BessellScotts House of Jazz in Bristol, City of

Firstly can I say that I was really excited about this venue opening and I really want it to succeed. We went to one of the “soft” opening nights which had a number of glitches including a wait of over 2 hours for food but we put it down to teething problems and assumed there would be improvement. We wanted to return but none of the performers appealed until we saw that James Morton was appearing on Saturday evening. We arrived at 7.30 it was then a 20 minute wait until a waitress appeared, we ordered drinks which arrived and then we ordered food and water, the starter came reasonably promptly but the water never appeared. When the starter plate was collected we ordered more drinks, a gin and a GLASS of wine, a few minutes later a BOTTLE of wine was brought to the table and no gin, we decided to keep the bottle of wine but had to remind a different server about the gin. Meanwhile the excellent James Morton had completed his first set of the evening. Then the original server asked us if we had our starters which had arrived and been eaten, at this point alarm bells were seriously ringing. 2 tables who arrived much later than us received their mains at that point we felt we had to ask if ours would be much longer, (along with a few other nearby tables) we were told that they would check but no one got back to us but they arrived at 9.40, 2 hours and 10 minutes after arrival. So, basically nothing had improved since the “soft” opening a few months ago, the attention to detail from the waiting staff is very poor, the food is ok, but expensive, wife’s chicken was overcooked. So after a quite eventful evening the icing on the cake was about to unfold. James Morton had just started his second set when an altercation between him and the security guy led to James refusing to play on, a situation that could and should have been handled better and could have been easily avoided. Apologies for the lengthy review but hopefully you’ll agree that a lot happened on our visit. Message to the owners, improvements need implementing rapidly.

Cannot recommend this place highly enough, visited last Friday Night ~ what a brilliant evening was had by all. Pre-Booking advised especially for a Friday/Saturday Evening ~ as live Music quickly puts bums-on-seats. Cool Music Club Vibe, Comfortable Seating, Ambient Lighting, Superb Menu (Food was exceptionally good). Comprehensive Wine & Spirit List + Beers/Lagers.Staff Genuinely Friendly & Super Attentive ~ May this Venue go from strength to strength - just what Bristol has been waiting for, somewhere Sleek & Sophisticated for Adults enjoying Contemporary, Popular Jazz for Everyone Thank you BessellScotts ~ we shall return

Went here for lunch on Sunday. Food was phenomenal (ended up having 3 courses!) and so reasonably priced for the quality. The beef tartar in particular was fantastic. Great atmosphere, with an amazing live band and attentive staff. Went downstairs to The Night Safe for a few too many cocktails afterwards, which is a hidden gem. Perfect Sunday date day!

The music was utterly fabulous and the food delicious, but they really need to work on customer service. There was a lack of communication, the food took forever to arrive, and the staff showed a real lack of attention to detail. The manager set the tone - he was so uptight!! It's pricey, which is fine with me if the service is excellent, but right now it really isn't. I hope this place can pull it together and learn that if you make customers feel special, and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone, uncluding performers, you'll make money. It's really that simple.

It's a great venue, music and atmosphere are superb. But very much felt like a newly opened restaurant with a few things to iron out. Food is far too expensive for what you get and quality didn't really make up for it. £28 for one pork chop. £3 to add "tiger" prawns which are really just 5 tiny coldwater prawns from the supermarket. Steak was nearly £20 on its own then came overcooked with sides and sauce extra. £7.50 for one scallop! Especially when you factor in the £20 per person you've already paid to get in, the cost is really quite extortionate. Service is friendly and well meaning but a little slow and unorganised. That said, the experience as a whole made up for the issues. Brilliant seats, good band, and a really cool atmosphere. But tbh if I'd go again, I'd probably just order wine, sit at the front and avoid the food. If they can bring the cost down, this would be my new favourite.

Great idea - but the execution needs improvement - especially service speed and menu options. The music was fantastic. Really hope this venue evolves as the live music is a big plus for the area.

This is a fab venue and so nice to have something a bit different in the area. 6 of us for evening meal, and we couldn’t fault the service whatsoever. Every member of staff was very polite & friendly. The band was great and played some good classics. The food was lovely and very well cooked and presented. But …. everyone of us said the same about the ‘shoestring frites’ - No !! There needs to be at least a couple of options when it comes to chips/potatoes/salad. The frites are like having a bowl of matchstick crisps, and ok for a snack, but not to go with the rest of the gorgeous food. It will not stop us from visiting again, but will choose from the menu, wisely. It’s not a moan, but maybe an ‘opportunity’ for the venue itself.