Bristol's two Michelin-starred restaurants are Wilsons in Redland and Bulrush in Kingsdown, and behind them sits one of the strongest Bib Gourmand line-ups outside London, much of it in the shipping-container kitchens of Wapping Wharf. Below is our ranked top 12 for 2026, all confirmed open, with a mix of cuisines, areas and price points so there's something whether you're marking an occasion or grabbing great pasta.
A note on how we pick: this leans on the 2026 Michelin Guide and national awards, then on what locals actually rate, and every place is confirmed trading as of August 2026. Book the top ones well ahead.
1. Wilsons
Redland. Modern British and hyper-seasonal, cooked almost entirely from the restaurant's own market garden. It holds a Michelin star (awarded 2025) and topped the Square Meal Top 100 UK restaurants for 2026. The daily-changing menu is the city's fine-dining benchmark. £££.
2. Bulrush
Kingsdown. A Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant that's long been one of the best-value starred meals in the country. Inventive, seasonal and personal. Book ahead. £££.
3. Adelina Yard
Photo: adelinayard.com
Harbourside, on cobbled Welsh Back. Refined modern European cooking with an open kitchen and seasonal tasting menus, in the Michelin Guide and a reliable choice for a special dinner. £££.
4. Marmo
City centre, Baldwin Street. An Italian osteria and wine bar with a Bib Gourmand, known for hand-rolled pasta and a short, daily-changing menu. Relaxed and excellent value. ££.
5. Ragù
Wapping Wharf. Proper Italian run out of a single shipping container, and a Bib Gourmand within a year of opening. Handmade pasta is the draw. ££.
6. Box-E
Wapping Wharf. A tiny 14-cover container restaurant with a Bib Gourmand, serving inventive modern European small and large plates. Book early; it's small for a reason. ££.
7. Root
Photo: rootbristol.co.uk
Wapping Wharf. Vegetable-focused small plates where the veg is the star and meat or fish plays the side role, with a Bib Gourmand. A genuinely different, produce-led meal. ££.
8. Little Hollows
Redland. Fresh-pasta specialists with a Bib Gourmand; the set lunch is one of the best-value plates of proper cooking in the city. ££.
9. COR
Bedminster, North Street. Wood-fired, produce-driven Mediterranean small plates with a Bib Gourmand and a warm room. A highlight of the buzzing North Street scene. ££.
10. Other
Bedminster. A newer Bib Gourmand (from chef Zak Hitchman) with a playful, constantly-changing contemporary menu. Proof the south of the city is where a lot of the energy is. ££.
11. The Blaise Inn
Henbury. A British gastropub with a Bib Gourmand, doing traditional dishes with real skill. The pick if you want the cooking without the city-centre setting. ££.
12. Dongnae
Photo: dongnae.co.uk
Redland. Authentic Korean, à la carte or set sharing, and in 2026 the highest-climbing Bristol venue in the national Top 100. The city's most exciting recent arrival. ££.
Also worth a table
Beyond the top 12, all currently open and well worth booking: Pasture (Redcliffe) for premium live-fire steak; Sonny Stores (Southville), a tiny neighbourhood Italian from an ex-River Café chef; and the cult handmade-pasta room Pasta Ripiena (city centre).
A quick honesty note
Menus and lists go stale fast, so to be clear: several of Bristol's most famous names have closed, Casamia, Paco Tapas and the original Pasta Loco, so ignore any older ranking that still features them. Everything above was confirmed open in August 2026.
The honest alternative
If you don't want to book weeks ahead, walk Wapping Wharf or North Street in Bedminster and eat at whichever of the above has a table, or graze the food stalls at St Nicholas Market for a fraction of the price. For the full neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood picture, see where to eat in Bristol, and for the city's famous roast, best Sunday roast in Bristol.
FAQs
What are the best restaurants in Bristol?
Bristol's two Michelin-starred restaurants are Wilsons (Redland) and Bulrush (Kingsdown). Behind them, the best of the rest includes Bib Gourmand kitchens like Marmo, Ragù, Box-E, Root, Little Hollows, COR and Other, plus Adelina Yard and the Korean newcomer Dongnae.
How many Michelin stars does Bristol have?
Two, as of the 2026 Michelin Guide: Wilsons and Bulrush. The city also has eight Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants, an unusually strong showing for a UK city outside London.
Where is the best area to eat in Bristol?
Wapping Wharf on the harbour has the highest concentration of top spots (Root, Box-E, Ragù), while Bedminster's North Street (COR, Other) and Redland (Wilsons, Little Hollows, Dongnae) are also excellent. See our area-by-area food guide for more.
Is Casamia still open?
No. Casamia closed in 2022 (a later casual spin-off also closed in 2024), and Paco Tapas closed in 2025. Some older "best of Bristol" lists still include them, so check before planning a visit around either.
Is Pasta Loco still open?
No. Pasta Loco, the tiny Cotham room that helped kick off Bristol's fresh-pasta scene, closed permanently in 2023. Its city-centre sibling Pasta Ripiena is the one to book now. Older lists still feature Pasta Loco, so check before you plan a visit around it.