Bird In Hand in North Somerset

Great South African food. No hot beverages is the only downside

Wonderful Pub which is Always worth a visit !

My Husband Jeremy and Me, along with our friend Chris, and also our spaniel Zac enjoyed the food very much. The gentleman serving us was helpful and informative Many thanks

Great pub, friendly vibe. Good choice of food. Some South African specials which we tried. Fantastic and very tasty. Dog Friendly too. Will visit again soon

I went lunch on 26th October 2024 12 of us all South African ladies. Very good food.staff good. Liz owner very friendly. We were not rushed. We had had a good chat and enjoyed the the lunch.

Brilliant Sunday lunch in Long Ashton! Delicious food and a great vegetarian option. Would highly recommend it going we thought it was great value too!

We were pleased to see something different on the menu- south African Bobotie! We had a helpful lad doing table service. The food was presented well and tasted amazing 😍 and it looked so colourfull. The other dish we had came in a little cauldron. South African decor too. Will be coming back to try the SA pudding.

Really nice place went there in day so it was quiet.. food was really good very nice staff

After a mix up with our last booking we were kindly offered a complimentary meal and drinks voucher for two. We had Sunday lunch. Couldn’t fault our roast dinners and definitely recommend the chocolate brownie. The pub is cosy and welcoming. After today’s lunch I would highly recommend. Thank you.

Very friendly village pub type atmosphere. Beers always good and food menu includes great mixture of South African dishes and classic pub dishes, all very tasty and reasonably priced.

Had a lovely steak meal for two at a really good price, steak was cooked to perfection as I’m fussy with my steak hows it cooked and it lovely. Nice friendly atmosphere and great service. Will be back again

Served by Liz who was helpful and polite. The pub had a very friendly feel about it and the South African food and Tempura Prawns were excellent. Look forward to coming back.

Small and welcoming. Difficult parking due to a main road position. Unusual menu and Wednesday has 25% off so definitely worth a try. Popular venue as a team of young footy players arrived in numbers when the outside patio already looked quite full. Saturday afternoon.

A good place to hang out with friends over a glass of cool, fresh beer.

Lovely pub! The food was fantastic, and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. We were in Long Ashton for the weekend with friends, and we had three young raucous kids with us, and the lady who took our order and generally looked after us rose to the challenge admirably. If we're in the area again, we'll be back for sure.

Called in here a few weeks ago after going on a ride out with about 8 of us ,lovely welcoming atmosphere, plenty of choices of beer and cider ,outside seating area spot on with added heating ,lovely we will be back 😀

Lovely evening, great food and friendly staff

The definition of the perfect pub? I've lived near for six years and always been a fan. Under recent ownership it's become the best pub I've known. It's always busy, does a good varied menu but most importantly feels like home. All generations seem to feel comfortable and happy here. The service is friendly and keeps people wanting to come back. South African twist on a pub menu.

Friendly staff and fantastic food. Our party of 5 tried 3 different dishes from the South African selection of mains, 3 wanted the Bobotie. All were excellent and everyone thought it was outstanding. I had the Bunny Chow and can honestly saw it was the best curry I’ve had in a restaurant for a long time.

Amazing food as always and great service.

Was disappointed to be asked to leave the table after 1 hr and 10% survive charge.

Excellent. Steaks cooked to perfection. Will definitely go back.

Highly recommended 👌 home made soup and I love there bacon budgets 😋😍

A group of 9 of us had a wonderful meal and were very knowledgeable about allergens. Would definitely go again.

Amazing food at the Bird in the Hand. I had the Lamb Curry in a bread bowl and my husband had a bacon, cheese burger. Both were delicious

Had a lovely family meal here and the staff were very welcoming and accomodating of dietary requirements and described the dishes in detail which was great when deciding what to have.

Superb meal, extremely tasty, highly recommend the South African specialties on the menu. The new owners are doing a wonderful job, the place had a nice community feel, worth driving out to from Bristol yet not far from the city. Brilliantly food in lovely village pub.

As a South African expat, it was a lovely surprise to find traditional food at this pub. The bobotie was not quite traditionally made but was ok. It was still a good night out.

Lovely local pub and great atmosphere

Nice pub and very tasty food. Recommend. 🙂

Stumbled on this lovely friendly pub, when using another local business. Decided to try south African dishes from the menu.... So glad we did. Food was superb, fresh and well presented... very reasonable prices too. Would HIGHLY recommend.... Staff were very friendly, telling us about his travel to Africa... Was very interesting.... Would definitely be going again soon... Thank you guys x

Lovely pub, perfect for Sunday dinner which was beautifully cooked, in a hearty portion size, and served by friendly landlords. Loved the South African desert option too, like an even better sticky toffee pudding. The pub is cosy with a log fire burning too. Will be back!

Incredible food and service. The South African beef stew was bursting with high quality steak and the lamb bunny chow was wonderfully flavorful. The service too from Rowan was excellent. Thank you for a perfect lunch! We will be back! 😊

Another meal at this South African-themed pub and a fantastic experience. The Bobotie Croquettes starter were delicious, and the bunny chow main course was bursting with flavor. The tender meat and aromatic spices in the bunny chow were perfectly balanced, and the bread bowl was soft and fluffy. The sides of chakalaka and sambals added even more depth of flavor. The service was exceptional, with a knowledgeable and friendly server making excellent recommendations. The warm and inviting atmosphere was perfect for a casual dinner with friends and family. Overall, I highly recommend this pub for a top-notch South African-inspired meal. Five stars!

Following a walk around the Ashton Court estate we turned up for our pre-booked lunch in a side room with a roaring fire. The choice was either beef or lamb with a vegetarian option which wasn’t one of our choices. The usual accompanying veg also had a bowl of cheesy leeks. All the plates were cleared and most of us also tucked into a dessert. Food was very good and service was prompt and efficient and well worth the 10% added to the bill. Good pint of Gem! Prices are reasonable enough and we would happily return.

Visited today for Sunday roast - hadn’t booked and planned in advance but got lucky for a table. Superb beef (me) and lamb (bro). Lovely selection of perfectly cooked veg including an included side of leeks in cheese sauce. My brothers dog was made welcome and slept at the side of our table. Desserts were absolutely first class too - make sure you try them out - so light and flavoursome - will defo be returning - thank you to all of the team for a great meal

Friendly little pub with some tasty home cooked South African dishes on the menu. On street parking isn’t a problem in the evenings. Will be popping in again soon.

We enjoyed the South African dishes, made a nice change for the classic pub dishes. They were really tasty and there was a nice atmosphere in the pub. We would return.

Friendly welcome, good service. Really enjoyed the South African choices on the menu, makes a change to usual suspects. I had the seafood curry, delicious and different, my husband enjoyed the bobotti and our friends both had the hungover chicken which they said was excellent. Might have to go back to try that. Had a lovely evening and would recommend.

Really excellent food South African style. The bibotte mince dish was excellent as was the pulled chicken. Really good ales as well. Very pleasant waiting staff and very efficient in a pleasant way. Heartily recommended!😊

Recently visited on the back of previous excellent experiences as location suited friends meeting, however under new management it is quite different to the Bird in Hand of old. Whilst staff efficient, friendly and pleasant, the food is much of a muchness with a South African theme. This theme also also explains the overt SA decoration (think flags, springbok scarves and mass produced artwork). It is more like South Africa does Walkabout, whilst diversifying into country pubs... A disappointing visit, one which I won’t look to repeat or recommend unfortunately.

We have been for dinner and drinks at the Bird in Hand weekly for the past month. The food and service has been brilliant every time and you feel safe knowing they are taking the necessary precautions due to Covid. We have tried the roast, burger night and fish and chips on Friday. Everything has been delicious and we are already planning to visit again this weekend. We are so lucky to have such a lovely local pub in our village.

We had dinner here in the time of Covid, and felt that all the necessary precautions were being taken. The food was cooked to perfection, the service was great and we were pleasantly surprised by the bill. There isn’t much more we could have asked for.

Our second visit trialling pie night and curry night. Absolutely amazing and we get out to a lot of pubs. This has set a new bar in terms of value and great food.

Really friendly pub. Prompt service. Great red wine, steak and Stilton pie. Definitely recommend. 👍

This is my local pub, a short walk from my home. We have been regular visitors for the last 7 years. It has recently changed ownership and has a new chef. The pub re-opened on 4th July and since then I have visited about six times and each time I have had a pleasant experience. This review is from my visit with my wife and dog on Thursday 13th August 2020. We sat in the beer garden it's not that big but spacious enough and customers are nicely spread out. Landlord Rob always greets the customers and there was no delay in ordering drinks. The beer was excellent, there are three decent real ales on sale and recently the quality has improved. This was the first time I have ordered food and Mo is the new chef who used to be at the Angel Inn just along the road. I had fish and chops and Mrs. had mussels and fries. Food was ready in a timely way and portions were very generous. Lovely piece of fish with mushy peas , tartar sauce. Mussels in a creamy sauce were excellent. Generous sized portions too and good value for money. I would say very good pub grub which is exactly what they set out to provide. I decided then for the purposes of research to try a dessert: Sticky toffee pudding with cream. Superb, sadly I then felt like a sheep that had escaped it's pen and eaten too much clover and had a bad case of bloat. (See "Far from the Madding Crowd"). So overall good food, good service and pretty good value for money. Mrs had glass of wine , a Chenin, which was very good. Will definitely return to dine again.

The bird in hand is an amazing and friendly pub. It's under new management and it's much better than before. Amazing staff and they are so friendly and the customer service is excellent Keep up the good work

Amazing bar, great staff and amazing landlords! Super friendly pub! Great prices! The food is amazing and also well priced! A fantastic local pub!

Under new management, indifferent basic pub food and poor service. Used to be a regular, won't be returning

We had a really nice lunch today in the beer garden, some classic delicious pub food at great value. This is somewhat disappointing comparing to the last review, unfortunately for us no loud music or shots of tequila in sight, hence only 5 stars instead of 6!

The Bird Hand was a fantastic village pub serving amazing food in a warm welcoming atmosphere. But not any more. Under new management it’s all changed. Loud music, a bar full of tequila shots lined up at 7pm on a Sunday, crap house music playing Loudly in the garden and a massive TV on the wall. The emphasis on food is gone and now the emphasis is on getting pissed. Shame to see a great pub go down hill so quickly.

Six of us met for lunch yesterday and had the set lunch which I think was called the Workmen's.Good selection of beers, great chap behind the bar who provided first class service and friendliness, achieving the perfect balance.The food was excellent and terrific value. Panacotta particularly was the the best we can remember.Will return on due course.

Enjoyed lunch today. Thought the menu was really creative and what arrived was delicious. We were made to feel really welcome. Great service doesn't have to cost the earth - and today proved that. Well done to all the team!

This is my local, but I won't be going any more. I pop in for a half of cider for a bit of company. It's gone up from £2.05 to £2.50, which equates to £5 per pint. The staff change to too frequently to make any meaning connections, and I don't earn enough to cover the disappointment I feel at the way it's going.

Staff incompetent with pricing - offered 4 different prices for a cocktail - and when I questioned the highest price I was abused by the manager and then the chef joined in. They didn’t seem to know how to calculate the price. A most unpleasant experience .

Wonderful, friendly, courteous staff and fantastic food. Will definitely return. I would highly recommend

We went to this restaurant for Sunday lunch having researched it on Tripadvisor. What a disappointment. 4 adults and 2 small children, Firstly no Kids menu, just smaller portions. Secondly ordered roast beef - my wife does not like horseradish! The meal was served on a small plate swimming in gravy with horseradish amongst the gravy. Not the way you expect a restaurant that charges top prices to serve.The menu was not extensive and the sweet menu was 3 items noy of which we fancied!The children eat virtually nothing as they don't like roast and they couldnot provide anything as an alternative!!Needless to say we shall not be returning, I warn all that this is not a child friendly venue!

Dinner for 2 was excellent, surprisingly we complemented the staff on the bread and dip that arrives as a pre starter to find out the chef bakes his own on the premises. There is a menu that includes traditional fare (classic menu) which is very well priced. Service good whole experience very enjoyable

Found this pub by accident, four of us went for lunch, a fifth joined for pudding and it was fantastic! The food was so so so so good! Wonderful in fact. As importantly the guys who were running the bar were just lovely. Cannot recommend more, they are so welcoming, we sat out but they have a wood burner and and it looked so nice inside. Cannot stress enough how great the food was.

We had starters Mushroom Arancini and, Butternut Squash with Tunworth cheese and hazelnuts followed by Gurnard market (special) fish and Onglet... coupled with a Petit Chablis. Ok £90 with service charge but thoroughly worth it. Great service and a great meal!

Gorgeous meal here. Was recommended by our airb&b hosts. We shared the Beef , absolutely amazing and very tasty . Lovely wine too. Would book as only small place.

We had a fantastic time at ‘Bird in hand’. They have a fabulous team, great manager and delicious food. Can’t wait to be back. Thank you for a great time.

Been to the The bIrd a few times and this time I felt the food wasn't as good as previously and the menu was a bit limited. It felt a little like they were trying too hard with the 'gastro' bit! Whilst the burgers and fish and chips were good, the market fish, with dumplings and broth was watery, tasteless and over complicated - a good piece of fish ruined was the verdict and the mackerel bap had some much dressing and relish in it that the mackerel got lost. Choice of desserts a bit limited as well so we didn't bother.

Went there again last night, this time just for drinks but visit regularly for food. Food always excellent but also a great place to go for a drink - if want to eat in a quieter space, sit in the restaurant but I always enjoy the bar & mixing with the locals + you can eat in there too which is my preference.

Both my father and I had the fish and chips, which was one of the best I've had. The service was very friendly and prompt, and the decor is really interesting with all the local curios to look at. I shall return!

Visited Saturday eve. It was quiet by their standards so only one chef on. Food was decent enough, with a priced to justify the 'gastro'pub status. However what wasn't so nice was the 80 minute wait from being given menus to receiving our mains. Given the rating on the food. Would have on my given 2 for wait.

Food still good. But, having been on 1/2 dozen occasions in the last few months in the evenings, too often there seem to be the same very loud, sweary, drunken people at the bar. They’re obnoxious and, having spoken to others who use the pub, they feel the same.

Visited this pub for lunch prior to flying out of Bristol Airport (15 mins away) and it was a real find. Good choice of food all prepared on the premises and excellent quality. The fish stew was superb as was the sticky toffee pudding and we will ceratinly revisit it in the future.

My sister, her fiance and myself came in on the off chance that we could get a table without booking prior to, and even though it was busy being mothers day we did get a table. We ordered food at the bar and it was very quick service, also less than 5-10 minutes later our food was at the table, very impressed. All the meals we had were delicious, so were the desserts. I would recommend The Bird in Hand to everyone on every level, very impressed guys, thank you for a lovely experience.

Great pub with top food! Bar menu & a seperate restaurant area. Always great service too I’ve been a number of times now

Super good, amazing service (thanks Melissa and Sam) & shockingly good espresso martinis!!! Thanks so much for a fab tasting menu and night out

We live in the village & are lucky to have this as our local. Love the choice of menu from the bar classics (often with a twist) to the a la carte selection. Great atmosphere, service & the opportunity to try a different “Gin of the Day”. The Team at the Bird in Hand are doing a great job

Choice of pork or beef, fish or veggie option. Great selection of veg and worth ordering cauli cheese as extra. Brilliant idea to be able to order yorkshire puds for everyone. Beef was so tender and pulled pork very plentiful. Enjoyed by all in relaxed atmosphere if a little snug in size for boisterous children (sorry fellow diners!) Others mentioned small choice but I feel its better that way and everything is done well. We will return.

Returned to this excellent pub for mid week lunch with two friends. Three of our group ordered the terrine starter only to be told, subsequently, that it was not available! However, suitable alternatives were offered and enjoyed. The food was wholesome and excellent and, if anything, the portion sizes were too big!!

We visited the Bird in Hand on a recommendation and I’m so glad we did. I grew up in Long Ashton and remember a slightly run down pub but not having visited for years it was such a pleasant surprise to see its transformation. We walked in to a proper traditional pub with fire crackling and a warm welcome but modern menu and service. We were happy to warm ourselves by the fire and peruse the menu. It was hard to make a choice there were so many great options. I went for the risotto which was flavoursome and cooked perfectly and my husband had the fish and chips which were apparently really good.

Great place for a family birthday meal. The pub has a nice atmosphere, very friendly staff, good beer and good food. We would have given it 5 stars, but the mussels were a bit small. The beef, on the other hand was absolutely gorgeous. We had a wonderful evening and would happily go back there, even though we live in Devon!

Popped in today for a roast with my partner and our pooch. Cosy country pub with a lovely feel to it. We both had fish stew with rouille, croutons and cheddar to start. It was the best fish stew I’ve ever eaten. Absolutely delicious. Both had beef roasts to follow which were also fab. Perfectly tender medium rare meat and an interesting selection of veggies. Definitely worth getting the scrumptious cauliflower cheese on the side. Thumbs up from me. Will definitely be returning!

Met with four friends at the Bird in Hand, which is a local for one of the group. We’d booked a table in the restaurant side but in fact we were the only ones eating on that side. The service was attentive but not in your face, there’s a good choice of beers and ciders, the menu has changed since we were last there and it has something for everyone. Two of us had the onglet, fish & chips, burger and pie of the day. All of us were pleased with quality and size of the meals. The triple cooked chips are gorgeous. We had cheese and biscuits and two crumbles which were very good. Overall, a nice meal and good dining experience.

Struggling to find somewhere halfway between a group of friends and found this place in the good food guide. Not disappointed at all. Service was friendly and the food was of an excellent standard and quality. Great selection of gins as well if that's your thing. Will certainly revisit.

We had a family meal. The food is excellent, staff very friendly and we had a lovely evening. Good menu choice and nice choice of beers.

Decided to stop off here for food (before a flight from Bristol Airport) based on previous reviews. It certainly is a great pub and fabulous food. We had the pie of the day (steak and ale) and it was delicious.

Lovely pub, great food and very friendly staff. We had the fish and chips which were excellent followed by the equally scrumptious sticky toffee pudding. Will be back again as soon as possible.

An enjoyable meal, menu limited - in my opinion - (2 roasts, 1 veggie, 1 fish) but meals were delicious and beautiful, made with local produce. Other than the lack of choice, my only other criticism would be the cutlery - both the pigeon and the beef would have benefited from a steak knife as the regular dinner knives we were given were not up to the job!

This pub is on the main road through Long Ashton, an area very popular with local cyclists. There is a small but comfortable courtyard garden, a really pleasant place to sit and rest. The food took a while to arrive but was well worth the wait as was really tasty.

Having heard that this was a good place to eat I was very disappointed with my visit today.The roast beef was tasteless and so tough it was difficult to cut up, also the roast potatoes were undercooked.This was the most un-appetising Sunday lunch I have experienced in any pub or restaurant anywhere.Our complaints resulted merely in the waiver of the (discretionary) service charge!! Will definitely not be making a second visit.

Some of us had snacks as starters and we thought we have picked the correct place for a special meal to celebrate a birthday and the news that we were going to be grandparents. When the main meal came it all looked lovely until we started to eat it ,two people shared the beef rib £50 the waitress said you will never have beef like this again (I hope not) it was tough very badly cooked and it had a very old meat smell to it ,I must say this is the worst beef I have ever been served in my life .One other person had the rib eye again it was not very pleasant ,it was more fat than meat .The summer salad was just lettuce and radish (are tomatoes etc summer things) .Overall this was the worst meal I have ever had in a place that is meant to be really good food ,This was very disappointing as it was meant to be a celebration meal .

We went on a quiet evening and sat outside for drinks. Small backyard but tranquil even if near the road. It gets very busy sometimes and has gone up market. I have eaten here in the past. Fair to good food.

We haven't been to this pub for some time. Although the food was always good it is now even better. We went with friends and the staff, service and ambience contributed to a great evening out.

Beautifully cooked, nicely balanced menu, excellent taste combinations, including the chocolate delice. Dense bitter choc base, light not-too-sweet mousse, with salted caramel & Porter ice cream. Amazing - oh, and golden honey comb nuggets for the sweeter tooth.

Eaten at the Bird in hand a few times in the past. Previously both food and service have been excellent.

Food was absolutely stunning. The Onglet main with pulled pork side was straight up delicious! Guy who served the table (10 of us) was a bit cocky and had a bit too much say about everything but he was funny at times and was fine with a big table ordering. Nice environment to eat and drink in, both inside and outside. Could be a bit more closed off from the main road however in the outside garden.

Had a lovely evening at the Bird in Hand. The food was scrumptious! I had the roasted cod, my sister the chicken dish and my husband and brother in law shared the beef rib. We were all very pleased with our dishes and the puds we had were yummy too. Very high quality gastropub food!

A Sunday roast in a typical English pub on a rainy day, to show a foreign friend how the locals fare and what a real pub is like!

Walking the Monarch’s Way today, we went past this pub. Unassuming from the outside, we tried the door and found a lovely friendly pub. We were too early for food , but the menu looked great.

We visited the Bird in Hand for Sunday lunch on a friends recommendation. We certainly enjoyed the food and the staff were great but I think I do prefer the sister restaurant The Pump House.

Always great food here. Just had fish soup for lunch but it was delicious! We are lucky to have this pub in our village!

We booked quite late for sunday lunch - delicious food, friendly staff, efficient service. Well worth booking as it is quite small and is understandably popular.

Outstanding village pub with amazing food, staff and owners very friendly. I would recommend a visit for food or just a social drink.

I really wanted to like this place - and with all the hype about its seasonal and foraged food, I thought we were in for a treat. We weren't. A small group of us popped in on a cold night. The menu sounded good, not...

The food here is really amazing and worth a visit for. Unfortunately the service is dreadful. We were greeted by...