Bambalan in Bristol, City of

Big thanks to Olivia, the manager at Bambalan always so kind, welcoming, and accommodating. Your management style truly deserves five stars!

Not one to leave bad reviews… unfortunately while having a lovely evening overall, I was very disappointed by the unprofessional behaviour of floor manager, Jean. Being spoken to rudely and having my personal space invaded while asking about a lost item was unacceptable—especially hearing, “It’s not my problem you lost something.” Thankfully, another staff member kindly helped and the item was found.

It's always my first choice for summer vibes, great music, sunny days in the terrace and cocktails with friends. :)

Olivia and Izzy are two of the best waitresses Ive ever come across, their personality and passion for good service was outstanding. Food incredible and drinks are good, but the service by Olivia and Izzy is what made me experience!

Lovely venue and food. Service was swift and friendly staff. Got discount as saw an act at The Beacon. Would definitely recommend to all. Thank you.

Great pub, nice atmosphere, lovely outdoor space but sadly canopy completely overshadows the joy of the sun being out and there is little 'sunny' seating where there could be so much more

Dreadful place. Ordered food that never arrived . Fortunately will never have to go there again.

Come on Bamballan, you allow Stag and Hen Do’s but don’t play the upbeat music to match, not even requests! It’s too chill and laid back to cater for budding Hen’s and Stags. The food however was ok and the service although slow always with a smile, however the DJ had a permanent sour face…….!!!! He thought his music was ok however the rest of us didn’t!

Shit And expensive Got charged and extra £100 for vat and service charge.

Lovely place in the city centre. The overall experience was alright, but as every time I passed by the atmosphere looked so lively and fun, I expected a little more. We sat outside, which was nice. When coming in, it looks amazing, but as you take a closer look, you can see the dirty and sticky tables that haven't been wiped in a while. I must mention that the toilets were very clean, however. The music was extremely loud to the point that we had to literally shout at each other when talking. Nice drinks at reasonable prices. The staff were quite friendly and attentive, though. I won't say I would visit again, but I might give it another go later in the summer.

En general, estaba bien, supongo 🤷 Estaba bastante emocionado con este lugar ya que al pasar, siempre se veía animado y divertido. Sin embargo, tan pronto como mires más de cerca, podrás ver las mesas sucias que no han sido toallitas por un tiempo. Las bebidas eran agradables y a precios razonables. El personal es muy amable y los baños están limpios. Eso es todo para mí. Tenía expectativas más altas, pero eso es cosa mía. Podría darle otra oportunidad más adelante en el verano.

Absolutely horrific experience. Asked to use the toilet very politely. A bartender was absolutely vile to us, making jokes, asking if we wanted to clean the sick out of the bathroom for free because we were disrupting their cleaning time. 3 men laughing and jeering at 2 women just trying to simply ask if their toilet was available. They then attempted to backtrack and embarass us further when we did not engage. Awful experience, cruel and bad mannered. Wouldn't trust these people with any service.

Just awful music was supposed to I think 80’s or 90s bangers but it just wasn’t

I recently visited Bamalan for their bottomless brunch and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. Several issues during our visit left us feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. 1. Unnotified Menu Change: Upon arrival, we discovered the menu had changed, but there were no prior notifications on the website or in the restaurant. This felt misleading, as we had specifically chosen this brunch based on the items from the previous menu. 2. Poor Service: The service was extremely disappointing. Our waitress was rude and dismissive, often walking away mid-conversation while we were trying to order. Despite being the only table in the venue, we felt completely ignored. She seemed more focused on preparing for a private function than attending to us, which made us feel like an inconvenience. We even had to shout to get her attention, which was both frustrating and embarrassing. 3. Venue Closed Upon Arrival: We were left standing outside upon arrival because the venue was closed, despite having a reservation. This lack of communication and disorganization was unprofessional. 4. Unpleasant Environment: The atmosphere was further disrupted when staff began dragging bins past our table before we had even placed our order. This completely ruined the ambiance and made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. 5. Unresolved Concerns: When we tried to address our issues upon leaving, the staff seemed too preoccupied with preparing for a private event to listen. It was clear we were not a priority, and we left feeling like an inconvenience. Overall, this experience was far below expectations and not worth the money spent. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and works on improving both service and customer care. I have sent an email addressing these issues but have yet to receive a response.

Brunch era muy mal servicio, pero hablamos con George y él era el servidor más atento, convirtió nuestra experiencia de - 1 estrella a un 5. Me sentí tan visto y atendido, nunca iba a volver, pero ahora lo haría. Pedí nuestro cargo por servicio para ir a él, pero explicó que no era así como funcionaba, pero él estaba contento de que nuestra experiencia fuera buena! Comparado con otro personal era un dios envió, bambalan debe ser gracias que lo tienen. Gracias de nuevo George, habríamos tenido la peor experiencia sin ti, pero nuestro día fue horrible! ¡Gracias George! Promoción o qué

Brunch was really poor service but we spoke to George and he was the most attentive server, turned our experience from - 1star to a 5. Felt so seen and attended, was never going to come back but now would. Asked for our service charge to go to him but explained this wasn’t how it worked but he was just happy our experience was good! Compared to other staff was a god send, bambalan should be thank you they have him. Thank you again George we would have had the worst experience without you but our day was awful! Thank you George!!! Promotion or what

We did a bottomless brunch here on a Saturday. We were a group of around 12. Overall we were a little disappointed with our experience. The service was very slow, it took us about 30 mins to be initially served drinks and our food order taken. As the 2 hour slot went on it got a little quicker but not great for a bottomless. It also advertised there’d be djs but we didn’t see any and there wasn’t much of a vibe. There are also lots of extras on the menu which is abit cheeky when you’re already paying about £35 Not the worst but definitely not the best

He reservado una mesa para 6 aquí, ya que está justo enfrente de la baliza de Bristol. Sin embargo, muy feliz de retroalimentar que tuvimos una comida brillante antes de ir al concierto. Personal amable y servicial y excelente comida. El filete, pizzas y hamburguesas pedidas eran deliciosos, y las bebidas eran buenas también. Precioso vino tinto. Sin duda volvería!

Excellent place to watch Rugby! Staff are awesome and food great ! Defo recommend as a central place to start the night!

Great service. Really friendly. Had the steak frites and chicken caesar- both lovely. Loved the prosecco glasses. Can't wait to go in the Summer and sit outside ( although heated area and people were sitting outside) Some good offers and they do 20% off food with a theatre/gig ticket in the area. I was pleasantly surprised how nice the food was. Thank you

Sat on the terrace which was lovely as it was a sunny day. The staff were really friendly and helpful. The hot food wasn't quite hot enough for me but could have been because we were sat outside. Very tasty. A bit pricey but nice for a treat. Great music.

Average, overpriced food. Long waits for drinks.

Food was ok, nice for a get together with friends and it wasn't expensive at all

Can be hit and miss but Saturday, which seems to be the go to night in Bristol lately, was great fun. Good crowd and great atmosphere. Cocktails, which are all the rage, slow down the service somewhat.

I came here with a friend a couple of weeks ago, the waiter was friendly and the speed of service was as expected so the service was excellent. I had a vegan pizza which I enjoyed. The restaurant is huge and had lots of seating options so I will likely come back here again.

Pretty pricey for what it is but I suppose that's Bristol for you. Loud if you just want food.

Dreadful place. Burger was like rubber and very poor quality. I imagine a flip flop would taste and have a texture like these burnt offerings. Chips were the cheapest and most bland that you could possibly serve! Total waste of money. Pressured into ordering by the barman who just kept coming over every minute to ask if we were ordering. The other barman was busy rolling his own cigarettes behind the bar. Looks like the place could do with a damn good clean. Grubby, dated and tired decor 😬 Never again

It’s nice place very nice people, but I don’t recommend to eat something there because I ate with the girl garlic bread and we got poisoned very disappointed

Dining experience was great, food, service all great. However my card was charged twice. Okay, it happens. Called multiple times to get the duplicate transaction refunded. Each time they were non responsive, would let the manager know, would forward my email, or would simply not respond or answer the phone. Ridiculous way to run a business. Issuing a refund is literally a 30 second task. After 2 months I ended up having my cc company refund the transaction. Bambalan, you suck so bad.

Great food perfect service reasonably priced. Comfortable and spacious.

Great meal. Nice Halloumi skewers with accompaniments. Lively atmosphere but a few too many Hen parties in attendance!

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.

Una noche decepcionante y cara - ¡tristemente! Dieciocho de nosotros cenamos y las comidas fueron servidas juntas; eso es lo positivo. El restaurante era ruidoso, no sutil música de fondo mediterránea, pero casi a la par con el dub step set, apenas un ambiente relajante. Luego los precios - £ 15 para un tazón de entrada de calamares de sal y pimienta, caro, pero está bien si obtiene calidad; que definitivamente no. Sobre cocido hasta el punto de que no sabrías que era calamar, más bien como rasguños de cerdo en textura. Cocinado en lo que sabía a grasa muy vieja. Huelga decir que esto fue devuelto a la cocina, el alioli era sin embargo delicioso, muy probablemente de un frasco, pero muy sabroso. El filete diminuto era extremadamente masticable y a pesar de una gama de gustos de cocina ordenados; raro, medio, etc. todos parecían exactamente lo mismo. Se cobraron dos ensaladas griegas, no se pidió ninguna, se entregó una y compartimos que sobre la mesa, ¡por qué se cobraron dos no tenemos ni idea! La hamburguesa doble "rara" sin duda le dio a uno de nuestros comensales un entrenamiento de mandíbula, ya sea a la parrilla o frita, pero no es agradable. En general no vale la pena el precio, tal vez para un par o pocos restaurantes que pueden haber sobrellevado mejor, pero para un grupo grande, esto estaba muy fuera de lugar.

Lovely food, good music, soul Train x

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!

Visité este lugar dos veces, la primera vez en Nochevieja y otra vez este fin de semana con amigos. El personal y el servicio son geniales, una variedad de cócteles y buena música. ¡El NO fue brillante!

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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”