Bristol's Chinese food scene runs from a chef-led fusion spot in Cotham to a family-run favourite out in Stoke Gifford, with a couple of solid, no-nonsense options in between. There's no single definitive "best" here, it depends whether you want inventive plates or straightforward comfort food, so here's a proper breakdown of where to go and why.
Rock Salt, Cotham Hill
Rock Salt is the name that comes up most often when people talk about Chinese food in Bristol right now, though it's not really a traditional Chinese restaurant. It was founded by Harris Massey, formerly of Dishoom, and Kedar Subedi, a former chef at Dhamaka, and the menu deliberately blurs Chinese and Indian cooking. Expect things like duck roasted in a clay tandoor oven alongside salt and pepper chicken and crispy chilli beef, served in a small, exposed-brick space on Cotham Hill with a bold street-art mural inside. It's a good pick if you want something more interesting than a standard set menu, and it sits close to the Clifton and Redland area covered in our Redland and Cotham neighbourhood guide.
Hao Wei, Stoke Gifford
Hao Wei is a family-run Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant and takeaway at Unit 13, Longdown Avenue in Stoke Gifford, run by founder Tac Vien and three of his brothers. It's out towards the northern edge of the city, near the Bristol and Bath railway path and the business parks around the ring road, so it's more of a destination trip than a city-centre pop-in, but it's consistently one of the highest-rated Chinese restaurants in the whole of Bristol. The menu covers classic Chinese dishes alongside Vietnamese pho, and it's been flagged by gluten-free directories as unusually accommodating for coeliac diners, which is worth knowing given how much Chinese cooking leans on soy sauce.
Wongs, Denmark Street
Wongs, at 12 Denmark Street just off Union Street, is one of Bristol's longer-standing Chinese restaurants, a short walk from the Old City and Broadmead. It's known locally as a reliable late-night option when much of the city centre has already closed its kitchens, serving fairly classic Cantonese-leaning dishes without much fuss. If you want city-centre convenience over a big night out, this is the practical choice, and it sits near the venues in our Bristol Harbourside and Old City guide.
Beijing Cooking Pot, Kingsdown
Tucked away near the BRI hospital in Kingsdown, Beijing Cooking Pot specialises in northern Chinese cooking, Beijing and Tianjin-style dishes that are less common on Bristol menus than the more familiar Cantonese or Sichuan styles. It's a cosy, unpretentious spot, and worth seeking out if you've had your fill of the standard takeaway menu and want something genuinely different.
How they compare
| Restaurant | Area | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Salt | Cotham Hill | Chinese-Indian fusion | An inventive night out |
| Hao Wei | Stoke Gifford | Family-run Chinese and Vietnamese | A destination meal, gluten-free diners |
| Wongs | Denmark Street, city centre | Classic Cantonese-leaning | Late-night, central convenience |
| Beijing Cooking Pot | Kingsdown | Northern Chinese (Beijing/Tianjin) | Something different from the standard menu |
Getting there
Rock Salt, Wongs and Beijing Cooking Pot are all close enough to the centre to reach on foot, by bus or with one of the taxi firms covered in our comparison guide. Hao Wei, out in Stoke Gifford, is easiest by car or taxi, or a longer bus ride if you're relying on public transport; check current routes with First Bus before you set off, since services out towards the ring road run less frequently in the evenings than in the centre.
As with any "best of" list, menus, hours and even ownership can change. If you spot something out of date here, let us know and we'll fix it.