The Ivy Clifton Brasserie in Bristol, City of

Miserable atmosphere, moody staff and only three options allowed for breakfast. Even though the restaurant was almost empty at 10am in the morning. Would have had a better experience elsewhere with ease.

This was a truly five star experience, great atmosphere, service and amazing food. Absolutely outstanding meal experience. Wonderful service by Uslla today.

I recently had lunch at at The Ivy, and overall, it was a fantastic experience. The food was truly outstanding—top-notch in every way, with flavors and presentation that were absolutely spot-on. The restaurant itself is beautiful, clean, and exudes a refined atmosphere. However, I’m giving four stars because the service could have been better. We often had to look around and wave to get the staff’s attention for things we needed, as they weren’t proactively checking on us. At a restaurant of this caliber, I would expect much more attentiveness from the staff to match the exceptional food and ambiance. That said, I would still highly recommend The Ivy for the quality of the cuisine alone. If the service improves, it could easily be a five-star experience.

Another delicious lunch. Festive shepherd's pie, brickhouse chicken and polar bear bombe. Delicious lunch. The blackened cob was superb. It's very tasty. Fries nice and crispy. The desserts were amazing. A must-have. Especially the Fig and pistachio feuillete. It was well worth the extra wait. We also had the chocolate bomb, which was delicious. Service is excellent. Just a pity parking isn't easier.

Decent meal but I didn't think the waitresses were that good, considering the number of people staffed (a lot), we were not served well. The price you charge for food and drink is premium nonsense. The cheapest red wine, portuguese house red and the lowest quality Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is charged over £30 🤣 that must be at least 6x what you pay for. A coffee is £4.20. Steak comes with no side... In all honesty, not worth that we spent £150 between the 2 of us!!

Staff were very welcoming. We had the festive afternoon tea which was lovely- well, presented and plenty of it. Will definitely return

We had a lovely lunch, and we were particularly lucky to have Alma serve our table. She was so kind and attentive to us. Thank you Alma!

Not worth the money. Lovely staff, "fancy" ambience, but the food really isn't worth the amounts charged. Clearly bought in pre prepared in many cases yet premium prices. Coffee is truly awful - extremely dark roast yet under extracted so both sour and bitter. Americanos were served with coffee grounds splashed up the side of the cup - extremely sloppy for the "high end" experience they're pitching.

A lovely meal service was ok a bit rushed.

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the staff who helped me last night when I had a fainting spell at the top of the stairs, the manager who stayed with me was lovely, didn’t rush me or make me feel embarrassed as got me everything I needed whilst giving me space (and air) and keeping others away. Also all the staff who checked in and made sure I was okay after, it was very much appreciated

Good experience. Slightly expensive.

Yup, great experience of fine dining. Very nice indeed and superb staff.

We had a lovely cream tea yesterday. Devious warm scones with all the trimmings, served beautifully and with lovely service. Thank you.

Fantastic experience overall, the Xmas theme was excellent, great choice of xmas themed meals on every menu. We were served by Alma who was amazing, she treated us like family. All of our courses were excellent, however the sirloin steak was oddly overpriced, I was expecting more from the price point, everything else seemed fair value. The other meals were really good though and liked the choice of drinks, definitely one of the best choices in the country.

We took our mum for afternoon tea which was a delightful experience. Staff were very attentive, food was amazing and overall a fantastic experience.

Very nice place first time but was welcoming and staff polite and helpful

Had a great meal here celebrating a birthday. Food was excellent, George looked after us and was a very attentive host which made for a great evening.

Lovely breakfast, cooked perfectly, friendly service and a nice decor. Always a good choice for a special visit.

Lovely evening celebrating a special birthday

The place is nice and the service is excellent But the quality of the meat in the fillet is bad, they did not remove it from the hisbah The calamari is sweet, but the sauce has a strong wasabi taste Worth a try, my choices were wrong

Beautiful setting, delicious food, and great service. We had the rid eye and the lobster linguine, and both were superb. Our waitress was Tanesha and she could not have been better. She was super knowledgeable and helpful and perfect amount of attentive. Thanks for a great evening!

Beautifully served three course festive menu, lovely setting and excellent staff on hand. Food was amazing, will certainly be back.

Abysmal service, after 30 mins had to ask for our order to be taken. And then the drinks didn’t arrive until half way through the main course.

Great place, delicious food and fab coffee

Great monday night eating option in Bristol

The decor is wonderful. Our server George made the visit a lot of fun🙏

It was a surprise gift voucher so we went for the first time. Brilliant welcoming, friendly, well-trained staff placed us at a linen covered table. The decor is an eye feast preparing the senses for the delights of the cross-cultural fine-dining presented in good time at very reasonable prices.

Lovely food and service, expensive for drinks

Eaten and had drinks at the bar here. Nice atmosphere. Food was 'Ivy' which is you know what to expect - just good. Atmosphere is better. Prices 3 £. I think it will be a 5 next time.

I booked the Ivy because of its reputation. This is the first time I have been to an Ivy restaurant and was expecting something special. I have come away feeling a little disappointed with the food. The service and the atmosphere was absolutely excellent. I chose to have fish chips and mushy peas and was very disappointed because of the amount of salt that had been added. The chips were covered and inedible and the fish had salt sprinkled on the top of it. Why?? I appreciate it’s a chef’s prerogative to add salt when cooking food, but surely it should be the diner’s choice whether salt is added to the outside of the food. I did mention this to the waitress when she collected the plates and I was given a complimentary cup of tea and my friend had a complimentary coffee. The dessert was superb - would highly recommend the Chocolate Bombe. For those of you watching your salt intake, please be aware.

A classic historic building in the nicest and quantist part of Bristol, probably a converted bank. Fabulous decor and walls plastered with paintings selected with taste and creativity. Furnishings and decor down to the bathrooms underground are a joy. The menu was classic English Brasserie, lovely filet, shepherd’s pie, sea bass, and salmon. The sides were excellent and refills arrived quickly. Service excellent and attentive. Save some space because the desserts are top!

Incredibly average. I must admit I didn’t expect a lot from a chain restaurant but the Ivy brand does have a hardcore following so I hoped that’d count for something.. turns out not. Our table wasn’t ready when we arrived so were asked to sit at the bar, fine if there were a seat, which there was not, so effectively us and other diners were kept in a holding pen awaiting actual human comfort such as a seat. Eventually we were sat to our table and the waitress couldn’t have provided less effort, we ordered water she filled it to the rim and dribbled it onto the table. The food, so basic, I had seabass for main with what could’ve actually been mash potato from a sachet, plus about 4 strands of samphire, it was not the quality you would expect from a higher end chain at all. The venue is nice, the decoration etc is lovely and the busy atmosphere was good so it did have that going for it. Overall an incredibly average experience and I wouldn’t come again.

Another visit: Nov 2024: Same scores (food, service and atmosphere). The music remains pumping which, we felt (again) is unnecessary and intrusive. Very pleasant surroundings. Food better than I had remembered. Service first class (thank you Sacha). Not cheap (forget the '£50-60' bit from last time). Previous visit:Busy Saturday night. Very enjoyable meal. Great atmosphere (although the background music is a bit relentless).

Nice place,great service ,very expensive We had a small table of 4 shoved in what felt like a corridor. Overrated and overpriced There are a lot better places in Bristol that are cheaper

Thank you Valentina & Greg (his first night, what a gem. Lovely to see staff being trained properly) for looking after us expertly on Saturday night & triumphing in the face of adversity when the tills went down. Food was delicious & the stairs to the toilets amazing. DFTFT xxx

Thank you for a wonderful lunch, especially to Alma who elevated our visit to the highest level of service possible. Stunning food, brilliant atmosphere, amazing setting ❤️

Ate at the Ivy this evening with my partner, really good service. Sat at the rear of the restaurant, our server was very chatty and attentive. Felt well looked after, delightful meal.

We had a lovely breakfast Atmosphere was really nice Waitress was so friendly and helpful As a barista ı can recommend you to teach how to make latte for the staff Otherwise everything was absolutely perfect 😍

Had a lovely coffee and lemon cheesecake here

Lovely breakfast, great service and beautiful plants

The food and general service is always top notch, but what isn't acceptable is the lack of care with the bills. Both times recently they not bothered to apply any offers and charge you full price for everything. Their excuse is the tills don't apply the offers for them, but to just knowingly ignore that is terrible. Please all triple check your bills as they certainly won't. The fuss at the end totally spoiled the evening.

Every now and then it's nice to eat out somewhere a little more upmarket and the Ivy did not disappoint. The service was amazing from arrival to leaving and the wait times despite some large parties was minimal. The food was perfectly presented and cooked as requested and really was nice, best mash I've ever had! I would highly recommend this venue. The only negative and it's no fault of the place but the lack of nearby parking. Aside from that, zero complaints.

Visited the ivy tonight for a lovely birthday dinner The food was delicious and the service was exceptional especially from our waitress Armonie she made the experience extra special a real credit for your company.would definitely go back.

Ivy Clifton Brasserie went above and beyond to make our visit truly special! From the moment we walked in, we were impressed by the restaurant’s elegant and fancy aesthetic, which created a warm and inviting atmosphere. The food was absolutely delicious—each dish was bursting with flavor, beautifully presented, and exceeded our expectations. A special shoutout to Daniella who was our server for the evening. She made sure we were comfortable throughout the meal, and her friendly professional demeanor truly stood out. Daniella’s attentiveness and dedication to providing exceptional service made our dining experience even more enjoyable. Thank you, Ivy Clifton Brasserie, for a wonderful evening. We’ll definitely be back, and we highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delightful dining experience with top-notch service. A 10 out of 10 experience!

Beautiful restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. Staff were constantly present and checking in with me and my partner to make sure everything was going as smoothly as possible. Food was delicious, my partner anecdotally claims it was the “best mash potato” he has ever had. It was worth every penny spent and would love to come back again

Although the interior and service was lovely that’s all your paying for with these prices We had the roast today and couldn’t get over so bad it was! We were served frozen Yorkies and frozen roast potatoes (tasted alike aunt bessie and looked anaemic), cold bland veg and a watery gravy. The meat was good but the food quality if what you’d expect for £12 at a road side cafe, shocked!

Some of the best service we have received in a long while. Highly recommend, and the bill was quite reasonable considering the fantastic setting and amazing service.

Corporate hospitality evening. Good food, good service, excellent company. Will visit again as a normal punter.

Incredible food and friendly service 5 stars. You won’t be disappointed

Had a great night the food was amazing (especially the chocolate bombe!) but the music was way too loud which made it a little stressful.

Amazing food. Fantastic staff. Love the refurbishment! Looking forward to taking the whole family on December. Sue

Lovely for a treat but there's a sense of them trading on their reputation a bit. The food is, overall, good, though not spectacular considering the price point. 5 out of our 6 dishes were lovely and the 6th (the Shepherds' Pie) was disappointing with a suspiciously high proportion of gristle, suggesting there may be a pretty hefty mark-up on some overly cheap ingredients (given that even supermarket steak mince tends not to be gristly). We did mention this to them and were grateful for their offer of a free pudding on the house to compensate, which we took up. Similarly whilst the service isn't at all poor, it's not exactly attentive - nobody checked in with us at any point to make sure we were happy with our meal. The atmosphere is lovely and it still feels like a treat experience despite the flaws. The chocolate bombe is very hard to beat as a pudding and the rest of our food was lovely. I'd be happy to go back but there is definitely better food to be had at a similar price point in Bristol. If they upped their game so that the food and service matched their beautiful building and atmosphere (and table settings), then this would be very hard to beat.

Extremely slow service. Our booking warned us of a time restriction, we needn't have worried as we went well over just waiting for our order! This wasn't a Friday or Saturday evening either, it was a relatively quiet Sunday. Staff couldn't figure out how to serve a set menu drink alongside the regular drink order, resulting in one member of the party without a drink for 15-20 minutes. An additional meal was added onto our bill in error, luckily we checked! It was sorted relatively quickly but the service manager was the sour cherry on top, who was cold and unapologetic for the many service errors in our meal that evening. Besides the manager, our waiting staff were friendly and the food was passable, however definitely not worth the high price and slow service, we are struggling to justify returning.

Very poor service experience, staff were nice but everything was painfully slow and service was inattentive. Went on Sunday the restaurant was busy but there were many empty tables so it certainly wasn't packed to capacity. There was a 40 minute wait between starters and mains with no servers coming to the table during that time to take orders for drinks, water etc. When the mains did arrive my steak and sauce were freezing cold my friend's meal was hot and normally I wouldn't send a main back but it was so cold it was inedible. The staff members all seemed a bit confused about my request to send my cold dinner back I waited another 30 minutes for a new steak and had to check if it was actually coming or had been forgotten about, my friend ate their lunch in the meantime but it was obviously disappointing that we couldn't eat at the same time and there was such a long wait in between. We were offered a complimentary drink to make up for it but we both declined as we weren't drinking and didn't feel like it sufficed for what ended up being a 70 minute wait for my main. We waited another 30 minutes with empty plates before they were taken away and deserts brought down. On top of everything we were overcharged for many items on the bill, the bill was rectified and my steak was taken off. The manager asked us what the problem was with the service as if the long waits and being served cold mains wasn't an issue, we said when it was sent back for being cold we shouldn't have had to wait 30 minutes for a new main, to which we got a reply of that's how long a rare steak takes to cook not sure if I would agree. I have been to a few other Ivy restaurants in other cities and never had an issue with service, perhaps it was an off day!

We visited Ivy after a long time (we live in Bristol for over 7 years). We had a booking at 14:30 for the lunch Menu and we were 4 people. The food did taste nice and was fresh and warm when it was served. The disappointing part were the prices and menu structure. How can you charge £35.50 for a steak and not include the sauce or a small side? Same goes for the Chicken Milanese, it’s £19 and when we asked if it comes with a side the answer was “No, it comes with an egg”. Then you end up adding the sauce with your £36 steak and is £4 and some chips with your Chicken Milanese cost £6.75! The only dish that made sense for its price was the Zucchini @£6.50. Sadly, these prices aren’t that high because you get a 5 star service. We went to restaurants that cost 1/3 of this and the service was 10 times better. To summarise, we finished our meal and had our plates collected; after waiting for about 8-10 minutes, no one came to offer us dessert. We simply had to find a waiter and get the bill (even when we asked for the bill they didn’t even bother asking if we did want dessert and how the meal and our experience was). Considering the money you spent here, the service is disappointing and I would not recommend you visit.

Don’t bother with steak! It’s the worse steak you could ever have. No taste to it whatsoever! Go to miller and Carter!

Absolutely fantastic 60th Birthday private dining. The staff food and setting perfect. Thankyou to all at the Ivy Clifton.

Very good for special occasions. Very friendly staff and nice food. Had the English breakfast

The staff does extraordinary work. Very good food. Plus, the architecture and the aesthetic are gorgeous.

Loved this place as it was carefully decorated to give you a unique experience. Prices are decent. Great service. Delicious dessert.

A lovely place to dine. We had afternoon tea which was good but not great. Very frugal portions. The staff and service were excellent. They appeared a happy well oiled group.

On my birthday I went to the Ivy with my wife for breakfast. We both had a lovely meal and I was surprised by the staff presenting me with a choux pastry cake with a candle. A lovely surprise, thank you.

☆☆☆☆☆ Wonderful friendly smiles from the staff, fast service and a fantastic optimistic team. Really pleased with the meals and the food quality is Excellent. I recommend The Ivy Clifton Brasserie to anyone and we shall return there for another outstanding visit. GB

A gorgeous place, suitable for holding parties, dating, partners gathering....... Ym we have ordered a few dishes yesterday. The mushroom linguine, seabeam, macaroni cheese and salt and pepper squid were good. Definitely will come again

Appsoluty lovely,what can I say great food staff and atmosphere,and was with lovely company what else you you wish for.

Great meal with well cooked dishes we had crispy duck salad and lobster linguine and the ivy bomb. The restaurant was very busy with children

Food was good but portions were on the small side. Price of drinks was absolutely outrageous

It was generally a good experience and the service was excellent. Our waiter (Omal/Amal) was very attentive and took good care of us. Gluten free menu was rather limited and gluten free lager was unavailable. The food was well presented and also very good

Really lovely meal. The 2 course menu is great value for money.

Absolutely fabulous, the staff were so friendly and helpful and the food was amazing, everything was perfectly cooked and delicious. Can’t fault anything at all. Made our Anniversary special 😊

Lovely breakfast, attentive staff, beautiful decor 😍but oh my life..the staircase to the toilets are scary 😨

Was not impressed we had afternoon tea . The waiter wasn’t very friendly . The sandwiches were dry I don’t think it was worth the money, I won’t be going back there again

Having dined at The Ivy in Bristol twice now, I can honestly say I haven’t enjoyed either experience. On both occasions the food has been incredibly lacklustre and the service slow. The staff are nice enough, but just don’t seem interested. It’s a real shame as it’s a really well decorated restaurant with a fancy feel to it. The atmosphere and the drinks are what has pushed it to a 2 star. On this latest visit we had some zucchini fries for the table and I had a burger. The zucchini fries weren’t horrendous, which was a positive. The burger on the other hand was dry and overcooked. The chips lacked any real flavour so all in all very disappointed.

This used to be an old bank branch when I lived in the area. I really like the way they have converted it into a fabulous restaurant while maintaining the features of the space. We went to celebrate a friend’s birthday & the staff was just so accommodating, especially when it came to providing service to a guest in her 90s in our party. There’s a good cocktail menu & a drinks bar that’s pretty impressive. The food was varied & good, and there’s plenty to choose from for all tastes and dietary needs. Reasonably priced too! It’s not the best acoustics inside, but it’s not a total deal breaker. There’s plenty of lovely displays to admire & the space is wheelchair accessible. I’d surely go back again. :)

I came here following a recommendation from a friend. I am always on the hunt for afternoon tea whenever I come to England. This place for sure was magical walking in. The front of house was a lovely young woman who made me feel so welcomed. The food arrived quickly and come with a flower pot filled with dry ice which made it so much more special. The food was so delicious but really rich at the same time. I wasn't able to finish it all but that just gives you the chance to take the rest home and enjoy at a later time. I do have to say having worked in hospitality myself I was surprised by the amount of staff on a Thursday afternoon. There were 2 people who seemed to hustle away but the rest kinda seemed to not be too busy. Which I always think doesn't make a good impression. When one person cleaned off the table next to me they checked on me and I asked if I could have the bill to which that person replied "sure no problem". They finished what they were doing and I thought next thing would be my bill arriving. I could see that person talking to someone else and then doing a few more other things. At some point after quite a while I realised I was not getting my bill. So I was waiting for the waitress who originally served me so i could get her attention. Since I was really happy up until that point and the food was delicious I was for sure leaving a generous tip. When the bill came I had my second frustrated moment. I didn't read or see anywhere where it said they already add a service charge. So I was quite surprised that it was already added to my bill. I don't mind tipping but I want it to be my choice. I tip if the service and food and everything was good. I would have been really upset if the service was horrible and the food not good and then they still force you to pay for service. So even tho i understand why they do it i don't think it's right or atleast make it obvious from the beginning that they charge you. After all it was a nice experience and now knowing the fine print and being able to prepare I would recommend it to other people.

Stunning place. Prices pretty reasonable. Staff are excellent. Food 4/5

I booked the Ivy for my daughter’s 18th as she requested. Granted, they did bring out a happy birthday pudding which was lovely, but the overall experience wasn’t great. The food was not on par, with some of the order missing. Upon my review (not a great one) I had an email telling me to call and arrange a discussion and a treat waiting for me. I wasn’t overly fussed on the “treat” as wasn’t in a hurry to return to the place but thought I would call to discuss. I was put on hold three times then told the manager wasn’t available and they would call back. I requested an email. Neither came. I tried calling again then gave up. For the experience and money you will pay, there are definitely a lot more places in Clifton or surrounding areas where you will obtain more food and ambience for your money. Really disappointing overall which is such a shame. Not once were we asked if we would like more drinks, if the food (some missing) was ok, the place smelt, just a real shame where it could be a wonderful environment

The breakfasts are great here, as are the brunch/lunch items. Great quality, reasonably priced. Beautiful building, topped off with great service. Personally, I’d avoid the Sunday lunch - it was less than average and unfortunately I probably wouldn’t have come back if I hadn’t of previously experienced the quality of the other menu options. I would have given 4/5 stars for food if the Sunday roast hadn’t been slapped on a plate.

Ammar brilliant service, restaurant was a beautiful atmosphere and was pleasant to dine in, Ammar topped that with his brilliant service

We both had fish today, Blackened Cod and fish and chips. The Fish of the fish and chips was excellent, the blackened Cod a bit too much glazing it was a bit sweet, but both fishes fresh.

Fantastic service throughout, plus barely any wait for the food even though it was super busy so very impressed, it was also cooked perfectly. The interior is decorated superbly and this made the perfect setting for an anniversary meal. Special thanks to the waiter and waitress who served us, they were excellent from start to finish and left us feeling very well cared for.

Absolutely stunning experience. The food was amazing and perfect amount. The staff was incredible and the place looks very cosy. It definitely has a luxurous vibe but you can still feel at ease. The prices match the quality. I would definitely recommend.

Food was great, prices were pretty expensive but overall worth it, I think. Atmosphere wasn't as good as it could have been only because I was sat next to a till / cutlery point and it was just really busy with waiters and waitresses doing their stuff. I would recommend highly though....

Great food, particularly the truffle arancini and roasted tomato soup. Would recommend visiting here. We were served by Connor, who is a friendly, delightful and attentive waiter!

I have been to The Ivy numerous times and this was the worst experience I have ever had. It started off okay and we were seated promptly after arriving 15 minutes early for our 6.30 reservation. We ordered drinks, starters and mains. The starters came at 6.32. Between 6.32 and 7.34 nobody came to ask how the food was and the mains had not arrive despite there being numerous waiting staff and a manager present. I asked our waiter (Ed) where our mains were and he said he would check. He then returned to our section and didn’t say anything. Shortly after the manager came over and said “two minutes” abruptly. Our mains arrived at 7.36 and were cold. We had to return one item which was made incorrectly and then when the manager came back with that I advised her that the food was cold and it clearly came across that the food had been sat waiting and they had forgot to serve us. The manager rudely interjected whilst I was speaking and said there were delays because the main section of the restaurant got busy due to larger tables than us being served first. This was a poor excuse as when we arrived it was not busy, therefore, our orders would have been placed and quite frankly, just because a table is bigger doesn’t mean they should be served first. The manager then tried saying that the turnaround between starters and mains were 24 minutes and we only waited 26 minutes - I have timestamp pictures showing the one hour wait. The whole experience was dismissive and rude. During this time, a table of three had sat down next to us, was promptly served their mains which were piping hot as steam was coming off and was asked how their meal was twice (by the manager and ed). I queried with the manager why the levels of service were so differing as at this point, the restaurant was busy so that clearly wasn’t an excuse. The manager made many excuses, one being that she didn’t ask us how our meal was in fear that she would have doubled up and asked twice. This is ridiculous as it’s better to ask twice than not at all. As the only people of colour that were in the section, we were so uncomfortable and asked for the bill to leave immediately. Won’t return.

Had a lovely lunch for the six of us. The service was attentive and efficient yet informal. The food was all very high quality, as were the drinks

Been here a couple times and each time has been fantastic. Food is always lovely and very well presented. Staff are always friendly, welcoming and accommodating. The interior is always regal and very pretty.

Amazing ambience, food, staff and food

Starters were served lukewarm warm, as they were left on a tray a few meters away from our table for ca. 10 minutes until staff confirmed (after being asked a number of times) that they were for our table. The steaks ordered by three of us for the main course tasted rancid (as though they had been cooked on a dirty grill). Wouldn’t go back…

A wonderful afternoon birthday lunch. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere buzzing

Couple of visits within the last few weeks at Ivy Clifton, with huge expectation on this place we arrived to a warm greeting and a beautiful high ceiling with floral decor throughout, an old bank turned into a beautiful dinning area, it already pleased us and set us up for hopefully some amazing food. Well of course the food was expected to be magnificent after looking around with all that decor right? Well let’s get into it - i ordered a couple of classics that I thought they would execute to perfection. Start with truffle arancini balls - nothing bad to say but they come as £2 sized balls which ultimately deep frying will make them on slightly drier side then a bigger arancini ball, truffle flavour hit the pallet well, crispy and decent rice to hold it together, I would liked to had more cheese running through them. Side note - second visit with salted sourdough bread, nice crispy outside and soft fluffy middle with soft creamy butter and quality olive oil, solid bread no complaints. On to starters - salt and pepper squid and roasted scallops. Salt and pepper squid - served in a metal basket type thing with cloth, for me presentation is poor and don’t show off how amazing calamari should be, crispy tempura batter kinda give up and squid was overcooked and chewy, flavours were present tho, nice hints fresh calamari with that wasabi mayonnaise could be a really nice combo if just finessed the cooking of calamari and a plated presentation. Roasted scallops - high hopes again here, and better plate presentation than the squid, the scallops themselves were perfectly cooked, soft with solid char, that meaty flavour but soft buttery fall apart in you’re mouth vibe. Was served with a Parmesan foam? Which actually covered the scallop and took away its beauty in my opinion, hidden under everything was a nice little pea purée but again might of never found it because everything was covered in foam. This kinda ruined the dish for me. Mains - Korean glazed chicken, Depth of Asian inspired flavours here showed nicely, sticky chicken breast with that sweet yet smokey flavours coming through, the avocado and jalapeño sauce cut through and give that citrus vibe to the dish but did lack the avocado flavour but being massive jalapeño fan I did not mind at all, I would say parts of the chicken breast over cooked and dry maybe sat on the pass for too long but just lacked that juicy melt in mouth that chicken can have, as we know breast can go dry very quickly. I had this dish with truffle and Parmesan chips, not sure if they dressed these by throwing the truffle n Parmesan at the chips from across the room but the finesse on this was poor. The Ivy burger, I expect so big things here, but again certain parts of the dish let it down and it’s just so close to being solid good food but instead you’re let down by it. The glazed brioche roll was chewy and lacked any sweetness, the beef on first bite I could taste the char and beef flavour instantly but then more I ate the drier the burger got, for a thick patty this is poor how can it be so dry? The cheese was melted perfectly with that deep cheddar flavour which was a plus point, and the horseradish ketchup was amazing! But again the chips just served almost like they don’t want to do serve them, under seasoned and do not feel part of the dish, when I think every element should have its place never ignore the small details. And on that note this what I’ll say about overall experience over 2 visits here within a month, the little details were over looked, the finesse of the dishes just lacked, over complicated maybe, sometimes simple is best and with the ingredients used and quality of produce the Ivy have I would expect that extra bit of quality throughout the dishes. Wouldn’t say this was a bad experience at all, but I would say for the price point I just want that extra 10/15% bring that great produce to life! Overall score here is 7/10, really wanted to score this higher but I have to be honest and transparent, maybe return next year to update this and score it higher!

My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary at The Ivy last Saturday. All were lovely, the food was great and the staff were friendly! Thank you for giving us a nice relaxing evening.

As expected food service and attention above and beyond

One of the most delicious scones I have ever tasted. Highly recommended. I am lucky enough to be served by the manager - Ahmad Suharto. Huge thanks to him. A beautiful place and a wonderful atmosphere, in addition to the quality of the food. I recommend it to people who love elegance and good taste

Had the 2 course set menu for £19.17 with 4 in our party. Excellent starters all round. Mains were slightly disappointing. My Haddock dish had to be served with sea bream as a substitute and apart from some garnish and a tiny bed of pasta, it was just a fillet of fish. Optional sides of veg etc are £5.95. I had the Tenderstem broccoli which was nicely cooked. My ginger and lemon apple crumble tasted of neither. Crumble toping was just that, It appeared to have been added after cooking and was entirely dry. This was £5 in addition to the 2 course set menu. Lovely staff and atmosphere but don't arrive too hungry or it will cost you.

The staff were brilliant, especially Rose, who was very helpful. The decor is like another member of staff, adding positively to the dining experience. Crisp white linen, sparkling cutlery and glasses, all very lovely. We had a great time.

We had dinner in a beautiful private room in the Ivy Bristol. The food was beautiful and service was excellent! Can’t wait to visit again.

We have been coming here for many years. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Xmas family meal and random visits. The service and pacing are usually first class as is the food. That's why we visit so often! Something distinctly off on tonights visit. Perfectly nice table and first impressions were spot on. Waited far too long to be approached for our first drink.- it was a very warm evening so that didn't help! Rather than serving the drinks and giving us time to peruse the menu we were approached and then asked for meal orders not 2 minutes after the drinks had been ordered but before drinks had even arrived. Very unusual. The wait for starters was far too long, and the then gap between starters dishes being cleared and main course served was also far too long. The long wait became the topic of conversation instead of the celebration meal. A couple of the main courses were not hot enough, perfectly edible, but warm and not piping hot as we have come to expect. All the staff were perfectly pleasant but slightly 'caught in the headlights' We have, on occasion, visited restaurants where we are informed at the very outset that for whatever reason, they are 'running slightly behind' (staff shortages/equipment failures) but they 'will do their best' This is a far better option than muddling through and leaving customers in the dark to experience poor service

All restaurants have one chance to make an impression. Those with reputations such as the Ivy have high standards to maintain. Levels of expectations vary and if you were to find fault in one thing you will find fault with everything. After reading about the Ivy in London in the Architectural Digest after some major renovations. I was keen to visit but did not have the opportunity. I was in Bristol and saw there was another branch so went for a late lunch as they were serving afternoon tea. I had the the Ivy Shepards Pie and their Chocolate Bombe. It was a lovely summer afternoon and the restaurant was warm, all the staff looked like they were sweating in their uniforms. Judging from their shiny faces they had been and they must have felt just as uncomfortable as I did. My waiter was clearly hot and bothered. As he continued to serve me my meal, those small details you would expect in a place like the Ivy was missing. I choose the Shepards Pie and wanted to order some peas but then forgot. The waiter should have prompted me. The chocolate Bombe comes with a sauce which is poured over it. I had my phone out to take a photo, a before and after ideally. But before I could get ready he had poured the sauce over the chocolate Bombe. I am quite sure he saw I had a camera and didn't think to ask if I was ready to take a photo. A small detail but an indication he was hot and tired. Yet the same waiter served a couple next to me. They came after I was seated. When their afternoon tea began to smoke with the dry ice. The customer took her camera out to take a photo. The waiter jumps into action and offers to take the photo. This was disappointing to say the least. As for the food? Nothing to scream and shout about. I will still go to the Ivy in London, will the original mothership be better?

Great venue, friendly yet proffetional staff, very attentive.