The Spot Kitchen & Bar in Bristol, City of

I was as surprised as anyone at how good the food here was. Very few hotel restaurants fall into the category of places I’d want to eat again - this is one of them. 🙌🏻 This is the restaurant at The Holiday Inn, which is in the former council buildings opposite the back of the former Debenhams. Bristol is a place of former things. Unassuming, in the manner of hotels, you’d expect something more ordinary, full of angry travelling sales-people. Inside though, despite a typical hotel layout restaurant with lots of space and large bar, this place rises above expectations. The bar sells Löwenbräu; German lager as it should be. A nice touch and a good start. The food is a mix of typical hotel and some specialities- to start I had arancini, which were tasty, followed by a sizzling kebab platter. Well cooked. Of the latter; wow, such meat. A massive platter of chicken and lamb sheekh with bread and sauce. So very good and so very unexpected. They have a decent chef here. Very well done. There were puddings, but I had no room 😆 Good service and a decent meal. What more could you want if you’re in a hotel. Two paws up 🙌🏻

Enjoyed the food and the atmosphere is nice. Harjit was wonderful and provided great service. She was so helpful with helping us decide what we wanted and was informed on the menu as well. Highly recommend

Nice but quiet when I went. Very early dinner.

Tasty dishes, with huge portions, and the waitress was very nice to us. She wrote us a kind note (photo below). Very good restaurant for a hotel.

Worst restaurant I have ever visited. We stayed half board for a week and it was consistently poor. Nearly a hour and a half wait times for all meals. always served cold, one rice dish was 'fridge cold'. Vegetarian Caesar salad had bacon in it. Most items on the menu were always unavailable. There's no heating in the restaurant so it's really cold and uncomfortable. I would guess about 17 degrees so take a jumper. Coffee machines are always broken and most days only 1 out of the 4 ever worked.....and that leaked water all over the floor. Front of house staff are very friendly and apologetic but doesn't make up for the poor food. Towards the end of the week, some people in our party could not face retuning so then had to pay extra to eat in town instead.

When on Monday 8th of Nov, food was really good service was so so reaching lacking We had to look for people to take our orders, my friend waited 5 min as I was in the toilet and nobody came to check on her she had to find menus on her own when had to pay we had to ask two people if they could find someone to bring us our bill, we could have just walked out without paying to be honest.

Was staying at holiday inn and ventured here for something to eat and drink. Was boiling hot, sticky and humid. Menu had lots of options, service wasn't great and food so so.

Stayed a week here. Food was usually good. I had pollo pizza for a change as when you eat here every night the menu gets limited. Pizza was from frozen, bland and very oily! Do not have pizza. Staff are great. Hotel was good also.

Fabulous quality food which way Surpassed our expectations. Beautifully presented with service in the restaurant of a very high standard too. Superb!

This restaurant is one of the best in Bristol. The staff is just perfect, friendly and professional. The food is just excellent, original and generous. I recommend this kitchen to everyone.

I am staying at this hotel (Holiday Inn Bristol City Centre Hotel) and this restaurant offers a very nice and convenient way of eating without leaving the hotel. Very interesting proposals in the menu, good food ans service, and a reasonable price. In fact, I have decided to have most of my evening meals at this restaurant.

We were staying at the Holiday Inn, this is it's restaurant. Breakfast is buffet service, where everything is available, cereals, fruit juices, fruit and yoghurt, full English with fried eggs and scrambled eggs, toast with butter and jams. All is well prepared and refreshed as required. An excellent start for the day shopping. Dinner. Table booked for 7pm, on the Saturday evening 18th Nov 17. The restaurant was quiet, only a few tables occupied, but there seemed to be an event happening in the adjacent rooms. We were seated against the windows, a nice position and shown the deal menu and the full menu. We decided for the deal menu, 2 courses for £14.95, three for £19.95. We had two glasses of red wine, Shiraz, and the tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta, followed by the 8oz Angus Beef Burger, salad and chunky chips, with coffee to follow. Meal was not rushed, service pleasant without being overdone, food was good.

Absolutely positively the best staff of any hotel restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. The food was fantastic too. Really enjoyed our breakfast, evening meal and watching rugby in the bar here. Staff can’t do enough for you, pleasant conversation, they engage with the kids and work incredibly hard. The belly pork and smash burgers are fantastic. We’ll most definitely return.

Awesome breakfast, fast WiFi. Good work

Como estábamos alojados en el Holiday Inn (contiguo al restaurante) decidimos probar el Spot después de leer las críticas aquí. Visitamos un domingo por la noche alrededor de las 8:00 pm y el restaurante estaba bastante vacío, pedimos entrantes, platos principales y cócteles. El servicio en sí era lento, pero el personal era amable y agradable, tenía una sensación de nuevos titulares para su equipo. La comida era normal, que no esperábamos después de leer las críticas, también nos equivocaron un plato principal al sacar el tipo equivocado de pasta. Una pareja cenando cerca de nosotros también tuvo problemas con filetes poco cocidos que regresaron para que les dijeran que sería una espera adicional de 40 minutos. Después de señalar el error en el plato de pasta, nos dieron dos cócteles gratis como gesto, pero luego procedieron a cobrarnos en la factura. Como sugiere el título, nos sentimos muy decepcionados después de leer las críticas. no regresaría

Visited restaurant to face save time, what a mistake. Tempura prawns took 45 minutes to arrive, after chasing they arrived stone cold, been sitting around for ages. Restaurant was empty, just poor service. There are so many great restaurants in Bristol, don't bother visiting this one

We got the set menu to chose from (3 courses). The choice is good and varied. I had the soup which was good but not amazing. The potato skins looked incredible! Fish and chips for main with bread and butter! It was lush. Loved it. Bread and butter pud for dessert which was nice but a bit stodgy. The service was good checking that we were ok and if everything was alright. Left feel satisfied and full. Good for a hotel restaurant!

Averege hotel restaurant... though the cake was nice

Had soup of the day and the fish pie and everything was really delicious. Very pleasantly surprised.

I suspect that very few people other than hotel guests eat here. On the evening that I was there significantly less than half of the tables were occupied. This looked as though it would be good for me as I just wanted a quick, simple meal before going back to my room for a couple of hours work. Having chosen a cheeseburger as a dish that should not take too long to prepare, I was rather disappointed to find myself still waiting for it to arrive after over 30 minutes. The explanation was that there had been a sudden influx of diners (not obvious in the sparsely occupied restaurant) and that there had been 5 room service orders. Either they do not expect very many people to be eating and are not prepared for a few orders coming in together or the kitchen was understaffed. However, the response of the staff to appease a hungry and delayed diner was exemplary and it worked as I left the restaurant happy. Indeed, all of the staff on duty that night were professional, helpful and friendly which ties in with the standards set in most Holiday Inns over the last year or two. The food was much better than expected with a tasty cheeseburger (The Bristol Smashed Burger) followed by a very good Hot Toffee Sundae. While I would have preferred quicker service, the combination of the excellent staff and good food at reasonable prices for a hotel have made me keen to use this restaurant again, whether or not I am staying in the hotel.

Surly staff who need further training in customer service. furniture grubby with chair stains. Pizzas very poor quality, tasteless and VERY greasy. On complaining, was told this is the way the chef makes them and no one else has ever complained so they are ok.Will NOT be returning to eat here.

The Food at The Spot Kitchen and Restaurant is amazing. Well presented and very tasty. We ate a meal on Fathers Day and had Pork Belly, Pulled Beef Crumble, Fish n Chips and a Pizza, then had The Trio of Desserts. All dishes were Fantastic and were of a high standard.And the Professional, Friendly Service adds to the Quality of this place. We will Definitely visit again and recommend to all friends and family.

Very pleased we ate here Service very good Discount voucher of 20% off food and drink excellent Food excellent and large portions Will use again

Ate in the bar after travelling up on Sunday. Very quiet. Small selection of beers but they are served very cold. Ordered 2 starters, the chicken wings and potato skins. These are very good and surpisingly filling. If ordering the skins then ask for the bbq sauce that goes with wings as it is really good! Staff were friendly and chatty. Service good. Good selection of seating and a few tv screens. Worth a visit even just for the wings!

I normally eat in the hotel I am staying in with business travel and loved it. They must have a really good kitchen as what I had to eat was very satisfying and filling.

Normally food in an airport hotel is pretty rubbish and expensive. We booked in for a meal with no great expectations. The restaurant is well spaced out and the kids were able to go out side and play on the climbing frame. We ordered a burger and chips and pizza for the kids. The burgers were amazing and were made out of proper meat and not frozen rubbish. The chips were posh chips and served in little cages. The kids loved the pizzas. I was surprised and delighted with the quality of the food The staff were really pleasant and helpful Would definitely eat there again

Visited whilst staying in adjoining hotel. Staff were very friendly and attentive, food arrived within expected time scale. The food is presented very well and the kids meal was also good (kids meal arrived very quickly which all parents appreciate). Constructive feedback - Caesar salad dressing was a little bland. Would eat here again

Have eaten here many times in the last year; staying at the hotel on business Food is excellent when you get it. However the service is always sssslllllloooooowwwwwww....... ...

Love this place the food is delicious and the service is always with a smile but the wait for food more often than not is very slow. taking almost 20-25 to serve a course is just ridiculous. Seems to me the chefs can't cope when it gets slightly busy. Apart from that it really is top class and it won't be the last time il be eating there.

Had a great time. Good service and food, will definitely be back. Particularly liked the chocolate orange bread and butter pudding!

I had lunch here with my wife and daughter when I check-in to the hotel. The staff if attentive and the food is great. They make some mistake with my order by bringing the wrong food. The restaurant manager is very apologetic and offer us discount on our meal.

My boyfriend and I ate at this restaurant while staying at the hotel for a weekend away from London. Our expectations were exceeded! Not only was the food to die for (we had a burger and a steak both top notch) but the service was friendly, relaxed and quick. So pleased with this place, it's not just another cheesy hotel restaurant, it has real class.

I went here on Saturday night with my girlfriend and we had a lovely experience. The restaurant itself is really nice and modern so right from the start, we felt really comfortable there. The food itself so really nice, I had the chicken wontons for starters - I can't wait to return and have them again because they were so good! I had the chicken sandwich for my mains with the sweet potato fries and I had a cheesecake for dessert. The service was top notch as well, we were looked after by Matthew who seemed to be training someone, but that was fine. There was also a wine promotion on this particular evening (buy two glasses, get the bottle free) so be sure to check the website to see if it's on when you go there! They accepted my tastecard which was an added bonus.Me and my girlfriend will be sure to return soon enough, whenever we're in bristol, I don't think we need to go elsewhere!

Had a meal with colleagues here on Wednesday 8th October and had an excellent meal, the staff were very attentive and friendly and all our food was first class.A New Chef and some new staff seen to have turned this place around.Such a change from my previous visit of the 31st August which was abysmal. I posted a report on the 1st September which advised People not to eat here, strangely it was removed by Tripadvisor after 48 hours for "Technical Reasons"!!!! I wonder if this good review will also disappear for "Technical Reasons"???

Had a great meal during my recent stay at the hotel (will review separately) food was fantastic and the ribs are to die for. The view is great from the window tables. Let's you watch the world go by!I also ordered the lava cake for desert. A real home made desert that tastes amazing!

Used this restaurant for breakfast during our 4-night stay. Excellent choice of hot and cold food and the service offered by Kat and Jean during weekdays was fantastic. Kat is attentive and really cares about customer satisfaction. A comment about mushrooms being tasty on the Monday was followed up by an enquiry about them on Tuesday and then a visit from the Chef to enquire why Tuesday's were not as good as Monday's and how to improve them!! There was nothing wrong in the way they'd been cooked, it was just the type of mushrooms on Monday. This showed, however, how keen the staff are to please customers. I am particular about how I like my tea and each morning I was given a large pot of weak black tea - PERFECT! Keep up the good work.

I went with my boyfriend for a nice meal on date night and found the food was lovely, and the service was efficient while the staff were helpful and friendly. I would definitely go there again and recommend Spot kitchen highly.

I was very surprised to have come across this restaurant and leave with an excellent impression. I must say for the setting (Holiday Inn), I did not think I would go over away and actually think about writing a restaurant review on the internet. The menu was very satisfying and the service was as good. Coming down to Bristol for only a few days for a business trip, I did want to venture out for food but after discovering The Sport Kitchen & Bar, I certainly did not bother searching elsewhere.A great place again with very reasonable prices.

Oh boy. Trying hard but just too much "hotel" philosophy in the formula. Yawn. I fell asleep between the appetiser and the main. Huge space in service . nice wait staff buttt.,..tuna filet dry though edible especially with horseradish sauce! The rest (sweet potato fries) was forgettable. Instant decaf. Molten chocolate ... Average. Service was sloooowww. Nice though.

Have had to work down in Bristol for the past month or so and have dined here almost every night. the food is very high quality, tastes great and the portions are MASSIVE so there is no risk of leaving with an empty stomach! Overall an excellent restaurant, the views are very nice, service is top notch and the staff are very attentive, polite and smiley.

I'm not usually fond of hotel restaurants but I was recommended to try this one and it definitely exceeded my expectations! The food was exceptionally good and it's always wonderful to have excellent service as well as excellent food. The dessert was especially my favourite - I loved the cheesecake served in jars, going to be trying to replicate that somehow at home! Coming back here again on my next visit to Bristol for sure!!

I never walk into a restaurant that branches from a hotel chain, and walk out happy with the experience. The Spot was a surprising, clear exception to this rule. Boasting an eclectic mix of cuisines catering to all tastes, I had the Bristol Smashed Burger with beer battered onion rings inside, the type of thing that sets The Spot apart, bringing a trendy twist to an otherwise drudging area when it comes to eating. Good atmosphere with waiting staff always on hand and cheerful, highly recommend for family lunch or dinner out. I will certainly be visiting again, and next time I'm coming for those ribs recommended by John!

tried this restaurant while staying at the holiday inn - the quality of the food really surprised me. probably the best holiday inn restaurant ive eaten in before, and the service was really attentive and great. will definitely eat here again next time im in bristol!!

Just back from a lovely lunch with my partner and highly recommend it. The staff are lovely and very attentive and were happy to serve you. The menu was excellent and there was so much to choose from. We opted to share the guacamole to start and then I had a roast and my partner, a tuna sandwich with sweet potato fries. Am looking forward to my next visit. It's definitely worth a visit.

Came in for some food, the starters were absolutely lovely! The menu is great, full of choices and Very different for a hotel. The wings and the ribs were nice, did what it said on the tin. However the red Thai curry on the other hand was very disappointing. It together with the rice lacked flavour. It was very coconuty and that was it. Really unimpressed but the staff were lovely hence the score of 4

The food was quite simply amazing! I haven't had a good meal like that for quite some time. The best part of the visit was not only the food, but the service that matched it! Order was taken swiftly and the food was served in quick time with little wait! Overall a perfect time and I'm definitely visiting again!!!

This restaurant has recently revamped its menu and has succeeded in offering a vast array of dishes to suit the most picky palate! The Staff are also lovely, friendly and helpful and the service is as quick as you wish and at your pace! Fab chicken wings with authentic Franks Hot sauce and Blue cheese dip with celery! Mmmmmm! Gigantic portion of delicious Ribs declared great and disappeared without trace, except the bones of course! You can have half a rack too for the more delicate appetite! Hubby loved his steak and cooked to his taste! Calamari crisp and not greasy with a yummy dip. Good salads and the most yummy Sweet potato fries! Only Hubby could manage dessert, and declared the White choc cheesecake with raspberries yummy! Love this place and wonder why it is not busier! EAT HERE because it is Good! The Cocktails from the Severn Bar are awesome too!!!

Just rated this in the hotel category but had a meal in this restaurant after recommended by people who stayed. Fab meal, fab service, will definitely be returning and recommending to others, great value for money and lots of homemade items. Really lovely evening had by me and my partner.

Lovely restaurant well worth visiting. Food was nicely presented and cooked to perfection. Good choice of wine and overall good value for money.

I have to say this is the nicest and best food I have experienced in any Holiday Inn or even Crowne Plaza. Both nights (first night bar meal and second night restaurant meal) we were served with delicious meals and compliments must go to the Chefs

We had Sunday Lunch in the Sport Restaurant at the Holiday Inn and it was extremely good quality and defo worth the money.

Unlike many hotel chains, the food here was very well presented and tasty. Try the set menu at £14.50 for 2 courses.The staff were very friendly and most helpful.

Just very tasty food, great service and well worth the money. Especially handy if you're staying at the hotel.

Staying in the Holiday Inn Bristol City Centre during a weekend mainly to relax, I took the opportunity to try the hotel's restaurant. And I liked it.The kitchen is quite refreshing and a-typical English. It is quite refined and quite affordable. Unfortunately a lot of groups ate at the restaurant during my stay, and it made the restaurant quite noisy, but there was more than enough attention of the staff.The food was good and original and for a reasonable price. And they also have a great selection of wines by the glass.

What a pleasure it was to dine here. We had a fabulous evening. The way we were looked after from the moment we arrived was impecible. The staff working here were attentive without being intrusive and so helpful. We would like especially to thank Daniella and Carlos who went out of their way to make sure our evening was special. A wonderful atmosphere, excellent food and happy friendly staff. Shall definitely be back soon and would definitely recommend. Excellent value.

We went to this restaurant using a Groupon voucher and were very pleased to have such a lovely time. There's parking next to the hotel (a bit expensive at £7.60 for 3 hours) with an entrance to the hotel close by and lift straight to level 2. The restaurant is large with an expansive view of the traffic whizzing past - different to say the least but quite interesting. There are a few tables to have a drink prior to the meal - the bar is situated in the same area. The staff were very welcoming and not at all stuffy. The menu, though not extensive, had a varied choice including pigeon breast, goat's cheese, mushrooms on toast as starters, duck breast, battered pollock, braised lamb for mains and treacle tart, brownie and crumble for desserts. The drinks weren't overly expensive for a hotel, about £4 for a g&t. We didn't feel hurried and there was plenty of tme between courses to chat. Had we paid the full price for the meal, it would have been about £120 for 4 plus drinks on top. There didn't seem to be a dress code.

Restaurant is on the second floor so has a view of city centre. This is a new hotel so decor is excellent, light and modern. We live in Bristol so took advantage of a 'special' opening offer.In comparison to some other Holiday Inns the menu seemed a bit more interesting with things like pan fried mullet or pidgeon breast in the 'starters' . The steak and the rump of welsh lamb were both excellent mains.The best thing was the service, pleasant and very efficient, and having a multi-story car park right beside the hotel is an added bonus. The prices reflected city centre hotel prices but this is to be expected. If I ever stay here I would happily eat in the restaurant.