Can you smell love in the air? Or is that the scent of mouthwatering food wafting from Bristol’s incredible restaurants? If you’ve got a hot date or romantic anniversary coming up, you should be looking to wine and dine that special someone. Finding romantic restaurants in Bristol isn’t always easy, mind, maybe more than good food you want a great atmosphere too. So to avoid taking your loved one down the local fish and chip shop again – although that does sound like a great date too – we’ve rounded up some of the most romantic restaurants in Bristol.
1. Root
If you and your partner are vegan or vegetarian – or maybe just one of you is and you want to split the difference – head to Root in Wapping Wharf for a romantic evening. This vegan-friendly restaurant puts vegetables front-and-centre of almost all its small plates, though some fish and meat are still served.
There’s nothing less romantic than being over-bloated and suffering meat sweats after eating. So why not enjoy a seasonal, healthy yet equally tasty dining experience instead? Root also has a light and airy atmosphere, balanced with an intimate yet casual vibe.
Unit 9 Cargo 1, Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WP
2. Casa
For our money, the most romantic cuisine in the world is Italian and you won’t find better in Bristol than Casa. It might technically be brand new, but we see it as more of a spiritual successor to Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’s former Michelin-star restaurant Casamia. For modern Italian dining, Casa offers a relaxed environment with a bright and spacious interior. While a dynamic menu is filled with high-quality pasta and more. For an alternative fancy restaurant in Bristol, check out Casa’s Spanish sibling, Paco Tapas, next door on Lower Guinea Street.
The General, Lower Guinea Street, Bristol, BS1 6FU
3. Bulrush
If the term Michelin Star gets the butterflies going, you have to visit Bulrush for the ultimate romantic date. Well-known for blending Anglo-French cuisine with Japanese and Scandinavian influences, there’s a large focus on locally sourced and foraged ingredients. It’s also one of the UK’s cheapest Michelin-star restaurants – Bulrush’s tasting menu is £90 and an extra £70 for accompanying wines
21 Cotham Rd S, Cotham, Bristol BS6 5TZ
4. Bravas
Seating can be a tight squeeze at Bravas, especially with mountains of Spanish tapas plates stacking up on top of each other at the end of the evening. But when did getting up close and personal with your partner hurt the romance? This warm and cosy restaurant encourages diners to get down and dirty with its food; peeling off shrimp shells with their fingers and dangling ibérico ham into each other’s mouths (please don’t actually do this). Bravas is an exciting eating experience for anyone looking for romantic restaurants in Bristol.
7 Cotham Hill, Redland, Bristol BS6 6LD
4. The Lido
Not only is The Lido a fantastic place for a romantic meal in Bristol, but potentially a loving way to treat yourself and your partner. Start your day with a dip the in oldest surviving heated pool in the country. Afterwards head up to the viewing gallery, overlooking the pool, for some Spanish-style dining. It’s the closest you’ll come to the Mediterranean without leaving Bristol.
Oakfield Place, Clifton, BS8 2BJ
5. Wilsons
Ranked among Britain’s best restaurants, Wilsons is the perfect restaurant for couples concerned about where their food comes from. This neighbourhood restaurant in Redland grows all its vegetables, fruits and herbs for truly farm-to-table fine dining. While everything else on the menu is ethically and low-impact sourced.
A commitment to no food waste also produces some of the most enthralling and unexpected, regularly changing menus in Bristol. Light and airy inside, Wilsons’ small available seating means you can enjoy an intimate affair – while it brings new meaning to the phrase: ‘nicest restaurant in Bristol.’
24 Chandos Road, Bristol BS6 6PF
6. littlefrench
No one understands ‘love’ like the French. Combining a classic bistro with bohemia Bristol, littlefrench is a little slice of France in Westbury Park. With decor echoing Parisian charm and a menu offering pure cuisine bourgeoise, anyone craving an authentic French dining experience will fall in love in an instant.
2 North View, Westbury Park, Bristol BS6 7QB, United Kingdom
7. Mugshot
Some might consider a romantic date to involve quiet and intimate restaurants. For others, meanwhile, it’s all about spectacle: Creating a memory that neither of you will ever forget. Known for theatrical ‘hot stone dining’ – where your (often massive, always delicious) steak finishes cooking at the table – that’s exactly what you get at Mugshot.
After eating at this 1920s-style restaurant, take your romantic evening in Bristol a few doors to The Library. Sharing the same owners at Mugshot, the entrance is excitingly hidden behind a bookcase and continues the prohibition-era New York vibe. A simple yet romantic experience you’ll remember forever.
18 St Nicholas St, Bristol BS1 1UB
8. COR
It might be one of Bristol’s newest spots, but already COR is among its best restaurants loveliest. COR’s vibrant, Mediterranean dishes and neighbourhood restaurant vibe mean this is a cute spot perfect for your next romantic date in Bristol. If you’d prefer a more simple romantic evening out, why not just pop in for a glass of wine and charcuterie instead of a full-course meal?
81 North St, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1ES
9. Cargo Cantina
Snug and simple, Cargo Cantina serves frozen margaritas and the tastiest tacos in Bristol. Which sounds like a recipe for an amazing date if you ask us. Sometimes not overcomplicating it produces the most romantic restaurants – some spicy Mexican cuisine will crank the heat only higher. A small yet mighty menu and offers a delicious selection of tacos, such as trout ceviche tostada and braised chicken barbacoa tacos – with vegan options too. You’ll never forget your date at this Wapping Wharf joint unless, of course, you have one too many mezcals…
15 Cargo 2, Bristol BS1 6ZA
10. The Chef’s Table
Situated next to the harbour, with views of Clifton and the estuary, you’ll struggle to find a better table in Bristol. But it’s not outside you’ll find yourself gawping at. The Chef’s Table uniquely features viewing windows and cameras straight into the kitchen, so you can see all your dishes being created in front of you too. The 38-cover, Michelin-approved restaurant offers both an a la carte and seven-course tasting menu (£89.50), which changes every two months to reflect the season’s best local produce
1a Avon Cres, Bristol BS1 6XQ
11. BANK
After a bit of excitement to ignite the romance in your relationship? Everything at BANK is cooked over a ‘live fire’. If that doesn’t get you hot under the collar, we don’t know what will! It’s not all show either, because the live fire cooking restaurant serves up some divine dishes too.
It might use a primal way of cooking but BANK produces high-quality, modern food with family-style serving. Expect a modern fusion of flavours, with recent dishes including, chicken thigh yakitori, duroc pork belly and Galician octopus, and bone marrow with oxtail rendang and pineapple salsa.
107 Wells Rd, Totterdown, Bristol BS4 2BS
12. The Botanist
For the most romantic restaurants near Bristol, look no further than Channel 4’s official First Dates restaurant, The Botanist. Maître d’ Fred Sirieix and his team have been in the Bath restaurant in the latest series helping its diners find love. So maybe you can find love here too? Become lost among magical botanical-inspired interiors, twinkling fairy lights, exposed brick walls, and each other’s eyes, of course. And even if you can’t find love, you can still enjoy its famous hanging kebabs.
46a Milsom St, Bath BA1 1DN