best I have tasted in Bristol). I love the ambience with the mirrors and there is also a really nice Rose (I forget the name) Overall, if you live in Bristol and have not been here, you are missing out. read more

A great atmosphere created by authentic Italian owners and staff. San Carlo manages to pull off that 1980's charm with lots of glass and marble and flower displays. We ate pizza which could not be faulted - perfect base and delicious home made taste which obviously came from good ingredients. They had an impressive but slightly more expensive specials menu with lots of fresh fish dishes. The only thing we'd say is the pizzas are big and filling enough to share. We never say that kind of thing but we were stuffed! Main courses ranged from approx £8 - £15 read more

The seafood at this popular Italian restaurant lives up to expectation as being fresh and complemented with great sauces. We shared bruschetta for starters - possibly not the best idea as the portion was quite small, leading to us having to order more! However the mains were a different story. I ordered the lemon sole, and my friend had scallops - we swapped half-way through the meal, but agreed that both were as good as each other! Meaty, juicy scallops perfectly cooked, and the sole was fresh and served with a brilliant citrus butter. However - no veg were included, and we didn't find this out until the dishes were served. Love the interior - it's so over the top! Service was fabulous. read more

As a stranger to Bristol, I used Top Table to find a decent meal and I was well rewarded with San Carlo. The use of mirrors (marked to look old) gives light and space in a fairly narrow room, where too many tables are crammed in to allow more covers. That aside, the staff were welcoming and friendly, while the food was well-prepared and tasty. Dover sole was huge and veal was a generous portion, if a little salty. Words of warning: main courses come without accompanying vegetables; 10% service. read more

Another fantastic meal, never fails to impress, attentive friendly staff (and so many of them!!!) fantastic fish, fantastic pasta dishes......this is why we return time & time again. I cannot recomend enough. read more

This is a wonderful place to eat. I visit Bristol regularly, and stop here often. i love the suprema di pollo princepesa. also try the red ripasso wine. keep coming back because of these. read more

Food was really good, however the service was terrible, with rude waiters. After waiting 1 hour for our starters to arrive my mum who's 70th birthday it was asked how long it would be, and the host said very rudely that the kitchen was very busy, while pointing at her. We would have walked out if it wasn't so late, and we all felt horrible after and couldn't wait to leave. It's a shame as the restaurant looks great and the chef does a top job, just let down by the front of house. read more

We were expecting a little better than when we received at San Carlo, but it was still overall a decent meal. It is definitely a nice date spot and I love that it is old school Italian and everyone working there is actually Italian. We grabbed a drink at the bar while waiting for our table, then a bottle of Prosecco once we were sat. We were a little disappointed that there were not many options for wine under 30 pounds, but oh well the bottle we did get was pretty tasty. I also found it odd that while there was a very small dish of olives on the table (4 of them) there was no bread service while waiting...? Maybe it's me being snobbish as I am used to NYC Italian standards with some form of bread service but we were a little put off by that. We ordered two starters, first a calamari which was very tasty but an EXTREMELY small portion, and then mozzarella en carrozza which usually we both love, but this one was not good at all. The breading was very mushy and instead of a tasty red sauce served along side, it had an overly salty anchovy sauce which did nothing to enhance the dish. Our mains, however, were both very good and perfect portion sizes. Fiance went with a scampi and langostine pasta which he really enjoyed and myself a lobster ravioli, which unfortunately did not really have any nice lobster bits I could pick out but the prawn sauce it came in was tasty. We were also put off that for a 100 pound dinner we had to refill our own wine glasses and look for a server ask for water. All in all we may try it again, but not any time soon. read more

San Carlo is a fine example of italian cuisine. I've only eaten here the once however i will certainly return. Colleagues of mine have also eaten here and none of them have had a bad thing to say against it. And the trio of sorbe was a particularly delicious and light way to finish an equally delightful meal. read more

Definitely one of the best Italian's in Bristol - and I totally love the over the top decor - it's outrageously camp but does feel rather glamourous at the same time. Would highly recommend the calzone. Gorgeous read more

Expensive but great for a special occasion. Good quality food. Shame the veg is extra as it kind of spoils it a bit. That said I would have no hesitation in going again. read more

Very nice food and good service. Highly recommended.