The Bistro in Swansea

The place is a hidden gem. Its a small venue, but the food is spectacular, so book to make sure you have a seat! Menu has updated recently and all for the better, but the tapas is still and absolute stalwart. Get the Korean chicken, you won't be disappointed!

Excellent food, service amazing Sunday lunch

Small but nice bar. Only had a drink. Very friendly staff

Gem 💎 of a place! Booked a table for my birthday, got the downstairs room to ourselves, which was lovely. Food (tapas) was delicious and plenty of it. Gluten free customers are in very safe hands, there is an entire GF menu. 🌟 Also thoroughly recommend Sunday lunch here, really good value, and served late in the afternoon, which we prefer. Bar upstairs is atmospheric and staff all very helpful and chatty. Re-booked already. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Been meaning to go here for ages, so went for Sunday lunch. Had to be the best beef dinner I've ever had. The beef was so tender it melted like butter. Atmosphere was really cosy and relaxed. Good choice of music playing and the staff were really attentive and friendly.

Wonderful bistro, serving amazingly tasty and well presented food at a very reasonable prices ... in a cosy atmospheric bar/ small restaurant. Good selection of wines to go with the food. The tapas were delicious and some had very generous portions. The steak in red wine tapa was special; and our pescatarian nibbler was impressed by the garlic prawns (she's tried a lot so knows what's good). A filling meal for three, with a bottle of wine, and soft drinks AND great atmosphere for under £25 each is a bit of a bargain.

Always a friendly welcome and great food!!

A real gem of a place,bistro/bar combination on two levels with outdoor garden seating. good food,friendly staff. Excellent!

We realised it had been far too long since we enjoyed the tapas, drinks and atmosphere of this quirky little gem just down the road from us so we booked ourselves in for a Saturday evening dinner. Thankfully the food and service are as excellent as ever - we loved our chicken croquettes with BBQ dip, nachos, paprika & chilli pork belly and the Korean style chicken. Great wine to accompany also. Really can’t be beaten for quality and taste especially at this (great value) price point.

Great little place with great food and great staff 👍

Food good. Straight forward menu. Gets very noisy as small and echoing.

Simple surroundings lovely food

Staying in a house close by for a long weekend. booked our evening meal here as it was only a few doors away. Lovely experience, staff were extremely friendly, and the food well cooked and presented. would certainly recommend and use again if ever in the area.

Lovely friendly nice atmosphere place. Will try the food very soon,hear lots of good reviews.

Well worth a visit, tapas, steak, salmon, burgers, varied choices. Delicious, hot meals served. Staff very friendly and welcoming

Excellent Sunday dinner, very generous and delicious! Very yummy dessert options on the menu. This place would benefit from little makeover to improve the atmosphere. Dinner was a little bit awkward because there was another table close by overlooking us. Apart from that, food was great, service was fast, staff were helpful.

Great food, but slightly dead atmosphere.

Excellent quality beef Sunday lunch for 10 of us, well presented, tasty and hot. Well done chef

New menu, but still a belter! Have tried the tacos and Jerk chicken (as well as those excellent tapas staples, the Korean Chicken and prawns) and have not been disappointed. Quirky surroundings just add to the charm, especially Robert DlRedfod watching you pee!

Back for the first time in a few months for food (been for drinks over the summer - love the Madri lager) and there’s a delightful new menu thankfully keeping the old favourites but with some interesting new additions to both the tapas and the rest of it. As always the service is warm, friendly and relaxed and the food utterly delicious. So happy to live just up the road from such a welcoming local bar and eatery.

Appauling food and service. My family will not be returing or recommending anyone to this establishment. Food was not edible and the chefs answer was ‘it is what it is’ we/I have never been treated so badly in any eatery !! An overall poor experience. Disgusting way to take hard earned money.

My 3 stars are only based on the beer. I have not tried thier food but it did look good.

Another ridiculous meal at this gem tonight! Two starter tapas dishes to share of chilli pork and Korean chicken, then mains of the smash burger and pork carnitas tacos, followed by two absolutely obscene nutelka cheesecakes. The flavours all cut through, the orange of the Korean chicken, the pork and fresh salad in the tacos, and the cheesecakes, smooth and chocolatey but not overly so. Great service from Mumu and Grace, and Sam and Richard in the kitchen know their stuff. Please visit and see for yourselves, well worth a visit!

The food was so so yummy and the staff and chefs really went above and beyond offering vegan options. They were very patient and we weren’t rushed to finish our meal.

Never knew this place was here until some friends suggested it and what a little diamond of a place. Great food, drinks and all at a good price.. A place I recommend…

WE enjoyed a great tapas meal in a relaxed atmosphere. A great favourite place of ours .To be well recommended

Been previously and had lovely food and pleasant staff. Bistro has new menu. We had Cajun chicken and Lamb Tagine. Both were over spiced to the point chicken was not eaten and dry. Over cooked chips. Cous cous was to moist and the lamb in the Tagine was so chewy, we are all to polite and couldn't spit it out. Ice cream for dessert where the caramel was dripped all down outside of chipped dishes. After my lab Tagine I was very put off a dessert Our glasses for the drinks had seen better days, very scratched and cloudy, almost dirty looking. Felt like they wanted us to leave quickly and bar man didn't seem happy about having to split a bill. Won't be going again, shame as we loved going there pre covid when it was a different menu!

As always excellent service, excellent food and a unique, quirky & fun atmosphere. Not too pricey either. Love coming here either for just a drink or the tapas - the nachos, teriyaki beef and especially the Korean chicken are absolute highlights!

A 5 minute stroll down the road brought us to our venue. Superb friendly service from the waiter who was the only staff member on show on a quiet Tuesday evening. Delicious tapas selection with the teriyaki beef and Korean chicken were particular highlights. Dessert - todays being the Nutella brownie was superb as was the Malbec we washed it down with. A unique, quirky little place but very very good.

The Sunday lunch was superb, absolutely delicious. However, I have deducted a star for discomfort! Most of their seating is at high tables with bar stools which is no good when one is both older and under 5'2". I sat perched on the edge of my seat feeling really uncomfortable which detracted from the food. I hope to go back for their tapas but will reserve a "proper" table.

I am in the process of moving to Sketty and have friends that live locally, so really wanted to try it. Staff were very friendly, I had their special lemon drop cocktail, which was only £6 odd, which I thought was very reasonable. The lamb tagine I had was lovey, I was a little disappointed at their lack of potato options though. It accompanied cous cous, which i'm not a fan of, so asked for potatoes instead, they removed the cous cous and charged me £3 for a side of potatoes. Only chips are listed, I had to ask whether they could add the patas bravas from the tapas menu, without the sauce. I definitely think another option of potatoes would be a plus. I don't mind paying extra for it, as most places do for sides, there were a lot of potatoes so definitely didn't skimp on them :) Overall great experience, I didn't have dessert, but I will definitely try one of their special cheesecakes next time.

Nice place for locals but the beer isn't good

Great atmosphere, staff and food

Never been before but don’t live far away so walked down for a midweek date night. Warm welcome and all staff very friendly. Decor wont be to everyone’s tastes but comfortable and clean if a bit care worn. Great tapas selection with the Catalan classics alongside a few dishes from elsewhere. Also some conventional dishes and a good range of sides. Wine list a little depleted by missing items but still a few to choose from and nothing too costly. The tapas itself was incredible - best we’ve ever had outside Barcelona definitely. Quality ingredients prepared and cooked with skill, presented well and not stingy in portion size. Slight downsides preventing full 5/5 are not really any desserts, all that was available was a chocolate brownie (they would normally have ice cream but suppliers let them down so totally not the restaurant’s fault on that) and while I’m sure it would be delicious after what we just ate it would’ve been too heavy. Maybe something like a Creme Catalan which is light and regionally complimentary to tapas would be an idea especially as it can be prepared in advance and just caramelised to order? Also only having instant coffee available is a little behind the times, you don’t need a full espresso machine but a filter coffee would be preferable and allow speciality coffees to be offered. It’s just lacking slightly the things that fully round off a dining out experience. That said with the best tapas we’ve had in Britain we fully recommend coming for that and will definitely be back.

A very nice afternoon spent in The Bistro that has very much of a bohemian vibe, which was both relaxing and laid back in equal measure. Whilst not an extensive menu they catered for both vegetarian and gluten free options, and the food was well presented and tasty ( The Courgette fritters starter were just gorgeous) .Sensible prices and a friendly and helpful server that went the extra mile to make our experience enjoyable .There appeared to be a very nice beer garden at the rear and the bar was well stocked with a decent bottle of sauvingnon that didn't break the bank . First time at The Bistro but certainly won't be our last .

Lovely little restaurant with good food. Service is excellent. Would be nice to see more vegetarian dishes.

Lovely little place - great beer and super friendly staff

Came here for tapas with a group of friends. The food was stunning and staff were friendly and attentive. My particular favourite were the whitebait with generous sized portions. Lovely outdoor area with cover. No real parking spaces which is a shame, but hardly their fault

New owners - now very limited menu- small potions and not very tasty. Will not be going back

Amazing food! Top quality. Perfect tapas. The best i have ever had. Would recommend to anyone is Sketty!

Fantastic place for food and drink been here for family meals a few times. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Food is lovely and fresh. Can't fault it keep up the good work bistro

Lovely service! The bartender Josh was a gent. It was my first time visiting and I'll definitely be back.

Great local venue, food was amazing, service was excellent. Will definitely be back, absolute hidden gem this one! Tapas was amazing.

Went for tapas this evening everything was delicious! Friendly staff and felt the procedures were covid safe.

a small friendly place with excellent food, we really enjoyed our evening .would recommend this place for a different evening out

Great place for a drink, excellent service.

Brilliant steak and wine offer on a Tuesday night. Such good value and for the price lovely food. Tasty steak medium done, excellent flat mushroom. Only 1 portion of vanilla cheesecake left but well worth sharing, so rich and creamy. Lovely staff and great service.

So, the Sunday lunch has been relaunched, mark 3. This time, under the careful stewardship of Sam the chef, a choice of meats is available.We opted for the beef. It fell apart as you touched it, slow cooked for 6 hours. The mash and cheesy cream leeks were divine, as was the rest of the dish with a superb gravy of just the right consistency.Dessert was a New York cheesecake, not authentic cheesecake but the genuine article imported from NY!All in all, this was a massive improvement on earlier lunches. Book to avoid disappointment. What a feast! Tasty, hearty, excellent!Also outstanding service from the staff!

Fabulous food, great service, great new menu. Screens between tables to keep you covid safe and masks available if you forget yours. Well worth visiting but book beforehand.

I came in the evening with my friends and we had a great night! He helped us pick the right drink and told us about all the different types of flavours go with what drink, played amazing music all night and even joined in with singing with us! Definitely coming again!

Above and beyond service throughout. Josh, assistant manager, was more than friendly and inviting from the outset and throughout.

Excellent service, was very friendly all night and very pleasant to talk to! Gave some interesting facts about the drinks available on the night

Went to the bistro with my wife for an evening meal taking advantage of the chancellors discount package! Good covid procedures in place. Staff very friendly and whilst a limited menu due to covid the food was very good and served quickly which suited us. Would recommend a visit

Couldn't fault this place. Tapas was just amazing, perfectly done, and the biggest calamari I've ever seen! Attentive and friendly sevice and really cosy decor too. Will definitely be back.

Visited this lovely little Bistrot for a couple of drinks as the lockdown rules eased. The whole experience was lovely, it was our first time coming here and certainly won’t be our last. There was one staff member on however he was so polite and attentive, our glass was never empty! The garden seems like a little makeshift smoking area however I still enjoyed and was sat in the sun for a good few hours! On hospitality alone, I will return to this place and would highly recommend if in the area. Once the restaurant is open I’m pretty sure the quality will be excellent and can’t wait to try it!

good employees, great service. will go again soon with kids.

Food was excellent - very good value. Friendly staff.

Upon arrival the restaurant was freezing cold, shown to a table which was supposed to seat our table of eight, it would hardly seat four, were then offered to go downstairs which was even colder.After ordering our food, which was lamb or beef, on arrival it was nothing short of disaster, the vegetables, tablespoon of peas and carrots and three frozen roast potatoes, that was it not a green in site.To charge £10 was daylight robbery, at least Dick Turpin wore a mask.It totally ruined my brother in law's birthday, on our experience give it a wide berth

So the Bistro has recently changed hands and they are experimenting with Sunday lunch. I decided to take Mrs B out to sample the new menu.Rather than a choice of meats, it focuses on one dish per week plus a vegetarian option as well. This week was beef.I asked for my beef to be well cooked and not red, whilst Mrs B likes hers a bit pink.The dishes came out to perfection with plenty of beef on the plate, roasties, bubble and squeak, minted peas and cauliflower cheese. Extra gravy boat and horseradish.A delightful lunch followed by a sinful sticky toffee pudding and cheesecake.£9.95 for 1 course, £11.95 for 2 so it is also excellent value.First day of a new venture. Good hearty meal. Personal preference would have been for a slighlty thicker gravy but all in all, a great experience to build upon.

Given a small table in the bar for 4 people, the meal was good but we were asked to leave after 2 hours as they needed the table and as there was nowhere else to stay and have a drink we left, poor attitude on the bar women telling us we should only have 1 hour and a half stay, would not reccomend if you want to make a night of it as you will be asked to leave.

Nice place good staff. Worth a visit.

Enjoyed tapas. A good selection. I especially enjoyed the prawns. It was a filling meal given that it was just small dishes. Service was friendly. The place is quite small so it’s probably best to book to be sure of a meal.

Great atmosphere as it's a bar as well. Service extremely friendly and good. Tapas cooked v well and very different

This place is one of (if not my most) favorite place to eat in Swansea. The service is always five stars, and the staff are friendly and welcoming. The owners are very accommodating when trying to book a table, and will always try their hardest to squeeze us in. Every time I've visited I've had a steak or tapas (I keep telling myself that i'll try other dishes but these are my fave so I always end up ordering the same!), and both are cooked fantastically well. Overall, I can't fault the place and would 100% recommend.

Great food reasonably priced , knowledgeable, friendly cheerful staff.. A busy place with an excellent atmosphere.

wonderful food and service, all our meals were really good. a good local restaurant to visit. in the bar.of atmosphere

Fantastic venue, brilliant welcoming bar staff and the food is to die for 😍 gladly recommend to anyone 😍

Really cosy place for a nice meal. Tapas and grill available, with good service. Recommend booking in advance for food.

Visited The Bistro on a Friday evening. Lovely real ale and a nice intimate venue, albeit a little rough around the edges. The food was very nice and piping hot, however with the shortage of staff everything was a little rushed that detracted slightly from what was otherwise a lovely evening.My advice- Get more staff... give the place a lick of paint and ditch the frozen chips!Would still recommend a visit!

Had a lovely steak for two and a bottle.wine .22 pounds really couldn't fault it. The staff are so friendly and helpful too

Fabulous atmosphere for New Year's Eve. Haven't tried the food yet but I here it's great.

As a world connoisseur of Mixed Grills, the one served here was amongst the best I've had. Quality meat, well cooked and delicious. Excellent service and at a very good price for the two of us. I will be recommending this Bistro to others and we will definitely be coming back to test out the menu further!

Just stunning. 10 huge, rich plates of tapas, a side salad, two glasses of wine and two pints of beer came to a grand total of 75 quid for four people. Really down to earth bar with buzzy atmosphere and extremely good food. Well done to the serving staff too, so friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend. 2 dishes per head is probably enough. Lamb cutlets a must.

Well what can I say what a surprise this was went with friends as they wanted tapas and chose here. We all had Tapas and I have to say everything we had was amazing and as good if not better than any tapas I’ve had before. The beef, prawns and lamb chops were to die for, saying that everything else we had was just so tasty. Will definitely be going here again.

Great food, friendly service with a cosy atmosphere

Excellent service. Always a fantastic welcome. Friendly staff. Food and beer first class

This is a local bar and restaurant with a special menu deal of a steak and wine for a fixed price. Not a large menu but food very good. Not posh at all but friendly, efficient service. Great steak and chips! Local brewery supplies the draught beer.

We were a party of eight of which three of us are difficult customers! My husband and I eat a ketogenic diet (very low carb/high fat) and one of our daughters eats a vegan diet. Our waitress knew there was a vegan in our party before we arrived and had already looked at what dishes could be modified on the menu to be suitable for her, she was able to order a selection of tapas which she was very happy with. My husband and I mentioned our diet on arrival - but our waitress didn't bat an eyelid! She just ran through the menu with us offering substitutions for anything containing "carbage". We opted for the grill offer: 2 x ribeye steaks and a bottle of house wine for £22.00. We couldn't eat the chips or the onion rings but she happily prepared an alternative of salad for us. The steaks are 6oz steaks and they were perfectly cooked, absolutely delicious, tender and succulent. The wine was very drinkable and enjoyed by everyone. This restaurant provides unbelievable good value, a warm cosy atmosphere and a friendly welcome from the staff, for whom nothing is too much trouble. We look forward to our next visit!

I took my son here as I'd read excellent reviews about it as well as recommendations from friends. I'm going to be honest I was a little dissapointed we opted for the two pinbone steaks and a bottle of wine for £22.50 . The meal was ok the steaks were cooked they way we like them and served with fries even though the lady who worked behind the bar couldn't really tell what it came with so we ordered minted vegetables but it does come with chips and onion rings !!!

My wife and I had just returned from a week in Spain and spent a few days on the Gower coast before returning to work. By pure chance we ended up in the Bistro and were very pleasantly surprised! The seafood and the tapas were better than what we had in Spain the week before (ok, wrong campsite :-) ).

Lovely service good food will be going back x

My friend and I both had steak in a mid-week visit. It was superb, as was the wine. It's a v petite venue which might not to be everyone's tastes but it is a gem and the staff provide excellent service.

This little bistro is certainly a hidden gem. Been coming here for years the food is outstanding and the tapas are the best I’ve ever had. The staff are obliging and always try and fit us in - just amazing ! So lucky it’s on our doorstep.

I organised a little birthday party here and was totally happy.

We’ve been coming to the bistro for a few years now and the food has gotten better and better. Our recent trip was this past Sunday and the food we were served was absolutely stunning. It’s a little bit pricey but you pay for the quality. The staff are lovely and service was fast. Other than in Barcelona, it’s the best tapas we’ve had. Thank you, we’ll be back soon.

Firstly, thank you so much Hannah for all your help. We had my daughters 18th birthday family meal for 20 here and used the downstairs area, which was decorated and had separate toilets. The team there started separate bar tabs for each group, and we got all our drinks delivered to us. Now the most important part, the food. It was amazing! We had nearly 20 different dishes, which were all presented hot and timely. Everyone said their food was delicious.

Outstanding food and service. We were a party of 20 and they couldn’t have been more helpful. Booking recommended, as is the mixed grill 😁

Having been here several times to eat, we decided to try a different dish on this occasion. Normally we opt for the grill or tapas, but this time the chicken and chorizo paella to share caught the eye. It arrived in a deep paella pan, and as soon as it arrived, it was devoured. Absolutely delicious. Temptation was then put in front of us with the dessert menu. You have to try the Lotus Biscuit Cheesecake whilst it's still on the menu. Another successful evening at the Bistro. One of the best places to eat in the area

I’ve eaten here several times and it just keeps getting better! The passion and dedication of Simon, the owner/chef shines through in the quality of the food and the service. When he has time he always comes to the table to check that everything is to our liking. Unfortunately I don’t live close to Swansea but I always make a point of visiting The Bistro when I’m in the area. The steaks are brilliant, the tapas is amazing and I understand from their Facebook page (look it up!) that they are now doing Paella......that should be worth the 400 mile round trip to Swansea on its own!!! And did I mention the great value? I don’t know how they do it!

We’ve been here several times as a family and with groups of friends and have always found the experience to be fantastic. The food is always piping hot- you really feel like you’re eating something freshly cooked. It has a cosy, homely feel and is spotlessly clean. The menu is varied and lots to choose from, though I do wish they’d bring back the fish platter which was to die for! On this particular occasion my husband and I came for the wine and steak £22 deal which was fantastic value. We will definitely be coming back here again and again!

Just awful experience all round, do yourself a favour stay well clear, much better places in Swansea

Another delicious dish from the recently updated menu .as you can see the quality of the produce used makes all the difference 3 choices of paella too chicken /chorizo seafood or vegetable .....why not try all 3 lol I'm going too !

We were recommended by a friend to try this bistro

Another fabulous meal. Can never fault this place. Wonderful service as always. Lovely food. Reasonably priced. Recommend it !!

Lovely evening at this friendly bistro. Great food and wine and excellent service. Very good value. Highly recommended

Outstanding service and delicious food. Great tapas and grill options

Here last week and again today, can not fault the food! We had tapas tonight, the lamb cutlets are do die for! We had 8 dishes and cannot find fault in any of them! Think it’s going to be a Thursday evening event every week...

Lovely family meal in the basement of the restaurant. As we were a large party we pre-ordered so everything was served promptly and piping hot

First visit but certainly wont be the last. Could not fault anything to be honest including value for money. The service was outstanding and nothing was too much trouble. Food was superb. Heard they have great deals in the week. Would definitely recommend.

Although I'm a regular here for a Wednesday night beer, this was my first go at the tapas - really tasty and excellent service as always. Good value as well.