Bambalan in Bristol, City of - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great food, amazing venue with polite, relaxed and responsive staff! Booked a 3 course meal for 50 odd and no problems at all, very relaxed vibe and everyone loved it! Pre planning the meal was a breeze and I would highly recommend this as an option to anyone looking to seat and feed a large party of hungry people in Central Bristol. Many, many thanks!

My husband and I booked a bottomless brunch at Bambalan a few weeks ago. The food was great and the cocktails were really nice. They didn't have a long list of drinks to choose from (for bottomless brunch) but it made sense as they could deliver them quickly. We sat outside under the covered area as it was a rainy day. This is the best place to be in Bristol when the weather is good in the summer, certainly one of the best rooftop bars around.

Good vibes but expensively average food and overpriced drinks!

Came here for Brunch, the brunch menu was nice and the service was excellent. Food was delicious. Had the avocado on a toast which was delicious. The terrace was amazing

Food was okay and a bit overpriced. We came at a time where it wasnt busy but felt like the staff took their time serving us.

Very warm welcoming and friendly place. Especially as it is in the middle of Bristol town. Loved it!

Was booked for my birthday looked heavily into different areas to sit in the restaurant to know where is most suitable for a big party, it rained so much this day so my booking was moved to inside, our tableware right beside the kitchen in the centre of the room right beneath the speakers, It was an overwhelming sensory experience it was extremely loud to the point I couldn’t hear anyone at our table, we had to shout our order to our server it was awful and the food was ok but expensive considering what it was. Wouldn’t recommend this for its dining experience but maybe a night out? I was pretty disappointed unfortunately not likely to return…

Nice place simple and easy to get to. Easy access to Bristol town centre and 2 minutes walk to parking.

Lovely cocktails, very poor food. We visited as had heard good things and were visiting the Beacon for a performance, but left disappointed and hungry. Maybe we got the chefs on an off day? Really lovely venue and would look to return for drinks, but probably not food.

I went here on Saturday as it was sunny. Someone had vomited inside the women's toilets. Instead of cleaning it up the staff had put an out of order sign on the door and left the door open of said toilet. It was warm so the bathroom absolute stank and it was like a sauna of vomit. The whole time you were in the bathroom you could feel the vomit in the air. There was a long queue as well so it was clearly the intention of the staff to leave it there for an extended period. Very unhygienic as someone that works for venues I was horrified and felt a bit sick. The staff on the bar upstairs were very attentive and lovely.

Nowhere near enough toilets for such a large venue. Money gouge

Lovely staff and great setting on the roof terrace.

Poor Bar service, unless you're a Woman !!

This was the first time that i had ventured into this establishment after parting with £10 to enter the club it was spacious a good vibe but here was the problem not enough staff serving for the volume of customers so after queing for an enternity finally got served no named draught lager and the choice was limited. Now for the the killer the prices of the drinks, talk about taking the piss 2 largers a gin and tonic and a lime and soda half £27 plus the £10 entrance and a small bottle of tonic was £3.50 and it wasnt even schweppes so wont be coming back here again these places just insult there customers by ripping them off anybody thinking of venturing in my advice dont bother.

Brilliant night at the Shalamar/ meet and greet, Jeffrey Daniel aftershow party at Bambalan. Fantastic atmosphere. Great dancing. Staff friendly, even though they were so busy. They kept smiling bless them.

A disappointing and expensive night - sadly! Eighteen of us dined and the meals were served together; that's the positive. The restaurant was loud, not subtle Mediterranean background music but almost on a par with dub step set, hardly a relaxing ambiance. Then the prices - £15 for a bowl of Salt & Pepper Squid starter, pricey, but OK if you get quality; which you definitely don't. Over cooked to the point you wouldn't know it was squid, more like pork scratchings in texture. Cooked in what tasted like very old fat. Needless to say this was returned to the kitchen, the aioli was however delicious, most likely from a jar, but very tasty. The minute steak was extremely chewy and despite a range of cooking tastes ordered; rare, medium etc. all looked exactly the same. Two Greek salads were charged, none were ordered, one was delivered and we shared that on the table, why two were charged we have no idea! The 'rare' double burger certainly gave one of our diners a jaw workout, either over grilled or fried, but not pleasant. All in all not worth the price, maybe for a couple or few dining they may have coped better, but for a large group, this was well off the mark.

My pizza was deeply unpleasant. Unfortunately, I was in a rush to get to a show at the theatre and was not in a position to pursue my issues with the dish while at the restaurant. The dough was slightly burned on the crust while being simultaneously raw on the base. The Mediterranean vegetables that topped the pizza were far to salty and 'briney', which leads me to assume they were from a jar, and left an unpleasant taste. There was too little cheese on the pizza, and the soapy taste (as well as woody texture) from the overwhelming amount of dried oregano used was not nice. Such a shame. Very nice Aperol spritz!

Lovely food, good music, soul Train x

I visited a couple of weeks ago, and was left feeling not valued as a customer of a very expensive bar. First, when we arrived the main attraction was the terrace overlooking the center. I was heckled that it was closed rather than politely informed. No signage to tell our group. It was then a side balcony with a small table. When I got up to have a cigarette I was accused of leaving with my drink and the security guard grabbed my glass, I tried to explain but they were not having it. So, I left after about a 1/3 of a pint of overpriced larger. Don't bother going.

Visited this venue twice, first time on New Year’s eve and again this weekend with friends. Staff and service are great, a variety of cocktails and great music. The NYE was brilliant!

Didn't eat here, just stopped in for cocktails and they were good. I would recommend if you can listen to pop music.

Friends dinner on the 19.05.24 7.00pm, 5 adults and on arrival nobody welcoming us and we need to pick a table alone, most of them dirty and sticky... we have to walk to the bar for the initial drinks order and when we finally decide to choose some food at least the 30% of the mains were unavailable with the waiter clearly instructed to promote some of them more than others. The rest we ordered was very average and poorly presented, we have to stand up to collect cutleries and napkins and while we were finally dining we've been asked to set the bills in advance, like criminals ready to run away... for good sake, we were adults!!!! Very poor management and absolute absence of care for the customers. Not recommended!

Some cracking summer parties with a great vibe

Excited to try out this venue, but left disappointed. Lovely interior and nice rooftop which closed unfortunately just as I got there at 10. Overpriced cocktails which don’t taste very nice. No ambience, but perhaps it was wrong timing as when I always walk past it, it looks so lively. Wide range of seating to choose from though. Wish there was still some sort of fun after 10pm! Left sooner than i had hoped.

We had our reception here yesterday after getting married at the registry office and the guys were so accommodating and even sorted us out with a glass of bubbles on arrival. Really made the day, thanks again!

Lovely cocktails, decent music and delicious food. I wasn’t sure what to have and the waiter suggested the pork shoulder shish (one of the options I mentioned). It was a great suggestion, super tasty.

Sick vibe, bangin chips, and the staff's make up gave me gender envy

I have attended to some of the events that Bambalan offers , from a kids rave( my little one loved it ) private parties to successful summer sessions. The rooftop setting provides views of the city, adding to the overall charm.The menu boasts an array of tasty dishes, expertly crafted cocktails, and attentive service :) I highly recommend

Super friendly staff, great terrace for the sun and cocktails! best rooftop bar in bristol hands down!

Came here on a works night out, first time here and lovely atmosphere. Would say one of the nicest bar views on the terrance over the centre. Only negative was service was slow on a pretty quiet night but other than that loved it here!

We went 6ish and sat on roof top bar. Group of 10. Music was awful and tried to speak with DJ who was very unwelcoming and rude, refused requests (didn't mention his music was killing the atmosphere). Bar staff more interested in chatting to each other than serving. After looking forward to going it was a huge disappointment. Won't rush back but would possibly give a second chance. Such a shame.

So it was a Monday in chilly early April but there was no welcoming vibe here and the place felt unloved and tired.

Probably the worst place in town. Staff are rude and lie.

The sooner this place shuts down the better. Staff makes you feel like they're doing you a favour by letting you give them your money. Managers arent much better. Shame as the view and location are top notch. Are the owners in a coma?

The staff were great, attentive and friendly and there was a good vibe on the roof bar, unfortunately that’s where it stops. We went for food which was mediocre, frozen rubbish. The pizzas friends had were probably the only thing worth getting. Cocktails were 2 for £15, for a reason they were premade chemical cheap and nasty and undrinkable, we had to send them back. We left after an hour to go somewhere else. Lots of potential with this place, shame food and drinks are lacking.

I've had very mixed experiences at this place. The pizza is pretty good but cocktails are nothing special. Service is incredibly slow; like, 20 minutes before somebody even takes your drinks order and then another 20 minutes before they bring it to you. The staff seem undertrained and overwhelmed - it's a pretty big place and can get very crowded. It's okay if it's a sunny day and you want to sit outside, but otherwise, there are way better bars and restaurants nearby.

Poor service, waiting team could not seem to care less due to a private event which was not made aware of on arrival. Food okay but took too long and just felt ripped off ultimately as no cash option/ unable to pay bill in cash at the end. Shame as thought place would have much better service and authentic vibe but sadly none existent. Won't be going back.

Took some friends who were visiting me in bristol, they had no menu for mocktails and cocktails were overpriced

This venue has so much potential and is owned by an incredible hospitality group. I’ve given this place 3 chances (twice for drinks and once for food) every time the product has been okay but the staff are rude every time… really lets the business down. Today I walked in and walked out because the staff just did not care. I’ve got 10+ years experience in hospitality and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone…

Good place for an informal meal, say, after work.

Very beautiful the food is very good I would pay millions to stay there

Nice decor and friendly staff. Food and cocktails were a bit underwhelming (apart from the buffalo wings which were excellent).

Food was actually quite nice. Sadly the rest wasn’t great. Turned up at 5pm for a pre theatre family meal. Hardcore dance music was being played at max volume. Yep it was a Friday and one just before Christmas so I get it but jeepers my ears were metaphorically bleeding. Two of the servers were lovely, but it took a mixture of hand signals and frantic menu pointing to order because of the music. One of the servers, jeepers, she was sour. Like proper sour. Proper old grump on when we asked for the service charge to be removed so we could tip the two nice servers with cash. Not a single smile and lots of audible huffs. You can do better peeps.

Went here for a Christmas Party - the food was really good, and the service was good too. It was served buffet style but at your table, so you could pick and choose what you like while staying to chat with others at the table, which is a nice touch.

Poor, came here after a gig at Bristol Beacon as it was opposite before driving home, door was locked but a member of staff came down at 21:20 and said we close at 22:00 and just walked off, came upstairs, ordered at the bar staff very reluctant to serve, lady at the bar saying in a irritated tone to another member of staff well we close at 22:00 so... Ordered 1 beer and 2 cans of coke, £26.25, queried this while members of staff stood round the till for a few minutes, oh sorry it was £13.25. Poor service, poor staff attitude, if you want to be closed keep the doors locked? Would never return.

Went here for work Christmas party. Food was good, much better than I had expected, and the venue was nice too.

Delicious food, lovely cocktails and super bar staff. Reasonably priced too!

The staff were great. Very efficient and attentive. The place was far too noisy for conversation. The vegan burger was inedible: chewy with grissly bits in it.

Came in for drinks, we had 4 cocktails between us, one was undrinkable, one was sour, the other two tasted like bad medicine. Not something to be repeated. Service was very good and accommodating. Shame the drinks were so bad, as the staff work so hard and have great customer focus. 😔

Goodness me, I don’t think the lady who served us wanted to be working today… she was not in a good mood! (Hope she’s OK) Very short and snappy with us whenever we needed to speak to her. We unfortunately had to report a (short, wavy, black) hair in the middle of a falafel and she didn’t even apologise, just frowned and took it and grumbled to the kitchen staff. We still had to pay for it. My friend ordered a few wines with lunch and hadn’t realised the price, and on paying it was £11 per glass, so our bill was huge. Our problem of course, as we should have asked to check the menu for prices, but I’ve never seen such expensive glasses of wine - madness. Due to the above experiences, we won’t come back nor recommend to anyone.

This was a pop up dining experience within Bambalan so not reflective of BamBalan's own menu

We went there for dinner to try the Pata Negra take over. Certain things were really tasty but others were very disappointing. The croquetas seemed to be just the one you get in a frozen pack, the cheese board was missing Mahon and picos, and when I asked the waitress she quickly dismissed us. It gave me the impression that she didn't know the food she was serving. The rest of the staff were pretty friendly. Would I go back? Probably not.

Literally shut early in front of me - told me they wanted to go home early literally no bother coming here - go to a nice proper bar

Lovely food and drinks, nice atmosphere and we really enjoyed the DJ who was up there with Cafe Mambo

Excellent! Lovely venue. Their Pata Negra pop up is outstanding!! @Bristolfooddude ig

Loved it. Great location, lovely beer, cool people, tidy DJ, you've got to go here

Great food and atmosphere but little to no advice on allergy information on their menu and the staff were either not aware or didn’t have the time to discuss it which is concerning. Food was tapas style nibbles.

The roof top terrace is fun to watch the city. Heat lamps, and the hot chocolate was AMAZING

Had a great evening, the vibe is great for sundowns on the terrace.

Had starter of buffalo wings that were very nice with a good dip, however, the main course of Tuna Nicoise was incredibly salty to the point of being difficult to eat. Colleagues had mentioned that their starters were also very salty.

Went here for the start of Bristol Cocktail Weekend. Amazing staff and lovely drinks! Photo is of the malt whisky that was being served for the event🥃

Great to watch the rugby,great table service, decent food, nice atmosphere, great balcony area. All in all a pretty good 1st time experience, will be back some time I'm sure

Nice cocktails in a great environment

Really nice food. My expectations at tonight’s dinner were exceeded immensely mainly due to the care and attention we received from Olivia. Great service, very personable and she even had some nice suggestions for us . Our food was freshly cooked and the pizzas super tasty! An excellent experience all round. Thanks 😊

The female GM ( a blond lady). The staff did not give her name. Has a massive attitude problem. She numerous times asked us to leave when we had drinks on the table and order food, so she could sit ppl in our seats that she clearly thought was the kind of ppl she wanted her establishment to be seen hosting. All because we didn't look like everyone else in there. Make of that what you want but if you're ethnic, think twice before going in there. Especially if she's working. She chucked our food down and walked away without asking if we would like anything (sauce etc) the place, atmosphere, drinks and food was decent. But that woman and her issues need to be addressed. If you don't like a section of ppl maybe don't work with the public.

Great place to grab a drink and a plancha on a sunny day on the roof terrace. It feels like being abroad. Great music selection, good cocktails and the food is great.

It was an amazing experience, the atmosphere was very lovely and welcoming, the music was great, the terrace is amazing and has a great view.

We’ve booked a bottomless brunch here, the music was great, staff were friendly. The food was ok, portion size was good but needs improvement on taste. Apart from that fantastic atmosphere if you want to have fun.

It’s like the folks at Hyde and Co sat down one day and said. “What Brisol needs is an authentic Magaluf experience. We have three amazing bars, Milk Thistle, Hyde & Co and The Raven. What we need to do is open a dump, serve cocktails which make Turtle Bay look like Hyde & Co but charge a fortune for them. Let’s finish it off with some really average staff that look like they’d rather be anywhere else”

On a trip to Bristol for a gig, pretty good food in a modern central bar/restaurant. Food ok, nothing more.

Quintessential Bristol rooftop restaurant & bar with live music. Highly recommend.

Felt pestered by a male member of staff (Long beard and cap) who kept asking people to move from where they were standing. No signs anywhere to say, don't stand here and wasn't even close to any working areas or doors so couldnt see the issues and he was unwilling to explain. Felt completely unwelcome as did a number of other groups of people that were present at the same time as ourselves. Would give it one star but the bar staff were nice and the view of the centre is great.

So so really, I had high hopes for this place due to its location and view. So the view didn’t disappoint, lovey terrace and quite the sun trap! The food was mediocre, bit of a soggy pizza, aubergine rolls were quite nice and the calamari was alright, nothing special really but the price charged you thought it would be! Drinks were good, aperol spritz and Jubel peach lager was great on a hot day, the prices were a bit steap though. The service wasn’t the best, I get it though 5pm on a Saturday night it’s busy and turning the tables, drinks took far too long to come out and it was table service, though I could see our drinks on the bar, they had been there a while so I went up to get them and was refused. Said we had been waiting a while (mindful by this point we only had 20 minutes left in the table) but was still told I couldn’t take them the 15 yards to our table. So we sat and waited for another 5 minutes only for the order to arrive and it was wrong. Couldn’t be bothered to raise it….

Great terrace in the sun for evening drinks and tunes.

On arrival, all seemed fine. Sat on the terrace in the sun, was fairly quiet, and went to the bar. I was told it was table service only and we'd come over. After a while, someone wandered over with some menus, but I asked for table to be cleaned as it was sticky. We ordered some drinks, and then another round, and then asked for the bill. The bill came - they'd try to charge £1 more for the beer than listed on the menu, and added £8 service charge on a £34 bill. Really, that is taking the biscuit. I declined to pay the service charge as 1, it was a 10 foot walk from the bar 2) it took a while to get served even though it had 20 people in there and 3) they enforced this charge as I said i would have walked to the bar. The response from the nice lady was 'ok, makes sense'. Never again would I return, tried twice and both times regrettable.

minutes ago NEW Went to visit on Saturday 10th June in the hope of having a lovely lunch and some drinks. The service was absolutely shocking. On entry their was a bored looking man sat on a stool halfway up the stairs, not sure if he was security or what his purpose was, but we told him we had a table reserved and he was completely uninterested and felt like he couldn’t be bothered. When we got up the stairs again we explained we had a reservation and we’re asked to wait at the bar someone would show us to our table. No one did. We ordered a couple of drinks and stood drinking them surrounded by empty tables. A staff member approached us and asked us if the hostess had come over to us. Clearly not? She then disappeared again. The hostess (at least I think that was what she was doing) was strutting around and passed us several times without even a glance - we were the only group waiting in the bar. I then complained again and we were eventually told to head up to the terrace. We were waiting for about 30 minutes being completely ignored. I have never ever experienced such rude service! We weren’t shown to our table and they just pointed up the stairs. A man at the top who shockingly turned out to be a manager then gestured to a table. He then disappeared. We had no Menus or any idea how to order or where. We sat for a while and then I went to the bar. The bar staff seemed as useless as everyone else working there - they told us they didn’t know what was going on that they were temp staff from another company. I asked to speak to the manager. The bat man went off to find them. He came back and said she would be over to speak to us in a minute. No one came. We had been there nearly an hour and not one member of staff was interested. We decided to leave and not waste our money Ona venue that clearly did not want our custom. On the way out i asked to speak to a manager. The man from the roof terrace came out. I nearly laughed in disbelief. Absolutely shocking service. Trying to be an Ibiza style summer bar but if you bought it off wish. You get better service in Mcdonalds. Will not be returning and would urge others to avoid.

Went to visit on Saturday 10th June in the hope of having a lovely lunch and some drinks. The service was absolutely shocking. On entry their was a bored looking man sat on a stool halfway up the stairs, not sure if he was security or what his purpose was, but we told him we had a table reserved and he was completely uninterested and felt like he couldn’t be bothered. When we got up the stairs again we explained we had a reservation and we’re asked to wait at the bar someone would show us to our table. No one did. We ordered a couple of drinks and stood drinking them surrounded by empty tables. A staff member approached us and asked us if the hostess had come over to us. Clearly not? She then disappeared again. The hostess (at least I think that was what she was doing) was strutting around and passed us several times without even a glance - we were the only group waiting in the bar. I then complained again and we were eventually told to head up to the terrace. We were waiting for about 30 minutes being completely ignored. I have never ever experienced such rude service! We weren’t shown to our table and they just pointed up the stairs. A man at the top who shockingly turned out to be a manager then gestured to a table. He then disappeared. We had no Menus or any idea how to order or where. We sat for a while and then I went to the bar. The bar staff seemed as useless as everyone else working there - they told us they didn’t know what was going on that they were temp staff from another company. I asked to speak to the manager. The bat man went off to find them. He came back and said she would be over to speak to us in a minute. No one came. We had been there nearly an hour and not one member of staff was interested. We decided to leave and not waste our money Ona venue that clearly did not want our custom. On the way out i asked to speak to a manager. The man from the roof terrace came out. I nearly laughed in disbelief. Absolutely shocking service. Trying to be an Ibiza style summer bar but if you bought it off wish. You get better service in Mcdonalds. Will not be returning and would urge others to avoid.

Excellent service, beautiful cocktails and tasty pizzas

The atmosphere of the rooftop was lovely, and the food and drinks were tasty (however a little pricey for what they’re worth, but given the location, it’s something we could let slide). One downside was the staff, they just felt a little cold and inattentive, almost like they didn’t want us there. Aside from that, it was a decent visit

i went to a work event here, it was a whole vibe I should do one of my events here.

Come here every now and then and always enjoy it! Quite expensive but that's expected for centre of Bristol at such a lovely venue. The rooftop is truly gorgeous in the summer! And the people working here are always very friendly. However, not sure if it is accessible as there are stairs to get in, but not sure if there is a lift for wheelchair users and others who may require this

Miserable staff. Wouldn't help us get a table despite asking multiple times

Great place for brunch! I was surprised that the outside area was so empty on a Saturday!

Lovely quirky bar with great rooftop terrace but service was terrible. Staff were rude - toilets had urine all over the floor despite a check sheet. Great potential to be a top location but needs staff to be more attentive and not rude.

Chose this venue as passed it many times and seen positive reviews. Booked a table for 4 at 18:30 on a Friday evening. Arrived later than expected but found our table and friends no problem. Menu was good and plenty of food and drink choices. Ordered drinks which arrived promptly. Ordered food which again arrived promptly but may have been plated for a while as was slightly cooler than expected… plus we sat on the roof terrace. Overall a great experience with plenty of options for all tastes and pockets and a very good atmosphere. Lots of stairs so unsure if there is a lift for those that cannot accommodate a lot of steps

We went for dinner on the terrace, which was pre-booked. Upon arrival we were told our table wasn't ready. No one came to get us from the bar, so eventually we headed up. It was difficult trying to get attention to even order drinks and when someone did turn up they didn't even take everyone's order. Before our main meals arrived, chips and arranchi were delivered, we all assumed someone has ordered them on our table as a starter, as the tables were numbered but the staff were struggling to get food to the tables. Our main meals came but again, we were unable to get anyone's attention to order drinks. Two people left early and paid at the bar. When we asked for the bill, the blond waitress informed us we needed to figure out of their food had been taken off or not...... It turns out no one did order the starters, but the rude blond waitress said people are charged for the wrong food if they eat it!!!! After some negotiation with the manager some deductions were made. Won't be going back EVER.

This is the second time we have been to Bambalan for a brunch on a morning after a big family gathering. The sun was out on this lovely Sunday morning and we had a great time on the roof terrace. The staff are great - very friendly and ready to accommodate large groups of all ages. We wanted to chat across a large group but staff were happy to lower the volume of the (very nice!) background music. There is a good variety of food, well prepared and tasty. One thing to be aware of is that, although there is a lift up to the indoor area, there are quite a few steps up to the top outdoor roof area so children's buggies would need to be carried up those steps if you need to have them close by. Same for wheelchairs.

Amazing food and a great location. Took my mum here for her birthday and staff were amazing. Had a bottle of prosecco waiting on the table and she had a free ice cream Sunday. She had the best time. Couldn't recommend more.

Over priced and trying so hard to be cool that they forget the basics such as clean toilets with doors that open and locks that work. Far to expensive for what is actually delivered.

Good staff, good food, nothing exceptional, just a nice night out.

Overpriced and underwhelming. The food was tasty but not particularly warm. 12.5% service charge included despite no one showing us to a table and having to go to the bar yourself to order. The staff seemed like they could care less about your presence. Nothing to rave about.

Can't comment on the food as I didn't eat but went in the evening, me and a few friends! Atmosphere was brilliant and the drinks are great!

Great place. Didn't eat but food looked good

Highly recommend Bambalan, great food and the view from the balcony is lovely.

Nice place, lovely service, good food. Great deals on cocktails

Incredibly uproarious, deafeningly so at times. If you are okay with understanding just one word in ten spoken by your fellow diners/drinkers, look no further.

Chose this restaurant as it was near The Hippodrome and menu looked impressive. Very disappointed as we both chose a starter to share and Gyros, all served at the same time time.Gyros was lukewarm and when we pointed this out, no one seemed bothered Won’t be returning

Great time at Bambalan, sunny day, great music and vibe. Although it was very busy we still had fairly quick service and drinks were great!

It's OK if you like a loud dining experience. Initially sat opposite the toilet with a coffee table, but we asked to be moved and another table was found. Food offer decent, pizza very good.

Such a gorgeous place booked another trip while we were there loved the rood and the vibe was lovely