The Spiny Lobster in Bristol, City of

We had originally planned to go to another restaurant with a similar name...but had a very upset son whose nut allergy couldn't/wouldn't be accommodated. We contacted 'The Spiny Lobster' who immediately reassured us that everything is freshly made and a nut allergy would not be a problem at all. The staff were truly amazing and the food was fabulous too. Great to see the hardworking chefs in action. I'm so grateful that the team made my son's birthday so special (despite the awful start). I couldn't give any particular recommendations to anyone thinking of eating here as all the food was excellent. Thank you

Dinner at the Spiny Lobster was an absolute treat. They get everything right from the moment you arrive and Emma, the longstanding manager, makes you feel immediately welcome. In our case with glasses of fizz as we were celebrating our daughter’s birthday. The front of house staff are all equally attentive and charming. Seeing the kitchen operate is a lesson in harmony. The cooks clearly get on very well together with one another and love what they are doing. The result is the best fish dishes in Bristol. The taramasalata that comes first with soda bread is as good as anything you will find in Greece. We began with a dozen oysters, fresh and transportingly delicious from Colchester and Menai. Then scallops, squid and mackeral pate shared across the table. The Fowey mussels with fennel and bay with cream were the best I have ever had. My main course of monkfish was perfectly cooked on wood, chunky and succulent with a hint of rosemary and the accompanying vegetables crunchily perfect. After John Dory, Blue Fin Tuna and an amazing prawn risotto (we all had a taste of each other’s dishes) most of the table was too full for pudding but I soldiered on and had the excellent walnut tart. Someone had to. The wine list is excellent - and the digestives amazing well-priced. Where else would you get a generous glass of grappa for £3.50? Spiny Lobster is one of the most traditional (white table cloths, leather banquettes, perfectly polished silver and glass) and innovative restaurants in Bristol - and consistently hits the highest standard that the team set themselves.

Nice to have a seafood restaurant in any town.

The food here is amazing The scollop starter melted in your mouth and the lobster was great to and all staff was amazing and very hard working al in all me and the misses had a fab night thanks and I will be coming again 👌👌👌

Went here for a birthday meal. I have to say fish would not be my first choice if it were my birthday. But to be fair it was really nice and I did enjoy it. Food was very good. Two negatives for me but very minimal was, one entrance hall was cramped and not very pleasant and we had to wait there for 10 minutes for a table ( we did book) secondly for me is was very hot in the restaurant they could open windows or doors to help with this?

What a lovely evening. Delicious food and excellent service. Thank you.

Excellent fish restaurant. Not cheap but quality products, delicious dishes and generous servings. Professional and friendly staff. Recommend the wild Atlantic prawns, croquettes, halibut and whole plaice.

Incredible prawns Wonderful Skate / Ray wing and sea bream Beef rib to finish perfectly grilled Wines to match Best in Bristol Jonathan

The meal i had here with a friend was fantastic! we had starters and a special which was a Jon Dory (think that is how it is spelt).

Excellent service, great wine list and seafood that was perfectly cooked. Good value for money too, will definitely be coming back.

Deserves a lot more stars than 5! Thanks to a traffic jam we ended up here instead of the plan, and what a great diversion! Fabulous food and excellent service from a really engaged team, including an open kitchen allowing us to give our compliments directly to the chef. The crab risotto was amazing and the monkfish cooked to perfection. We'll definitely be raving to friends about this one!

Very expensive £35 pound for a sea bass fillet no sides the restaurant was full of flies observed landing on cooked food waiting to be served not the best too expensive definitely not the best

Superb. Friendly welcome. Attentive service, Excellent seafood, well cooked. Great wine list too. Highly recommended! The tiny fishmongers out the back is a find for another day too!

Here for lunch with an old mate. Arrived early had a nice glass of Provence rose and a plate of anchovies before he arrived. We then tried a mix of oysters , some from Colchester , some from Mon and from Ireland . Then Dover Sole with green beans and salad . Washed down by a bottle of Macon . Oysters all delicious and very distinctive . The sole was beautiful cooked and presented . Good reasonably priced wine and a coffee afterwards . £45 a head including wine . The service was great , two knowledgeable and funny waitresses . I have to say this is the best fish restaurant in Bristol . A lovely relaxed environment to have a long chatty lunch in . Well worth a visit .

We had a really enjoyable and fun night here. Staff were friendly and happy. Menu options were excellent and food was very good.

Thoroughly enjoyable evening. Well cooked seafood, great wine list, decor very pleasing on the eye and friendly staff.. what's not to like. If we're back in Bristol we will definitely return.

What an awesome place. Excellent service, excellent food. Delicious and divine.

Best seafood ever! And lovely staff :)

Superb fish and shellfish, beautifully prepared. Slightly old fashioned environment and prices can be very high, depending on what you choose.

I called ahead of time to see if they had a table for one. They said yes but their kitchen closed in 10 minutes (an hour before posted closing time) and were super nice about it saying if I was a couple minutes late it would be fine. Luckily I was exactly 10 minutes away and rushed over. They were again super kind and friendly and the food was delicious. I had the scallops and the lobster. Both were prepared with obvious expertise. I thought both needed a bit of salt but they had salt at the table which was perfect. They were very knowledgeable about the wine list as well. You could tell that they had several regulars and the atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable. While not inexpensive it was a great experience that I would definitely do again.

Beautiful meal, superb fresh fish and excellent service. Could not find any fault in food or service and will be back. A wonderful birthday treat and somewhere we will certainly return to celebrate.

This is an outstanding seafood restaurant with excellent service, great atmosphere and exquisite food. The scallops are a great start and the full lobster was an interesting flavour sensation with a lot of spices and seasoning which sort of works. The restaurant is stylish and overall if you love seafood then a visit should be a priority.

Fabulous food, atmosphere and wonderful staff. This is our special occasion go to restaurant. Quality food beautifully cooked and served every time. Highly recommended.

Excellent food. Excellent service. Excellent staff. Thank you!

Well worth a visit very good seafood restaurant.

Definitely one of the best Bristol restaurants that I’ve been to so far. The food is fantastic! We tried a few small plates and starter dishes - each and every one of them was absolutely delicious. If I have to choose, my personal favourites are camerone fritters, grilled Atlantic wild prawns and soft shell crabs. The staff are so kind and friendly too. It is a little pricey but for the quality of food and atmosphere the whole experience is definitely worth it.

Excellent food. Great staff. However the entrance by the side door smells too much of fish.

High quality fish, cooked with respect for its natural tastes and textures and with imaginative, yet unfussy touches. Great choice of wines to match menu. Friendly service.

Amazing service and high quality , great chef

I go to the adjacent Fishmonger about twice a month and buy a lot of fish and freeze the rest. Sometimes the black sea bream is delicious, and you can also find the same cherry-colored sea bream that is sold in Japan. When you make sea bream rice, it tastes the best in Japan. Let's take a look at the food. You can also buy sashimi-grade salmon and tuna, so you can make it into nigiri or seafood bowls. I haven't been to the restaurant next door, but it has a very good reputation.

Excellent menu and so refreshing to be offered something other than fried fish or salmon fillets. Staff were excellent and friendly, food tasted even better than it looked, with very generous portions. Chatted to a few other diners who keep coming back and so shall we. Highly recommend

Incredible food probably will get Michelin star soon

If you like fish you will love the Spiny Lobster. I had skate which you won't find on many menus but was very good. My other half had chargrilled sea bream, which she describes as impressive. With cooking to such a high standard the atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were lovely. Congratulations to everyone involved.

We came here as we are looking at moving to Bristol from London and are checking out local restaurants. We are massive foodies and The Spiny Lobster did not disappoint. We had Maldon oysters to start which were absolutely divine. Never had oysters quite like them! Following this we had the monkfish. Oh my goodness the portion size is huge so excellent value for money. The whole restaurant is such a slick operation and a joy to watch everyone work so hard to achieve such incredible results. Well done all. We will be back! Xx

Amazing lunch, thoroughly enjoyed wine food and service. Highly recommended!

Very nice local fish restaurant. Good quality fish, lovely friendly service, good cooking. We all had monkfish for main course. Good wines. Occasional jazz nights but usually quickly booked. Recommended. Also lovely attached fishmonger. Fish delivered from Brixham 5 days a week. Back to the fishmonger so many times. Lovely knowledgeable fishmonger Barnie, great fresh Brixham fish. I ordered two 750g cooked crab for long leisurely dinner with some fries and a bottle of white between us this Saturday night. Highly recommended. Now one of our very favourite restaurants. Small, atmospheric, white tablecloths. Always excellent fish, cooking, service, atmosphere. I'll usually choose from the 'Over the Fire' section. An expensive Josper Grill is used which imparts a lovely flavour to the fish. Try monkfish served this way. Another speciality is oysters. Try one or enjoy three or half a dozen, simply shucked and served over ice with shallot vinegrette. Fabulous!

Overall quite disappointed by this seafood restaurant. The food was good but pricey for what it is. The real problem when I visited was the poor service: we had to wait very long between the courses (around 30min) and the waitresses were not agreeable at all. No smile, no effort put into the service.

Three diners.Three starters: Scallops, Mussels & Oysters. Three mains: Halibut,Monkfish& Dover Sole. A very reasonably priced Picpoul. Friendly staff . Great ambience. Great evening!

Thank you for a lovely evening. Great fresh fish with lots of choices, good wine list and great service. All wrapped in a nice environment - Bravo !

wow so beyond impressed by the quality of the seafood here! the grilled wild atlantic prawns starter was our favourite for a very well priced 12.9£, it was succulent, flavourful. the 3.5£ porthilly oysters were a tad bit high priced but it was wow so fresh and absolutely no fishy taste. the pollack with a crab sauce for 23£ was good too

I came here yesterday for Jazz & Shellfish night which I’ve never been to before, and had such a lovely evening, and such a great concept. Food was incredible as always, and service with a smile and ease by Molly, Lily & Isla despite how busy it was, would definitely recommend !

What a special place! Charming staff and the restaurant had the unmistakeable 'buzz' of customers eating well. Everything was delicious, gently smokey taramasalata, perfectly judged risotto, ultra fresh skate wing and jasper monkfish. These guys know how seafood should be prepared. If you do too, you will love it. Very highly recommended!

Amazing service and each dish got better as it came out would recommend to anyone who wants a fantastic seafood meal in Bristol.

They have a lovely stall biweekly in the Whiteladies market. Barney sells nice lobster/crab/prawns/fishcakes. I’ll definitely come back.

We booked a table for Valentine’s Day after hearing good things, but sadly were left a little disappointed. Firstly, our waitress seemed a little distracted; she didn’t make a note of our order despite having a notepad and pen in her hand, and when repeating our order back to us she kept missing a couple of things off. She also couldn’t answer our questions on the menu and had to keep checking with the chef - we assumed she was new but perhaps better to say that as it didn’t give us much confidence. Secondly, apart from the dauphinois potato’s which were fantastic, the food was pretty average. I had the shellfish platter and my other half ordered the fish of the day (can’t remember which one but it had bones). Considering we were in a fish restaurant we were surprised that neither of us were offered a fish knife or specialist cutlery for shellfish, nor was I offered a finger bowl. We asked our waitress for these and she apologised and got these for us eventually. Thirdly, the ambience was pleasant but there was no place setting on the table, which gives canteen vibes in my opinion. Feel like this small change could make a big difference to the general aesthetic of the restaurant. Probably wouldn’t rush back after our experience sadly.

Always excellent, friendly service and top quality food. Spiny Lobster manages to offer excellent fish at affordable prices, something that is very hard to come by: the compromise is that they work a 2-sitting system, but it's tremendous value for money, so no complaints. The wine list is also good value, and manages to go beyond the usual grape varieties.

Good food overall, however the menu mentioned "whole seabream", as you can see on the picture it's an half seabream. When I asked about it staff told me that's whole in a rude way and kept serving us like that for the rest of the night which killed the vibe (my friend's birthday). Therefore I don't recommend and will not come back unless they do take away...

Good food overall, however the menu mentioned "whole seabream", as you can see on the picture it's an half seabream. When I asked about it staff told me that's whole in a rude way and kept serving us like that for the rest of the night which killed the vibe (my friend's birthday). Therefore I don't recommend and will not come back unless they add take away...

What an amazing experience for lunch at the Spiny Lobster. Thank you to Casey and Molly for looking after us, from start to finish all the food was unreal. I would definitely recommend the baked oysters, garlic scallops, and the mussels were fab! We had tuna steak and monkfish for main and oh wow the tuna steak was cooked to perfection!! I would 100% come back here as I would love to try the Lobster when it's next on the menu. Also my favourite side was the orange salad,.the dressing on it was unbelievable! If you're looking for a chill atmosphere with great quality food then this is your place.

Incredibly friendly staff and pleasant, upmarket atmosphere. Food was absolutely sensational, great place for anyone who loves seafood. I wonder if an establishment of this standard could benefit from a slightly more formal dress code - smart-casual as opposed to casual might suit it better. But no real complaints overall, would highly recommend

Great food and wonderful service

I am not someone who ever provides feedback but following our visit last Saturday I felt it was least I could do. The food was outstanding and the service exceptional. I would probably say it is one of the best fish dishes (Brill to share) that we have ever had. The staff have to be the nicest people you will ever have the pleasure to meet. great team and exceptional food. Well done all.

The food here is just sublime. Everything is fresh, seasoned to perfection. The waiters are so lovely and the atmosphere is cosy and homey, though smart. Such a nice restaurant to go to for a treat!

I have always liked Spiny Lobster (I love fish) and recently went there with my wife for a quick lunch. We had some of the small plates (soft shell crab, Risotto, camerone fritters and chips) all were fine, but I suspect the volume of fried options resulted in a somewhat cloying taste in the palette. All in all and enjoyable lunch, worthy of an occasional return

The food here is amazing and the staff are great!

It's absolutely brilliant. If you have never tried seafood, this is the best place to go. It is all fresh and delicious and very nice service. Highly recommend.

This restaurant is attached to a fishmonger with a great reputation in Bristol so the fish and seafood are superbly fresh and very high quality. However, the cookery let’s the ingredients down. Very basic presentations - which is fine - but at least clean the poo-tube from the otherwise delicious prawns, and make sure there’s no grit in the scallops. Main dishes - which are expensive ~£30 each - were generous but poorly seasoned and the beef sauce served with the halibut was over-reduced so it’s bitterness swamped the delicate fish. Frustrating as a bit more imagination could really make this place shine.

Food and service are excellent, however wine is clearly overpriced.

Spankingly fresh fish - well cooked and attended by knowledgeable and attentive servers. Good value small plates at lunch 2 a head was perfect.

Our party of 6 had an early 6.30pm sitting. Getting a drink took a long time despite there seemed to be a lot of staff. We then waited a long time for our food order to be taken. Food was good when it finally arrived. By the time we had finished it was 8.15pm. We were then told they needed the table beck at 8. 30pm. We rushed an ice cream. It is not reasonable to have sittings without slick service. The rushing spoilt our evening.

We managed to get a last-minute table on a Saturday night, and it was busy and lively. The food was all excellent.. well presented and cooked perfectly. We had the oysters, scallops, lobster, and a homemade freshly made in-house éclair. With wine, the bill was approximately £150. We would recommend this lovely restaurant and thank you to our lovely server for the great service.

Have had a birthday lunch today with my family, and the food was good and very fresh seafood and really enjoys it.

Brilliant sea good restaurant. Food was superb. Downside was having to enter the restaurant via back door into the kitchen. Unsure why front door not functioning.

We went on the jazz night with a live band and singer. Great food, a lovely atmosphere, and amazing service. Throughly enjoyed the evening with my family.

Thought to venture into the fishmongers next door a day prior to see the lobster and other catch quality. Very good indeed. Booked a table the following evening; excellent. Lobster for main was 9/10. Risotto and Scallops for starter were 9/10. Will be venturing back.

Amazing every time! I’ve been here twice now and it just keeps getting better. Fantastic sea food, lovely atmosphere and friendly staff! Just Devine.

This restaurant is very good. I’m very happy, I found this kind of restaurant in Bristol. There is good variety of seafood. The service was excellent. Highly recommend.

Lunch today. Brill was wonderfully cooked. Fish Soup as our starter was terribly underwhelming, and hardly tasted of fish or seafood. The carrot used was overpowering, hence the soup was too sweet for my liking. Would be passable if it was labelled Carrot soup! Service and atmosphere were excellent. Would go again, but I'll start with Oysters or Prawns the next time!!

Very good. The food is of good quality and served nicely. Service is generally good but did have to remind of drinks orders. Prawns were good but not a particularly stand out. The scallops and Lobster were very good. The monk fish was excellent. Overall I would definitely recommend it, it is only just not getting a 5 to leave room at the top.

Food was absolutely first class. The mussels in nduja were just fab!! Highly recommend you try this place.

Wow, what a stunning night, celebrating my 60th served by Lauren. As we were seated several glasses if Prosecco arrived as a birthday gift which started the evening well. Our group had Scallops, Lobster risotto and Oysters to start( all just stunning) 2 xSkate Wings x 2 and Lobster; both absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. Never eaten Skate wings before, I found them to be very delicate, with a very subtle flavour; the fish just melted in your mouth. The Lobster was small for the price, but very tasty. Thanks to Lauren, who served us with excellence. I would highly recommend this restaurant. . To all

I Travel From Cardiff To Come Here, Only Visited A Few Times & This Place Has To Be The BEST FISH RESTAURANT I've Tasted In The UK!! ♡

This restaurant is incredible! Food is tasty and so fresh! Good selection of wine and beer. The service was excellent, we were looked after by everyone one. Put this on your list to visit. Will definitely be going back

Oh my god! Put this on your list to visit, we had the best family meal! Service was excellent, food is incredible! Fresh, tasty and perfect portion sizes! I had the lobster - it was the best lobster I have ever eaten! Highly recommend this place!

Le poisson et les crustacés sont toujours parfaits et le service est excellent. Une très bonne soirée.

Completely forgot I had a TripAdvisor hence why this review is late. But I have been here on two occasions and both have been amazing. Served funnily enough by the same woman, she has reddish brown hair from what I can remember and the service both times has been incredible from her. I have had Halibut and Crab Cakes on one occasion and Lobster on another - both times the food has been delicious. I can't wait to come back here in the future!

Great selection of delicious fish and seafood. Lovely atmosphere. Friendly staff. We had lunch and although the £15 for 2 courses was tempting we went for the a la carte as there was more choice.

We enjoyed our dinner here. Excellent menu and wine list. Scallops and Mussels in cider were excellent as were the Skate and Grey Mackerel and Grilled whole lobster. We would have appreciated some amuse bouche and bread, I understand this is usually offered here. It was a very busy night and so can be forgiven for skipping a step. Overall a very good experience and a varied menu with plenty of fresh fish would definitely warrant a return visit.

Lovely food (the monkfish main and prawn starter were delicious) friendly staff and overall a good experience.

Had a fabulous dinner! Made a three course menu out of starters and it was the perfect amount of food. Definitely recommend!

Fantastic crab risotto - delicious!

Lovely family run business that is well presented and heartily welcoming, we had fresh lobster that was presented perfectly and tasted out of this world! The sides were absolutely delicious and the hostess could not do enough. I enjoyed every minute! 5 ⭐

I feel quite sad writing this review! I have loved the Spiny Lobster over the years. It has been one of my favourite restaurants! Recently it has just felt slightly ‘off’ for some reason. Food standards have slipped and isn’t as magnificent as it was. The fish just isn’t beautifully cooked anymore, it’s nice but not amazing! The service has also declined. The staff are nice and friendly but just incredibly slow. I will return in the hope that last week was an ‘off’ night but if I have the same experience I sadly won’t return again.

Fresh Seafood Mussels is so delicious n crab Risotto taste refreshing other than transitional taste Turbot fish is a highly recommended dish I visited on Saturday thats y the restaurant is so noisy

This is one of Bristol’s best places for seafood. I return for the Dover Sole, but everything i have eaten here is fantastic. Also the fishcakes in the fishmongers are the best fishcakes i have ever had. I love going here.

What a gem tucked away half way up the hill. Food was some of the best seafood we have had in a long time and beautiful presentation. Portions are very generous. Service is top draw even though they are busy. Good fairly priced wines . I suggest you book and if you are in Bristol don’t miss this one out

Fantastic lunch, and just what the doctor ordered. Fabulous staff and the food was incredible, we were treated to a first class experience.

The Spiny Lobster is a gem - we stayed in Bristol an extra day just for this after a few friends recommended it. Oysters were fresh and creamy, the scallops melt in your mouth. As main courses, we had the monkfish and the hake steak in crab sauce - both outstanding. Above all, the service is great - everyone is extremely nice and accommodating and the atmosphere is lovely. Recommended!

The reviews are most good however we found our visit average and a little over priced , they do have a local following because the staff appeared to be over friendly and familiar with some of the customers , we would not rush back and...

Had a great time and a superb meal. We had the lobster and it was excellent. Recommend this place for the food and experience.

Absolutely brilliant, staff were incredibly lovely and the food was stunning

Lovely meal and service for our anniversary lunch. Unpretentious no gimic restaurant. Excellently prepared food . Delicious oysters and mussels and fresh fish.

Good variety of seafood (with an option for steak for carnivores!) Professional service, excellent seafood the scallops were the best we’ve eaten in a long time!

Food was good but for the first in my life I refused to pay the service charge. Unfriendly and very much felt like an inconvenience to the waitress chatting to her friends. Very disappointing .

Booked for lunch and had a perfect experience: friendly, courteous staff and great surroundings. An excellent range of choice on the menu, we went for the delicious Jersey Oysters followed by the Monkfish main which was generous and beautifully cooked (we chose jersey potato and...

Great lobster but not so good tools to eat it!

Fantastic food and an excellent wine pairing. Great staff and also a 1st class fishmonger attached.

Really enjoyed this place (no pun intended) have been back a few times now and my kids really like it as well. One thing I will say that takes it to a 4 whilst on the topic of kids. There is no option for kids, so it was agreed the kids can have a child portion of something off the mains, which they did. So half the food of an adult portion, makes sense, thank you. When you pay the bill you pay for a full main price even though you got half the food ..... I wasn't impressed at all by that. Menu is very offering, I've not had a bad meal here yet and very much enjoy visiting. I've just learnt last night (as you were fully booked, sucked to be me that night as really fancied it haha) that there is a jazz night on the 26th!! I couldn't think of anything better, jazz and good sea food !!! Unfortunately I'm away on the 26th of the next few months and only month I'll be here is August until Feb so I'll definitely be booking for August !! Would I reccomend? Yes, with the warning about the kids food Would I go back? yes

The experience here is very simply summarised: Very high quality seafood cooked impeccably. In the UK, hard to find better in its genre. For starters, we both had their classic, fabulous wild Atlantic prawns, a mega-portion of four. with the addictive chili jam to go...

Lovely and smiley service! Incredible food and a good laugh :) xx Monkfish was perfect and chips were too good💅 Ordering dessert as we speak… Thank you!! Will be back again ;)