So after visiting Tinto Lounge on Gloucester Rd. we were ok visiting the original place in North…read moreSt. But what a let down. Coming here on a Thursday mid afternoon we experienced the SLOWEST kitchen in all of Bristol. The burger was ok but the fries were not great; the tapas looked pretty burnt up to me; and my appetizing sounding lasagne was served on a plate swimming in liquid cheesy sauce. Despite the poor presentation and long wait to eat we carried on with or late lunch. Only when we were told there were no boxes or foil to wrap up food to take away did we realize this place was poorly run and had to complain. After talking with the manager some money was refunded. Was it the time of day or the staff in general that makes this place come off like the management are focused elsewhere? The limited number of power sockets could be a good thing, but for mobile office folks there are more convenient places to settle in. Summary: C-grade, could do better.

Lounge is the kind of place that looks and feels as though it's always been here. It's a seasoned…read moreprotagonist of the North Street rear guard that paved the way for the regeneration of the area, showing that it was possible for more upmarket establishments to thrive in this formerly dilapidated and neglected district. Having weathered the gentrification of the area it has proven to have lasting appeal in an increasingly faddy world. Even the recession doesn't appear to be putting too much of a dent in their popularity. Minor modifications keep things fresh, Tapas is now responsible for much of the food sales, where a few years ago it was bistro fare, and since the smoking ban, the back yard has been converted into a small enclosed garden. Lounge is the first in a long line of Lounges that have been replicated throughout the city, and more lately have gone national. New branches have recently opened in Reading and Plymouth. It is the only one of the Lounges that offers a private garden as well as outside seating along the pavement in front of the establishment.

No question, 5 stars from me. I love Amoeba!…read more If you're unfamiliar with Amoeba (shame on you) then it is a little hidden gem tucked away in a backstreet of Clifton Village. They have an incredible beer selection, but for me, this place is all about the cocktails - and boy do they do good cocktails! Amoeba is small. It is set over 3 levels; ground level with a few tables, the bar is upstairs and then downstairs you'll find a few more tables and nice terrace area. The decor is dark red and it's nice and dimly lit. They have a large blackboard on the wall with a list of all of their beers and an amazing selection of spirits behind the bar. I've felt instantly comfortable and every time Ive been to Amoeba. It always has a great atmosphere and it isn't what you'd expect from a cocktail bar in Clifton. It's nowhere near as pretentious or uninviting as Hausbar up the road. There's no door knocking here! They had a decent DJ (although he was sat down, ha) and the staff were great. I said I wanted a gin based cocktail with some kind of berry influence - I got exactly that! I've no idea what it was called, but it was GOOD! This is one of the best bars in Bristol, in my eyes!

Seeing as it's national poetry day I thought I'd do my review as a poem…read more Amoeba is a cosy cafe bar If you're in Clifton you would go far To find a better cocktail Or even a tea would never fail The decor is dark red and antique Fabulous and oblique There's plenty to look at And not only that The bar staff know every liquor And they'll make a perfect drink quicker So if you were um-ing and ah-ing Amoeba has the perfect thing!

I love the confused look on my friends' faces when I take them to Hyde & Co. They have probably…read morenever heard of it, despite having walked only yards away from its front door many times. And when we get near, it's up a few stairs then down some more, ring the doorbell, be assessed by the dapper barman for suitability, and then be allowed into this terrific bar. That's when their faces turn from confusion to delight, as Hyde & Co feels like a secret bar that only you know about. You have to go there to believe it, and even then you barely believe that you are sitting in a bar so special and so different, but so near to the more traditional modern day nocturnal happenings of Bristol. Hyde & Co easily deserves five stars, but unfortunately when a group of friends and I came to leave the bar after celebrating my birthday last night, we were handed a bill with four expensive cocktails on that we had not ordered. Despite protestation, the barman would just not budge, and a stand-off ensued (quite apt in what has been described as a speakeasy). After what seemed like an interminable time, the £27 was finally dropped, but it left a bitter taste after what had previously been a typically wonderfully evening.

Set against the backdrop of Hyde & Co's faultless 1920's décor people are provided with the perfect…read moreenvironment and sublime cocktails of Bristol's new speakeasy. Hyde & Co is a beautiful bar that serves expertly made drinks and provides a truly wonderful and unique experience for anyone looking for more from their venues. The attention to detail is exquisite, from the authentic 1920s New York cocktails to the fixtures and fittings. The staff are lovely and welcoming, which is a real treat on a Friday night. We actually met new and interesting people as well as having some fantastic conversations with the large group we arrived with.

I live just around the corner and visit regularly. I love this place, the decor is beautifully done…read moremaking you feel cosy and welcomed from the moment you walk in. The staff are super friendly and helpful. The coffee is really good and the Bloody Mary's are delicious! The food is so tasty, I never know what to choose!! It's a great place to spend the afternoon with friends or just sit by yourself and watch the world go by.

The latest of the local Lounges to spring up in the city, this one is housed in a former bank in…read moreTotterdown. It very much follows the formula of the others in the small chain, with an identical menu and even the same pictures adorning the walls. Where I would say this is inferior to the original Bedminster-based establishment is that it's far smaller, with too many tables and chairs crammed in. Consequently it gets a bit crowded and waits at the bar can get a bit tedious. However, the reason that it always seems to be busy is that the food is very good and very reasonable. I would personally recommend the sweet chilli chicken panini with chips and salad for just £6, though this remains very much somewhere I would pop in for some grub (including breakfast - they open at 9am), than actually sit down and drink for more than a quick pint.

Described by the NME many years ago as "a floating toilet", the Thekla has thankfully had a few…read moremakeovers since and is now quite possibly the best club and gig venue in Bristol. The downstairs main room is fairly small and generates a great atmosphere, and there are also balconeys overlooking the dancefloor and stage, which are great for gigs. Moving upstairs, there's a decent bar which is open during day times and has a daily happy hour and food offers. On sunny days, though, you're better off taking your pint/burger out on the open air deck, which is heated, has plenty of seating and offers great views across the harbour.

A club on a boat! The Thekla (I don't know if that's the name of the boat as well as the club) is…read moremoored up in Bristol harbour with a few good nights and live music as well. There's no need to worry about sea sickness, the boat doesn't sway or anything. Its over two floors (decks?) and has an outside area at the bow of the ship. The upstairs bar is open all week and the bottom opens for club nights (Socialism, electro-indie on Saturdays is my favourite). Being on a boat, things are a bit crowded, but theres plenty of space on the bottom floor (in the bowls of the ship?) to dance. The staff (bouncers and bar staff) are friendly, and there's always a good atmosphere. There's no premium for floating whilst you drink, with the nights I've been too, priced around a fiver. A novelty that's a good night out too.

I thought the food here was really great. I had the whole gilt-head bream in jerk seasoning,…read moreroasted asparagus with aioli, roasted cauliflower, beetroot salad, and the fried ox cheek. The beetroot salad and asparagus were my favorite. The ambiance and live music were also wonderful. HOWEVER, this place really needs to get its service act together. I had to wave down the waiter every time to get anything, including a menu. Plus the kitchen was slow. There seemed to be no system at all in place for managing tables.

Have been here a couple times for drinks and snacks with a friend. Always very happening with a…read moregood buzz of conversation and hit-and-miss table service, though the food does come out really quickly.

A long term feature on a stretch of shops that's a bit of graveyard of failed attempts, this is a…read moregem of a café where you can easily spend too much time and money. Wood floors, smart wooden furniture, sharp service. Somebody has made the effort with this place, and it has paid off. You don't feel like you're being ripped off with the pricey food and drink, just that you're paying a premium for getting to sit around in a good café. This is all done without making it feel posh or exclusive. If money is tight there's wifi available, so you can just hide behind a coffee for an hour or so and distract yourself from the menu by checking your email. The menu's comprehensive and has been different every time I have visited though, so this might be a bit of a challenge. This is one of the ways that you might end up spending more here than you'd planned. If this isn't too much of a worry for you, then pay Deco Lounge a visit.

Of all the lounges in all the land, Deco beats them all. I remember when this place had that smoky…read morewine bar feel, but clearly the smoking ban has put paid to that. It's the kind of adaptable place that's just as much at home to an elderly gent having a mid afternoon pint (no longer having a puff on a cigarette though) as it is to a bunch of students/young professionals coming for a few cocktails and catch ups - which by the way, are well worth trying at less than £6 a go. The food is fairly priced too, with a good selection of tapas. The best thing is the breakfasts: if you go before 12pm it's £5.50 for a coffee and lounge breakfast which will really set you up well for the day. If you miss that though, not to worry, they serve breakfast it all day, definitely earning it a few more plus points. Should you want a quiet little hide out, away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Whiteladies road, the table at the top end to the right of the bar is nicely tucked away, it's always my seat of choice. The free Wifi, excellently stocked bar, and good food makes it dangerously easy to waste away far too many hours in here.

When visiting a new city you don't always know where to go. And apparently not making a reservation…read morea Saturday night in Bristol wasn't the best idea! After walking around for 20-30 mins and getting a few rejections we found Graze, which from the outside looks way to modern for my taste. But the closer we got the better we liked it (it has a statuette of a bull on top of the door - love it!!!) Anyways we got charcuterie as a starter with Aperol Spritz, which was delicious - really good meat! And nicely served! As a main cause we got a chicken roast and lamb chops, and a bottle of wine, they had a great wine card by the way! We both wanted to finish - but that wasn't possible - cause we also need room for a little dessert! It was a good evening! The service was really good, We loved the food, and the interior was very non British! (Win!) ;) I would have loved to try a Sunday roast at Graze! Next time for sure!

We came here following a recommendation from a friend who lives in Bristol. We went for a late…read morelunch after my husband's interview so wanted to celebrate it being over and enjoy some time together. This place was perfect. Because it was about 3pm by the time we got there, it was pretty quiet (only two other customers) but we quite liked that and despite being worried they might not be serving food since it was between lunch and dinner (and Valentines day which they were clearly getting ready for that evening) we were warmly welcomed and told we could sit anywhere. The whole place smelled like leather which I suppose might be off putting for some but I loved it. It was nice and bright with leather seating (hence the smell) and smart decor. We were brought a lunch menu as well as the a la carte and drinks. I decided to have a cocktail since we were officially on holiday now the interview was over ;) The cucumber collins (£6.50) was delicious! We also shared a 500ml carafe of pinot noir (£12) which was lovely. We ordered bread & olives (£3.50) to start which were very nice, I liked the addition of thyme to the butter. For our mains, Nik chose the burger which was tasty but a bit dry and could have had a bit more seasoning. The chips were fantastic! I opted for the duck leg confit with dauphinoise (£11.95) which was definitely the best choice - SO delicious and melt in the mouth duck with crispy skin. The jus was very tasty too and great for dipping Nik's chips! ;) I was surprised that Nik's burger cost more than my duck which was a decent size and mine definitely seemed better quality. £12.95 for a burger is pretty pricey too! When mine came I decided I needed some veg with it so ordered the winter greens which came quickly and smothered in butter. A bit too much really as I actually love kale & savoy cabbage (which is what came) and it was literally dripping in butter which wasn't needed and so not quite as healthy as expected but I enjoyed it all the same. Although, again it was quite expensive at £3.50 for a small bowl of cabbage. Considering how quiet the restaurant was (a few more customers had come in for drinks by the time we finished but no other diners), we had to sit with our empty plates for a VERY long time as the waitress was busy lighting candles and setting tables for dinner. She did seem to be the only member of staff at this point but we were ignored for a bit too long. Service was friendly throughout though and we soon got the bill and were thanked as we left. The toilets were clean and again, nicely decorated with nice touches like the lovely smelling White Company soap & hand lotion. We'd probably go back for another visit next time we're in Bristol.

I went to the Hen & Chicken for a family birthday and Sunday Lunch, and while the food wasn't…read moreamazing, it is a great pub with an awesome vibe. First and foremost, the hen & Chicken is a pub - and a good one at that! It is big, set over a couple of levels and has a really nice central bar. While all very standard, they serve a decent selection of ales, ciders, largers and spirits. It's everything you'd expect from a pub bar. The atmosphere and clientele differs slightly from day time to night time, when during the day you'll find a full range of people, and night times being a slightly younger crowd. From Friday night and over the weekend, it gets very lively, is open later and has a great atmosphere. They also do some really good comedy night in their comedy room upstairs. I've never ben to one, but the line up for Jan/Feb looked great and I've heard from others that it's really good. Definitely one I need to check out! The Sunday lunch wasn't amazing; the beef was lovely and the Yorkshire pub was also really good, but as a lover of veg, I was a bit let down. The gravy was super tasty, but was really thin and didn't really stick to anything, so didn't really add any flavour to the rest of the food, which was a real shame. I'll definitely be going back for drinks, a night out, coffee in the afternoon - but probs not for Sunday Lunch.

This 3 stars is based on the roast, I need to go back and enjoy it for the great pub it seems to be…read moreand update my stars! I've become a bit of a roast dinner snob lately and although the rare beef (which tasted deliciously rare but wasn't pink) and Yorkshire were really lovely, veg is important to me. I got powdery potatoes, soggy carrots and parsnips and tasteless cabbage. It's like they knew because they hid it underneath the ginormous Yorkshire and tender beef (which made it all even soggier!). It was all a bit luke warm too. We paid extra for cauliflower cheese but this was just raw cauliflower with a tiny bit of cheese sauce dribbled on top. The veggie roast and burger didn't look great either. And how can it be called the Hen and Chicken and chicken isn't an option on the roast menu? It's lamb or beef! Maybe it's to protect the chickens! We went for a family birthday meal and I had a great time. The staff were accommodating to our big table and the service was good. The pub itself is very cool. The decor is quite wooden and arty and there's a nice beer garden out the back. Upstairs they do comedy and that looks like a very fun and popular thing to do of an evening. The bar was fully stocked and the drinks were nice. Overall I'd dodge the food but definitely go again for an amazing atmosphere and very cool place to hang out with friends and family. Kids are welcome so bring everyone!

Seriously cool. Like seriously. It's hidden in the middle of…read morethe Bristol Harbour Hotel, and I would have had no clue it was there if I wasn't staying. All I'm saying is I'm glad I did. What a find! I was literally the only one in there (on a Monday) which was a shame as I imagine when the word gets out about this place, the cocktail crowd will flock here of a weekend. Some great sounding cocktails on the menu, along with plenty of classics. I went for the brass money, which was a deliciously delicate and smooth combo of Monkey Shoulder, PX sherry, aperol and grapefruit bitters, perfectly blended for one of the most moreish cocktails I've had in a while. Prices are dece too - talking £9 a pop for the specialities and £7-8 for the classics. Well worth a visit and a cracking addition to the growing Bristol cocktail scene