Being long-term sufferers of food envy, sharing plates – and particularly tapas – so often form the basis of our favourite food experiences. It seems so simple; you get to sample more of the menu, experience a wider variety of dishes and flavours, and generally have a more fun-filled, sociable time.
The U.K’s food scene has caught on; small plates are everywhere and we have our Hispanic brethren to thank for that. Bristol is at the forefront of that ever flourishing, swaggering scene, and as such you’d expect there to be a veritable feast of tapas bars to choose from in the city. You wouldn’t be disappointed, and with that in mind, we’re here to narrow it down to just five. So, here are the best tapas bars in Bristol.
Paco Tapas
Ideal for traditional tapas with personal interpretations from Michelin starred Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias…
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Paco Tapas is one of only a handful of Spanish restaurants in the UK to hold a coveted Michelin star. What is more extraordinary is that they won it less than a year after opening; a mean feat by any restaurant’s standards.
Part of the Sanchez Group’s acclaimed set of fine Bristol restaurants (RIP Casamia), the cooking at Paco Tapas is assured and confident. Stuffed and barbequed quail is a particular highlight, and the classics, such as simple tortilla espanola or ham croquettes, are delivered unpretentiously but with perfect aplomb. If you’re only to go to one tapas bar in Bristol, it should be here.
Address: 3A, The General, Lower Guinea St, Bristol BS1 6SY
Website: pacotapas.co.uk
Gambas
Ideal for a tapas bar that places a heavy focus on all things prawn…
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Alongside Tokyo’s Corridor-dori and Lyon’s rue du Boeuf, Bristol’s Wapping Wharf must be right up there in terms of the highest concentration of Michelin-awarded restaurants per square metre in the world.
And perhaps our favourite of all (yep, we have) the eateries housed in shipping containers here is Gambas, a tapas bar that places a heavy focus on all things prawn.
Inspired by Valencia’s Mercado Central, there are a few better ways to spend an afternoon than by taking a seat at the counter here. Roll up your sleeves, and prepare to nimbly peel burning hot prawn shells blistered by the grill, suck the rich, ruddy brains out of the heads, and generally get messy.
For those not in thrall to the sweet, briny flavours of the ocean, there’s still plenty to enjoy from Gambas’ De La Tierra (‘of the earth’) section of the menu, which despite its rather lofty subheading, is essentially a roll call of tapas bar classics. So, that’s patatas bravas arriving draped in all the right colours, presa Iberica quickly seared in a smoking hot pan, and some truly divine aubergine crisps, served adorned with a sweet and sticky reduction.
Though we’ve only visited in winter, we can only imagine how joyous an evening spent on the restaurant’s terrace would be during the warmer months; Summer 2023, we’re coming for you!
Address: Unit 12, Cargo 2, Museum St, Bristol BS1 6ZA
Website: gambasbristol.co.uk
Bravas
Ideal for an warm, unpretentious tapas experience…
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Authenticity is the buzz word at this Redland institution, where the owners cite regular staff trips to Spain as the inspiration for their fine renditions of tapas bar classics. Bravas is rammed to the rafters regularly – even on school nights – and you’ll often have to wait for a seat. The wait is rewarded, though, with highlights like hake from the plancha or a sweet, crisp aubergine, perhaps. The patatas bravas from which the restaurant takes it’s names are a fine, thoughtful rendition.
Address: 7 Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6LD
Website: bravas.co.uk
Poco
Ideal for a British seasonal tapas menu…
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Not to be confused with Paco, Poco is a very different beast and although the term ‘tapas’ may be a stretch, their commitment to ethical sourcing and practice makes this place a fine proposition indeed. The menu spans all corners of the globe, arriving in small plated, concise form; a condensing of the world’s finest flavours into a few manageable bites, if you will. Poco won the Best Ethical Restaurant at the 2013 Observer Food Monthly Awards, and their commitment to conscientious cooking continues still.
Website: pocotapasbar.com
Address: 45 Jamaica St, Bristol BS2 8JP
El Rincon
Ideal for music and tapas…
El Rincon has a homely, almost-shambolic feel that draws you in and doesn’t let you leave until you’re full, drunk and happy. The menu is brief, but that’s fine by us; tapas menus seem to benefit from brevity, as everything always sounds so appealing. That said, the options here are always supplemented by a special or two; and if there’s ever a paella on at El Rincon you’d be crazy to miss it. Of added interest, the restaurant offers Spanish lessons and regular Latin music nights; the opportunity to go full native then, is very much there.
Website: www.elrinconbar.com
Address: 298 North St, Avon, Bristol BS3 1JU