San Carlo - Bristol in Bristol, City of

I have to say that this is only the second time that we have visited this restaurant as we don't live in Bristol. We were greeted and shown to our table within 10 minutes, we were a little early. The food was wonderful my wife had veal and I had chicken. Desserts were gorgeous and wine really good too. We finnished with two lenoncellos toround off a great meal. Staff were all friendly and checked if our food was ok. Atmosphere was really good busy and lively. Yes it's not cheap but we felt it was a really worthwhile and enjoyable. Couldn't fault anything and a big thank you to everyone there

Went for lunch , which was not badly priced My minestrone was nice but could have been warmer rest of meal was nice as was my husbands Service was very slow and only one young waiter was quite attentive, the older waiter/ maitre de was shouting at the bar staff , so unprofessional with a busy restaurant . A goodbye on leaving would have been nice Certainly wouldn’t go back

Our party of seven was an Easter Family meet up in Bristol. 5 adults and 2 children. The restaurant is very nice and the surroundings are lovely. We initially got served quickly and our drinks and starters were ordered quickly. The front of house staff are smart and polite. The product is very well presented and the ambiance is luxurious. The starters arrived in good time, but one was missing. This was pointed out and with an apology it eventually arrived after everyone else had finished theirs. It was eaten quickly and then the plates were cleared. We then waited 45 minutes before eventually pointing out that our mains were taking an unacceptable time to arrive. We had been ignored up until this time. They were quickly delivered, but my daughter’s rib eye steak was freezing cold having been left on side for a long while since being cooked. It was returned and a refund given, but by this time we had been in the restaurant a couple of hours and there was insufficient time for her to have a replacement cooked and served. By this time we all just wanted to leave the restaurant. At no time were we asked how were our meals were although we were frequently asked if we wanted more drinks. The staff were apologetic ultimately and the food that arrived save the steak was good and well prepared. The service and delivery of the food was unacceptable. My wife paid the £275 bill with inclusive service charge. What should have been a relaxing family meal was an ordeal in the end that left us wishing we had never entered the restaurant. I will never visit that restaurant again.

Had an excellent meal very well priced, staff were very attentive and well recommended a lovely wine to have with my dinner. Had one of the best carbonara’s and topped off with an excellent dessert, can’t recommend enough!

I have been here many times over the years. The standard of food has dropped significantly. We had scallops to start, nice big scallops but they were slightly undercooked and we're cold. Our king prawns with spaghetti lacked any hint of the promised chilli and the sauce was simply tasteless and the prawns were grossly overcooked. Panacotta was nice but the passion fruit compost with it was overpoweringly sweet, so as to be sickly. My friend had meringue pie, which she said was ok. £150 bill. Certainly not worth that price. It is a real shame as it used to be such a lovely place , but I won't be returning nor would I recommend. Having looked at recent reviews on TripAdvisor, it us clear my experience was not unique.

We booked San Carlos, in anticipation of a great experience, sadly it was not what we all expected. From our arrival to getting drinks took some time a very over priced £6.00 for a 330ml bottle of Pironi, no draught offered, wine equally as expensive. As for our lunch, our choices were made, and we waited, and we waited a very long time, I feel we were delayed to make the place look busy as we were seated in the window. Eventually our meals arrived after chasing up the staff to ask when will our meals be coming out. Our choices were very mediocre in appearance and flavour. Would I revisit, NO Would I recommend to friends NO Save your time and money and try an alternative venue, with an equally good reputation hopefully your meal will be above your expectations, and exceed what we experienced. I hope this is a useful review in making your decision when dining.

Have to revise the review as it’s been a horrific experience of no apology from the manager with the kitchen disaster that the main food was not even ordered to the kitchen. The manger insisted he didn’t say anything so he did nothing wrong🤣 The ambiance is good, thematically decorated. menu is quite long, and food is descent. However, most of the waiters are not welcoming, wasn’t a joyful experience and experience a massive gap between the starter and main. Waited over 25min after the starter plates were cleared out, and still waiting for the pizza and pasta to show…

Very nice food but service needs to be worked on. At the start of the meal we had 3-4 different waiters ask if we wanted to order drinks. Then half way through the meal I asked for another drink (my second) that didn't arrive. Same 3-4 different waiters asking if we wanted any extra drinks, so I mentioned that my second drink was still missing and was assured that it would be chased up. It was really disappointing to check the bill and find that I'd been charged for three drinks when I'd only had two, and the second one had arrived a long time after I asked for it. The bill was quickly corrected when I pointed out the error but it's not a good impression. I'd say, enjoy your food but be prepared to wait, and check your bill carefully.

Always a good meal at San Carlo

Service was good, food pretty reasonable and its a nice place to eat!

We had a fantastic meal here today. We tend to visit for special occasions and today did not disappoint. Service fabulous, food delicious. Relaxed and not rushed. What more could you want on Mother's Day? Thank you.

I love the atmosphere of the restaurant but service is really bad. They make you feel like they don’t want you. I’ve been here many times now, usually they don’t smile or smile really really fake, they look at you with a weird look like you somehow don’t belong here? I don’t know , just awful (not everyone but most of them especially the ones that work there for years). I wouldn’t make a review but I got really disappointed tonight , our bill came at 89£ and 100+ including their service charge, we specifically said make it 95 as we don't think they deserve the tip but said ok just don’t make it a big deal and give the 5% they charged us 100+. I only realised after I left. Food overpriced for quality but ok, as I said the only reason I visit is because I know they do last orders till late (22:30?) and I like the atmosphere of the restaurant. You should really do something about your service, so fake and negative energy. Not coming back this time.

Absolutely incredible meal and service, we went on a Saturday evening as a party of 12 for a special birthday. We had a great time, staff were really attentive. Service was quick and meals all came out in succession together. We never had to ask for more drinks. The food was next level for a good price! Lots of clear plates & will definitely be back again in future. Thank you

Sort of fun as a Bristol ‘experience’ but horrendously overpriced food with obviously cheap ingredients. Service was disorganised.

What a fantastic restaurant, having been blown away by my first experience I returned the following evening during a recent stay in Bristol. Consumate italian food and service.

Mario was the best! The best Italian we have ever had!

Excellent service and delicious food - the wine recommended by our waiter was lovely.

We came here for a Birthday celebration. We had an early dinner, and even though we were early the staff were great and seated us. This venue demonstrates the value of experienced staff demonstrating a passion for serving great food. The food itself was served in just the right size portions and very tasty.

Awesome food and service. Edit: It's been 6+years since I was last here and it was just as good as ever

Went for a birthday lunch, total group size of 17 range of ages from 1-65. Great interaction with staff, patient, attentive and friendly. Food was nice and I would both recommend and revisit.

Everything was fabulous and impeccabile, excellent service, delicious food. thanks, definitely will come back.

There is always room for improvement, upon arriving at the place one felt a somewhat derogatory treatment due to the clothing, which after being seated at a table the service improved and then they were quite attentive and helpful, the food was delicious.

Food was meh. Struggled to finish my pasta dish because it wasn’t good. Other party members liked theirs, though. Service was friendly but a bit slow. Atmosphere was good. Price was waaaay overpriced for what we ate.

It was our first visit today, we have nothing but good words to say about San Carlo: the food was delicious and the service was excellent. We will definitely visit again

Fantastic atmosphere and the food was beyond my expectations. Ordered the tuna tartar and the dish was made at the table which was amazing. Will be back.

Birthday treat from my friend lovely meal and they brought Birthday treat free and sang happy birthday 🎂

Service started off great but after we sent back a very burnt starter we seemed to be ignored and it took almost 2 hours to get mains. Would have ordered dessert but didn't want to wait another hour, quick enough to bring the bill though! Then had extra wine added to the bill that wasn't ordered by us, it was removed but still expensive and left hungry.

Exceptional. The food 10/10, service 10/10 and atmosphere 10/10. Surprised about the negative reviews. Highly recommend, and will definitely be back again.

Very slow service the past 2 times I've been, the food is not as good as the venue.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. A great menu to choose from and the food was presented beautifully. Never disappoints.

San Carlo is one in those restaurants I always wanted to visit after living in Bristol for 9 years. On arrival we were welcomed and greeted to our table. Over all was okay, steak was a little tough but rest was nice. Service seemed a little rushed but wine was excellent a little priced. Shame half of the fish menu was unbelievable due to supplier issues which we can understand. Will be giving a second chance as I really want to try the Halibut.

Everything was perfect, location is easy to use and food is amazing especially ravioli and carbonara.

Really poor experience. service was extremely slow. took a while to get seated and then wasn’t served for a drink, took our food and drink order after we had been there for 25/30mins. starters came out relatively quick but then waited over an hour for our main course. the pasta wasn’t up to the usual standards it was hard and dry.

Worst service ever! Arrived on time/ told ti wait at bar 45 minutes. Carried our champagne to table- waited ages for someone to take our order. Recurring theme all evening. Tables on either side of us seemed attended to. Food okay but entire experience was lacking. Very disappointed

Carbonara is excellent. The calzone is a really good size.

Almost a must for the city of Bristol.

I met with three friends for lunch on a Sunday at San Carlo. We all chose pasta meals which were enjoyable, however the portions were small - better suited to the average 12 year old as opposed to an adult portion. The service itself was good, however the one thing we all felt was that the staff were off-hand and unwelcoming, we will not be returning. A warm welcome and a smile on arrival and during a customers stay is vital at any eating establishment, the staff at this restaurant are sadly devoid of these attributes.

Waited over 2 hours and still had not had our main course. Staff were rude and unapologetic. Don’t waste an evening of your life… lots of better restaurants in Bristol

Horrendous. The only decent thing was the expensive wine. Paid the remaining bill out of being gracious. But will never ever go there again Horrendous.

Been here loads of times, always good food and service. Staple of Bristol x

We visited on Christmas eve as a party of four. We were greeted, shown to our table and coats taken. We were asked if there were any dietary needs and although there were allergens, no allergen menu was offered. On explaining the allergens the information was not clearly understood by staff who decided to substitute and omit ingredients without further discussion with the customer! Some of the ingredients were clearly bought in, not made in house and tasteless. Some of the food was well presented and enjoyed however the salad and pasta dishes were not as described on the menu. Tirimasu did not taste of any alcohol despite the hefty charge. Overall the experience left us very disappointed which could easily have been avoided had they handled things differently. Overpriced. Service charge added to the bill despite our obvious disappointment.

This was yet again another great experience with fabulous food and service. The produce was really good and the service very genuine. Highly recommended.

Won't be returning over priced for poor quality food need to change chefs ASAP the over use of cheese on lasagne and the over powering use of garlic bread which was soaked in oil my prawn starter was soggy in a dough ie battery lots of order didn't arrive

Service not good. One of the staff waved his hand at us to get us to pass plates over for clearing - very rude. All of the staff look miserable to be here and felt like we were rushed out of the restaurant once we’d paid the bill, despite having leftover wine. Food good though but spoiled by poor service.

Not cheap, but food is always good

the fish was delicious - the waiting staff was polite but the manager was grumpy, badly dressed and not welcoming - shame as it's certainly not a cheap restaurant.

Sadly the food was slow to arrive and when it did, some of our meals were cold and needed to be reheated up. As this was a 50th celebration it was a shame that our meal didn't live up to the standard we were expecting.

Amazing food and service again today we always ask for vouchers as presents for this fantastic restaurant and we are never disappointed!

Not the best, 35 min wait to be seated after booking, the food for the price charged is well over rated unless you like bland pasta dishes. The service is way off what you expect in comparison to their competition. I personally would not use again. It just seemed like an unfriendly place to me not the best experience.

This really is the best place to eat in bristol ! Nowhere has a range like it ! I went last night 6 dec and the Xmas parties made it loud and buzzy . Paskauli ( spelt wrong I’m sure ) was friendly , funny and utterly charming and made my visit ! Food stunning as always ! Can’t wait to return !

Awfully slow service, rude waiters who make you feel that you have inconvenienced them by asking to order food or drinks. 45 minute wait before we had our orders taken, over an hour before starters arrived. Other tables arrived after us and were served before us. Overall an incredibly poor Italian restaurant experience. Especially when you could get better Italian food from Marmo, Pasta Ripiena etc in the same area. Food was either bland or too salty too. It wouldn't be missed if it closed down. The menu is far too big to maintain any kind of quality

Disappointed. Slow service, high price and food just okay. Went to Hôtel du Vin nearby last week. Actually cost less and the food was far better (châteaubriand) and received a free bottle of Malbec which was delightful. Just disappointed.

Really good food, nice atmosphere and amazing customer service! I would really recommend it! The fish was amazing

Food is outstanding and a proper Italian service

It is great being served by professional waiters. Food was excellent and served timely. A great way to celebrate both a birthday and graduation. Thank you.

We visited on Sunday the 17th/Nov for dinner, from the beginning there wasn’t much of a warm welcome, no offer to take our wet coats etc or questions about our day/evening etc. We opted for 4 different pasta dishes, and no starters. There was a little bit of a wait but it was worth it as the food was amazing. Unfortunately the service couldn’t be further from amazing, the staff barely spoke, asked anything etc, hardly smiled, nor were they very friendly. It created a kind of hostile atmosphere to be honest, as it wasn’t particularly busy when we were there, and there was more staff than people eating. Unfortunately we wouldn’t visit again, the food was amazing, however with service this bad, it ruined the whole visit.

Beautiful restaurant with excellent service and amazing Italian food. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend. A lot of choice.

Beautiful restaurant with excellent service and the most amazing Italian food. Definitely recommend.

When I came here six months ago, had a really good experience Food was on point service was Good. I have time everything locked. They forgot our mains the guy who was taking the order. He wasn’t even writing it down when the food came. It was really bad. The waiter Dropped Food on my brace top. Never again.

Service was good at the beginning but throughout the dinner, especially towards the end, it got worse. Felt like the staff were rushing us out even though we had 45 minutes left of our booking. Was taking our plates and glasses away very quickly and someone even tried to take my friend’s ice cream when she hadn’t finished it. We also noticed the staff lingering around our table which gave us the impression they were waiting for us to leave so we ended up leaving very early. Food was quite good for most of our group although the chicken in my pasta was a bit dry and one of my friend got food poisoning from either her meal or the water.

Gran comida y servicio, ambiente muy agradable y realmente se sintió cuidado. Todos disfrutaron de su comida, desde filetes hasta platos de pasta y disfrutaron del vino también. Definitivamente volvería.

Excellent Italian restaurant in the center of Bristol. Very extensive menu with the most succulent sets. Friendly and attentive staff. Highly recommended.

Absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend it.

Came here with some friends for dinner one afternoon. Food was lovely. Sadly did not have any oysters in stock. Pasta was just the right amount. The wine was also nice. Very busy restaurant. Lots of staff around, friendly and helpful.

a nice restaurant with good food but toilets were very unhygienic and messy, hugely disappointing for the prices of this restaurant.

Great italian restaurant! The food was really good. We ordered a Diavola pizza and a pasta and everything was delicious. The quality of the food was great and it was a good price-quality ratio. The place is very nice and the staff was very friendly.

Impeccable service food, wine and decor made for the perfect date night.

*EDIT I find it funny how they send everyone the same apology email, but as soon as you reply to that, you are simply disregarded* Felt spoken down to by the bloke who took our order, like we were some kind of nuisance. Starters came quickly, but they forgot one, and his then finally appeared after we had all nearly finished ours. Mains took a very long time to come out (the table next to us, ordered, had starters, and mains and finished within this time!). I called "excuse me", for a member of staff who turned then continued to walk away, until someone else noticed and he finally came over. When I asked where the mains were he said they were made fresh and would be 3 minutes. Another 10 minutes later they finally arrived, warm, but no means piping hot. Friends were then made to quickly eat their last piece of garlic bread as the waiter needed the stand elsewhere. When I said I was disappointed with the service given for the price expected, I was spoken over, and then had the so called manager sent over. He told us we were given the best seats (at the front , chilled by aircon) and that he would see what he could do. He removed the "10% optional service charge" that is stated as optional on the online menu! Not exactly doing a favour! As a restaurant manager, I would be embarrassed with this experience. I definitely won't be rushing back, nor would I ever recommend anyone else to go here.

Expensive place. Excellent but scarce food

Was lucky to get table for 4 pax. Place was crowded when we walk-in. We were seated quickly but took awhile for them to take our food order. We ordered 3 types of pasta dishes n 1 sirloin steak with garlic broccoli. My steak was cooked accordingly and broccoli was simply delicious. Pasta dishes were up to expectation too.

Very slow service I think on a changeover,if fact the staff were getting served with dinner before our order but when the food came it was perfect,for the amount of staff the service should be first class,a pity

Really tasy food feeling of stay in Italy.Nice and friendly staff

Absolutely marvelous food in a beautiful setting and a great atmosphere. Had two great main courses, namely the Mushroom Risotto - which was wrapped in Parma ham! Amazing and delicious. Also the pasta tubes with a spicy sausage ragu - so moreish.

I've always wanted to go here for a meal after walking past so many times, and my partner brought me here for dinner last Friday, and let me tell you it really lived up to my expectations! The setting and atmosphere was really nice, it felt elegant and romantic, the staff were attentive and polite. I had the arancini for starters which was lovely, very rich but a small enough portion that it didn't fill me up too much before the main course. I had the Tagliatelle Monte Carlo which comes with monkfish in a lobster bisque, and it was absolutely delicious, quite possibly the best pasta dish I've ever had, I'm already annoying my partner for a return visit! Of course I had to have tiramisu for dessert, which again didn't disappoint. The Chardonnay was also a lovely accompaniment. Was one of the more pricey meals I've had but I would say it was definitely worth the quality of the food and service, and was happy to pay the service charge as I thought it was well deserved! Will definitely be returning as soon as possible!

This is third time reposting this review. For some reason, it is either San Carlo Bristol has been deleting my review or Tripadvisor is just wack……..here we go again! We felt unwelcome from the start after realizing we had mistakenly booked a reservation at the wrong San Carlo location. Despite this, we were seated, but the unwelcoming atmosphere didn’t improve throughout the meal. As we were leaving, a waitress – who hadn’t served us – gave me a dead stare. It was unnerving and unexpected, enough to startle me. I immediately brought it to the attention of someone I assumed was the manager. What shocked me further was that the waitress stopped clearing tables and simply stood there, still staring as I drew the ‘manager’s’ attention. The manager tried to change the subject, but the behavior was clear and disconcerting. I believe she might have been offended by someone else. I’ve had a wonderful experience at the Leicester San Carlo and was expecting the same, if not better, here. However, that encounter at the end of our meal soured the night. How is a business allowing already upset staff face customers?? I’m open to reconsidering my opinion if this was just an unfortunate off day. If things improve on my next visit, I’ll leave a supporting review. However, if this happens again, I won’t hesitate to share as well.

I feel that the restaurant is so overrated and it’s relatively overly priced for the food they offer. The food is decent but it isn’t WOW. Couldn’t go back.

This is a perfect restaurant for celebrating special occasions. The food was so good and the service was on a high level! I also like the design and atmosphere!

Visited San Carlo for first time in a few years for a special occasion, off the back of good memories. Well this time the memories certainly wouldn’t be the same. Started with a 20/30 past our booking time which is ok it’s a busy restaurant but not once offered a drinks menu or service or to even look at the food menu, which I feel is not acceptable. Once seated we ordered pretty sharply as now we both hungry, Olives, garlic bread, arancini, gamberoni luciana prawns. Arancini were over done dry on inside and still seeping with oil which left an unpleasant aftertaste, the mayo served with dish deffo saved this one. Prawns were good, slightly over but nothing to complain about good solid flavours with touches of garlic and fresh tomato served with really crispy thin bread would recommend. Garlic bread was ok, not best lacked any real fresh garlic flavour, felt very “pre-made” And olives hit the spot for that sweet salty tangy vibes. Mains we ordered the 18oz Chateaubriand steak to share, with fries, garlic and chillie tender-stem broccoli and sautéed potatoes. Overall the steak was cooked to perfection, soft tender filet with good crust on outside cooked mid rare and finished with plenty of flavour throughout the meat. Could taste the deep meat flavours yet succulent butter finish on the palette. Sides were hit and miss, fries were either over done or just about cooked and absolutely not flavour or seasoning at all. Broccoli again some had nice flavour and fresh with a crunch others lack anything and left a lingering after taste. Potatoes just too crispy Almost too crispy to eat and again flavour profile was minimal. Overall best things here were the steak and prawns, but the rest was pretty poor and when eating it did not make you want to eat the whole plate, were ok leaving half of it because just dint leave amazing taste profile for you to want to finish the dish. Service was pretty slow and uninviting, no real effort too make the experience of dining here special. Wouldn’t be rushing back to have food again. Shame because I had high hopes for San Carlo based on previous visit few years ago. Overall would score the experience 6.5/10 Lots of improvements needed, that extra care in the food with the flavours would boost this score massively and service that welcomes you and makes you feel wanted in restaurant too would improve the score.

We found this wonderful restaurant just next door and got a table for a friday lunch. Everything was delicious, friendly staff and really nice ambiance. Couldn't be happier and more pleased.

Extremely slow service - over 90 minutes waiting for the order, asked for medium steak - got totally different raw, hard to order drinks as again have to wait for ages. Bigger group of 10 and they were totally lost who order what….

The service was very poor. It took over an hour for our main course to come and they didn’t offer more drinks during the time we were there. They did recognise the food was late and deduced the garlic from the bill, however, with an established like San Carlo with a ‘good reputation’, you would expect quality customer service. We also encountered lots of small flies during our meal. One landed on my food and I had to squish it against the place and another went inside my partners wine glass. The only thing that made the evening somewhat better was the food.

We booked a table. The description is totally inaccurate. The only thing impressive was the surroundings. It is not a place to indulge, there are no exceptional tastes & most certainly NOT authentic to their highest standard. Very overpriced using low quality ingredients with no flavour. What is the point of all the hype with no substance if the food is awful. We had starters & wish we had walked out. Our mains were no better. They simply cannot cook here. Our romantic night was ruined.

Impressive surroundings although a bit noisy Average food not worth the money and very obnoxious waiters My recommendation would be spend your money elsewhere

The tables were a little bit close together, overall had a great experience. Food was lovely and staff were also fantastic.

This place is overpriced and the service is shocking!

We chose this restaurant because we got attacked by the atmosphere that the restaurant has from outside. Really nice and tasty Italian food! The “Prosciutto e Melone” freshly cut. The “Gnocchi alla Sorrentina” nice baked really good! The only thing the service wasn’t that good as the food really slow and very time we wanted a drink or anything that we were need it was taking really long time to get the waiter attention. I still think that it’s a really nice place! If I will come back in Bristol I will be back in this restaurant for sure!

Everything is absolutely perfect

Love the food as always at San Carlo! Ordered the mushroom risotto wrapped in parma ham - delicious. Creme brulee as a dessert was top notch

Food and Service was great. lived up to expectation

Great service, food and ambience. Will be back

Wonderful restaurant... Will be back soon Highly recommend!

Lovely food. Not cheap but worth it.

Amazing quality food and lovely atmosphere and amazing staff

The food was really nice. But the staff was a little weird, as one of the server gave off mean girl energy and was snarky with his little comments, quite frankly rude, as if he was looking down on us. He made us feel uncomfortable, every time he came to take the order. The set up was nice, even talked with the chef, super nice and good food. Could work a bit more of the service staff.

Nice meal and served very quickly.only issue was I ordered the crab and lobster ravioli which was not hot.more like luke warm. Great atmosphere but real criticism was there seemed to be some new staff starting who dropped a couple of utensils to be greeted with distain looks by their more senior members of staff. A note to all.paying customers feel embarrassed if they see people being chastised.we all have to learn.

Me and my boyfriend came for a date night to san carlo about 2 weeks ago. Greeted by welcoming polite staff and shown to our table. Within minutes we had a drinks order taken and a food order followed by very helpful staff. My boyfriend had recently had a wrist operation and was in a cast and sling and he ordered a pizza, when the waiter brung over the pizza they offered to take it back and cut it for him, very lovely touch we thought. Amazing food and drinks, big portion sizes. Throughout the dining experience the staff were very helpful and polite and would Definitely recommend san carlo for a date night/special occasion meal.

First time we've ever been. Really nice, great atmosphere.

Excellent restaurant. Great food, lovely staff.

Visited seasonally during my time at the University of Bristol, and the lunch dishes have never disappointed. However, it is evident that COVID has influenced a prices increase and somewhat smaller portions of food. Nonetheless, still a top choice for indian cuisine.

I love everything about San Carlo. The food is always great and I love the atmosphere. The staff are always great 👍