Ritorno Lounge — Restaurant in Bristol

Brief: Only tried sticky toffee pudding and it wasn’t worth the money. Don’t know if they have a student discount. Background music almost gave me a headache.

I went to the Ritorno Lounge just so I could have dessert and try their sticky toffee pudding. I didn’t try any of their food, only the pudding so my review is limited to that.

These lounges work by you just going in and seating yourself and then you order either at the bar or using the QR code provided at your table.

I ordered the sticky toffee pudding online for £7.25, and since there was no option to add on an extra scoop, I left a note on my order before checking out requesting an extra scoop of ice cream.

Two minutes go by and a manager/server(?) comes to my table and informs me that since I requested an extra scoop in the note I’d have to go up to the bar and pay extra, to which I said “oh that’s okay I’ll just have one scoop then,” and then she told me she couldn’t take it off because “the kitchen was already making the dish.” I go up to the bar and tell a server of my situation, and I was charged an extra £1.15 for this tiny little scoop of ice cream.

Call me cheap, but looking back at it, I don’t know why I didn’t complain about paying extra because how does that make sense? My pudding took 10 minutes after I paid at the bar to arrive so they probably hadn’t even put the ice cream on it. I don’t know how the order system works in this restaurant so it’s completely possible the server who came up to me literally couldn’t do anything about my order, but then that’s also terrible if servers are not permitted to amend orders.

If it was a huge scoop I probably would have let it slide, but the pudding + ice cream was way too small to even be £7.25, let alone the extra fee. It tasted alright but I still prefer the PizzaExpress one over it.

And the whole time the music was BOOMING - I couldn’t hear myself think and even when talking to the server I could barely hear myself or her. It almost gave me a headache but I stuck it out because I really...

We recently had our staff Christmas lunch at the recently renovated, Ritorno Lounge. The venue itself is charming, with tasteful décor and a warm, ambient atmosphere. For sure, this set the right festive tone for our relatively small party.

Brilliantly situated along the harborside, the location offers great views and proved a convenient spot for pre and post lunch activities. If the location and décor were to be the only benchmarks, Ritorno would score top marks for sure.

Sadly, the culinary experience left much to be desired. The menu, while extensive, did not deliver in terms of flavor or presentation. Dishes arrived lukewarm, and the taste was unremarkable, failing to stand out in Bristol's vibrant food scene. My main meal was an honest and easy to prepare burger and chips. What I was presented with however, may well have been that in a previous life.

Service was adequate, with staff being polite and attentive. Yet, the lackluster food overshadowed the otherwise pleasant environment. In their defense, it was busy and there were other Christmas gangs eating lunch. But, one would expect an establishment of this size to be better prepared. So, not good enough team Ritorno.

Look, the restaurant does provide with a lovely setting. Yes, there was commendable service. But, people are known to eat at restaurants. Which means the focus should be on the food and not the smoke and mirrors. And the dining experience does not match the high standards set by its ambiance and location. While it's a comfortable place for drinks or casual meetings, those seeking a memorable culinary experience might need to look elsewhere.

Note: I will return during off-peak times to give this place a second chance. Who knows, it might just have been an off day for the...

Slightly disappointed after my first visit to 'Ritorno'. Looking at my visit from two points of view, one as a customer and also as a shareholder. Visited on a Sunday morning arriving at about 10:30. On entering the establishment the sign said 'sit where you like', fair enough, we did. Fortunately there were tables free but unfortunately a high number of those tables were still dirty from previous clients. We found a table that had been cleared but not especially cleaned, with crumbs etc. still evident. A particular penchant of mine I'm afraid. I ordered at the bar, three breakfasts with tea. The food and tea arrived promptly but not the cutlery with which to eat with. My plate of 'lounge eggs with salmon' looked great, but the portion size in general was disappointingly small - glad I opted for a Cumberland sausage as an extra! I also needed copius amounts of brown sauce as the portion of hollandaise sauce was very scant. Unfortunately the whole table mentioned the food certainly was not as hot as it could have been. As for the staff, they were very young and also a bit green behind the ears as far as knowing the menu etc. (but as it's a new branch I can understand that). Now, with my shareholder hat on, this is a business, I saw three tables have to request silverware to eat with after the food had been delivered to the table. I saw two couples walk in and walk out again due to the fact the only tables available were still dirty from previous clients. Basically, come on guys, get those tables cleared and cleaned and properly set up for the next client as quickly as possible. Here's hoping on my next visit to see some...