The Olive Shed in Bristol, City of

A delightful restaurant in a lovely location, serving delicious food! It was on the pricey side (though i know its hard especially for independent restaurants) and the wine a little rough but in every other way, it was just gorgeous.

Great place on dockside serving lovely tapas

Stopped off here for lunch on a walking route around the old docks. The staff were ultra friendly and the tapas choice authentic and good, and of course tasty! Finished off with a lovely apple crumble. Lots of choice for my gluten free wife.

Great riverside tapas in the old docks area. Good fun, tasty food

Great location especially when it’s warm enough to sit outside. We choose to sit in and enjoyed the view looking out over the water and the passing steam train! Super service, great food…we enjoyed all the dishes, all home cooked & authentic.

Good fish, nice location and friendly staff

Food is 10/10, great range of tapas and fantastic flavours. Service is friendly and efficient, setting was perfect, sat on the harbourside in the sun, highly recommended!

I had a really nice Tapas lunch here. I recommend it. Really nice.

Wonderful friendly staff, perfect spot for a casual meal. The chicken breast, mussels with chorizo, and gambas were stand outs. The wine list is reasonable. We especially liked the casual outdoor seating on the wharf, it was lively but not distracting. I tend to over order at Tapas, and the waiter was great about helping us gauge by describing the portion sizes accurately.

My favourite restaurant in Bristol

Amazing everything! Hard to fault anything about the Olive Shed: great views, tapas, wine, company and especially our hosts. The team are intelligent, fun, super professional and friendly. Thank you for a great evening, Valerie and team.

Great food as always Fresh and delicious

Seven of us ordered a whole bunch of the dishes on offer. Everything from the sardines, calamari, hummus, patron peppers, to the hale, courgette with whipped tahini, cheeseboard, heritage tomatoes, prawns, roasted veg on focaccia was absolutely delicious. All served with a smile and good wine and beer. Outstanding!

Delicious food and really friendly staff, would 100% recommend.

Best place for celebration and special days. Really enjoyed every tapas and each of them gave me surprises.

Still one of my favourite restaurants in Bristol. The baked whole fish was delicious, and as always the staff were friendly and attentive. On a (rare) sunny day it is difficult to beat the ambience.

Nice little tapas restaurant with a good unique selection. All very tasty but portions slightly on the small side. 'Gluten free hummus' is not gluten free as it is served with chunks of ordinary bread (not gluten free!). It was lucky we asked. Lovely location overlooking the harbour and very friendly staff. I didn't find it too expensive but just a shame over the portion sizes.

Stop and enjoy. You will not be disappointed Popped in for quick lunch, was attended to quickly, very polite staff, food was fantastic. Nothing negative. Will visit again. Thank you.

Stopped by door a bit of lunch with a friend and or 2 pooches. Shared 4 tapas, wine, coffee and dessert and it was yummy. Lovely sitting out on the sunshine and watching the world go by.

Food was lovely, very expensive! We had sharing platter and 2 tapas dishes with a drink each and it was almost £200 for 4 people Also please be aware the 'sharing platter' of Scallops... we had 3 between 4 people?! The waitress, Hazel said it mentioned this on the menu that you only had 3, however, Having checked the menu we had last night it doesn't actually say any number! You'd assume you get 1 each per person at least otherwise it's not sharing?! I'm not sure how you'd share a scallop?! The focaccia bread and olives were reasonable, they were listed as a snack on the menu!

Lovely setting, good service. The food is very tasty but portions are very small. To feel full you would have to spend a fortune.

Perfect lunch outside with friends on a sunny day. Not cheap but worth every penny. Mackerel escebeche and cod 'jamon' particularly delicious. Great views of the steam train and activity on the water just added to the experience.

My friend and I had lunch here today and every dish was absolutely delicious. Highlights were the pickled mussels, fried cuttlefish and patatas bravas. I’m gluten free but could eat pretty much everything on the menu. 10/10 will be coming back!

Please note if you are only having a drink you're not allowed to use the toilets despite my friend saying they had a disability. They just laughed at us would never return. The host, manager and whomever answered the phone when I called to complain at how my friend was treated had no interest whatsoever and just hung up. Avoid at all cost much nicer friendlier places close by.

Poor food, I have been here many times before and it was really poor food quality. The ferments and pickles were just 4 different variations of pickled onions. Staff weren’t polite and even told a person they can only stay for 45 minutes. Today was really poor service and food.

The food was good but some tapas were reasonably priced, while others were very expensive for what you got.

I got a takeaway lamb kebab from here on the waterfront and it was awful. The meat was inedible - full of bones and gristle. When I went to show the man who made it, he was quite rude about it. I recommend going around the corner to Biblo instead.

Been here twice and both times I have been blown away! The food and the service is spot on. The staff are very attentive and make you feel welcomed immediately. They even serve my favourite beer Estrella Galicia. Now let me tell you about the food! Wow! I’ve now tried pretty much everything on the menu + the specials they offer and once again WOW! You can just tell each dish has its own story and all compliments eachother. One of my favourite spots to bring friends and family in Bristol

What a wonderful restaurant by the harbour-side. Excellent service and food to make you want to order everything twice ! Highly recommend! Thank you

Nice location, staff friendly but poor, food value for money totally shocking.. how they serve it in such minuscule portion with a straight face is beyond me… £6 for the same amount of salad used in a burger … shocking ..

We had lunch today ....food really delicious ...fish lovely and fresh ...steak perfectly cooked and tasty . Finished of with delicious desserts . Definitely would recommend and shall be back again .

Excellent ingredients, beautifully prepared and presented, a truly superb waitress who really knows the menu and wine list. Thoroughly recommend.

Lovely restaurant! Food was really great, service was spot on and nice atmosphere. Definitely worth booking as it seemed full on a Friday night. Would highly recommend the tapas beef dish!

Bristols best kept secret.. an iconic establishment in a truly stunning location, try not to miss sunset..

We had a very enjoyable meal at the Olive Shed for a Hen Do with my family. After reading some pretty average reviews, we were pleasantly surprised with the fantastic service and extremely tasty food. The waiter even went to the effort of presenting me with a free glass of Prosecco! The restaurant is in such a lovely location with beautiful views across the river. All in all a lovely evening and we will definitely visit again.

Absolutely delicious I am very impressed with the food and the services.

A true delight. Incredible food cooked and served by angels. ❤️‍🔥

Very good food drink outlook and ambience

Don't be disappointed when you arrive and it's not a shed full of olives. Luckily the food, service and ambience is divine.

We only had coffee so I can't say anything about the food, and not much about the service! Good coffee in a great location, it doesn't look much from the outside but well worth a stop for the coffee alone! We walked down the waterside and the turned back and sat here for a little break and chat, really nice staff and a great location, but I bet it gets busy on warm days!

Lovely place, great views, fantastic staff

I don't know how this place isn't busier every night. We were the only people in there and the food was amazing. Came to about 40 per person but also had 3 bottles of wine between 4 of us

Amazing food - I can’t believe this place wasn’t busy when we were there! The tapas was so fresh and very tasty, the staff were kind and very attentive. It was a celebration meal for Mother’s Day and we felt very well looked after. The basque cheesecake was out of this world, best dessert I’ve ever eaten!

Had a great spot in the window overlooking the harbourside. Food was very flavoursome and came out promptly. Service was great, wasn't sure which bottle out of two wines to choose so was kindly allowed to try both and then choose, which was an lovely touch. It can be a bit pricey possibly for some (ie me!) but the prices are there so there's complete transparency from the restaurant so you can order accordingly. Atmosphere was great as is always busy here, and with the view, it's a lovely place to go in town.

We stopped for coffee and cake. We shared a dessert and it was divine. Cappucino sizes are small

Excellent food & service, thanks

Lovely food, lovely service, excellent view

Impromptu meal with friends so no presumptions going in. Staff friendly, food tasty & view amazing.

We arrived as the first of our group and first in the restaurant. It took an hour to be served our food which came in dribs and drabs with no real apology. We could not believe how overpriced the food was. What was served was tasty but 7.50 for 2 slices of blue cheese is insane. Not one for a return visit.

Not good. Lost its way. We went here for a Christmas party with 15 people. The service from the front of house staff was great but the quality and portion control from the chef was terrible. One beef main had a single roast potato where others had 10. Same for the starters. The potatoes themselves were over cooked, the lamb was poor and pear dessert was under cooked. We were told this was due to a stand in chef. Such a shame.

Great location, wonderful atmosphere. But food was average with a very small menu, and extremely expensive. As in: if you want a couple of drinks you are looking at 70 quid per head with food. Nine pound for a one by four inch piece of cured salmon is out there even if it was excellent which it wasn’t. Lovely staff but shan’t be going again, shame as rave reviews.

Simply love this place. Great atmos, food and service every time… in a great location. Will return again for sure.

Incredible tapas, best in Bristol

great for tapas sharing! With view on Bristol harborside. Better in daylight.

Superb food. Lovely staff. A Bristol institution!

Lovely view, lovely setting, friendly staff, excellent food. Spot on, our party thoroughly enjoyed themselves, recommended, cheers.

We received a very warm welcome when we first arrived. The restaurant overlooks the watershed area in Bristol and our table had a great view all the way down to Hotwells. Some of the food, such as the croquettes and side salad, was delicious, well seasoned and beautifully presented and we all agreed they were excellent dishes. The aioli was perfectly made. However the patatas bravas were a little disappointing as the potatoes were really overcooked, almost burnt and quite tough and dry. We also tried the Spanish stew that wasn't incredibly full of flavour but tasted nice. The harissa chicken thighs went down well. One of our party tried the espumoso rosada which was a fuller bodied alternative to rose prossecco. Bizarrely this was served in a champagne coupe which looked as if it came from the 80s! The merlot was very good. So overall, we had a nice, welcoming experience, lovely views, great service and would give an overall rating of 7 out of 10 for the food.

We haven’t been to the Olive Shed for sometime and we were very disappointed indeed. The bread was ordinary, the calamari was really chewy and the beef short rib just weird. Everything tasted as though it had been re-heated. It wasn’t cheap either. You need to up your game Olive Shed.

Great food and good value for money. The staff were excellent, very welcoming and friendly.

Loved this place - popped in for a quick lunch - delicious plump mussels in cream and wine 'soup' plus a plate of patatas bravas (instead of chips) and a small glass of Pino Grigio. £27 including service charge. Very warm welcome from lovely staff - quick and efficient service - great views over the water. Sitting at an outside table was just like being on holiday except the sun had gone in. still, you can't have everything.

We hired the restaurant out last weekend for a private party. I have nothing but good things to say - they were super accommodating and the food and particularly the staff were amazing. A massive thanks to the team. Nick and Jo

Great food very good friendly service and a lovely place to be outside on a warm night. Will definitely recommend 😉

Good was ok, nothing special above other similar places, service was quite functional. It was full on a Sat eve so really loud, we were a group of six so difficult to hear anyone not right next to you. Prob not that bothered to go back.

Nice place for fresh, good food. Service is friendly and attentive. Nice view of the docks. Makes you feel at home. Will definitely return.

Even on a rainy autumnal day it was delightful. We always come for the calamari but all the other radishes we divine too. Especially the monkfish wrapped in parma ham 🫶

I love it here, always great service and delicious food

The food was really quite expensive and wasn’t anything especially special. However, the location of this place is amazing - right by the water.

Great Spanish food with locally sourced ingredients, have taken two groups here and the food and service is exceptional. The Beef Rib with XO is something incredible

I came here for dinner a few weeks ago with a friend and it was delicious. I have an allergy to sesame seeds and the staff were incredible- listing items on the menu that I could choose from and also being extra vigilant with all ingredients/ in the kitchen. it makes a huge difference to feel totally comfortable eating out when having an allergy and I would completely come back here again for this reason. Thank you for being so serious about allergens!

Lovely spot to sit by the docks and have a cocktail and a snack. I was quite impressed with the sea bream ceviche so I decided to grab some other food and to be perfectly honest I probably could have just left it with the ceviche because nothing else I got wow-ed me. The venison chorizo was fine. The cured goats cheese was fine. The croquettes were fine. It was all however, expensive. I didn't really like the limoncello spritz but I think that's a question of taste, and the negroni was good. I'd recommend coming here for a drink over coming for food.

Great food and very friendly service, and the view of harbor is just amazing. A bit pricy but this is Bristol. Recommended.

Lovely restaurant with beautiful views to the river. The food was excelent and the service even more. Thanks Damaris for service us so well

Lovely lunch outside by the harbour, great selection of tapas, friendly and efficient service.

Lovely location. We had mainly tapas, some dishes were pricey. Service was helpful. Disappointing vegan choices, no good vegan protein, no beans, no grains, no tofu. Yes, the patatas bravas was okay, but that's not enough, aubergine dish was far too salty. I left hungry and won't be returning for now.

This place is a gem .. great selection of seasonal ingredients.. food presented beautifully and amazing flavours .. we were very happy indeed with the atmosphere, food and great friendly attentive staff . We will be back soon. Highly recommend

Beautiful food - tapas small plates reminiscent of Barcelona. Service was phenomenal, we would highly recommend a visit. Huge thank you to Ralph and Joey for a gorgeous meal out!

Had the best afternoon at Olive shed. All of the staff were lovely, drinks were great and the food. Order 3 tapas dishes and it was more than enough. They even happily served us another round of drinks even though they were closing. Will definitely visit again!

Great food, service and location! Love coming here on a sunny evening with friends. I recommend to anyone

Rip off! Popped in for coffee and cake. They didn't have any cake. So, ordered 1 coffee, 1 tea, 2 (small) cheesecake desserts. Price - a shocking £22. We won't be visiting again.

Very pleasant lunchtime meal outside under the awnings. We had: 1 steak main plate, 2 tapas of sea bream and gambas, and 1 glass of Malbec. Total = £46.45. Service of 12.5% was automatically added (don't approve of that) to make a bill of £52.26. Food fresh and tasty, perhaps a bit small.

genuinely some of the best food i’ve ever had, lovely & helpful staff and amazing views of the harbour

Nice little bar with good atmosphere

Felt like we were on holiday being sat outside in the sun, enjoying the amazing tapas that was on offer. Service was prompt and the wait time on food was really short. Waiting staff were attentive and lovely. 100% will be back again as long as the sun is shining. My husband couldn't stop going on a out the Burrata with grilled peaches...

Absolutely fantastic experience! Tucked away with a view over the harbour. Tapas was outstanding and service was excellent

Overall excellent visit. Daniela was super attentive and very helpful! Food was great, everything tasted amazing and the portions were good for tapas. Would recommend the calamari and the tortilla! And will definitely be visiting again.

The meatballs and potato bravas were the best I have had for a long time, delicious.

It was OK. But I wouldn't rush back.

wonderful location at the side of the harbour with inside and outside seating which is great. Lovely selection of good tapas. Good wine and beers too.

Flawless service, would highly recommend!!

Just had a fantastic meal here in the sunshine. Ralph, our waiter was amazing- Great recommendations encouraging me to try food I'd usually not order! The sardine special was fantastic. I also loved the chicken. Would highly recommend.

Great little find on the way back from visiting the SS Great Britain. Service was good and the food very tasty. Nice spot to people watch as well!

Comida a base de tapas y algún plato principal. Raciones más bien escasas y caras, pero bien preparadas. Buen servicio. Cuidado con platos fuera de carta o precio según temporada, pedimos pescado sin saber el precio y fue lo que más elevó la cuenta.

Overall excellent visit. Daniela was super attentive and very helpful! Food was great, everything tasted amazing and the portions were good for tapas. Would recommend the calamari and the tortilla! And will definitely be visiting again.

I have been to the Olive Shed a few times. They do not have any tables you can book as a wheelchair user as they are inaccessible, except one right in the entrance , which is hopeless. They do however have lots of outside tables, but which are only available on ‘a walk-in/first come first served basis’. I wanted to go out with my son on Father’s Day and tried to persuade the Olive Shed to book me an outside table, as no doubt it may be busy. However they refused saying they would not change their ‘walk-in’ policy for their outdoor tables. The logic, lack of common sense and understanding in their attitude defeats me. Won’t be going there again.

Coming back in Bristol, feels like home already and today i have find this restaurant while we were having a walk by the river. And it was a great choice, really friendly from the entrance, we were lucky to find a table outside, a busy evening, and we had the Jug of Sangria which was so refreshing! As we were all hungry, we were quite greedy and ordered so many tapas, finish eating everything, great flavours everything was more than delicious, compliments to the Chefs. Thanks as well to our server, he was great, made our visit here even better! Ending the evening with a beautiful sunset and some more wine.

Il be honest it’s a rip off ! £25 for the smallest steak I’ve ever seen . Only have organic cola , taste the crap . I paid something like £8 for 3 bits of dry bread and about 10 olives . Staff were miserable and the toilets were disgusting. Save your money

AMAZING - What a find. This is a gem of a place. Great food, excellent service, the staff are really friendly and attentive. (Professional) The calamari is the best i have tasted. The gambas were huge. I will definitely go back. Great location. A bit pricy but well worth it .

I used to go here accepting that it would be expensive because it's a nice location but with staff like this I won't be going back. For a nicer experience, you can take a picnic and a bottle and soak up the atmosphere on the...

I have been here three times before and the food has always been average. There is much better Tapas to be had at many other nearby restaurants. On this occasion, my friends and I visited to buy some drinks on a sunny afternoon and sit...

We enjoyed the artisan bread and unusual tapas style menu in a calm location by the water. Prompt and charming service made for a nice light lunch