PORTISHEAD RESTAURANTS, BARS AND PUBS WITH FOOD

Fancy a meal out? Wondering which are the best places to eat in Portishead? Well, you’ve come to exactly the right place with my big guide to all our fabulous Portishead restaurants!

Will you choose posh nosh at Portishead Marina? The perfect Italian pizza? An Indian restaurant in Portishead High Street? A hearty Sunday lunch with stunning views over the Bristol Channel?

Whichever style of dining you’re after, you’ll find the full range of restaurants Portishead has to offer, in my freshly updated guide.

Is your hankering for a chow mein frustrated by the absence of a Chinese restaurant in Portishead? I have that covered too, with a section of great pubs and restaurants near Portishead.

Not looking for Portishead restaurants, but want to know about pubs with gardens, play areas or dog-friendly pubs? Then head over to the
Portishead Pub and Bar Guide.

PORTISHEAD MARINA RESTAURANTS

Visit one of the Portishead Marina restaurants and experience that holiday vibe. In the summer you can see children crabbing at one end and stand-up paddleboarders at the other.

Gaze out over the impressive array of boats and towards the estuary beyond. And ponder over which of the luxury yachts you might choose when you find yourself with a spare million or two…

… but for now, here’s a taste of the waterside eateries to enjoy those views from!

LA MARINA PORTISHEAD – ITALIAN RESTAURANT

La Marina restaurant occupies the cute little building overlooking the lock which connects Portishead Marina to the Bristol Channel. Glass walls allow for fabulous views wherever you sit.

The menu has a southern Italian influence and includes various specials nights. We’ve had some great meals here, including a top-notch Sunday lunch and a large family celebration where we took up most of the restaurant.

Real Italian waiters mean I get to practice my rusty language skills too!

AQUA RESTAURANT PORTISHEAD – ITALIAN

Aqua is in an enviable location overlooking Portishead Marina, offering classic and contemporary Italian dishes.

Food is served throughout the day. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner are all on the Aqua Portishead menu. Aqua’s delicious Sunday roast is also worth a mention.

Choose to sit indoors, outdoors or in the fairy-light-lit conservatory. Heaters in the conservatory allow this atmospheric space to be used year-round and it’s also dog-friendly.

BOTTELINOS – ITALIAN RESTAURANT PORTISHEAD

Bottelinos offers reasonably priced Italian food in a stunning location looking up the length of Portishead Marina.

The venue is large enough to host decent-sized parties. (Years ago, I went to a Portishead Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting there, which they seemed to accommodate with ease.)

The open kitchen allows you to see their chefs in action.

The Italian Portishead restaurant has been extended to include a sheltered outside dining area.

Over the years, Bottelinos has been a firm favourite with our children, particularly when they were smaller. Their early bird specials made the Portishead pizza and pasta dishes an absolute bargain for family dining.

PORTISHEAD HALL AND WOODHOUSE

Built from recycled shipping containers, H & W is architecturally one of the most unusual restaurants in Portishead Marina. Downstairs is a bar offering pub meals in a relaxed setting with open fires for chilly days. There’s plenty of seating outdoors too.

Head upstairs to the restaurant where you can expect a more formal dining experience with an open kitchen and views over the water.

The Hall and Woodhouse Portishead menu has dedicated options for lunch, dinner, bar food and specials. There’s a choice of beef and vegetarian Sunday roasts plus a weekly ‘special’ roast.

H & W’s menus feature what seems to be a pretty comprehensive “Dietary Requirements and Allergens” sheet. This details whether meal items are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. It also states where allergens might be present including nuts, wheat, eggs and milk.

GRAZE BAR & RESTAURANT

The Graze is a waters-edge bar and restaurant in a lovely spot directly overlooking Portishead Marina. You can enjoy great views from both the restaurant and the outside space.

They serve luxury cheese and meat boards for sharing, as well as nibbles. 

Graze mixes up a range of cocktails, some of which are almost too pretty to drink. (I said “almost” – I did manage mine, obviously!). 

Keep an eye out for their great value lunch deals.

A great destination for a girls’ night out – or for anyone who’s a sucker for a spectacularly Instagram-worthy cocktail!

SEAROCK FISH RESTAURANT PORTISHEAD

Searock restaurant is located at the estuary end of Portishead Quays Marina, with bi-fold doors opening over the spectacular array of yachts and boats floating below.

Sustainably caught fish is delivered to the Portishead fish restaurant daily. You might find mussels, octopus or bouillabaisse on the Searock menu, along with regular fish and chips and a specials board.

Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. On Wednesdays Searock caters for coeliacs, cooking in uncontaminated sunflower oil in a separate fryer.

Watch out for Searock’s weekday lunch and early evening special offer!

CURRY / INDIAN RESTAURANTS PORTISHEAD

Ask the locals, “which is the best Indian restaurant Portishead has to offer?” and you’re likely to hear some strong opinions. To be honest, I think we’re lucky because all three Portishead Indian restaurants are pretty darn good!

VILASA INDIAN RESTAURANT PORTISHEAD

Vilasa is the newest Portishead Indian restaurant which opened in the Precinct in 2020.

The family business offers unique signature dishes and contemporary Mogul-themed cuisine.

“Vilasa comes from the ancient Sanskrit text meaning Charming and our aim is to provide an unrivalled dining experience with the charm of Mogul India’s golden era of culinary excellence.”

Vilasa’s Chef Khan

Front of House Manager, Rihad Hussain says:

“As a local family we’re genuinely passionate about service excellence combined with mouth-watering cuisine.”

Practically Perfect Mums can confirm that the couple of meals we’ve eaten in the Vilasa restaurant have been excellent!

SPICY AROMA PORTISHEAD

Spicy Aroma is an independent, family-run Indian Portishead restaurant. They’re based by Clarence House in the business park at the Gordano School end of the High Street.

Open seven days a week, including lunchtime, their menu includes Indian specialities, curries, Balti dishes, vegetable dishes and tandoori breads.

In the past, we’ve enjoyed their Sunday lunchtime buffet which makes for an interesting alternative to a Sunday roast!

We love a curry AND a bargain, so have taken advantage of their brilliant value Wednesday and Thursday night gourmet-special on a number of occasions. In fact, we took advantage of the offer just this week for one of our teenage sons’ birthdays.

We were very impressed with the quality and quantity of food. Service was friendly, efficient and calm, even though the venue was packed-out! We hadn’t visited since they refurbished Spicy Aroma Portishead, so this was the first time I’d seen the restaurant’s attractive new decor.

THE GHANDI PORTISHEAD

The husband and I do enjoy the occasional visit to Portishead’s Ghandi Tandoori Restaurant which prides itself on “authentic Indian cuisine”.

We’ve become creatures of habit, usually opting for the rather hot king prawn or chicken tikka pathia. We’d highly recommend the pathia, although I should warn you that it has quite a kick and is NOT for the faint-hearted!

We’re rather partial to their Indian beers too. It’s handy then, that The Ghandi is in a convenient position in the middle of Portishead High Street, which makes it a relatively easy stagger walk home for us!

PIZZA / ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN PORTISHEAD

ANTONIO’S PORTISHEAD

Practically Perfect Dad has a bit of a soft spot for pizzas. His vote was for Antonio’s on the High Street.

A small, cosy, Italian restaurant run by actual Italian people, their pizzas are good and their portions are generous.

After a glass or two of vino rosso, I’ve even been persuaded to try out my rusty Italiano by the friendly staff.

In true Italian style, the restaurant is very child friendly and offers an authentic retro dining experience. If you like good Italian food lit by a candle in a Chianti bottle, you’ll love Antonio’s!

Also see Aqua, Bottelino’s and La Marina Italian restaurants in the Portishead Marina Restaurants section above.

PORTISHEAD BARS AND PUBS WITH FOOD

THE WINDMILL INN

With a fabulous location and a glass wall overlooking the Bristol Channel, the Windmill is the pub to visit if you’d like to enjoy panoramic views over the estuary as you dine.

They serve pub food, which seems good quality, but definitely isn’t the cheapest around. The last time we visited, I noticed that the huge specials board was bare. They are, however, currently offering regular fish & chips and steak night deals, in addition to the printed menu.

A terraced area at the rear of the Windmill pub allows little ones to burn off some steam between courses.

Dogs are welcome everywhere at The Windmill, apart from the restaurant upstairs. Pampered pooches are regaled with their own refreshment station, stocked with water dispensers, bowls and a selection of treats. 

I sometimes have little choice but to spend time at The Windmill. The husband appreciates the quality of their ales. The dog finds herself in pup bliss, trying to decide whether the canine company or the treats are more enticing. How could I deprive them of these pleasures?

We generally walk there AND often exercise the dog in the adjacent field, so I’m counting our trips to the Windmill as an exercise win!

THE PORT BAR – PORTISHEAD PRECINCT

Portishead’s micro-brewery, bar and restaurant has introduced a continental vibe to the precinct. The Port offers pizzas, coffee and a constantly changing range of craft beers.

Choose to dine indoors or embrace the pavement-dining experience.

GORDANO GATE PUB / BREWERS FAYRE / BREWSTERS

Gordano Gate offers classic, good-value pub food in a child-friendly setting. As you approach Portishead from the motorway you pass this pub, which we still refer to as ‘Brewsters’. It shares a car park and is right next door to Premier Inn Portishead.

Offering generous, inexpensive meals, a large indoor soft play area and a decent-sized garden with a climbing frame, Gordano Gate really is a family-friendly pub.

The pub restaurant now also does refillable soft drinks – as well as the bottomless coffee, which used to be essential fuel for this former sleep-deprived Mummy of three little boys!

SOFT PLAY AT BREWSTERS PORTISHEAD

When our children were small, we used to come here for family celebrations and make the most of the “kids eat free” breakfast buffet. When the boys had had their fill of bacon/yoghurt/croissant/juice, they’d head off to the play area to burn off energy. It was ideal for them and also gave us a few minutes of peace.

I recently visited with a friend who was taking her daughter there for the first time. The five-year-old bounced excitedly into the soft-play area as soon as we arrived.

Apart from popping back to our table to regale us with her exciting adventures or to show us a new trick she could do on the tube-slide, she spent the entire time having fun playing and making a new friend. She was so excited and had the biggest beaming smile on her face each time we saw her.

We were very impressed with the lunch we ordered on the bargain daytime deal. My friend’s gammon was tender and a generous portion and my lasagne was delicious.

It seems that the Gordano Gate pub is still a great place to go with younger children. We’ve already made plans to go back soon.

If you’re after Portishead pubs with soft play, Brewsters is the place!

PREMIER INN PORTISHEAD HOTEL

The Gordano Gate restaurant is ideally situated to serve guests of the Premier Inn Portishead Hotel, which is located right next door to the pub. The two venues share the same car park.

POSSET CUP WETHERSPOONS

Situated near Home Bargains and just across the road from Portishead Marina, The Posset Cup offers inexpensive and hearty meals. The pub’s open ALL day (until 1 a.m. some days).

There’s plenty to choose from on the menu and food is served most of the day.

You can order breakfast until noon or choose one of the day’s specials like the “Tuesday Steak Club”. These come with a drink and are served until 11 pm!

Staff are very good at swapping things if there’s something in your meal that you’d rather not have or if you’d prefer it cooked a different way.

The Posset offers a self-service bottomless hot drink and extended free parking – as long as you remember to enter your car registration on the machine at the bar. ANd the Wetherspoon’s app means you don’t even have to leave your table to buy your meal!

If you like this, you’ll love the Ultimate Guide to Portishead Takeaways!

VENGA TAPAS BAR AND RESTAURANT

Venga Portishead is a bar/restaurant at the top of the High Street offering Mediterranean dining, including tapas and Spanish Sunday lunch.

Eat in the cosy bar or, if the weather’s fine, head out to the atmospheric fairy-lit garden. If it’s chilly, head outdoors anyway where you can relax on a comfy sofa, snuggle up under a blanket and enjoy the warmth of an outdoor heater.

IMPERO LOUNGE

Impero Lounge is a large bar at the heart of Portishead High Street with charming (and perhaps slightly bonkers) interior decor. Floor-to-ceiling windows open up onto an outdoor seating area at the front.

The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. Chill on a comfy sofa next to a tasselled lamp and gaze up at the unusual combination of vintage photos adorning the walls.

Or take a closer look at the mural of Portishead’s old power station, painted by a local artist.

Impero serves food all day, delivering a range of tasty dishes from English breakfasts with a twist to panini and salads. You’ll find regular offers like “Cheeky Mondays”, “Tapas Tuesdays”, and the “Lunchtime Deal” on Imprero’s menu.

And they have dedicated vegan and gluten-free menus.

When I’m trying to be grown up and business-like, I’m not alone in using the Impero as an impromptu ‘office’. According to my friends, I can be a teeny bit fussy about coffee (Who me? Really?) and I haven’t had anything less than a perfect cup there so far – no pressure guys!

They have a lot of things right at Impero. They’re also very family-friendly and have a great little section of children’s games suitable for a variety of ages.

Impero Portishead is a dog-friendly pub.

THE POACHER

This historic pub stands in the middle of Portishead High Street.

There’s outdoor seating at the front, a covered beer garden at the back, a restaurant and plenty of parking.

The Poacher is another of the Portishead pubs with food on the menu at an affordable price. On the main menu, you’ll find typical pub grub, like all-day breakfast, pie and chips, curry or veggie lasagne. Lighter bites include jacket potatoes and sandwiches.

THE ALBION

The Albion is a family-friendly pub at the far end of Portishead, near St Joseph’s Primary School. There’s a large beer garden with plenty of seating at the front and ample parking to the side.

They serve classic pub grub as well as a selection of Sunday roasts.

The Albion runs lots of special offers on food and drinks.

THE OLD MILL

The Old Mill is the large pub on the left-hand side as you drive into Portishead.

At the time of writing, they anticipate their kitchen being closed for about a month for a refurb. The pub is still open but there’s no food available for now.

FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS IN PORTISHEAD

SUBWAY PORTISHEAD

Portishead’s Subway restaurant is based in Harbour Road, next to The Posset Cup.

The independently owned fast food restaurant serves subs, salads and wraps which are assembled while you wait. Choose from the array of fillings and sauces on display at the counter.

MCDONALD’S PORTISHEAD

The Portishead branch of McDonald’s is located on Wyndham Way, in the same retail park as Pure Gym and Homebase.

I’m pretty sure you already know that the international giant offers a menu based on burgers and fries. Wraps, coffee and breakfast options are also available.

I suspect Portishead McDonald’s would manage to survive just fine, even without an entry in my Portishead Restaurant Guide! But hey, I’ve included them for the sake of making the guide as comprehensive as possible.

And let’s face it, McDonald’s is one of the most popular places to eat in Portishead. The fast food chain is especially dear to the heart of many of our teens, who make a beeline here to enjoy the taste of parent-free dining, after escaping Gordano School for the day!

There’s only a small car park for this popular Portishead food outlet. Queues for the drive-through can be seen snaking all around the Homebase car park at busy times.

I regularly receive special offers and discounts since downloading the McDonald’s app. (I have three teens, please don’t judge!). Ordering on the app seems to be a faster option too, particularly when buying food to take away.

CHINESE RESTAURANT NEAR PORTISHEAD

Despite what seems to be a huge demand for one, we still have no Chinese restaurants in Portishead. So for now, I’m sneaking the closest match I can think of into the guide!

JUNIOR POON’S CHINESE RESTAURANT IN CLEVEDON

Junior Poon has been established in Clevedon’s Hill Road since the nineties. The restaurant specialises in Peking and Szechuan cuisine.

Chinese food has been a favourite with our children since they were little – especially crispy duck pancakes! As we only have takeaways in Portishead, we’ve sampled a couple of Chinese restaurants near Portishead over the years.

Eating out at Junior Poon in Clevedon made for a special birthday treat. It’s quick to get here from Portishead and there’s free parking nearby.

The latest visit was a weekend lunch for twenty to celebrate a family birthday. We had a long table taking up one whole side of the restaurant. The food quality and service were just as good despite the large party.

Look out for Junior Poon’s lunch deal if you’d like a special offer to go with your tasty Chinese food!

PUBS NEAR PORTISHEAD WITH FOOD

Check out the pubs below if you fancy venturing just outside of Portishead but don’t want to go too far. All of these can be reached by car in around 5 – 10 minutes in good traffic conditions.

BLACK HORSE, CLAPTON-IN-GORDANO

Dating back to the 14th century, The Black Horse Inn is a traditional country pub, known locally as “The Kicker”.

Inside, there’s a snug with a proper log fire and a separate family room.

There’s a large outdoor space with lots of seating, an al fresco bar and a decent-sized car park.

Food is served at lunchtime from Monday to Saturday with filled rolls and ploughman’s on the menu. They also offer homemade hot daily specials such as shepherd’s pie, corned beef hash and hearty soups.

Check out the Black Horse Clapton in Gordano if you’re looki lunch at a traditional Somerset inn!

THE PRIORY PUB AND RESTAURANT PORTBURY

The Priory is a charming traditional establishment in Portbury village near Portishead.

They serve hearty pub food including traditional English dishes, pies, steaks and burgers. Fixed-price lunch and dinner menus are available during the week as well as a variety of Sunday roast options.

There’s outdoor seating at the front as well as a large enclosed beer garden to the rear.

LIKE TO HEAR MORE PORTISHEAD NEWS?

So there we have it – the big round-up of Portishead restaurants, bars and pubs which serve food.

I hope my guide helps you to discover (or rediscover) some great places to eat out in Portishead and nearby.

Which do you think is the best restaurant in Portishead and why do you like it? Let us know in the comments below!

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Enjoyed my Portishead Restaurants post? Then make sure you check out the Portishead Takeaway Ultimate Guide and my Portishead Pub and Bar Guide.

Fancy dining a little farther afield? Then check out these reviews of restaurants in Weston-super-Mare, Bristol and North Somerset next:-
Ace Places to Eat Around Bristol: BEETS N ROOTS
5 Top Places to Eat and Drink at Bristol’s Wapping Wharf
What’s inside a Beefeater? The Pavillion Weston-Super-Mare Review

For a selection of places to eat out in Nailsea, head to the Nailsea People food and drink page.

Or read about 3 Fabulous Family Friendly Restaurants in Dartmoor.

PIN OUR PORTISHEAD RESTAURANTS 2023 GUIDE FOR LATER!

CURRENTLY CLOSED

Unfortunately, a couple of our local pubs and restaurants are closed at the moment. I look forward to updating this section when I hear more news.

THE ROYAL INN – CLOSED DUE TO NEW OWNERSHIP & REFURBISHMENT

We’ve had some great evening meals at The Royal. It’s a fascinating spot for watching shipping activity as it overlooks Portbury Docks and the Severn Bridge.

It has the added attraction that the pub grounds also lead straight down to a little beach and our children don’t waste any time climbing up the rocks. Have they no fear?!

WHITE HART, WESTON-IN-GORDANO – CLOSED DOWN

The White Hart in Weston-in-Gordano is a short drive from Portishead and belongs to the same couple who own Venga. They serve a dinner menu, Sunday lunch, burgers and pizzas cooked in their outdoor pizza oven. While you’re there make sure you check out the garden, the large tepee they use for events, the fire pit and of course the fairylights!

SALSA PORTISHEAD – CLOSED DOWN

Salsa Portishead, the Mexican restaurant on the High Street, is now unfortunately closed for good.