Fishers — Restaurant in Bristol

A birthday treat ruined by worst meal ever. We had a previous meal which was great and a very friendly waitress informed us that, if we booked a week in advance, they would be able to get our favourite fish fresh from the market. My husband loves Skate Wings and it was his birthday so I booked Fishers for 23rd December. I rang a week in advance and was told that Skate Wings were available and they would order them in for 23rd. I then decided to invite my daughter and husband so I rang Fishers again to check they could join us and I again asked about the Skate Wings explaining again it was for my husband’s birthday. I was reassured that they had sourced the Skate Wings and they would be keeping one for him. Fast forward to 23rd - the waitress who greeted us advised us in no uncertain terms “ you cannot get Skate Wings at this time of year” so my husbands treat was dismissed and we sat down to a very disappointing meal. My daughter had a roe and eggs in her fish with very little edible fish left to eat and the vegetables were not as advertised on the menu or missing. My meal was ok and my husband had “ok” mussels but not great. The waitress who served us was abrupt and disinterested. My daughter has done a lot of waitressing and she was shocked - we decided the waitress must have been covering for somebody and did not want to be there at all. We also wondered what happened to the friendly waitress from our last visit and was the normal chef away. Anyway, this experience was totally different from our first trip and it will...

This is a truly wonderful place to enjoy a meal. A well run and well supported seafood restaurant, Fishers was the perfect setting for a delightful evening and the ideal way to enjoy one’s birthday.

The atmosphere and decor of the restaurant felt welcoming and despite being what appeared as a fully booked Friday evening, it did not feel crowded. My partner and I sat downstairs though there is an ‘upper deck’ with plenty more seating.

Between us we ordered the bouillabaisse and mackerel paté to start with the tuna steak and whole bream for main. We were both very impressed at the quality of the food, very fresh and prepared in a way I would describe as ‘just right.’ Every dish was generous in size and consumed with hearty enthusiasm, though I simply did not have room for a sweet at the end, but I will definitely be coming back so next time I certainly will.

The waiting staff are very efficient and though not as conversational as some places, they did not put a foot wrong all evening and provide a very professional service. I must thank the gentleman in the Simpsons shirt for some wonderful interactions and a fond fare well upon leaving.

This is a fabulous place to eat, located in a lovely part of Clifton and I would thoroughly recommend a visit. For us it worked out at £30-£35 per head which I think was a very fair price and we will definitely be coming back soon....

The food is excellent but the service is awful. We were left waiting for over forty minutes before being served then had to go downstairs to ask for a wine list and a spoon for the vinegar and shallots that went with my oysters - somehow I was expected to be able to pour it over them from the (chipped) bowl. The bit at the top of the menu giving options for a drink or some olives while you ‘wait’ is ironic since no-one bothered to ask if we wanted anything while we waited. When the food came, the waitress thought oysters were mussels. Our bill was brought to us before we asked for it at the end giving the distinct impression that, having made everyone wait at the beginning (we weren’t the only ones), that they were rushing us out at the end so they could clear away. The toilet is tiny and there’s one cubicle for everyone. It was dirty and, to cap it all, we both came down with a norovirus 24 hours later which I think was from there since we didn’t go anywhere else. More love is needed to bring this restaurant up to the excellence of previous years and some training in ergonomics. It’s the second time we’ve had poor service and we were prepared to give it another go for the food but we won’t...