Dog friendly restaurants in Bristol Published 01 February 2025
Bristol’s restaurants are known for their relaxed, welcoming vibe, and many extend that hospitality to diners with dogs in tow. With a mix of creative menus, comfortable settings, and a dog-friendly attitude, these spots make it easy to enjoy a meal without leaving your four-legged friend at home.
From the inventive small plates at Root Bristol to the Mediterranean-inspired dishes at Muiño, these restaurants offer great food in spaces where dogs are made to feel at ease. Explore our guide to the best dog-friendly restaurants in Bristol and find the perfect place to dine with your canine companion.
Smoky open-fire cooking in a cool, modernist diner
Readers love the ‘imaginative, beautifully presented food’, excellent service and ‘exceptional value for money’ on offer at this cool, independent sharing-plates diner, adding that it's a ‘welcome add… Read more
Readers love the ‘imaginative, beautifully presented food’, excellent service and ‘exceptional value for money’ on offer at this cool, independent sharing-plates diner, adding that it's a ‘welcome addition to Totterdown’. Once inside, the modernist decor – all shiny hard surfaces, high ceilings and spotless white walls – feels a world apart from the noise and traffic of the city. It's not too cool though. This is a neighbourhood joint where you're welcome to drop in for a snack and an early-evening cocktail, while Sunday means roasts for lunch – although these are given highly distinctive, ‘experimental’ treatment (think smoked short rib with wasabi mustard or Middle White pork belly with black garlic and miso).
Chef Jack Briggs-Horan's inventive and constantly changing menu is a head-spinning mash-up of eclectic global flavours and surprising textures. Dishes such as 'daikon piccata' with green beans, tomato/peanut sauce and green harissa may sound wacky but they (mostly) taste delicious. Care is taken to use local, seasonal ingredients and the kitchen boasts an open fire, where smoked and charred components add an extra dimension to dishes ranging from burrata with chicory, pickled blackcurrant and 'wonderful' smoked beetroot to larger plates of smoked goat with tandoori carrot, blood-orange pickle and black garlic.
Snacks and desserts also get the open-flame treatment – from charred olives to a whipped, burnt Basque cheesecake served with charred strawberries and Szechuan syrup. The short, keenly priced wine list is augmented by an enticing selection of unusual cocktails, local beers and ciders. Visit at lunchtime or early evening to take advantage of the good-value fixed-price menus.
Chewy sourdough crusts with imaginative toppings cooked in the eponymous white-domed, ground-floor oven make this hip Neapolitan-style pizzeria a perennial local favourite. Loud music, slick service and limited starters, sides and… Read more
Chewy sourdough crusts with imaginative toppings cooked in the eponymous white-domed, ground-floor oven make this hip Neapolitan-style pizzeria a perennial local favourite. Loud music, slick service and limited starters, sides and puddings encourage you to stay just long enough to wolf down a quirkily named pizza – perhaps 'You had me at chorizo' or 'Benny and the courgettes' (with mascarpone, mozzarella, courgettes, hazelnuts and red onion pickle). If you’ve got room (doubtful), homemade gelato flavours might include Malteser or strawberries and cream. Inventive cocktails and soft drinks or local beers and ciders are a better bet than the indifferent, no-choice red or white wine.
Now into its second decade, this little slice of Spain off Whiteladies Road is a Bristol institution. 'The best seats in the house are the ones you can't book,' advises one regular, so arrive early to bag a countertop stool by … Read more
Now into its second decade, this little slice of Spain off Whiteladies Road is a Bristol institution. 'The best seats in the house are the ones you can't book,' advises one regular, so arrive early to bag a countertop stool by the front window – or at the bar, for the most authentic tapas experience. Outside, there are also plenty of tables on the now permanently pedestrianised street. Everyone loves the 'lively vibe', where dim lights, pop music and the cluttered counter in front of an exposed stone wall transport you to the backstreets of Madrid. The constantly changing tapas menu relies on fabulously sourced ingredients drawn from all parts of Spain. Expect southern delicacies such as crispy deep-fried fingers of aubergine with molasses ('delectable morsels of heavenly goodness'), alongside slow-cooked chicken and fried almonds in a delightfully piquant sauce of Menorcan Mahón cheese. Alongside the kitchen's unexpected take on the classics, there's much praise for the wide selection of imaginative vegetarian dishes including chickpea pipirrana (a Spanish summer salad) with wakame, as well as beautifully presented cheeses. Pudding options are limited, but you can try all of them by ordering a dessert board. Otherwise, round off with a pair of salted caramel truffles and a glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry. The 'brilliantly put together' drinks list features an impressive selection of Spanish sherries, beers, brandies and wines, as well as lengthy gin menu. Related to Gambas on Wapping Wharf.
‘Cash chemists’ proclaims the 1920s mosaic tiling at the entrance to Caper and Cure – a reminder that the site was famously a pharmaceutical drop-in where poorly folk could procure their remedies without prescrip… Read more
‘Cash chemists’ proclaims the 1920s mosaic tiling at the entrance to Caper and Cure – a reminder that the site was famously a pharmaceutical drop-in where poorly folk could procure their remedies without prescription. The pill boxes and potions are long gone, of course, and the place is now in the business of nourishing the local community with expertly crafted food. Owner Giles Coram has created a bijou shabby-chic success story here, an ‘absolute little gem,’ genially run by a band of helpful, happy staff. Dishes are whisked out of a tiny open kitchen at the back of the restaurant, and they never fail to please: nibble on chorizo croquettes before tackling some scallops enriched with brown crab butter or a serving of cured gilthead bream with smoked caviar and pickled kohlrabi. To follow, regulars continue to rave about the onglet steak and the pan-fried gnocchi, although the day’s market fish served with pink fir potatoes, capers and Muscadet sauce is always a seasonal winner. A scoop of frozen vodka and lemon sorbet makes the perfect palate-cleanser ahead of, say, tonka bean panna cotta with Yorkshire rhubarb. Casual midweek suppers receive lots of support and everyone dotes over the Sunday roasts – and why not, when the menu promises Quantock pork belly, chicken ballotine or dry-aged rump cap with their time-honoured accoutrements. Drinks are top-notch too, with brews from the Bristol Beer Factory alongside some perky wines at keen prices. ‘I would go here every week if I could,’ confesses one loyal local.
At the hip end of North Street, this cool but relaxed small-plates diner has created something of a tidal wave of enthusiasm since opening in October 2022. It feels like a breath of fresh air, with a spare, white interior and larg… Read more
At the hip end of North Street, this cool but relaxed small-plates diner has created something of a tidal wave of enthusiasm since opening in October 2022. It feels like a breath of fresh air, with a spare, white interior and large plate glass windows that flood the space with light. You can book a table or simply drop in and bag one of the countertop stools if you fancy a quick plate of something delicious – perhaps a fennel salami croquette or a scallop served on the shell in a pool of miso and caper butter, with its crispy deep-fried roe balanced on the side. Chef-patron Mark Chapman honed his small-plate chops at tapas joints Bravas and Gambas in the city. Now he and partner Karen have struck out on their own, he is able to blend his expertise with some fine-dining flourishes – witness a simple salad of chicory, fennel, blood orange and almond, which appears on the plate like a beautiful tangle of blush-hued octopus tentacles. It's also worth tucking into heartier dishes such as slow-cooked pork cheeks, each one nestled in a leaf of treviso and topped with shards of pickled fennel. Or try a plate of handmade tagliatelle bathed in a minerally, deep-green cavolo nero sauce enriched with confit egg yolk and ricotta salata – plus a spicy kick from lima chilli. Your commitment to sharing may be tested by desserts such as orange, nutmeg and pistachio tiramisu or dark chocolate and salted caramel tart with crème fraîche and almonds. Like the menu, the drinks list is big on sustainability and draws heavily on local producers: think Psychopomp gin, Iford cider and beers from the Wiper & True craft brewery in Bristol. Almost half the mainly European wine list is available by the glass.
Handy for a classy train snack to go, this excellent bakery next to Bristol Temple Meads station is also a hugely popular destination in its own right. Inside, it’s simply decorated with moveable counters on castors and a gl… Read more
Handy for a classy train snack to go, this excellent bakery next to Bristol Temple Meads station is also a hugely popular destination in its own right. Inside, it’s simply decorated with moveable counters on castors and a gleaming coffee machine in front of the open-plan workspace. There are also a few tables inside and a couple of outdoor benches for those who want to linger over their doorstep sourdough toasties or cinnamon buns. Open from early doors till 3pm, its daily menu of baked goodies is supplemented by lunch specials such as chicken and tomato broth with asparagus and peas. Coffee is from the local Extract roastery.
Chris Davies built up a business selling handmade pasta at local markets, as well as delivering pasta boxes to people’s homes. A dream of opening a little restaurant/bar was finally realised when he opened on Bristol's Chand… Read more
Chris Davies built up a business selling handmade pasta at local markets, as well as delivering pasta boxes to people’s homes. A dream of opening a little restaurant/bar was finally realised when he opened on Bristol's Chandos Road (next door to Wilsons). The short menu features the chef’s famed pasta in dishes such as pappardelle with Creedy Carver duck leg ragù or mafalde with cuttlefish ragù, chilli, capers, brown crab and bottarga. The set lunch is excellent value.
Visitors are greeted like old friends at this intimate neighbourhood tapas joint offering a compact menu of Spanish and Moorish-inspired nibbles and sharing plates with a home-cooked vibe. Get stuck into a hearty portion of, say, … Read more
Visitors are greeted like old friends at this intimate neighbourhood tapas joint offering a compact menu of Spanish and Moorish-inspired nibbles and sharing plates with a home-cooked vibe. Get stuck into a hearty portion of, say, salty Padrón peppers, chargrilled mackerel with chermoula or chipotle chicken skewers with mint yoghurt and harissa; otherwise, simply drop by for a cocktail, a jamón croqueta (or two) and a pudding – say a generous crema catalana. An enjoyable selection of good-value wines by the glass adds to the pleasure of visiting this local haunt.
All aboard this upmarket ark-shaped eatery for seriously classy seafood
Replacing much-loved greasy spoon Lockside (immortalised in Only Fools and Horses as Sid's Café), this upmarket yet down-to-earth fish and chip joint (with add-ons) deserves to inspire just as much affection. Wood… Read more
Replacing much-loved greasy spoon Lockside (immortalised in Only Fools and Horses as Sid's Café), this upmarket yet down-to-earth fish and chip joint (with add-ons) deserves to inspire just as much affection. Wooden-clad, with large porthole windows at the front, it looks like an ark that has somehow drifted out of the Cumberland basin and got wedged underneath a flyover. Inside, the attention to detail – from the pretty stoneware salt cellars to the tropical fish wallpaper in the ladies' loo – creates a delightful backdrop.
The short menu is dictated by what's come off the boats in Brixham and Newlyn that morning. Don't skip the starters – chef-owner Daniel Rosser's time in the kitchens of London's Sabor and the Seahorse in Dartmouth shines through in dishes such as a rich and spicy Cornish fish soup loaded with hefty chucks of cod, mussels and a large croûton topped with pungent aïoli. Main courses include deep-fried chip shop staples, say cod loin or haddock fillet in a delightfully light batter, plus hand-cut chips (from sacks of potatoes you can see piled near the kitchen), homemade mushy peas and tartare sauce served on a scallop shell.
However, it's the grilled dishes that really impress: a fat whole Cornish sole, adorned with a vibrant green garlic and herb butter, is beautifully fresh and light. Puddings are schoolroom favourites of the sticky toffee pudding variety, although the dark chocolate mousse with clotted-cream ice cream is a decidedly adult affair. The short but thoughtfully assembled wine list is predominantly white, with more than half offered by the glass.
Housed on the ground floor of the Grade II-listed former Bristol General Hospital (now an upmarket apartment complex), Peter Sánchez-Iglesias’s high-class harbourside tapas bar aims to transport you to Spain. The thic… Read more
Housed on the ground floor of the Grade II-listed former Bristol General Hospital (now an upmarket apartment complex), Peter Sánchez-Iglesias’s high-class harbourside tapas bar aims to transport you to Spain. The thick stone arch entrance has now been softened by an outdoor seating area that's perfect for summer. Inside, there’s a buzzy atmosphere with pop music playing, high stool seating (even at the restaurant tables) and no-nonsense paper menus and napkins. Things may feel casual, but the immaculately sourced, precisely cooked and artfully presented dishes are ambitious and ambitiously priced: this is, after all, part of the Sánchez-Iglesias stable. The best seats in the house are at the stainless steel counter overlooking the open kitchen, where you can watch the chefs working the wood-fired grill, preparing such delights as octopus a la gallega or quail stuffed with sobrasada and dates. The daily changing menu includes traditional favourites (patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo etc) alongside modern, seasonal creations including asparagus on a pillow of whipped ricotta dressed with grass-green wild garlic coulis and crispy strips of jamón. Make sure to leave room for the small but intensely enjoyable chocolate mousse stabbed with shards of olive-oil toast. Service is efficient and friendly. The lengthy wine list, which you will need a magnifying glass to read, includes a carefully chosen selection of sherries, served by the glass or, should the mood take you, in a cocktail.
Housed in the Tardis-like basement of a Whiteladies Road townhouse, this is the latest and largest venture from the Bianchis Group, replacing the much-loved Pasta Loco round the corner. Aficionados of Loco and its sister Pasta Rip… Read more
Housed in the Tardis-like basement of a Whiteladies Road townhouse, this is the latest and largest venture from the Bianchis Group, replacing the much-loved Pasta Loco round the corner. Aficionados of Loco and its sister Pasta Ripiena will recognise the brown paper lampshades, white walls adorned with monochrome photos, slatted wood ceilings and numerous shelves groaning with wines, tinned tomatoes and other Italian delights. Ask the ‘attentive and knowledgeable’ waiting staff for a table in the back if you want to watch the chefs at work in the large open kitchen.
The promise of a list of global ingredients to point up the light, fresh and immaculately sourced modern cooking is lightly honoured – say, with a drop of cider in a dish of bucatini with braised cuttlefish, cream and agretti. Otherwise, it’s Italian all the way, from a snack of oyster mushroom fritti to a beautiful blush-hued radicchio insalata with mustard fruits, hazelnuts, apple and stracciatella. The short selection of desserts might include a perfectly wobbly limoncello panna cotta paired with rustic, crumbly rosemary and pistachio shortbread.
A predominantly Italian wine list is helpfully divided into light, medium and heavy, with a handful by the glass or 500ml carafe, plus ‘Nonna’s list’ of budget-blowing bottles. Cocktails are on special offer on Monday nights, and there are excellent-value fixed-price lunches from Tuesday to Friday.
Co-owned by Josh Eggleton, this on-trend shipping-container eatery is bedded into Bristol’s waterfront Cargo development. Pared-down Scandi-style interiors give way to alfresco tables with views of the docks and the local sc… Read more
Co-owned by Josh Eggleton, this on-trend shipping-container eatery is bedded into Bristol’s waterfront Cargo development. Pared-down Scandi-style interiors give way to alfresco tables with views of the docks and the local scene, but nothing distracts from the restaurant’s novel, forward-thinking USP. Small plates are to be expected, but here you'll find a full contingent of plant-based dishes taking centre stage, with two or three fish options making up the numbers (perhaps grilled whole Cornish mackerel with fennel, chimichurri and burnt lemon). Local and seasonal ingredients are the short menu’s building blocks, and the result is food that sings with bright, clear, vibrant modern flavours. Snack on some celeriac skewers or breaded shiitake mushrooms (from the Bristol Fungarium) before tackling the serious stuff. Jerk carrots with plum ketchup and lime typifies the house style, otherwise there might be beetroot with fermented honey and walnut butter, a risotto of braised Roscoff onions or a pairing of grilled leeks with ‘green goddess’ dressing and a sprinkling of flaked almonds and croûtons. Desserts are mostly updated takes on the classics, from pear and ginger sponge with butterscotch sauce to a twisted version of Swiss roll involving raspberry, mascarpone sorbet and almonds. The wine list chimes with the restaurant’s ethos, so expect low-intervention, organic and biodynamic bottles mostly sourced from local suppliers. Note that Root is now a cashless set-up.
Unpretentious but ambitious food-focused pub with a wood-fired grill
Not to be confused with The Clifton hotel nearby, this revamped pub and restaurant opened in July 2023. It’s the third venture from Sarah and Tom Watts-Jones (owners of two successful south Wales dining pubs) and is ‘p… Read more
Not to be confused with The Clifton hotel nearby, this revamped pub and restaurant opened in July 2023. It’s the third venture from Sarah and Tom Watts-Jones (owners of two successful south Wales dining pubs) and is ‘pushing boundaries without being pretentious’ – as one reader perceptively noted. The decor is tastefully understated: a white, high-ceilinged bar area leads to an open kitchen and sage-panelled dining room tucked at the back of the pub, where bare wood tables are topped with pretty wildflower posies and candles.
The staff are keen to emphasise the kitchen's use of local suppliers (including produce from their own smallholding), its commitment to seasonality and its dedication to making stuff in-house. If nothing else, head chef Cory Scott is a top-notch baker – his rye soda bread, sourdough and cultured butter with tiny crystals of crunchy sea salt is worth the visit alone. At the heart of things is a large, wood-fired grill which adds smoky flavours to all manner of dishes – as in a starter salad of courgettes, lightly charred baby gem, broad beans and ewe’s curd. Main courses, such as a whole grilled plaice with cockles, mussels, laverbread and crispy leeks, are designed to be shared – so bring a friend to make sure you don’t miss out.
For afters, there could be summer fruit pavlova with Pimm’s sorbet or some well-chosen local cheese. Order a pint from the bar or pick something suitable from the predominantly French and Italian wine list, which offers more than 20 selections by the glass. The lunchtime and early-evening set menu is spectacularly good value.
A neighbourhood eatery that does one thing very well, this no-nonsense Japanese noodle bar offers six varieties of ramen and a handful of lip-smacking sides. Service is slick and turnover fast inside the narrow dining room with it… Read more
A neighbourhood eatery that does one thing very well, this no-nonsense Japanese noodle bar offers six varieties of ramen and a handful of lip-smacking sides. Service is slick and turnover fast inside the narrow dining room with its exposed brick walls, tightly packed tables and tiled bar. Chef/co-owner James Stuart creates richly nourishing broths in which all manner of aromatic ingredients (from spicy minced lamb soboro and ajitama egg to garlic chives and homemade chilli oil) nestle alongside the satisfyingly chunky wheat noodles. You won’t have space for sides but order them anyway: maybe oyster mushroom karaage with curried mayonnaise. Possibly the worst kept secret in east Bristol. Booking essential.
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