Hi guys,

Need to pull my finger out and get a table booked somewhere for valentines next weekend… any suggestions for a nice place?

I’ve eaten out in many places down here so am lacking inspiration. Nowt too falshy, just somewhere we can have a nice cosy meal.

Cheers in advance!

that would be *not* eaten out in many places…

severn shed?
bit pricey but great food
mrs b liked it

Severnshed is pricey but I’ve heard food is good. Ahem, the, coff, Mud Dock is always a nice place to take a date – food is good and it’s not too flashy, really nice interior in the restaurant too.

Hmmm…where else, check out the Bistro set-price menu at the Hotel-du-Vin….I know I know, but you might find it’s a little less expensive than you think…would you get away with taking her out on Friday night instead of Saturday?

Otherwise, buy Venue mate, there’s always good recommendations in there. Or look in thisisbristol.co.uk

i used to know lots of people who worked in the severnshed,
they would never recommend eating there 😀

Homepage

this is a nice place, thoroughly enjoyed my meal up there,
was so much better than the bland restaurants

deacons is meant to be good aswell

my experience of bristol is a few years out so dont hold me to my recommendations

yeah Mud Dock is v good – just depends how your gf reacts to its proximity to a bikeshop for a valentine venue

Mud Dock used to be my absolute banker first-date-restaurant. Never failed to impress – well chilled out.

colande’s recommendations are bang-on. Sands is great – lebanese/north african cuisine. The Mezze for Two is a great meal, really good for sharing which always encourages chatting. Never been to Deacons but it’s not cheap either. Never heard a bad word about it though.

And, I didn’t want to hammer the first recommendation, but I’m with colande on severnshed…

Cafe Rendezvous – authentic Chinese restaurant in Kings’ Road.

nah hammer away !
only been to severn shed once i thought food was exceptional but youve got me worried now

goes to get coat

bordeaux quay is good – bistro is cheaper and good imo.

Severn shed is always good

Cathay rendezvous is excellent for chinese

Goldbrick house is good, posh but quite expensive.

Pizza provencale is simple but excellent

Muset is byo and does excellent food.

That should do for a start 🙂

and ditto sands. Top nosh and you can smoke a big pipe after 🙂

I’ve had a couple of nice meals in Budokan – can’t remember the street but it’s just down the road from that Zero Degrees microbrewery place.

How about Queens Square Dining Room? Hotel Du Vin? El Puerto? Raymond Blancs place in Cabot Circus?

Kona TC – Member
Cafe Rendezvous – authentic Chinese restaurant in Kings’ Road.

if you want authentic chinese food in bristol then it’s got to be
http://www.mayflower-bristol.co.uk/

edit

bigeyedbeans – Member
nah hammer away !
only been to severn shed once i thought food was exceptional but youve got me worried now

goes to get coat

i knew a few waiting/bar staff there, aswell as some chefs,
and heard some bad things, just your normal kitchen stories,
but it kinda puts you off. 😀

Please do not give your hard-earned cash to the owner of Bordeuax Quay – I bought into his bollox when he opened that place up, then I was unfortunate enough to hear him speak at the Organic Food thing last Summer.

I shan’t be darkening his door again

[wonders if he ever bumps into his fellow STWer’s while wandering the streets of Bristol]

One Stop Thali – nice food, cheerful place.

er, i’m guessing the vast majority on here don’t know legs, and, er, if you did, you’d realise how cheap he is… 😛

suggest somewhere nice and cheap for him, eh???

maccy D’s?

😉

(ps, given the forum changes, i’m not 100% confident it is my mate, however, bristol, ‘legs’, and something to do with a GF (given that she is pretty new) i’m guessing it is. if it isn’t, then sorry…!! 😉 )

Another vote for Sands, and for One Stop Thali (the Easton one on St Markes Road is great)
Cafe Maitreya (also on St Marks Road Easton)if you want posh veggie nosh
Culinaria on Chandos Road, Redland for top quality nosh at reasonable prices (one of my all time favourite meals)
Max’s Bistro, Worrall Road, off Blackboy Hill – great Italian but you won’t get pizzas
The Picture House – Whiteladies Road – great food in a lovely relaxing environment – and proper beer into the bargain
The Kensington – Kensington Road, Redland, gastro pub which also does decent beer and some great nosh in a pubby environment.
Thai Classic on Whiteladies – fantastic Thai food and affordable
Moreish – relaxed bistro on Chandos Road
Ocean on Blackboy Hill – next to Ocean estate agents – for great tapas
Riverstation is much better than its neighbour Severnshed IMO
Fishers on Princess Victoria Street is a lovely seafood restaurant – not pretentious like the now failed Fishworks
Also Primrose Cafe on Boyce’s Avenue in Clifton does fabulous fish in a relaxed cafe type environment.

Ah yes – Zero Degrees! Forgot that (How could I!?). Fairly cheap, good food and good beer. Only thing is that it tends to be very noisy.

Booked a table at the Riverstation two weeks ago for Valentines day, and they said it was pretty much full then. Form an orderly queue…… 😉

Ah, Riverstation – best chips I’ve ever had (and the rest of the food isn’t bad but the chips are just perfection)

You’ll be lucky getting anywhere that needs booking at this stage, Browns is always good for me reasonably priced, great food plus you won’t have to book, although it will be busy.

In fact it’s the only place I’ll eat out in Bristol when I do, which isn’t often.

KINGTUT – Member
Browns is always good for me reasonably priced, great food plus you won’t have to book, although it will be busy.

In fact it’s the only place I’ll eat out in Bristol when I do, which isn’t often.

dont mean to “hammer” down on people’s restaurant choices, 🙂
i wouldn’t recommend browns,
in a past life I used to work there as a chef(ssshhhhh),
and i just wouldn’t.
very little love or even thought has gone into the food,
and from what i hear much is now bought in a la boil in the bag,
i know the deserts were.

there was very little emphasis on producing good food when i was there!
but it could have changed (but i doubt it 😀 )

Susprised no-one’s mentioned Bocanova at the tope of Colston Street yet – really good..

Bell’s Diner didn’t get a very good write up at all in the Guardian the other week.

The only problem I’ve found with zero degrees is that often their (micro brewed on the premises) beer has *seriously* disagreed with me. Quite good pizza though.

bocanova has been sold,

the owner still has the bocabar over out on the bath road,
really good food

bocanova has been sold

🙁

What is it now? (I moved away in July)..

Second Bocabar @ Paintworks. Good food and choice of beers. Best avoided during the day, unless you have kids in whohc cas eits brilliant as the layout lends itself to prams and toddlers running about 😉

Tastystop on North street.

Captain Cod in Avonmouth.

best Chinese by far in Bristol is the new emperor court in Clifton village, however not really that ideal for a date, and the interior is very very 80’s.

The Bridge Cafe or Primrose Cafe would be safe bets, good luck getting a booking tho. Also Strada is excellant.

or you could go for a more authentic meal, and pop into pieminster pies on stokes croft

Casamia in Westbury – it’s just been awarded a Michelin star.
Bordeaux Quay is fantastic – expensive upstairs or cheaper bistro downstairs.
Culinaria seems to always get rave reviews
El Puerto has superb tapas but a bit too lively for Valentine’s IMO.
Glass Boat is a pathetic shadow of its former glory – avoid.
Goldbrick House is ok but over-priced for the quality of food.
Mud Dock has average food and consistently dreadful service. I won’t be going back.

Best thing to do is have a read of the restaurant reviews at http://www.crackerjack.co.uk

Personally, I never go out for Valentine’s – much more thoughtful to cook a great meal for your other half. I usually get some really good fish from the farmers’ market and buy a bottle of good champagne.

Nice mexican restaurant on Gloucester road-great food but noisey-book ahead for quiet table?

Barrique la bistro? Delmonicos both on Glos Road. Juniper is very nice also

zero degrees! cheap, good food and a huge choice of beer!!!! goin tomorrow or the g/fs birthday,

anyone tried that north african place in st nicks market?

not a valentines tip just wondered if its any good

Zero degrees is awful at weekends as it is so loud (building design) that you have to literally scream any conversation and its full of drunks. I had the misfortune to use it a couple of weekends ago and the service was so bad we did not even leave a tip. The people next to us set the table on fire! It was impossible to get a waiter to pay attention to order the dessert. Never again.

Browns food is fine if you just want nice straightforward traditional UK food. A bit noisy at times, but very nice surroundings and the waiting staff are always very nice. Lots of lovely real palm plants.

Cafe Rouge is ok.

I wont use the Mud Dock as its connected to the not very helpful bike shop.

Second what Midnighthour says above about Zero Degrees. Nice place, good food but it can be heaving at weekends and as a result you get very poor service.