Clifton Wine Bar in Bristol - Food Review

Posted on: 2015-02-20

Our rating:

Clifton Wine Bar could well be Bristol?s hidden gem. whether you need a place to watch the football with a pint, a place for a drink with your better half, or just a good bite to eat - this should be top of your list.


 

What’s in a name? ‘Wine Bar’. It conjures up images of 1980s yuppies and Del Boy wannabees. However, Clifton Wine Bar could well be Bristol’s hidden gem. 

The location is prime, set just back from Clifton Triangle, yet the outside décor is unassuming. This is a place many can and might well have walked past. But it’s to their detriment. Clifton Wine Bar is one of Bristol’s best restaurants and bars…and everybody should know about it.

Check out the awesome burgers at Clifton Wine Bar in Bristol

Step through the doors and you’re greeted by the familiar warm glow of a welcoming bar…like you’ve been there a hundred times already. The ambiance is perfect and the welcome offered by the knowledgeable staff is more than cordial. There are options of secluded tables for a drink, a bar area offering all the biggest sporting events on plasma screens, or an intimate dining area. All lovingly decorated and each one seems perfect for your requirements. 

This is billed as a wine bar, and the wine selection is broad without being daunting or pretentious. The staff are knowledgeable and will direct you to the best option available. There are many other choices for the less wine-friendly patron and they won’t be disappointed by what’s on offer. 

Now the real ‘hidden gem’ is the food. Put simply? It’s staggering. From casual bite to eat, to three-course celebration dinner, Clifton Wine Bar has it covered. The food on offer is spectacular. The Cajun calamari with citrus aioli? Melt in the mouth. Hummus with olives and flatbreads? Gloriously silky and leaves you wanting more. And that's just, quite literally, for starters. 

The mains on offer are all so well thought out it’s a chore to have to choose between them. You’ll have to come back again purely because you won’t want to feel like you’ve missed something. Their fall-apart pork belly with red cabbage, apple and pine nuts is tough to turn down. 

But…and it’s a big ‘but’…. Their burgers. Oh, their burgers. You will go a long way to find an equal, but you will never find a superior. From the perfect bun to the wonderful complimentary toppings, the burgers are too much to put in to words. The lovingly crafted beef patties are bordering on prime-cut steak in taste. Blue cheese, mushroom, bacon and Dijon mustard burger? Eat it. It will be the best fifteen minutes of your life so far. If it takes you that long that is.

So whether you need a place to watch the football with a pint, a place for a drink with your better half, or just a good bite to eat, this should be top of your list. Try it once and you will be back. 

5/5

Reviewed by James Anderson for 365Bristol the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol

 



Article by:

James Anderson

Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.