The Cowshed

A bit pricey but it is a perfect place for a romantic dinner. The food is really nice and the meat is cooked as you like (rare for instance).

I’ve been admiring The Cowshed from afar for years, but since their recent expansion there was no excuse not to go. My fellow diner and I went all out and ordered a delicious pork belly starter and a fantastic terrine — they really whetted our appetites. To follow we both snapped up the same dish: the venison, which was juicy and cooked to perfection and the cabbage side was divine. We couldn’t squeeze in a pudding, but as it was my birthday our very friendly waiter brought me a scoop of ice cream, complete with candle, to round off a fantastic evening. We will be back soon to try out a signature steak!

Without a doubt the best steak ive ever eaten cooked to utter perfection bit pricey but for how good it was without a doubt worth every penny lovely service and great table (window seat) really was the most perfect restaurant no rush to eat and generally was a amazing meal mrs was greatly impressed well worth the pennys

My fave steak house in Bristol by a country mile. It’s pricey but top quality so you get what you pay for!
Cowshed is the perfect environment for a foody that actually likes food on your plate.
The décor is classy yet homely so you can go out for posh nosh without feeling like you can’t talk to your friends! It’s so good that you used to have to book weeks in advance but they’ve recently expanded because of its popularity.
The meat is locally sourced, so local that it comes from a posh butchers and deli next door.
They’ve hit the nail of the head for me; I don’t like the stuffy vibe you can sometimes get from an expensive restaurant but this is relaxed and radiant!!!

REALLY GOOD. The steak was perfect and so many sides to choose from.
Probably won’t be going again in a long time. Went there in October and spent too much for one meal. After that, I guess I just cooked myself some food for two weeks. But it was really good. Highly recommended! I had the rib eye steak and then cauliflower cheese. Awesome!

Very good restaurant to eat a nice steak with friends or even for business lunch.
Steak is cooked on order, even rare.
Nice boards to share for starters.
Menu is vegetarian friendly.

Outstanding food and great service. Definitely coming back next time we’re in Bristol.

Simply the best restaurant in Bristol

Really loved this place. Giving it 5 stars just based on lunch is pretty heavy for me but I really enjoyed it that much that I think it deserves it.
I love the fact that his place is locally sourced from the butchers next door (unsure if they are the same owners or not) however, we ALMOST didn’t make it into the restaurant because of said butcher. Walking up the street this AMAZING aroma of meat was in the air, and then you could hear the sizzling sounds of deliciousness… and then, there it was, steaks and burgers being grilled outside on the street for quick eats on the go. OMG we were salivating and definitely contemplated nixing the lunch and grabbing a burger. Gladly we didn’t and good to know this exists for future reference. And by future reference, I mean tomorrow.
I have heard really good things about Cowshed and really glad my sis-​in-​law and I tried it out for lunch first. SUPER good lunch deal of three courses for £10 and these are high quality, very well done, three courses I might add. No, the portions aren’t huge, but I like that. I want to feel sated but not gross and overly full at lunch time, especially on great food. We were boring and got exactly the same dishes for our course. We started with a tomato and basil bruschetta, which normally I think sounds a bit boring and overplayed, but, I saw one go out and quickly decided I needed to have it. Simply, a perfect crostini with a tomato and basil topping and a delicious chunk of mozz on top, finished with a balsamic glaze. I could have easily had three more if given the chance, they were that tasty. For our second course, we had the twice baked blue cheese soufflé with a walnut salad and it was DELISH. I’m craving it again now just typing about it… very yum. To finish we had the vanilla crème brûlée. I love a crème brûlée and do find it hard to get an amazing one. This one was very tasty but a run of the mill brulee for me, the best part about it is the size, it is small enough not to feel piggish but enough to really satisfy you.
Service was spot on and the place has a really warm vibe inside to it. The rest of the menu looks amazing and we have already made plans to come back for dinner with the men for some steaks.
We stopped into the butchers on the way out and again, great service there and a great shop. The butcher has everything you could want at decent prices, a great little cheese shop upstairs, and some wine and other accompaniments you may need. I can just imagine the steaks served at Cowshed from here will be amazing. Can’t wait to find out!

I was really saddened by my experience here after hearing such good reviews.
I was actually sent by my day time job to find the best places to eat in Bristol as all we seem to write about is London.
We arrived for our table at 8pm and was made to wait before anyone even noticed we had walked in, then made to wait again for our table.
It was over a 10mins wait before we were asked if we wanted drinks. By this time the table next to us had been seated and been served drinks, with bread and olives.
After ordering our food, it was a bout a half hour wait before I was told that my steak had fallen on the floor and they were cooking me another, we were then offered olives and bread. Bit too late for my liking.
Once out steaks arrived we had been in the restaurant for an hour. We were starving, and my steak wasn’t cooked to how I requested, but I ate it anyway as I couldn’t deal with any more waiting.
Would not go back.

Great atmosphere, awesome steak, good location, pretty good service.

We ate here on a Sunday afternoon, having booked in advance, and were very impressed. Good solid British fare, much locally sourced and of very high quality.
The menu is a a reassuring one-​pager. Meat features large on the menu, though liberal vegetarians won’t starve. As it was a Sunday we opted for the roast option — two of us chose Beef and the other two Lamb. Drinks were duly ordered and provided, all very pleasant and welcoming.
The food arrived within 10 minutes, which given how busy it was demonstrates solid kitchen management skills. Plates arrived first followed by a large wooden platter containing Lamb and Beef in addition to a selection of vegetables (shredded and al-​dente cabbage, roast potatoes, carrot and sweet potato mash, cauliflower cheese, condiments and appropriate sauces). We feel upon the platter with great joy. On seeing that the roast potatoes were disappearing fast we were immediately offered more — gratis. This is a place that enjoys you enjoying the food — how refreshing! The meat, the centrepiece of a high standard meal exceeded expectations of quality. .. . melt in the mouth and flavoursome.
We supped of our fill and enjoyed a further half hour of hospitality with more drinks. Service at each turn was smart and to the point but also approachable and relaxed, in the best way. The bill came to a around £22 each (with drinks) and was worth every penny.
The loos were impeccable, though as these are positioned down some stairs may be problematic for disabled visitors — though generous seating is available on the ground floor level with the pavement and entrance. I gather there is also a weekday lunch menu for around £10 which also majors on quality and features similarly good-​natured, welcoming service. The Cowshed was packed when we ate at around 2.30pm. That said, it didn’t feel ‘busy’ or ‘crowded’ — seating is ample and generous and there is no sense of being part of a herd.
We all loved The Cowshed and will return.
Booking is recommended from Thursday onwards as The Cowshed does get v.busy.

We’ve been there three times now. Very impressed. Consistent quality and service. Very good wine list. Perhaps not the cheapest dinner out, but worth it for that special occasion, for instance the end of the week! As you would expect, they know their meat and how to prepare and serve it. Staff knowledgeable and attentive. Able to deal with intimate dinner for two as well as larger, and noisier, groups due to the three levels of dining. Highly recommended.

Absolutely superb. I simply cannot praise the Cowshed enough. The three courses for £10 during the day offer is more than good value for money considering the standard of the food and impeccable service.
Even on occasions when it’s been busy (always pays to reserve a table) we’ve not felt neglected.
Hats off to the proprietor, simply fantastic place.

Meatalicious
Fantastic steak, great ambiance, wonderful restaurant

I don’t know about you but I’m always a little amused when a carnivorous restaurant advertises using a smiling pig or cow. While The Cowshed’s poster mammal isn’t smiling it still tickles me so I agreed to dinner here with my steak loving other half.
The focus here is all about good old-​fashioned British dishes, particularly steak and it’s many guises. My partner ordered a steak cooked on a hot stone tablet right in front of him — similar to the way you can get hot plates in Indian restaurants, except this actually allowed him to partially cook the steak himself.
As an occasional vegetarian there wasn’t a great amount of choice for me to pick a main course but the starters and desserts were divine! It is quite pricey but I would come back for the chocolate mouse alone and my partner can whole-​heartedly vote for the sirloin steak!

As soon as this place opened i was desperate to get in. It appealed not only because of the steak, but because the décor is not quite like anything i have seen in Clifton. It takes the simple air of bare stone walls and wooden floors and adds sophistication to it. this is recreated with their food too, they serve all their dishes on wooden boards. I am converted to their style of eating, there is something incredibly fitting about serving a steak on a chopping board, it appeals to all of my primeval instincts.
If you are put off by the price get their early bird menu which runs between 6 and 7, which offers a steak or burger and a pint or wine for a tenner.

As a vegetarian, whenever anybody suggests a meal in a steak joint a rush of panic floods over me. What will I eat? What if I’m left with a salad?! (I may be a veggie but it doesn’t mean I love lettuce leaves!) So when my friends planned Sunday lunch in The Cowshed I sighed a heavy sigh.
But I had nothing to fear — with two vegetarian options on the lunch time menu, at least I had something to choose from (Albeit a standard veggie burger or a goats cheese tart — two ‘classics’) and since this was a restaurant for meat eaters I could hardly complain! My burger was delicious, served with tasty chunky chips and washed down with hearty cider. My friend’s roast dinners looked fabulous too.
The service was very welcoming and the atmosphere was just what you want on a Sunday — full of fun and laughter.

Yes! This place reminds me of my Devon days. Specialising in excellent quality, locally sourced meat from the South West, The Cowshed will certainly fill you up.
There’s a lovely atmosphere inside the restaurant, like a country kitchen, and it does well not too look too much like a gastro pub. The restaurant is always full of happy eaters.
Currently, they are running and very reasonably priced Christmas Menu, where could be a better place to go for that succulent roast dinner?

This place specialises in comfort food done to high standards. This means food to warm your cockles and fill you up that also happens to be well presented and delectable. The restaurants got a rustic, almost pubish feel to it, with stone floors and sturdy wood tables. The thought that you might be in a pub is banished by the attentive service who are all smiles and can give you a small essay on each item on the menu.
When you come here make sure you get something filling — sausages, steak, something like that. This is what the Cowshed does well. It’s not that cheap but you do feel like you’re getting value for money — the spiel from the waiter and the juiciness of the steak convincing me. This is high end dining meeting food to warm you up and the match works well.