Bristol’s restaurant scene is rightly revered, with Michelin-starred restaurants rubbing shoulders with thriving food markets, and top tapas bars found housed in shipping containers, all with access to some of Britain’s finest produce, right on the city’s doorstep. It’s a heady mix, indeed.
No wonder Bristol was in 2022 named as one of the world’s top 20 food destinations by Travel Mag. It should come as no surprise, then, that the city is home to some mighty fine pizzas, and today, we’re exploring the very best of them.
So, without further ado, here’s our guide on where to find the best pizza in Bristol.
Flour & Ash, Whiteladies Road
72 hour proved, wood-fired sourdough pizzas are the name of the game at Flour & Ash, a Bristol institution that is still going strong after almost a decade of dough stretching.
Flour and Ash in Bristol is owned by Steve Gale, who founded the restaurant back in 2014. Known for its delicious wood-fired sourdough pizzas, the restaurant quickly gained a reputation as one of the best pizza joints in the city.
After closing its original location on Cheltenham Road due to the pandemic’s seemingly impossible social distancing requirements, Bristolians breathed a collective sigh of relief when the restaurant made its highly anticipated return in September 2021, thanks to a collaboration between Steve Gale and the Hyde & Co Group. The new location on Whiteladies Road features an open pizza kitchen, a terrace at the front, and outside dining area at the rear. Rejoice!
With a focus on their signature wood-fired pizzas, a few Italian spuntini and small plates, and a selection of wines, cocktails, and local craft beer and cider, Flour and Ash continues to delight locals with the quality of its ingredients, many of which are sourced from Italian food specialists Murrays of Clevedon.
Our go-to order here is the House Meatballs pizza. Clocking in at £14, this tomato-based offering features bite-sized pork and beef meatballs seemingly embedded in a bubbling carpet of fior di latte cheese. The slices of Brussels sprouts on the pizza caramelise beautifully, adding a unique twist to the dish. The zip of heat from red chillies completes this memorable pizza, which is delicious enough to convert even the biggest sprout sceptic, we think.
The restaurant has consistently earned a ‘local gem’ mention in the Good Food Guide and was awarded ‘best pizza’ at the Bristol Good Food Awards in 2018. What’s more, food critic Jay Rayner gave the restaurant a rave review back in 2015. We have to agree with the big man; this is definitely one of Bristol’s best pizzas.
Address: 50 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2NH
Website: flourandashbristol.com
Bertha’s, Wapping Wharf
Though Bertha’s opened its doors in Wapping Wharf in August of 2016, the journey of Bertha’s to a fully fledged pizzeria began much earlier, in 2010, as a street food operation serving pizzas from a converted yellow Land Rover to the hungry masses of food festivals and other local events.
Fast forward 13 years, and the pizzeria sits proudly at The Old Gaol Stables at the top of Gaol Ferry Steps, slinging dozens of delicious sourdough pizzas every day. It’s a hugely welcoming place, with co-owner Kate Faragher describing Bertha’s as a friendly neighborhood restaurant that aims to serve simple, affordable food and support local, sustainable producers. What more could you want?
Bertha’s Pizza has received numerous accolades, including being listed in The Sunday Times’ Top 25 Pizzerias in the UK as well as being having for its sustainability chops acknowledged at the BBC Food & Farming Awards.
If you think pineapple doesn’t belong on a pizza and you’re a traditionalist to the core, then you’re in for a delicious shock. The playful flavour creators at Bertha go for combinations that you won’t find at your traditional pizzeria and the specials board here is always exciting; think smoked haddock pizza or even a topping featuring sweet and giving peaches.
They also feed vegans very, very well and, again, it’s to the special boards the plant-based pizza lovers among us should turn. On our last visit, spiced roasted beetroot and feta became best friends – the perfect balance of sweet and salty all in one bite.
That said, we’re especially big fans of the Meat & Heat pizza here, which sees the ever trendy chilli honey drizzled over a pepperoni pizza, the spiced, cured sausage made using Gloucester Old Spot; it’s just divine, though you might want to pack a few Rennie for afters.
Pair this one (the pizza, not the antacid tablet) with a lazy, hazy Keller Pils lager from local brewers Lost & Grounded and you’ve got yourself a meal of yeasty deliciousness.
Address: Bertha’s Pizza The Old Gaol Stables, Cumberland Rd, Bristol BS1 6WW
Website: berthas.co.uk
Sonny Stores, Southville
Sonny Stores, a family-run restaurant in Bristol serving what’s come to be called ‘Britalian’ food by some, opened its doors during the turbulent times of September 2020. Founded by husband and wife team Mary Glynn and Pegs Quinn, the business was initially conceived as a lockdown delivery-only pizza service called The Lockdown Pizza Company. And what great pizzas they were…
As the national lockdown came to an end, Sonny Stores evolved with the aim of becoming a welcoming space for the community to enjoy a delicious range of seasonal Italian food, made using quality British ingredients. With Mary’s background in hospitality and events management and Pegs’ experience in cooking, particularly Italian cuisine, they have successfully established Sonny Stores as a hugely popular casual dining destination in suburban Southville.
Though the building itself may be intimate, it houses a genuinely superlative dining experience, with dishes crafted by a talented team led by head chef Peg who is a River Café alumnus. Michelin recognition may well soon follow.
That deep, implicit understanding of both Italian food and the art of open-hearted hospitality is apparent in the crowd pleasing pizzetta sold at Sonny Stores. These dinky, dinghy shaped things boast the puffiest of crusts, the most blistered of surfaces, and the most straightforward but well-considered toppings, whether that’s a simple marinara topped with Don Bocarte Cantabrian anchovies, or a provolone ‘rarebit’ pizzetta topped with an egg yolk for extra ooze. Just delicious.
As with Flour and Ash, Bristol-phile Jay Rayner has enjoyed eating here, saying that ‘’they get things absolutely right’’. They most certainly do, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this most beloved of Bristol neighbourhood restaurants.
Address: 47 Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol BS3 1QS
Website: sonnystores.com
A Cappella, Knowle
Something of a thought experiment before we continue; if your local Bristol pizzeria isn’t run by a married couple, then is it a Bristol pizzeria at all?
And so to A Cappella, a popular Wells Road pizzeria run by Paul Stewart and his wife Jennifer. Together, they serve authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas, with the majority of ingredients sourced from Milan and Naples.
Open since 2007 (making it the oldest pizzeria on our list), A Cappella is a little out of the way in Totterdown, but it’s worth making the trip south of the Avon to try the excellent pizza here. So good, in fact, that it’s won several awards, including a prestigious Gold at the PAPA Awards in 2019, an industry celebration of the finest pizza and pasta in the country.
We wouldn’t be surprised if the adjudicators had sampled the Glissandro before awarding that Gold star, with the pizza managing to dexterously juggle the piquant flavours of capers and sundried tomatoes with aplomb, smoothing out those rougher edges with the addition of caramelised onions; an inspired move.
With pizzas available in both medium (12 inches) and large (14) and never topping £15, this is a great place to head with a friend, the option to BYO only making the experience more affordable and affable.
Address: 184C Wells Rd, Knowle, Bristol BS4 2AL
Website: acappellas.co.uk
Bosco Pizzeria, Whiteladies Road
Drawing inspiration from both New York and Naples, Bosco Pizzeria in Bristol slings out wood-fired pizzas that deftly manage to straddle both the puffy edges of a Neapolitan dough with the crisper base of its American cousin across the pond.
Opened in 2014 on Whiteladies Road with a second following in Clifton Village, Bosco has also expanded to Cheltenham and Bath, the latter’s Milsom Place opening in August of 2021 winning the ‘Best New Restaurant’ award at the Crescent Club awards just a year later.
Bosco’s founder, Miles Johnson, was inspired by holidays to Italy and the ingredient-led clarity of Italian cooking and the culture of family dining, and that passion is reflected in the beautiful simplicity of the pizzas, whether that’s the signature Bosco, which is topped with fior di latte, tomato, olive oil and basil, or our favourite order here, the Carciofi, a glorious combination of wood fired artichokes, taleggio and green olive.
The cicchetti – essentially Venetian street food snacks – are great too; don’t miss out on the polpette, whose slow cooked tomato sauce boasts excellent depth of flavour.
Address: 96 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2QX, United Kingdom
Website: boscopizzeria.co.uk
Pizzarova, Various Locations
What began in 2013 as a converted Land Rover Defender slinging sourdough pizzas at the south-west’s many, many great festivals has evolved into one of Bristol’s most nimble pizzerias, now with four locations across the city, all heaving and all happy places to spend some time. The formula is as straightforward as any great pizza should me: handmade sourdough bases topped with carefully sourced ingredients from the South West’s finest producers.
Each outpost – whether it’s the buzzing Gloucester Road spot (our go-to), the central Park Street location, the neighbourhood North Street branch, or the elegant Whiteladies Road restaurant – maintains the same commitment to quality that founder Alex Corbett established with that first mobile pizza oven.
Their monthly ‘Ours’ specials demonstrate this dedication perfectly. The current offering (£14.50) showcases their knack for innovative flavour combinations: Glastonbury fior di latte (they’re quite specific about their cheese sourcing), fennel ‘sausage’ from local plant pioneers Simplicity, cavolo nero, and a bright lemon and herb aioli, all finished with crispy onions. It’s a masterclass in balancing textures and flavours, and without any meat in sight.
The drinks list reflects the same locavore philosophy, featuring Bristol Beer Factory’s excellent range, Iford’s craft ciders, and even a bespoke Citrucello (£36 a bottle, so bring a squad) created in collaboration with Circumstance Distillery – perfect for that post-pizza digestif.
The customisation options are an expansive, paradox-of-choice inducing thing – with over 20 toppings available at £1.50-£2.50 each, from Somerset buffalo mozzarella to guindilla chillies, allowing diners to craft their perfect pie. Though with house creations like their Ham, Mushroom & Pineapple pizza (£14) – featuring roast ham, chestnut mushrooms, and their house-made pineapple and chipotle jam – you might be better off trusting the experts.
Address: 289 Gloucester Rd, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Website: pizzarova.com
