Arnolfini Cafe & Bar in Bristol, City of

Nice cafe with good food, the beer tap that dispenses water is a nice little feature. Great location

This cafe/bar is chaotic. To get the best from it you need time and lots of patience. Plenty staff but totally disorganised. Coffee is good and savoury light meals looked great - but we just didn’t have the time to wait for the food to arrive. It took 25 minutes for them to produce 2 coffees which we had to make take away as we’d waited so long. Meanwhile staff just stood around and looked a bit uncomfortable. Pity it seemed like a good venue.

Brilliant brunch at a brilliant location!

Think I was overcharged for my drinks. £26 for an aperol spritz, two halves of beer and a coke?

This is the perfect little brunch stop on a busy corner overlooking the river and marina. The vibe is very much indie Bristol.the ceilings and window sills are draped in succulents and vines making it feel homely and airy. The seating is area is a minimalist’s take on industrial flare. Reading a book on a pleasant Saturday morning I was able to enjoy an americano quite happily here. A freshness greets you as the window glows past the establishment through the lightly opened windows. It’s hard to it to people watch as the world goes by sitting at the window counter. Before departing, the menu of scrambled tofu caught my eye. I was thoroughly impressed at how exciting the vegan option tasted. It even had a gluten free option. The scrambled tofu erupted like fireworks of flavour on the tongue. There were sweet and savoury layers from the different ingredients. A light spicy note added to the jam that appeared like jewels atop a crown. The tofu was firm and cube shaped which gave a satisfying bite to every mouthful. Portion size was small but not overbearing. Perfect if you intend on partaking in many of the foodie offerings around Bristol on a single day. Definitely recommend sampling some of the menu at this cafe.

Lovely cafe, when we visited it was a bank holiday so was busy, but after a short wait we managed to get a table for the four of us. We had already ordered food so informed the staff of where we had moved to. When ordering we were told of a 40 minute wait for food, which, due to it being busy we accepted. After a fifteen minute wait we received our coffees. An hour later, having seen other people come in and get served food before us, we questioned as to where our food was. Was then told by the staff member that it was busy and it would be an hour waiting time. We responded that we had already waited an hour. After a bit of searching we were then asked what we had ordered. Five minutes later we received our food. This was very nice but 2 of the meals came with eggs that had gone cold. We didn’t want to complain as we had waited so long. I may be wrong but I believe our food had been in the kitchen sitting on a hot plate but forgotten about. Alas this is why I have only given 3 stars. We got a sorry from the staff but were not offered a free coffee or anything to compensate. Should we return to Bristol anytime soon we will look elsewhere before returning to the this establishment.

Venue is fine but the drinks on offer are not. Not one recognisable brand in sight. My “JD and Coke” was substituted for some odd tasting “rum” in some sickly “Coke” syrup. All at the price you would pay for the real deal. Undrinkable. The cider was no better but was ok to wash the other stuff out of your mouth with. If you can imagine the drinks you would get for free on a two star all inclusive holiday in Benidorm, this is just like that. Maybe worse. I’m sure the proprietors pass this off as being “alternative” but really it’s all about maximising profits.

Excellent vibes. Have a delicious coffee or a pint with a stunning view of the harbourside. Music is relatively loud. Wifi is okay-ish if you want to do work here, wouldn’t recommend if you’re taking calls. Also, seems like you can get banned on the Wifi if you use it for too long? I can’t seem to connect again anymore haha. Outside seating is plenty and is a very nice experience in the summer barring the seagulls.

Party of 12 for lunch, the food took al long time to arrive, which was understandable as it was a busy time. However, there was some problem with quality control from the kitchen, poached eggs overcooked and limp salad with slimy leaves that had to be sent back. Ordered a mushroom and kimchi toastie to replace the salad, this was bland. Overall, disappointed.

Popped in for a drink late afternoon mid week. There were only a couple of other people there and we were with elderly relatives. The music was really loud and we could hardly talk so I politely asked if it’s possible to turn the music down. The reply was.‘it’s our cafe, this is how it is’ . So we finished our drinks, straining to talk and listen to each other and left. Not the place to go to if you’re after a family friendly environment

Didn't have food so I can't rate. The milk stout is one of my favourites. Great location by the river. Always busy.

A great spot on the Harbourside for coffee. The Flat White I had was very well made, and the prices were reasonable too.

Nice trendy wee spot but £11.50 for one slice of sourdough with avocado and egg on it for a lunch was taking the micky. Tasted nice just ridiculously small portion.

Not really a bar. Closes at 8pm on a Thursday.

Loved the decor and the vibrant atmosphere. The food, whilst a little pricey, was delicious and worth the money. Best croque monsieur I have ever tasted. The staff are friendly and helpful

£6 for a 330ml can of hard seltzer!!!

Not a good impression made at all, being charged £9 each for cocktails in a tiny plastic cup (which were advertised on one of the beer taps for some reason?) When I took the ice out of the drink, it left about 1/3 left of drink from what was already a tiny plastic cup, and it tasted awful, so I couldn't finish it. One of the best things about cocktails is that it's served in a nice glass, so to charge nine quid for that is laughable. To top it off, there are only 2 unisex toilets for the entire place, meaning there was a larger queue for the toilets than there was at the bar.

Comfortable and welcoming vibe, with a great location in the city. However, there are very few bathrooms. They also need frequent cleaning as they were constantly disgusting.

Loved it! Great breakfast and lovely coffee, our toddler very much enjoyed her babychino We all had poached eggs on toast, which were served quickly and perfectly cooked Couldn't fault the cafe at all, absolutely perfect. Just a shame we weren't there later in the day as I would of liked to try some of the craft beers!

Good Cafe Bar serving good drinks and food. Nice atmosphere

The location is ideal, especially when you are lucky enough to have a table outside in the sun by the water. The cuisine is simple, rather on the go, but good. The service staff friendly and available.

We waited 50+ minutes for average eggs on toast. Not recommend. They kindly offered a complementary coffee due to the wait time, which took 20+ min to arrive.

Prices have gone up - £13 for avocado on toast + 2 poached eggs is terrible value - i’m gonna have to reconsider my fave lunch spot :/

Great spot, great service, great atmosphere!

Four of us visited for breakfast. Glad we booked as it was very busy but first impressions were not good - when we told the waiter we had a reservation he simply pointed to a table in the corner and said “over there” and walked off. We had a vegetarians breakfast, eggs on toast with halloumi side, bubble & squeak with ham, and kedgeree. All 4 dishes had issues - the vegetarian sausage had a chemical taste, the toast was dry and unbuttered, snotty eggs, and the bubble & squeak was so full of fatty gristle it was inedible. Even the coffee was watery. When we mentioned all this to the waiter he said he’d let the chef know but again didn’t seem particularly interested. Overall the food was very disappointing and overpriced (£4.50 for 3 slices of halloumi!), and the staff obviously think they are too cool or are too bored to show any interest. I can only assume the place is so full because it’s trendy because the quality of the food and the customer service were definitely style over substance.

Four of us visited for breakfast. Glad we booked as it was very busy but first impressions were not good - when we told the waiter we had a reservation he simply pointed to a table in the corner and said “over there” and walked off. We had a vegetarians breakfast, eggs on toast with halloumi side, bubble & squeak with ham, and kedgeree. All 4 dishes had issues - the vegetarian sausage had a chemical taste, the toast was dry and unbuttered, snotty eggs, and the bubble & squeak was so full of fatty gristle it was inedible. Even the coffee was watery. When we mentioned all this to the waiter he said he’d let the chef know but again didn’t seem particularly interested. Overall the food was very disappointing and overpriced (£4.50 for 3 slices of halloumi!), and the staff obviously think they are too cool or are too bored to show any interest. I can only assume the place is so full because it’s trendy because the quality of the food and the customer service were definitely style over substance.

Great location overlooking the water, atmosphere, and food.

£12 for one slice of bread and a tiny piece of salmon

Arnolfini is a lovely place to pop in for food or drink whilst strolling down the Bristol waterfront. There are seats outside to enjoy the environment. The staff here are polite and give quick service.

If you are in the Arnolfini gallery or you are about to get into, you can have a delicious stop here. In summer the view to the harbour side is lovely and sometimes during the weekends you can enjoy the sunset with locals bands playing music.

Lover the review about the soggy paninno because they don't sell them. The food I have had was excellent, as is the coffee. only regret: the weekend breakfast is only served... err at weekends.

Came here for lunch. The menus a bit limited so ended up getting the vegan mushroom “panini” and a coffee. Unfortunately, The panini was extremely disappointing. It was cold, the mushrooms were sad and soggy and there was no flavour to the sandwich at all. Cost me £11 and I couldn’t even finish it.

Interesting menu but 45 minutes wait after ordered. Had the 'Butcher 's bap'. Egg was cold and rubbery and half the bacon was burnt.

Oct 2023 Still good location especially outdoor area, I always visit this bar and cafe cos the outdoor area where to chill under sunshine. 2022 Good location in the city centre with harbour view. I choose hot chocolate and cakes for my tea time, the taste is average (chocolate cake taste plain and the vegan carrot cake too sweet), 2 cups of hot chocolate and 2 pieces of cakes costs 15£). I think it’s good for a beer to chill instead of cafe.

Lovely location and staff, the cakes, tea, and shskshuka were all fantastic.

Was recommended this place so came for breakfast. Some of our food was good but I had a real problem with being served food not as described on the menu. When I order poached eggs on toast that's exactly what I want. Mine came out lagged in olive oil which I physically cannot eat and the eggs with some paprika sprinkled on them. I had to send it back and the lad was very nice and took it back. I made clear I need the toast plain and the eggs Plain with nothing on it at all. It came back out with paprika all over it again and the eggs overcooked. Not runny at all. Really disappointed

Great bar and coffee place with a great exhibition on the back!

Lovely cafe with plenty of veggie options. If they did scrambled eggs after 1145, this would be a 5 star rating!

Great location, but terrible service. We came for lunch and were told it was a 45 minute wait for food. We ordered coffee instead. They said they would bring it to our table, but 20 minutes later we still didn’t receive our coffees and we left. I suppose we could have chase it up, but honestly what a complete joke. Shame as location is nice.

The most disgusting toilets I’ve been to in years. Smells like they’ve not been cleaned for a long time, and certainly not checking all weekend. Disgrace

A pleasant cafe attached to the gallery.

This is a great location for lunch and a drink. Had a bite to eat after a couple hours looking at the exhibits inside the gallery space. There are stools by the windows with views of the canal and harbour. Also lots of outdoor seating on the canal. The food was very good, staff friendly. Credit card only, no cash sales.

This is a quirky (and therefore typically Bristolian) cafe bar tacked onto an arts centre. There's an industrial vibe with wooden and metal furniture, but the golden wood is warm and welcoming. So are the staff. They are lovely; service is quick and nothing is too much trouble for them. A lot of coffee shops in the area only sell hot drinks and cakes. The Arnolfini serves these and more, adding alcohol, all-day breakfasts and small plates to their offerings. Lunch dishes are average, but coffee and cake is fabulous and well-priced. If you sit outside, or choose your indoor seating wisely, you'll have a cracking view of the harbourside. It's a great place to work with your laptop, have a business meeting or spend time chatting with friends.

Beautiful place but fir god sake avoid the red or rose wine.... Awful

Sit back, relax and enjoy Bristol!

Very friendly staff and great local beer. Lovely atmosphere and enjoyed sitting outside the bar, looking out at the harbour. Try the Laser Juice - a refreshing IPA with a great fruity kick.

Not sure the waffles were fresh, was okay in general

I recently had the pleasure of visiting my favorite coffee shop, and once again, it did not disappoint! From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by the warm and friendly staff, setting the tone for an excellent experience. The staff at Arnolfini Cafe truly goes above and beyond to make every visit memorable. They are not only attentive but also genuinely passionate about what they do, which reflects in the exceptional service they provide. Whether you're a regular like me or a first-time visitor, they make you feel right at home. One of the standout features of this coffee shop is their brunch options. The menu is diverse and offers something for everyone. Whether you're in the mood for a classic eggs benedict or a mouthwatering avocado toast, you won't be disappointed. The quality of the food is consistently outstanding, and they always use the freshest ingredients. Moreover, the ambiance is delightful. It's a cozy and inviting space, making it the perfect spot to relax, catch up with friends, or simply enjoy some "me time" with a great book.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff Food was not that good. Wont come again for food. But would come for coffee ☕️

Was a complete joy to return after 4ish years! Still serving lovely coffee and cake, beer and food in a lovely venue by the harbour. We didn't order any food this time but seeing the consistency, it's a fair bet they're still as amazing.

A nice place to grab a drink with good views across the harbour. There is sometimes and outside bar amongst the seating area. Staff are friendly and attentive.

Very nice experience the couple times I’ve been for coffees! Tasty coffee and they always have done latte art for me (even to-go). Only reason it’s not 5 stars is because of the price… it can be a little pricey! £6.50 for a coffee and a small cinnamon roll

They refused to accept cash, which was very frustrating as we did not want to have to use our Australia credit card ( due to additional charges ) and had English pounds to spend before leaving the UK. I was told that it's because of Covid , which is a lame and outdated excuse. Their coffee was the worst I have had in a long time. It was either over roasted, low quality, or old, as it had an unbearable bitter taste. The meal (Shakshuka ) was very average, with some undercooked stringy greens floating in it. Staff seemed not to know what they were doing, walking around aimlessly trying to find the right table to deliver the ordered food and drinks to. All in all a very average experience and I would not be recommending it to anyone. Especially to people, who would like to pay in cash .

Not a good system for ordering drinks unfortunately. Ordered 2 coffees and a got a spoon with a number on it. One drink was brought over and I watched as another 5-6 coffees were made before the 2nd one came along, despite letting the staff know. They seemed pretty grumpy, definitely not friendly.

Great location in the city center with shaded trees and river view. Staff are nice, menu is good also. I recommend ice Mocha 🧊

Great for a later morning breakfast, watching the harbour activities, listening to some nice music and just chilling. It's my happy place to relax and enjoy the world.

Lovely venue, nice and friendly staff, only think is that I wish there were more drinks menus available. Outside area is lovely on a summers day!

Considering that the Arnolfini has an outside bar and also serves drinks inside to anyone who wants to take outside, the 2 toilets ( which were clean) had more people queuing than people waiting to be served drinks. You would expect a venue who will serve drinks both on the street and inside to have more than 2 cubicles, and no provision for standing customers.

A great place for brunch. We had the avocado toast with eggs and iced coffees which were lovely with the hot weather outside. The staff are very warm and friendly and I would definitely recommend for somewhere to eat in the centre.

A great place for brunch. We had the avocado toast with eggs and iced coffees which were lovely with the hot weather outside. The staff are very warm and friendly and I would definitely recommend for somewhere to eat in the centre.

Decent food and drink with a wide range of choice.

Lovely atmosphere at the Arnolfini, we only popped in for a drink before head for dinner but it was lovely. For anyone driving but still fancying a beer, you should try Clear Head! We were back to get a table outside and just soaked in the bank holiday atmosphere! Great spot!

Possibly the nicest Bloody Mary I’ve ever had. My baked halloumi was very nice and my boyfriends full English was exceptional

Went for breakfast. Lovely setting. Staff very helpful. Gluten free options were available. Food was lovely. Previous evening it was full so very popular business. We enjoyed it and would recommend.

Fantastic full english a great choice of vegan /vegetarian too .friendly staff and a gallery next door .what could be better

Cake and coffee were nice but I felt deeply disappointed (discriminated even, my English is not perfect) by the girl serving me as she decided I only deserve the dry crusty slice … not juicy and fat slice which was next in the row, she looked for the smallest and crusty one intentionally! Cake fanatic as I am … I felt my heart breaking …literally. Later edit: Thanks for your response and kind offer Arnolfini Cafe, my heart is healed now 🙂

Had a drink, we were going to order food, i visited the Loo,s much to my disgust, They are disgusting, the dirt was just NOT new dirt they dont look like they have been clean in a very long time. Decided on not eating here after that.

It is a great place to visit with tasty food, nice coffee and other drinks. The artistic atmosphere and location by the river definitely add to the overall appeal of the cafe. There are also a neighbouring bookstore and an upstairs exhibition space that are both worth to a visit

Lovely place with great food and extremely kind staff. Definitely a must for next time

Gorgeous harbour side spot, delicious food with good selection of beer and wine. Special thanks to the lovely Jake and Connie for the excellent service, thanks again!

One of my favourite spots in Bristol !!

Limited menu and got my order wrong

Just another business that thinks it's too good to accept your cash. This is an asinine policy, and earns a boycott from this customer. #BoycottCashless

Now Christmas memories can often be forgotten. No-one remembers the year your dad dressed as santa, or what childhood cartoon character your Nan knitted onto your sweater that year but the palate doesn't forget. Nutmeg, cinammon, and now (thanks to our American cousins) pumpkin spice are all rolled into this one yuletide beverage. The culinary section of my brain, hitherto forgotten, have once more been unlocked thanks entirely to this tasty tipple. My partner and I came in for a simple brunch, bacon roll and poached eggs for those interested. Excellent. Little did we expect to be talked around to one of their new festive cocktails. Thank goodness we were. Anyone in the area looking for a winter warmer, couldn't recommend enough. Friendly staff with personality in droves. Excellent location and an art gallery next door mean you can justify a few chilly afternoon drinks.

Lovely cafe in a great location with a varied menu and very helpful staff

I’m vegetarian and I ordered the soup of the day which I was told was pumpkin soup. After having had some I realised it had bacon in… When I went back to the bar to ask what the soup of the day was, I was confidently told it was leek and potato, and then when I questioned whether or not it was in fact pumpkin, I was told it was actually pumpkin. I then asked if it had bacon in and this was confirmed. The staff member did offer to get it remade but unfortunately as I’ve been vegetarian for so long I was really put off my food and felt really uncomfortable. As it was a vegetable soup I’d have never thought to ask if it was vegetarian, in the same way if I order a margarita I wouldn’t expect it to arrive with pepperoni on it… My friend and I were specifically told that the soup contained nuts, which was obvious on arrival, but the bacon was not (my friend who eats meat didn’t even realise). With ‘of the day’ menu items I do think it’s really important to tell customers the full extent of its contents before serving, as we can’t read this information off of a menu - especially if our dietary requirements are unknown. What if I was religious?

Petit café/bar à côté d'un centre d'arts. Chouette. Bon sélection de bières. Excellent IPA. Petits snacks simples mais bien faits. Sandwich au bacon standard bien fait. Amie heureuse avec son avocat toast. Service agréable. Pas cher. Pas mal de vent près de la porte par contre !

Great breakfast roll and flat white.

Food is awful, very expensive, rude staff

Lunch for two adults and one child was the best part of £40 and was very disappointing. Despite it being half term and the gallery having children’s events, there was no kid’s menu at all, not even half portions of the usual stuff. The menu seems to be directed to hungover people wanting brunch (greasy fry ups) with the cheesy chips having white wine in the sauce which was then rendered horrible. It also wasn’t detailed properly on the menu what each thing was, BBF independence fries??? The cheesy chips had ‘Su’ in tiny letters which according to the menu means Sulphur, but I think they mean Sulphites from the alcohol that was undeclared. Not a place to visit if you have allergies or you’d have to ask what was in the sandwiches and fries, very tedious. We ordered two ham and cheese bagels (£8 each) and you can see from the photos, they were pre packed so extremely soggy, one slice of emmental and one slice of ham with the limpest rocket I’ve ever seen. Aside from this, the music was too loud for the elderly and family crowd that was in there and the service was slow and definitely surly. Yes it was busy but that isn’t any excuse. Do not try the toilets by the cafe, absolutely filthy, run down and no loo roll. Use the gallery ones downstairs instead! We will not be returning. It’s a real shame because before Covid I used to come here quite a lot and it was a typical great gallery cafe. A few doors down is Society Cafe and that will definitely be our choice over the Arnolfini Cafe Bar in future.

Made my morning. Great staff, great atmosphere, great people. right!! food's good too

Enjoyed the Jerusalem Bagel with salmon and cream cheese, as well as a pint of cider.

Busy bar, harbourside location, good food and drink

We went into the bar on Saturday evening just for drinks. I ordered a pint of Independence and a 175ml glass of standard red wine. As it was quite noisy, I assumed I had misheard the amount until I checked my bank transactions today. The amount was £15.50, which was more than I recently paid in London! There were no drinks menus on the tables or at the bar but I would never expect two standard drinks to cost that much in Bristol. As if that wasn’t bad enough, drinks were automatically being served in plastic glasses. Finally, customers used to use toilets downstairs inside the main building, but now there are long queues to use just two disabled access toilets inside the bar, which is insufficient and unfair to disabled customers.

Floor could do with a good clean through out the day.

Wonderful little place with an excellent selection of food and drinks. Staff are lovely

We have just left the Arnolfini without stopping for breakfast. We asked the girl on the counter to swap the vegan eggs for poached as we are veggies but she said it wasn’t possible. Very strange that this could not be done as they do serve eggs and this is not an exclusive vegan restaurant. If cross contamination is their concern then we do not understand as if this was our restaurant we would plate up the vegan items then pass the plates to the other chef to add the eggs. Not difficult. The manager needs to know that they have lost out on £40 today and lost our business moving forward. We will also be telling our friends who have just booked for their wedding next year. Very disappointed indeed!

Lovely atmosphere. The staff were really friendly. Coffee was phenomenal and so was the food. We overall, had a really positive time. So good, my friend gave his compliments to the chef. He had the Turkish poached eggs, which were apparently spot on and perfectly cooked. Lots of veggie options

Nice cafe bar space, great drinks but no exchange or refund for poor quality food. Don’t do refunds and if you want an alternative food option you have to pay. Not impressed. Left food with them, no apology. Waste of money.

Lively cafe on the harbourside in Bristol.Great selection of food and drinks.We had vegetarian breakfast and turkish eggs.Which were delicious,creative and well presented.Great service and atmosphere.Well worth a visit.

Great venue lovely coffee . Staff couldn't be bothered.

Lovely waterside art cafe / bar. Nice staff, great location

Lovely river side pub. Loved the Clear Mind low ABV ipa. Can take a drink and sit or walk by the river!

Great breakfast - smashed avocados and poached eggs - and excellent coffee. Staff very friendly and helpful. Inside and outside tables available

Nice spot especially if sitting outside. Good choice of Bristol Beer Factory on keg.

We visited this pleasant and attractive café on our arrival in Bristol Harbourside as we were gathering with fellow Rotarians for a visit to the M Shed museum. We opted for this particular café because a nearby very popular café, as patronised by most of...

Relaxed ambiance. Great carrot cake.

Nice feel to the cafe but seemed very disorganised despite lots of staff milling around. Waited 45 mins for an order of food, Order lost, coffee luke warm, I would nt return in a hurry

Great place, staff are amazing, but please remember if you go to bar/cafe you must have a debit card, we didn’t realise this, we had a £20 note in hand while we ordered our drinks, took a sip and only then was it mentioned that it was payment by card only 😱 we were mortified but they were so lovely and amazing and they still accommodated us 🥰 thank you so much. Lovely place, lovely staff defo recommended by us 👍🏼❤️

Went here for leaving drinks, a really lovely atmosphere outside even though it was quiet and raining. A really great selection of drinks as well as local suppliers! Great for all weathers!