Bar 44 Bristol — Restaurant in Bristol

The thing we often forget, and I’m as guilty of this as anyone, is that going out for food isn't about 'the food.' I mean, we all need to eat, but we can do that anywhere. The real joy lies in the 'going out.' It's the atmosphere, the ambiance, the sense of occasion, and—yes—the service.

Take Bar 44 in Clifton, for example. Now, if I were to say the service was slow, I wouldn’t be wrong. It was slow. But here’s the rub: it didn’t matter. We were told right from the start that they had new staff on board, and that they were finding their feet. And do you know what? That honesty was refreshing. The people who served us cared—actually cared—about what they were doing. It was service with a smile, even if that smile took a bit longer to reach our table.

But let’s not pretend the food is irrelevant. When it arrived (in its own time, mind you), the tapas was excellent. The Manchego plate was a lesson in simplicity and style—just the right amount of bite and tang. The overnight sherry-braised ox cheek? Meltingly soft and utterly moreish. The whipped cod roe was everything you want from whipped cod roe: light, airy, and full of punch. In fact, everything that passed our lips was, if not perfect, damn close to it.

Yet, here's the twist—almost more importantly than the food, we had a lovely evening. The kind where the minutes stretch into hours and you find yourself leaning back in your chair, completely content. It felt special, as if the world outside had paused just for us to enjoy this moment.

So, bravo, Bar 44. You’ve reminded me that a meal out isn’t just about feeding the stomach. It’s about...

First try of the Sunday roast at Bar 44 in Clifton and I have to say I loved every bit of it. Highlights were the incredible Jamón ibérico fat roasties and being offered extra gravy without having to ask (which was amazing). The sirloin of salt aged beef was beautifully cooked, incredibly tender and really set itself apart from your typical roast beef joint. Truffled manchego cauliflower cheese came as part of the veg selection and was the best I've had anywhere as the cheese had formed a soufflé around the cauliflower which was to die for. Purple sprouting broccoli, kale, piquillo peppers and caramelised heritage carrots completed the veg and each dish had its own distinct flavour that added a welcome variety to the plate. The Yorkie was also flaked with some very tasty chorizo and did a great job of mopping up the delicious gravy. The service was fantastic throughout and the team behind Bar 44 have done a wonderful job fitting the venue out making it a very enjoyable space to be in. It was quite busy without being packed and it seemed everyone else was enjoying their food just as much as we had.

I'll be back for sure and would recommend a visit to anyone seeking something a little different from your...

I’ve been here twice through First table now and I really enjoy the food here. The ambience is nice and the place is well decorated. The menu has a good selection of Spanish and Spanish inspired food and each dish has good flavour I recommend the chicken, sobrasada on sourdough, ox cheek and the patatas bravas but I’ve tried like half the menu and all of it is yummy. Most of the food has a lot of flavour and complexity which I loved. The basque cheesecake is lovely with a nice crust on the outside from a blowtorch I think. My only notes would be how the service was super speedy possibly too speedy that it felt rushed; and I didn’t understand why the waiters were putting everyone next to each other even though the place was pretty empty when we arrived it felt really awkward for me at first and we asked to move. Shame they cant get their hands on someone who speaks Spanish would add to the authenticity and experience (if you need someone let me know 🙈) I would definitely recommend there’s a reason I went and came back for a special occassion and I’ve never written a Google review but I think Bar 44...