Venue > Eating Out West > Bristol & Bath Restaurants

CATTLEMANS STEAKHOUSE
1-2 Queens Row, Triangle South, BS8 1EZ
Tel: 0117 929 1123, fax: 0117 983 1717
With good service, a friendly atmosphere and cuts of beef that range from an 8oz fillet to a 72oz monster that would give Homer Simpson a hard time, after two decades on the Triangle Cattlemans proves that the old-school steakhouse is still very much alive and kicking. There’s fish, chicken and more on the menu. too, but it’s the steaks that keep Bristol’s carnivores happy. Menu S: garlic mushrooms; ribs. M: steaks (8-72oz); chicken chasseur. P: chocolate coffee roulade; lemon cheesecake Price ALC: from approx £5/approx £15-£18/from approx £5 Wine list HW approx £11 btl Open Mon-Fri 6pm-late, Sun 12noon-3pm. Children welcome. Disabled access, but no toilets. Major credit cards (not Amex). Parties of 20+ welcome if pre-booked.

CHICAGO ROCK CAFE
Watershed, Canons Rd, BS1 5UH
Tel: 0117 929 1361, web: www.chicago-rock-cafe.co.uk
For the past decade and a half, this good-times stalwart has been popular with families by day, revellers by night, and is still first choice for many an office party/hen night/Christmas bash. Crowd-pleasing goodies on the menu satisfy all tastes (sharing platters, Tex-Mex faves, grills), while the party-on staff, rock memorabilia and classic hits blaring from the speakers let the good times roll (they can lower the volume in the restaurant, though, so it won’t spoil your enjoyment of those American dining faves). Hungry insomniacs should note that last orders for food (Mon-Sat) is 1.30am. Alfresco dining overlooking the docks. Menu S: sharing plates to mix ‘n’ match. M: burgers; chargilled chicken; salads and pasta. P: ice-creams; cheesecake Price ALC: from approx £3.85/from approx £4.85/from approx £2.95 - call or visit website for regular offers and deals Wine list HW approx £10 btl, from £2.75 gls Open Mon-Thur 11.30am-2am, Fri-Sat 11.30am-3am, Sun 12noon-3am. Children welcome till 8pm, highchairs available. Full disabled access & facilities. All major credit cards. Parties of 20+ welcome.

FIREHOUSE ROTISSERIE
Anchor Square, Harbourside, BS1 5DB
Tel: 0117 915 7323, web: www.firehouserotisserie.co.uk
Sister to the successful and popular Bath site. These California cooking specialists have had their quality fare acknowledged in the Good Food Guide, won Venue’s Best Newcomer gong in their first year, and continue to go from strength to strength. At the Bristol branch, rotisserie chicken and lamb, LA-style pizza and spicy south-western specials are served up in a large, casual, rustic dining room overlooking Millennium Square, with an outside patio/large outdoor dining area that seats around 60 upfront. Menus change seasonally, with the specials board offering daily surprises. Menu S: california caesar salad with herb croutons, shaved parmesan, creamy caesar dressing; stone-baked mozzarella, wrapped in prosciutto with rocket and balsamic dressing. M: gourmet brick-fired pizza (eg spicy baja chicken with avocado salsa, coriander, sour cream); half rotisserie free-range chicken with herbes de provence, crispy bacon, lemon and dijon tarragon aioli. P: double chocolate brownie; lemon cheesecake Price ALC: from £5.25/from £10.95/£5.50. Gourmet brick-fired pizzas from £9.95 Wine list HW £13.95 btl, £3.50 gls Open Daily 12noon-2.30pm & 6-11pm (closed Sun eves Oct-Apr). Children welcome, own menu options. Full disabled access & toilets. Baby changing. Major credit cards. Parties of 20+, usually Mon-Thur with prior booking.

FRANKIE & BENNY’S NEW YORK ITALIAN
Aspects Leisure Park, Longwell Green, BS15 9LA Tel: 01179 474680
Unit SU 83b, The Glass House, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BX Tel: 01179 549 800
Hengrove Leisure Park, Hengrove Way, BS14 0HR Tel: 01275 834725
The Venue, Merlin Rd, Cribbs Causeway, BS10 7SR Tel: 0117 959 1180, web: www.frankieandbennys.com
Ever-expanding, family-oriented, American 1950s-themed franchise restaurant. Specialise in home-style cooking ‘just like Mamma used to make it’. Service is second to none - nothing is too much trouble for the obliging and friendly staff. Just settle yourself into a booth and let them do the rest. Special occasion menus and deals abound; lunchtime menus include free refills on certain soft drinks and filter coffee. Popular with teens and families - a special kids’ menu starts at £3.95. Menu S: Little Italy mussels in tomato & pancetta sauce; tiger prawns diavolo. M: pizzas (New York Deli, Californian, American Hot); ribs; steaks; burgers; sandwiches; calzone. P: lemon torte; banana cheesecake Price from £2.95/from £7.65/from £3.25 Wine list HW approx £11 btl, good cocktail selection Open Cabot Circus: Mon-Thur 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10.30pm; Hengrove: Mon-Sat 12noon-11pm, Sun 11am-10.30pm; Longwell Green & Cribbs Causeway: Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10.30pm. Children welcome, own menu. Baby changing. Disabled access good - all on one level, disabled toilet. Major credit cards. Takeaway available. Parties of 20+ welcome.

GOURMET BURGER KITCHEN
Glass Walk, Cabot Circus, BS1 3BQ Tel: 0117 927 9997
74 Park St, BS1 5JX Tel: 0117 316 9162, www.gbkinfo.com
Bright, clean and minimalist, serving freshly cooked, exceptional burgers alongside milkshakes and a small but perfectly formed wine/beer range. Range of 28 burgers includes classic, vegetarian and an exclusive organic buffalo, wild boar and pork range. Small selection of nibbles to keep you occupied until the main event arrives. No desserts, but the milkshakes are a bit special and easily make up for the lack of puds. GBK has elevated the humble hamburger into a nutritious, sophisticated meal, using the best, freshest ingredients available. Aberdeen Angus beef, fresh English chicken and fresh veg are delivered each day; oversized sourdough buns are baked every morning by an artisan baker. The burgers and milkshakes are huge, and no meal is complete without the chunky-cut wedges dipped in the famous GBK blue cheese sauce. Small, dedicated kids’ menu. Menu S: cajun chicken pieces with sour cream & chilli dip; breaded mushrooms. M: burgers (all meat varieties made from 100% Aberdeen Angus beef) include the habanero (hot & spicy sauce, mozzarella, salad, mayo), falafel (with hummus, raita, fresh chilli sauce), aubergine & goat’s cheese and organic varieties Price from £2.95/from £5.95/sides (fries, salads, etc) from £2.35 Wine list HW £11.95 btl, £3.20 gls Open Cabot Circus: Mon-Fri 12noon-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm. Park St: till 11pm (Sun 10pm). Children welcome, own menu. Disabled access – call in adv. Major credit cards. Parties – book in adv.

ROCOTILLOS
1 Queens Row, Triangle South, Clifton, BS8 1EZ
Tel: 0117 929 7207
Small, much-loved 50s-style American diner renowned for its laidback but buzzing atmosphere and authentic diner fare. Breakfasts are a specialty: everything is cooked without any extra added fat - and that includes the fried eggs. Menu includes an early morning breakfast club deal, stacks of plain or blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup, and the all-day full English breakfast (double helpings of eggs, bacon, sausages and more). Won an Observer Food Monthly award for Best Breakfast in the UK. They don’t get much better than this, but to come here and not try the milkshakes is like visiting New York and missing the Empire State Building. Interior boasts booths, counter seating, satellite TV and lots of mirrors; food is made to order in an open kitchen. Breakfast served till 12noon. The homemade burgers are excellent, and flavours are fresh, fast and filling. Menu Cooked breakfasts; triple-decker sandwiches; quesadillas; huge, homemade 100% beef burgers; fresh cream ice-cream; muffins Price Full English breakfasts £5.75, early morning breakfast club deal (before 10am) £2.45 Wine list No wine; small range of bottled beers Open Mon-Wed 8am-5pm, Thur-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun & bank hols 10am-5pm. Children welcome, own menu. Disabled access. Most major credit cards.

CALIFORNIA KITCHEN
The Podium, Northgate St, BA1 5AS
Tel: 01225 471471
Crowd-pleasing cafe and restaurant offering morning coffee, lunch and muffin/teacake deals to weary shoppers throughout the day, alongside curries, burgers, steaks, salads, etc, later on. Menu S: homemade soup. M: jacket potatoes; steaks; wraps; burgers; salads; thai curries. P: muffins; carrot cake Price ALC: from approx £3.85/from £7.95/approx £3.50 Wine List HW approx £11 Open Daily 9am-9pm (Fri-Sat 10pm). Children welcome, own menu, highchairs. Disabled access, nearby disabled toilet in shopping centre. Most major credit cards (not Amex). Parties of 20+ welcome.

GARFUNKEL’S
The Empire, Orange Grove, BA1 1LP
Tel: 01225 461465, web: www.garfunkels.co.uk
The Bath branch of this nationwide chain specialising in loosely American-themed, family/tourist-friendly grub has to be the most elegant of all. Located in a recently refurbished listed building (formerly a grand hotel), there’s a conservatory section and alfresco terrace overlooking the abbey, alongside separate lounge, bar (complete with cocktail menu) and dining areas. Menu Visit website for details Price ALC: from £3.45/from £6.95/from approx £3.50 Wine list HW £13.95 btl, £4.40 gls. Extensive bar with regular cocktail & pitcher deals Open Daily 10am-11pm. Children very welcome - own menu, highchairs. Disabled access with toilet. Major credit cards. Parties of up to 100 welcome, set menus for large groups.

HUDSON BAR & GRILL
14 London St, BA1 5BU
Tel: 01225 332323, web: www.hudsonbars.co.uk
Though slightly off the well-beaten track of Bath’s central foodie trail, this chic bar/grill combo - a Richard (Firehouse Rotisserie) Fenton refurbishment of the old Hat & Feather pub - has carved a very popular little niche for itself. Eat, drink and be stylishly merry in the laidback, cushion-strewn bar or upstairs in the dining room: a welcoming, bright, breezy affair that casually radiates discreet glamour. The menu favours a similar style of seduction: classic California-style combinations of pan-global flavours with posh versions of surf’n’turf pushed to the fore, all responsibly sourced and beautifully presented. Venue’s overstuffed barfly called her Hudson blow-out ‘a well-conceived, imaginative wake-up call to the taste-buds on patrol’, and awarded the chef five stars for his efforts. Lush. Menu S: jumbo shrimp martini; aromatic duck salad with ginger soy dressing and crispy wontons. M: bone-in new york prime rib steak with hudson bearnaise, red wine glaze and salt and pepper shoestring fries; seabass & tiger prawn coconut laksa, snow peas and cashew nut rice. P: eton mess; chocolate fondue Price ALC: from £6.95/from £11.95/from £5.95 Wine list Intelligently eclectic. HW approx £14 btl, £3.80 gls Open Grill: Mon-Fri 6-10.30pm (last orders); Sat 12noon-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm (last orders). Bar: 5-11pm. Children welcome in upstairs dining room. Disabled access to bar. Major credit cards. Private room (with plasma screen) for 20, suited to dining and corporate meetings.

TGI FRIDAY’S
Unit 2a, Kingsmead, James St West, BA1 2BT
Tel: 01225 446929, web: www.tgifridays.co.uk
Surely we’re all familiar with the TGI USP: ‘authentic’ Americana with a twist, with loads of meal deals (call ahead or check website for details) and plenty to keep kids of all ages happy. It’s loud, it’s proud – and the waiting staff all introduce themselves by their first names. Menu S: mozzarella dippers; cheese nachos. M: fajita platter; rib-eye steak. P: cinnamon swirl cheesecake; apple waffle crunch Price ALC: from £3.49/from £7.99/from £3.99. Regularly updated promotions, currently 2 £9.99, all day, every day Wine list HW from £10.99 btl, £2.49/£3.49 gls. Vast range of beers, over 500 cocktails & shooters Open Sun-Thur 12noon-10.30pm, Fri-Sat 12noon-11.30pm. Children very welcome, own menu includes healthier options. Disabled access & toilets. Braille menu, hearing aids. Most major credit cards (not Visa Electron, Diner’s, Solo). Parties of 20+ welcome with prior arrangement.

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