10 of us made a much overdue first visit to Urban Standard last week and absolutely loved it. It's very understated from the outside. A big black sign sits above the big open widows, but with barely any writing or branding. You'd really have to look for it if you didn't know it was there. Inside the decor is dark with some weird and wonderful stuff on the wall. They had loud house/electronic music on which I loved. The atmosphere was really casual but really buzzy! I've never ordered ribs at a restaurant before. I generally don't think you get enough meat and I'm not a big fan of BBQ sauce. But something felt different in the Urban Standard and I felt compelled to order the half rack. So order I did! And it was one of the most enjoyable meals I've had in ages! The ribs are ridiculously meaty, lots of meat on top as well as in between each rib. The sauce was nice and spicy and not too thick that there was more on your fingers than on the meat! I really liked the fact they gave you a side pot of the same sauce for the chips! The chips were also really good and for a around £9 it was a really decent feed! I had a couple of gin and tonics which was Bombay Safire and tonic. Nothing out if the ordinary. They do have a little micro brewery and if really like to try the ales, I just wasn't in the mood. Next time! This is definitely one of the hottest new places in Gloucester Road. It's a bit different to anywhere else and I applaud them for that! If they keep the same music at the same volume, I'll definitely be a regular! read more

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We stumbled across this little place whilst thinking of a venue to have birthday meal. Formally an amusement arcade this little place has undergone extensive refurbishment. You are now greeted with a very hip establishment with bench seats and local arty farty works adorning the walls. They have a very interesting but expensive drinks selection. Including some very fine Orchard Pig cider £4.20 a bottle.But tonight for me was about the grub. I opted for a burger with cheese. And it wern't all that bad. But it wern't as good as Start The Bus ! I like my burgers with plenty on juice and for me this was just a tiny bit dry. Others opted for the Pulled Pork Mac and cheese which was pretty good, and decent sized portions. Overall it was a nice plesent dining experience. But then again i've had these in the cafe at tesco, so I wont personally be hurrying back. read more

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I really liked Urban Standard! We popped in quite early on a Saturday night, so it was really easy to get a table (although it filled up quite soon afterwards, so I imagine it might not be the best choice of venue if you have a large group) I loved: - It is a really nice atmosphere - it has uber-hipster décor but it still manages to be relaxing. - The food is lovely! We ordered a few of the small plates to share...they were all excellent...so we ordered some more. - In particular the truffle oil mac and cheese was lovely (I'm not normally a fan of truffle oil, but they used the perfect amount so it was really tasty, but not too overpowering.) - I really liked their cocktails - they have a good variety of herbs to mix with their gins...and each of the 4 cocktails I tasted were lovely. The only things I didn't love about it: - It was really cold! I guess this would be fine if I had drank a little more, but even after a couple of drinks I was still pretty chilly. - If you order one of their cocktails they automatically give you the double shots, unless you specify that you'd like a single. read more

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We have visited here on a few occasions, both for food and drinks and have never been disappointed. The food has always been really good although I have to say I've always had the macaroni cheese with truffles and pulled pork, and it is quite simply Devine! It's a really big portion, which could easily feed two for a light meal, but I am a piggy!! And at £9 it's really good value! My partner had the BBQ ribs, which he really enjoyed they were meaty and tender and the BBQ sauce was tasty but not sickly sweet as can sometimes be, served with a good portion of chips as well. The down side of this place is it's quite dark and maybe a bit dingy, I suppose this is the look they are going for, but with some sunny beer terraces over the road I have to say I'm probably more inclined to visit on of those. They offer a good selection if locally brewed beer and a good selection if spirits as well. This is a great place for a bite to eat (macaroni cheese) stop and a visit for a couple of drinks, but I wouldn't spend all night here. read more

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This primarily gets five stars because of the gin selection and the staff. Although the food looks pretty insanely good. It would be one of my picks for a gin along this street. It's an American style bar/eatery with their own semi Scottish twist to things (well there's thistles on the wall). When the room is full it has a great atmosphere but when there isn't many groups it can feel quite empty. Not to worry though because it just means you get food and drinks quicker and can have a decent conversation with the bar. They have 7or so gins to chose from with their own specific garnishes. Yay respect to the garnish! The gins includes a local from Bristol and various others including Gin Mare. Their house gin is served with fever tree and a slash of rhubarb tonic and it's dangerously moorish. Food wise, there are lots of burger-y, mac and cheese-y type things but there is also some great looking sharing platters that are perfect for picking at over drinks and fairly substantial (probably not enough for two people's dinner but depends on how hungry you are). They also do a Sunday roast which I don't doubt would be excellent. read more

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Very trendy bs7 establishment !! Possibly the hippest on Gloucester rd . The dark decor sits perfectly with the industrial concrete ceilings and exposed electrical trays . The miss match tables and chairs bring all of this together very nicely . The bar is well stocked but not with the normal standard of top shelf spirits , they have gone to great lengths to source all sorts of liquor to enhance your drink up to the next level of trendy . All the beers are again not your staple bar dwellers and the 'frontier' lager is really quite nice . As for the food ....again it is really good I've now had the 'truffled mac and cheese with pulled pork ' and 'rack em up' The mac n cheese is very very rich with a really strong cheese sauce and truffle oil , and the pulled pork is epic . The ribs are the best ribs I've ever eaten , meaty and delicious and the sweet corn succotash as an side goes perfectly !! Throw in a little live music and it would be a real winner read more

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After trying and failing to get into a few places in Southville on a Tuesday night, we thought we would give the Standard a go. The menu is my kind of relaxed food with specials on offer too. The decor is relaxed and pretty chilled. The staff were smiley and it was busy but with more people drinking than eating. I ordered the Truffled Mac n Cheese and made it "Dirty" by adding pulled pork for an extra few quid. It was lush and very satisfying, the only downside was I was too full to order dessert!! My Dad had the Crayfish Baguette which came with chips - it was very tasty again but a bit of a messy meal to get your chops round (not recommended for things like first dates!). Good drink choices too and a lot of seating out front for those few summer evenings. Recommended! Whoops just realised this review is for the Gloucester Rd Standard but we visited the Southville one. read more

Came here with a friend for Sunday breakfast and was very impressed. The food took a little while to arrive (although we were warned about this before ordering) but when it did, everything was tasty and excellently cooked. Amazing coffee too. My only suggestion would be adding some fresh smoothies to the breakfast/brunch menu. The decor is nice although it does feel a bit dark inside. However, I think that's the vibe they're going for! read more

Always really impressed with these guys. Every time I've gone in there, they are serving a top dish with their own personal touch to it. Their burgers aren't just burgers. The meat they use is incredible throughout the range. I had a roast dinner there with my girlfriend last week and we couldn't believe the portions. Almost every other place in Bristol offers a piddly portion of vegetables, and usually just boiled. Urban Standard serve out dedicated vegetable pots full of cheesy, flavoursome, roasted goodness. Go for the pork roast if it is there. Delicious!!! Going again in a week or so read more