Bocca Bar in Bristol, City of

We were passing this bar when a heavy shower descended, so we called in mainly to get out of the rain. We enjoyed our visit. The staff were pleasant and we had two glasses of prosecco in a pleasant environment.

We entered and I can’t say greeted but met by a lady, she didn’t say anything and we asked if it ok to just come in for a drink, she stood aside and we found ourself a seat. When at the bar the same lady served us. Again she didn’t say anything so we told her what we wanted to drink. Drinks were paid for and again nothing, not a thank you or a smile… We observed various staff members whilst having our drink from chefs to bar staff and everyone looked unhappy in their job, no one spoke to each other.. It was quite quiet and the lady behind the bar was constantly on her phone and kept looking over like we were inconveniencing her by being there.. We finished our drinks, took the empty glasses back to the bar and again no thank you or goodbye. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Such a shame really.

Had a fantastic time, a brunch with a friend. Our waiter was very courteous, funny and non-intrusive. Have spoken to several members of staff and all were lovely on the day. Had a £10 vegan breakfast and a really good Bloody Mary. All tasty, as usual. A fab visit.

Very rude staff. I was refused to serve and rudely approached by 4 waitress simultaneously, because I was politely surprised by service process. All I asked is a bit of customer service.

The staff are rude and have no patience. When in a big group and trying to give the orders to the right customer.. They don’t deserve your money.

Before going to the theatre, we stopped at Bocabar for a quick meal. The menu is varied with burgers, pizza and salads all options. We started with crispy squid (average quality and somewhat lacking in flavour) and ciabatta and Houmous (OK). For the main items we had the Feta green salad and the Smokey poke bowl, the salad was very good as was the poke bowl. The restaurant space is quite noisy and in the winter relatively cold because a number of tables are near the door.

Popped in for coffee and cake. Had to wait ages and ages. Coffee was tepid. Cake was cold and tasteless. So, not so great really.

A very disappointing visit on a Thursday lunchtime. They had a large private party going on so the menu was depleted to pizzas, fries and salad. Come on guys! If you know how many bookings you have, you can employ more staff to ensure all your customers get a good experience.

Very extensive range of pizzas. They were excellent, with very good quality ingredients, with the ‘Bahia piccante’ one I had having just the right level of chilli heat. Theres a good selection of draught beers too. Service was also very good with staff checking more than once that everything was ok. I’d recommend this place.

I had dinner at Bocabar for the first time this week with friends. It’s a great space, with excellent pizzas and a wide drinks selection. We had a good meal, but unfortunately the service did let it down a little. I had to wait a long time to be seen initially on arrival without being acknowledged, (we had a table booked) and sadly the food took over 45 minutes (we only had 3 pizzas). We were sitting in the bar area, so do understand there is no table service there, but a little more attention from the staff would have been appreciated especially as we had made a booking. A little disappointing, but hopefully just a one off.

I was a regular visitor here before Covid and this was my first return visit...and it's still really good! The Paintworks district is rather trendy with art types with numerous associated businesses (Martin Parr Foundation, RPS etc) and Bocobar fits this demographic. The venue is large and open with numerous seating / table options to suit most groups, many with good access for prams etc. The staff are super friendly and helpful and do genuinely make you feel welcome rather than being 'scripted'. The bar is extensive with many local breweries being supported - something to be commended on. There's definitely plenty for all but the most fussy drinkers. The menu isn't vegetarian but 'pure' meat eaters may be disappointed. However there is still plenty of meat options but the focus is clearly on good food with reduced meat - this isn't a bad thing. Pizza lovers will be happy as there's plenty of options and they look fantastic. There's an extensive deli counter with loads of options, there's also a few salad options (I highly recommend the Caesar Salad with chicken, bacon and anchovies!). I highly recommend Bocobar and I'm looking forward to my next visit.

Best pizza in Bristol so many vegetarian options and amazing drinks and desserts I had the olive and goat cheese pizza and it was better than any other pizza I have had in my whole life all my family loved the food

What an amazing space. We happened upon Bocabar whilst killing time in Bristol one sunny Saturday. The stylish interior decor of this cavernous gem is enhanced by contemporary artwork bedecking the walls. We both ordered pizzas (one calzone, one Amazonia). The food was delicious and the menu extensive. Staff were friendly and very accommodating. We will definitely return!

Used this venue for a band meeting to discuss future gigs and rehearsal dates. Place was very busy but we found a table and ordered pizzas. Service very good considering the number of people there - a buzzing atmosphere! Food excellent and the staff deserve to be commended for their prompt & friendly service. Will certainly revisit!

Consistently brilliant since the day they opened. Love this place. Best gluten free pizzas in Bristol. Gorgeous bar, decor, atmosphere, great staff. Never change!

Came across this restaurant during a night out in the city centre. The establishment was situated near Castle Park and other bars and restaurants. Even at 8pm, it was really busy and looked welcoming. We were surprised to be offered seats. Whilst waiting, we ordered drinks at the bar, these were transported to our table when ready. The menu looked appetising, albeit mainly a pizza restaurant. As the waiter was taking our order, she was told that there was no dough left for pizza. We were told that we can select from the other menu items, which left us to choose between meat burger, chicken burger or vegetarian burger option, or salads. We spoke with a waiter explaining that we had ordered and stated our drinks but wanted pizza. After consulting the manager, we were told they would reduce the drink by 10%. Due to the time now going on, we decided to eat here. Two meat and one chicken burger later, the food was done. What we had was nice, but we were set on having pizza, so we felt disappointed. The bill was tendered with a reduction of 10%, which I suppose was appreciated. Would love to go here again but would be put off by the disappointment of the previous visit.

I went into bocabar city centre a week or so ago and had a wonderful experience! The food was not that nice but the staff were so lovely. I was served by a girl with short black hair and a man with curly hair I hope they see this because they made my day with their lovely can do attitudes! We need more pekple like this in the world! Will definitely visit again!(maybe not for the food though sorry bocabar😉)

We had lunch at Bocabar Finzels Reach yesterday. I have been a few times. I was hugely disappointed with the service food and general attitude of the Staff. I am not one to complain about staff as a rule. I however cannot understand the attitude of the staff yesterday. We ordered drinks. I ordered a regular coke with no ice. They drinks came and despite asking for no ice my glass was full of ice. I said to the waitress that i had asked for no ice as she was speeding away from the table. She took the glass away and it came back with no ice. I know this is a very small issue and would normally just let it go. We ordered our food. I ordered a calzone with a couple of extra toppings or in this case insides. Calzone is a folded pizza. Our food came promptly. Mine was not cooked. The mozzarella was still in solid lumps and cold. I told the waitress that my food was not cooked properly and was cold inside. This is a different waitress from the one who served our drinks. She took it back the pizza chef she came back and informed me that due to having two extra toppings inside it was not possible to get them hot !!! She told me I can have it reheated or have it back as it was. I was hungry and my partner was already eating her food. I said I would have it reheated. So if she went then came hurrying back telling me that. The chef was making a fresh one. I waited ten minutes or so and a fresh one duly came. It was complete and low and behold the thing was cooked inside. This unfortunately is not the end of this miserable lunch. I was eating my calzone and noticed that is was devoid of any tomato sauce. I continued with my meal. I checked the menu to see if my particular calzone should have included the said tomato sauce as I know that a white pizza fad is underway. (IE no tomato sauce) I was in fact right and my calzone selection should indeed have had tomato sauce. When the waitress came I informed her that my pizza was missing that in my view crucial element. She said that she though it was not included in the calzone. I then pointed out that it was listed in the ingredients on the menu. I did not get any other explanation. It was like well that’s just tough. I was very disappointed with the whole sorry experience. The attitude of the staff was very poor. So much negativity attitude. The chef sent the waitress back to tell me that due to adding two extra ingredients he could not cook the Calzone. The fact that he did not get the ingredients correct on the second calzone shows me that maybe should read the menu to see what he is cooking. I hate leaving negative reviews especially about staff but the attitude of them all was just lethargic and non caring. If it had been just one person maybe it’s excusable as we don’t know what goes on in people’s lives. This was everyone we interacted with. I can only assume that it’s a management style. What happened to the customer is right. What happened to just being polite. All in all a miserable experience. This is about Bocabar Finzels Reach. I couldn’t find the Finzels Reach Bocabar listed

This place is very relaxed, has a great atmosphere and some lush food too – I especially like the vegetarian breakfast.

Blimey , the noise from this place hits you as you walk through the doors . Lovely pizza , nice wine , charmingstaff but an acoustic disaster ! Please get sone sound absorbers on the ceoling lije at the wonderful waverly tavern .. no idea what my friebds were saying to me !

Quirky and easy to visit - pizzas are fresh and reasonably priced - recommend for family or friends night out

Went for lunch for some reason we were only allowed pizza?!!? I did not want pizza and that seemed to be of no consequence to the restaurant. They point blank refused to make me a simple salad twice (they had salad on the menu) They were however happy to put about a kilo of rocket on one of my colleagues pizzas... sad that actual hospitality does not seem to be a thing here But I guess if you want pizza it would be fine...

Normally love this place, but last night was not up to its usual standard. I choose to sit in the bar area but was freezing and not very pleasant. Tried to change to the restaurant area but were not allowed even through there were free tables it was only half seven. The barman was very unenthusiastic to say the least. Dont think I will be heading back for a while.

Went to bocabar recently and the pizza was so good. The hospitality was excellent. Since Covid I feel hospitality in the whole sector has down hill. But this experience has but my faith back in the hospitality sector. Our sever Tessa made it to make us feel really special.

Went there with friends. Atmosphere very relaxed. Staff all very friendly and accommodating. Friend is a massive meat eater but actually tried one of the veggie pizzas and said it's better than any meat one he's had. Highly recommended!

Bocabar is easily my favourite places to get pizza in Bristol, so good every time!!! Really nice chill environment and friendly staff. Would recommend the Cogumelo if you’re a fan of mushroom pizzas x

Love love love the pizzas - one of the best I’ve ever had and I’m picky! We also had cocktails which were amazing and the atmosphere was brilliant. Great place in Bristol

Great pizzas buzzing atmosphere we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves will be back to try more of the menu

Had a great Saturday afternoon here with the whole family. Lots of smiles from the staff, a good table, a terrific atmosphere, and some excellent food - and I don't even like pizza! Got very busy toward early evening and promised to be a great...

Arrived, for breakfast on a very important day for my family. I arrived early (doors were wide open) and was immediately told they did not open until 10am (25 mins) - no “good morning”. I was allowed to wait for my family but felt the...

I love this place but it’s taken a turn recently, staff are incredibly dismissive and arrogant and it’s not nearly as child friendly as it used to be. Such a shame.

We ordered 2 pizzas and 2 beers. Unfortunately the pizza was very poor. The menu mentions ingredients you’d assume were of a decent quality, however the pizza was so bland tasting that I suspect the ingredients used were not exactly as advertised. I’m not sure...

Came for a lovely family get together and meal food was great came out hot and quick. Place is very quaint and clean. Has problem at the end with our bill we were given the wrong bill after paying and before we had left the...

I've been here twice now with a group of friends. On both occasions it was busy & had a nice atmosphere. Staff work hard, it's a big place & it was full. Pizza's were lovely, thin crust & lot's of options.

When ordering at the bar I enquired whether with the pulled pork cantinas, I could have the salsa verde on the side and was told that it was all part of the mix so not possible which is fine not a problem. However I then...

Today we visited the Bocabar in Bristol for a family members stag do. We traveled up from Cornwall. We stopped off at this bar for a few drinks and the service was absolutely superb with good recommendations on the beers available. Natalie gave us great...

Had a lovely trip here with family. Food was great however when I went to pay the bill. I was charged more than stated on the bill. This wasn’t a service charge. When questioned I was told quite rudely by the manager that the prices...

Thanks Max you were a fabulous waiter - very attentive and couldn’t have been BRIGHTER🤩 we felt very well looked after and spoilt Max really looked after us🥳

Sooo busy and totally understaffed but the amazing Heulwen carried the whole place single handedly. Food was delicious especially the asparagus. Did I mention that Heulwen was amazing ?

A cold overcooked tasteless Sunday roast. Sent a note of feedback to kitchen with table number. Got no reply. Very disappointing

Walked in because we were looking for some food at 330pm. They had posters outside advertising food and a 'wait here to be seated' sign where we asked for and where shown to a table and presented with food menus. When we read the menus,...

We've been searching for a good, reliable spot for a fry up in Bristol. We pass Bocabar - Finzels Reach pretty regularly on walks and saw they did a weekend brunch so for our weekly outing, we stopped by. Bocabar do two versions of a...

I’ve been going to Bocabar since I was a kid and still say it’s my favourite restaurant. The pizza is the best you’ll have in Bristol, made with locally sourced ingredients. The staff are always friendly and you can see them enjoying themselves in the...

This place really has taken a plunge. In the space of two years, the customer service has notably worsened and the pizza gone soggier than a pear bog. We were abruptly marched out of the restaurant area into the sofa one, which wasn’t appropriate. Why...

We had a very unpleasant experience today. We were a party of four, came into an almost empty place, asked where we could sit (we specified we didn't have a reservation) and were told by staff to just pick a table wherever. We had lunch,...

Positive points here: Fairly welcoming staff. Great beers,l. Spacious restaurant. Relaxed vibe. Good choice of pizzas. Brilliant location. Generally clean. Not so good: My pizza toppings were masked by the (very) spicy sauce. I would have loved to taste them all. The waitress failed to...

We walked to Bocabar from Propyard where we were visiting the Van Gogh experience. Bocabar was perfect! We had the best sweet potatoe and feta quiche ever - one of the best quiches I’ve had. Along with gorgeous salad of cous cous and aubergine, fabulous...

Really gone down hill, drinks came out near the end of our meal, the dessert menu never came or the second drink we ordered. We ended up going to the bar to request our receipt. Some of the staff were borderline rude. Don't think we...

Enjoyed my brunch here with a couple of mimosas to help things along. 241 on brunch cocktails was a nice way of dealing with Saturday morning. The poached eggs were a bit hard but they were busy so I didn’t say anything. Still edible, and...

Perfectly served drinks, parked of beer garden, loving it! Keep it up because it's working 🙌🙌🙌 bring on the summer!!

Enjoyed a lovely meal with friends here last night. Went for pizza, salad, sweet potato fries etc and all freshly made and delicious. Rustic, buzzing atmosphere and staff happy to accommodate all needs. Thank you very much! 😊

The Paintwork’s site is gaining popularity as a mixed Residential and Business location. Bocabar is a very modern, arty and comfortable bar and restaurant. The Bar area has comfy leather sofas and a slightly bohemian atmosphere. The Restaurant is well laid out and a very...

Visited with my nieces as this is one of their favourites. The food and service was excellent, and the atmosphere great with the Beatles playing in the background. My nieces couldn't manage all their pizzas and chocolate brownies but they gave us a box to...

Four of us visited last Sunday, staff very good, friendly and lunches were good! The atmosphere is also good. However, one of our party is a coeliac and although there were gluten free choices, they could not risk cross contamination as they only had 1...

Really disappointed by the rules is not dog friendly anymore. , me and my friend comes over the last night with our puppy and by staff been told to leave. As we can’t sit there with our dog … not really nice …

We booked the meeting room for a family gathering. Very attentive friendly staff, best pizza I've had in ages. Would defo recommend, in fact a few of the group went back the next day for another pizza!!!

A lovely atmosphere and welcoming staff members. We were staying in the premier in and decided to use Boca for dinner. We dined as a family of 4 and the kids were made to feel very welcome. The pizza was fantastic and cocktails were also...

I came here before in September and was served non-vegan food when ordered a vegan option and came back with a work christmas meal. I was open minded to the fact that the first time was likely a mistake and the restaurant was still probably...

Best place for pizza in the city. Family friendly. So tasty. Good atmosphere and comfy, informal seating. Friendly staff and also a nice treat is the local art work on display. A must visit for pizza and drinks!

We've been here for 30ppl+ xmas lunches for several years now and sadly will not return in any capacity. Turkey dinners was turkey mince/mush, just horrible. Soup didn't even have any bread, and food portions and quality versus previous years was poor, reduced quantities and...

We had a lovely meal. Seated outside under the canopy with heaters. The staff were friendly and polite. The food delicious. If I were a local, I would definitely visit regularly. Happy to recommend.

Went here on a hen night, great spot. Was impressed by the choice of drinks on the List, as well as the food menu. Pizzas were a popular choice, but I had the Jerk Chicken and it was really tasty, served with crispy fries and...

We have visited Bristol for the first time, just for a day out and to visit the Christmas market. I have to say we really enjoyed our dinner at this restaurant and we had an excellent pizza and an enormous house salad. All the staff...

Really didn’t enjoy our time in this restaurant staff were rude and abrupt we did not feel welcome at all, I had the roast beef which was probably the worst roast dinner I’ve ever had! 2 slices of over cooked 1 mm thick sliced beef,...

We came here for date night and had great vegan pizzas! top notch service from Maddie and despite being very busy everything came out in good time.

I thought I had already had the best vegan pizza I would ever taste...until I tried Boca bars'! Highly recommended!

Took the team here for a work do. Service took too long and had to go to bar to order. Didn't have all of the drinks wanted, especially the wine. Food was slow, wrong and a lot of it cold.

We had a lovely evening at Bocabar last night. Friendly bar and waiting staff and In my opinion they serve the best pizza in Bristol!

Excellent pizzas on a recent trip with my family. Attentive service as I am vegan and gluten free, our vegan GF hostess was able to give some very good recommendations. Will be returning again in no time!

Extremely arrogant, rude, threatening and unhelpful staff. Visited for breakfast a little early and had no choice but take a seat. Was harassed and hassled unnecessarily, very very poor.

We visited Boca Bar Paintworks for a late lunch today - 5 ladies (daughters & mothers) with 3 babies. I booked a table in the restaurant and upon arrival the Hostess sat me in the bar area. She didn’t introduce herself so I don’t know...

wandered down to this tucked away little restaurant and was pleasantly surprised. we ordered pizzas and drinks. Nice selection of mocktails and beers. Pizzas tasted good but we’re a little thin and floppy so the toppings fell off. Great location and atmosphere and friendly service...

Such a hidden gem! Must be a place to visit in Bristol! not only delicious pizzas but an amazing experience overall. Thank you to all staff for being soo nice and friendly. Was such a lovely evening!!! xxx

Not sure about any bad reviews? Upon entry the staff are very friendly and polite. The food was bang on! Tasty, quick service, priced fairly. Good atmosphere Cant fault it to be really honest. Definitely 5stars. All around seem to be enjoying the same? Pop...

ordered a vegan option - got given a non vegan option. not hard to just give the right dish. wont recommend .

Not impressed. Arrived at 730pm to eat and drink with friends sitting outside. When I tried to order a second drink on the app at 925pm orders had finished. Outside tables close at 10pm we discovered. We asked to move inside as there were plenty...

Stumbled across this place on a visit to Bristol….wish we hadn’t! As we were seated we were told to order from the app. Having had too many long-winded bad experiences of this I asked if we could order the normal way. A flat “no” came...

this review is specifically for the Bocabar at Finzels near the Premier Inn. Went with my kids (9 & 13) and we all enjoyed it. Nice relaxed, friendly service. Wide range of pizza options, all tasty.

Tried to order a simple side of chips with drinks at 9:40 but were told kitchen was shut but menu and advertising says kitchen shut at 10pm. When asked waitress about that she responded with ‘what do you expect me to do’ Bad service and...

I ordered soup of the day and it was cold. A gazchapo, which I hate. The waitress didn't say this (I assume soup is hot unless told otherwise. Was charged an extra £2.95 for 1 small piece of toasted bread - assume soup of day...

Lunch here was a nice experience. The menu includes some interesting choices and there is something for every diet. Service was friendly we were able to spend some extra time working without any problems. This is a good choice, but for a newcomer it was...

This place really needs to be aware of how poor their vegan choices are. Vegan options shouldn't just be omitting the cheese from their veggie option. You should offer vegan cheese at least! Myself and my friend both ordered a falafel wrap, and I asked...

We were staying in an Airbnb in paintworks so naturally wanted to have our breakfast and spend our money at a venue onsite. This place opens at 10am, which is cool, so we arrived at 0955 and waited outside. When we saw people going in...

Recommended to us by Creative Glass Guild who were visiting. Great place tucked away off the main road. Had late breakfast and it was great. Lovely fresh produce, freshly cooked and well presented and quickly served. Only slight criticism is make the meal a bit...

Visited a couple of times as close to our hotel … can’t fault prices, food or service.. read previous reviews and either the service etc has been improved or ….. but it’s amazing so give it a go !

Looked a good place. Seemingly a reasonable selection of beers. Food menu was somewhat lacking in variety but could have been ok. However, customer service was poor, to say the least. After 20+ mins of trying to solve the app to order drinks and food,...

I went hear for a couple of drinks in the afternoon with a friend. The cocktails menu looked good so I decided to have a couple of cocktails. I started with a Bloody Mary and it was really not up to scratch. No celery, just...

We booked for my friends 29th Birthday. We were running late and tried to call ahead to let them know, we didn’t manage to get through. We were greeted by an extremely rude hostess, who said she was sat by the phone and didn’t hear...

I went to bocabar on Finzels On 29th May whereby Danny was our server. I can only have the highest compliments for danny, he was tentative and lovely towards us and made our evening more enjoyable with his happy go lucky attitude, you are lucky...

We booked an outside table one restrictions allowed for a family meal get together. All very Covid safe, were greeted outside and booked in, told to come back in 5 minutes as table not ready yet but we were early and it was ready a...

The staff weren’t interested in serving & the pizzas warm/cold on arrival. I asked for the garlic bread to be served as a starter & it arrived with all the other food. It was rock hard & as crisp as a crisp bread. It took...

Our experience at bocabar was okay but definitely room for improvement. We accidentally made a booking for the wrong venue which is no bother to us, it’s only a five minute bus journey but the lady who greeted us at the finzels reach site said...

It was terrible from start to finish. Our table was from 8.30 and weren’t informed prior or when we got there that they closed at 10. Their ordering system was abysmal and took forever to use and they got our drinks order wrong several times....

Despite acknowledging that in the difficult times of covid19 and businesses struggling and going out of their way etc and that perhaps we should all just feel grateful businesses are open at all …… I still left feeling ‘robbed’ from bocabar brislington on our recent...

I love the pizzas here - base is perfect and toppings generous. And they have ham and pineapple. So tasty. Social distancing was excellent and it felt v safe.

First visit to Bocabar. Met by pleasant staff with good COVID measures being strictly adhered to. We not had pizzas which were divine, wow! Definitely worth a look. Good value and very tasty.

Visited this weekend with my partner and had a table in the courtyard outside under the heaters. Food was great and a good choice of ciders and beers. Would recommend.

Been to Bocabar before and been really impressed but placed an order for take away and was very disappointed.1. Pizzas marked as GF are not actually suitable for ceoliac. Not in line with EU law:- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lays down rules requiring the mandatory labelling for all foods of ingredients such as gluten-containing ingredients, with a scientifically proven allergenic or intolerance effect. Which is very misleading on the menu the only saving here was the staff mentioned its not suitable for someone with an allergy. Bearing in mind we have visited before and not been told this info.2. My order wasn't as i ordered (without one of the toppings) just arrived as standard.3. Big lack of toppings especially as they are over £12 per pizza (i spent over £50 that day!)Overall compared to previous experience i am very disappointed and wont bother ordering again. Especially due to the lack of awareness of allergies.

Great pizza, lovely staff. Nice selection of beer. Kids loved it (kids pizzas are big). Adult pizzas were tasty.

Eaten here THREE times in under a month, brought my wife, my in-laws and got take away twice, always fantastic food and the staff are very friendly every time.