Review: The River Grille, Bristol

With its lofty dimensions, exquisite wooden floors and floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views of the Harbourside, The River Grille is one of Bristol’s most elegant dining venues – famed for its superb steaks, vibrant ambience and unique setting.


As part of our recent stay at The Bristol Hotel, we were also lucky enough to experience a meal at The River Grille restaurant, which is a short trip downstairs from the lounge area of the hotel. The River Grille’s menus showcase the finest seasonal ingredients, locally sourced and simply but deliciously prepared, we couldn't wait to try it! We had a beautiful view to enjoy across the harbour while sipping our cocktails! Read my full review of our hotel stay, here


At the top of the steps and overlooking the dining area there is a beautiful white grand/baby grand piano. There is something magical about dining by candlelight to the sound of live piano!

We perused the menu and selected our starters from the large selection available. The menu offers soup of the day, crab or even octopus as starters, as well as a selection of sharers and nibbles. 


This is asparagus on toast with poached egg and hollandaise sauce, we asked for the hollandaise sauce to be served separately, and staff were only too happy to oblige the request.  The egg was perfectly poached with such a rich, yellow, golden yolk. The asparagus was cooked well and maintained some bite, and was delicious with the hollandaise sauce. 


I chose seared scallops served with a green pea purée and crispy pancetta. The scallops were cooked to perfection and almost melted in the mouth. Complemented perfectly by the purée and crispy, smoky pancetta. 

The view of our starers


Josper grilled chicken breast, with heritage tomatoes, purple potatoes and artichokes. This dish was super delicious, and I especially loved the flavour of the artichokes. The chicken breast was succulent and tender and coated with a delicious dressing. 


Sirloin steak with fries and peppercorn sauce, the steak was requested to be cooked to medium but was a little closer to medium rare, however this is down to personal preference. The portions were perfectly sized and the serving times were minimal.



We finished our meal with a fabulous selection of Westcountry cheeses and some samples of some sweet treats, including a white or dark chocolate truffle and a salted caramel macaron, all exquisitely delicious!

We really enjoyed our meal and couldn't fault it! The exceptional views and atmosphere enhanced the flavour of the food, creating a perfect evening.

Food ***** Service ***** Atmosphere *****

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