Best restaurants in Bristol Harbourside

Based inside Bristol's famous Arnolfini contemporary art gallery, the Arnolfini Café Bar spills out onto an al fresco decked area on the harbourside. This picturesque spot is the perfect place to come for coffee and cake during the day, or a pint or two in the evening. 

What more could you want than fish and chips by the Harbour? Salt and Malt at Cargo are offering a selection of small plates, along with a classic menus of cod, haddock and all the rest. Grab a table or pick up a box to go.

This South Western gem has a three-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, meaning you can dine in comfort knowing that everything you’re eating has been carefully and locally sourced. Regularly-changing menus reflect what’s in season, to make the most of the best ingredients of the area.

Run by award-winning chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, you know you’re going to be getting dishes a little bit more special than your average patatas bravas at this Bristol-based tapas bar. Plates here are colourful and bursting with flavour, showcasing the very best seasonal ingredients.

This Mediterranean restaurant boasts a delightful waterfront location, as well as a fantastic tapas menu to pick at with a drink. Boasting a large outdoor terrace, you can really embrace the sunshine whilst tucking into small plates of all your Spanish favourites.

Another star player in Bristol's exciting Cargo development on Wapping Wharf, Gambas serves authentic Spanish tapas, specialising in prawns, as the name might suggest. Take a seat out on the terrace to enjoy stunning sunset views from your seat.

Harbour House has an impressive array of choices - from pub classics to well stuffed sandwiches boasting a menu that offers something for everyone. With both indoor space and a covered terrace overlooking the river, you can't go too far wrong location-wise either.

At Riverstation, everything is made in house – whether that’s the bread you start your meal with or the ice cream you tuck into as a finale. This restaurant is housed in the former headquarters of the riverside police, affording it front-row seats to views of the harbour. 

For Harbourside views you don’t get much better than The River Grille, with its floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the water. Looking for a relaxing ambience, good food and occasional live music? The River Grille is sure to deliver. 

This all-day eatery offers menus of creative yet comforting cuisine with options of small plates, flatbreads and grills. Bright and vibrant, every inch of The Granary is bursting with colour from the tiled open kitchen to the funky seats at the Chef’s table.  

Putting veg at the centre of each dish, Root is a casual small plates restaurant in Bristol’s harbourside development which has a seasonally-led menu. There’s the occasional bit of fish or meat, but mostly this is all about fantastic local, seasonal veggies.

Another restaurant within the CARGO development, BOX-E has been winning plaudits since it opened in 2017. The 14-seater restaurant, run by a husband-and-wife team, comes complete with an open kitchen and is perfect if you're looking for something a little more special without breaking the bank.

Sometimes only a burger will satisfy a really intense hunger, and we’ve found the perfect place to get your fill. Three Brothers Burgers serve up incredible combos at really reasonable prices, all cooked from a permanently moored ship!

A floating restaurant and bar housed on Bristol’s Narrow Quay, Under the Stars serves tapas, cocktails and pizza from its indoor dining room or top deck al fresco terrace. A cosy and unique experience, with unrivalled views and excellent Mediterranean cuisine. 

If you’re just after a light bite, rather than a full evening meal, Harbourside Kitchen could be the perfect place to stop for lunch. Located alongside Brunel’s historic SS Great Britain, it’s a pretty novel location to tuck into the likes of soups, sandwiches and cakes. 

This one’s for the pizza lovers. Stable Pizza is a popular industrial-style pizzeria specialising in organic sourdough pizzas and cider. Toppings are locally-sourced and include slightly less traditional offerings like slow-roasted pulled beef and Naga harissa marinated jerk chicken.