Bristol Oyster Bar

Such a fun birthday dinner! They didn’t have a clue and I had the best service ever, can’t eat to come back! Cucumber martini is a must

The Bristol Oyster Bar opened its outdoor patio for summer 2016 tonight and it was stellar! The BOB has had some staff and menu changes since my last review but the caliber in which they operate is still superior and the food, drinks, and freshness of the seafood are all as good as ever. I continually love how attentive the staff and owners are, and how everything is monitored to ensure all customers are happy.
The first night of patio dining seemed to go extremely smoothly. The only thing I hope to see next time is some cloth napkins because «oystahs and lobstah» can definitely get messy. Let’s face it; the oyster bar is a classy place and it’s not a stretch to hope for a classy napkin. Regardless– it was so nice dining with a breeze and being able to people watch!
The oyster bar’s new summer drink menu and the patio dining menu (the inside and outside menus are different, with the outside one having more lighter options and the inside with fuller entrees) is summery and rich. The revised seasonal drink menu offers summery options with fruit juices («Cool Off Cosmo» or «Blood Orange Sazerac») and twists on popular classics («The Kicking Mule»).
How can you beat oysters, a lobster roll, house made hummus and a cold drink outside on a summer night? I am so happy that the Bristol Oyster Bar, a not-​so-​hidden pearl amongst a sea of mediocre and decent restaurants in close proximity, finally offers outdoor dining!

A wonderful and welcome addition to Bristol. Fast, friendly service.

this place is a wonder… line out the door non-​stop especially on Sunday’s. the food and atmosphere are really great !! Love Dany the bartender and all of the staff are super friendly. Its a wonderful spot to stop and re-​fuel — highly recommend!

Best Chefs in town, the Bristol Oyster Bar is worth the trip! Whether traveling from Providence or elsewhere, this is a must stop for anyone (maybe not if you have shellfish allergies though).

It was our first time here and we absolutely loved it! We were seated immediately (we beat the rush apparently). Our waitress was super attentive and very personable. The atmosphere could be a bit noisy but I didn’t think it was anything crazy. Overall, great experience and I can’t wait to go back! Also, every Sunday is $ 1 oysters all day, so seriously, take ADVANTAGE! :)

We have been there 3 plus times (tried to get in there several other times but could not) and every time have had great oysters and dinners. There appears to be a great local following and folks like us who are traveling to an event in the Bristol Warren area. Wish they had more seating! Recommend their oyster specials as a starter and their nightly dinner specials.

Had a truly lovely time at the Bristol Oyster Bar.
I wouldn’t recommend it for a main meal. I would absolutely recommend it for a date or group outing centered on oysters, beer, wine, and some shared apps. Next time, I’m sitting at the bar — the regular seating was not only cold, but a missed opportunity to watch all the oyster shucking.
Likes: Oysters… obviously. Solid beer list. Delightful renovation of a historic building. Fab location in downtown Bristol. Knowledgeable servers. Super friendly bar staff. Creative specials list.
Gripes: Dinner wasn’t spectacular. It was good, but the main event here is the drink menu and oysters.

My wife and I were looking for a restaurant serving dollar oyster
and happened upon the Bristol Oyster Bar. What a find! The oysters are HUGE! And they are delicious! The restaurant is quaint, comfortable and friendly. There are six different types of oysters to choose from varying in sizes. The dollar oysters are served at the bar and at the tables unlike some restaurants in Providence.
We also had the Lobster Bisque and arugula salad, both very delicious.
Our server Dawn was extra attentive. We really enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back!

Consistency is key… and the Bristol Oyster Bar NEVER disappoints.
Each time I dine at this charming restaurant, I learn about new and wonderful food combinations and I am reminded about the true beauty of a well made meal.
Chef Adi is a master at combining fresh ingredients with unique flavors that always satisfies my senses. The dinner specials are written on the board on the wall, and no matter which items you choose, you will end your dining experience feeling more than satisfied. For a traditional menu item, they offer the BEST lobster rolls with homemade potatoe chips and house specially brined pickles. The garlic butter roll it is served in, will send you over the moon. Hands down, the best in the area.
The desserts are made by one of their own employees, and they are a delightful compliment to a perfectly portioned meal. Absolutely delicious!
Don’t let the name fool you… it’s not just about the oysters (although the assortment they offer you is second to none) it is the entire experience that make this restaurant the best choice for me in beautiful Bristol, RI. Well done Bristol Oyster Bar. Well done Chef Adi. I can’t wait for dine with you again.

we went for dinner for my dad’s 60^th birthday. The atmosphere was wonderful, the service was great and the food even better. On the special board was a chicken dish that was unreal. I don’t even like chicken. and thats why i ordered the soul… but my mom got the chicken and when it arrived my eyes opened and my mouth began to water. before I even had a bite of my dish which was also very delicious I told my mom I needed to try her dish! after my first bite, the flavor actually exceeded my expectation. it was cooked perfectly and like i said «unreal» needless to say, the best damn chicken dish ive ever had.

Went once. Food was good. The acoustics are awful.
Not a place to have nice, quiet conversation. Great place if you want to hear every conversation taking place.
I live for seafood and oyster bars are among my favorite places.
This place just isn’t for me.
Edit: NO! I’m not going to disregard being threatened by a business owner over my opinion!
Peter S:
Business Owner
If you wish to discuss your false accusations or your «recent» visit, my contact information:
I suggest taking down your review as you are well aware it contains false accusations and violates Unilocal guidelines.

I was a part of a party of 4 on a Saturday night. We went relatively early, around 5pm. Saturday nights are «buck a shuck» which means oysters are $ 1 each from 4pm-​6pm (usually they are around $ 2.50ea). The place went from dead to full in about 10 minutes.
This place is new, trendy and upscale yet relaxed. So it’s «nice casual.» This was the 4^th time I went so I thought it was time to Unilocal.My favorite thing about this place is how awesome they are to the customer. You would think this is a very simple standard — but so many places fall short. Last time I went we were promised a table at a specific time. When we went to the host stand our table wasn’t ready and wasn’t going to be ready for 30 mins. We were fine as we didn’t have a time constraint. What happened? We were given a round of drinks because we had to wait. THAT IS THINKING ABOUT THE GUEST! I was incredibly impressed. Last night a person in my party ordered a steak that came to the table a bit underdone. He wanted medium rare and some of the pieces were rare. Personally, I would have been more than fine but he wanted it to be taken back. They took it back and offered him a salad of his choosing while he waited as the rest of our party had food. AMAZING! These small things, that cost the restaurant nearly nothing — go SO FAR!!!
Now on to the food. The oysters are wonderful, local, shucked perfectly and served with the most delish mignonette. It is a flavor explosion! I can’t get enough. They have a very limited menu and everything is delightful! The tuna tartare is spectacular and so was the seared ahi tuna I ordered (it was a special). The lobster roll is perfect and loaded and it comes with house made chips. The chips are spicy, salty and addicting. Tread lightly. The bar is a little limited and I am guessing because of the size of the venue — kind of small. They didn’t have a few things that I asked for but then settled on a Manhattan and it was so good — I had a second.
Everyone is kind, genuine and happy to be there. If you go, you will feel VERY happy to be there. It’s a great place — they know what they are doing! Let them take care of you and they absolutely will.

Excellent deal ($ 1 oysters 4 – 6 every day)
Interesting array of offerings
Good beer list too
Service a little slow, but they were very busy (full of oyster bargain hunters)
Didn’t try anything from the regular menu, though…

Love this place!!! Service was fantastic and meal was to die for!!!
Unbelieve experience and cannot wait to go back!

I was super excited to try this place — oyster bar? Long wine list? Sign me up. We made the 30-​minute drive from Providence mid-​week to avoid crowds and sat down right away with no wait. Unfortunately, the waiting came once we were seated, but I’ll chalk that up to understaffing and unpreparedness for a busy night in the middle of the week.
We decided to order a bunch of apps and share ‘em — the best way to get a feel for a place, I think. Of course we began with a dozen oysters, which were all perfectly shucked and beautifully briny. What’s interesting is that the oyster order came out much quicker than our drinks (wine and beer), which I found confusing.
We dove into the creamy, flavorful scallop bisque (featuring loads of fresh corn and an entire seared sea scallop), plowed through the elegant tuna tartare and celery root chips (tasty but flimsy), and scarfed down the clams casino (definitely on the smaller side and definitely loaded with butter). The arugula salad was really disappointing, as it was missing the ingredient that really drew me in: peppered salmon bacon. Amazing, right? And the deep-​fried egg lacked any seasoning and just made things greasy. Lastly, the lobster roll: what a disappointment. This came out at the very end because I think, perhaps, they were waiting for the lobster to thaw. It was water-​logged and a tad too cold, and as a native Cape Codder, I know my fresh lobster and I know my lobster rolls.
I’ll be back for the oysters and some more wine, but the trip is a long one so I won’t go out of my way. Service was friendly, if a bit slow, and the space is very cool (a converted state building with loads of charm).

Great service. Great Oysters with some Alborino. Great Clams Casio with some smoky chardonnay. Topped it off with a lobster claw. After THIS lunch I needed a nap. It was KILLER!

Unilocal does it again. My BFF & I were in the East Bay deciding on dinner and Unilocal helped us learn of a new spot on Hope St. So glad we decided to stop in.
While chatting with the hostess (as we waited for a table in a packed house on a random Tuesday night, which alone tells you something), we found out they are two months into business. They have had the «soft opening», so as to work out any kinks.
We sat at the bar & talked to the man behind the raw bar. He’d shucked 1400 oysters that night alone. (No, I did not mistype). Oysters are local & fresh with the available selections on a chalkboard on the wall.
Dinner was the scallop chowder & lobster roll for me & the smoked fish plate and Fisherman’s stew for my friend. Every bite was delicious & well executed. Note: scallop chowder is cream based, even though it says scallop broth on the menu. I don’t normally eat rich soups, and this was a treat for sure! The lobster roll was generous with the chunks, lightly dressed & served on a perfectly grilled roll. So happy.
The space is on the bottom floor of the old Custom House & is charming. We wouldn’t have known it was the place without the address. Décor inside is simple & clean. Attention is on the food.

Expect fresh assortment of locally harvested oysters. Plus fresh choice seafood on the menu. The daily special on oysters are on the giant chalkboard on the wall.
Small space but very cozy. Can get crowded around the raw bar. The center of attention obviously is the raw bar that is smack in the middle of the floor. Raised so that there is commanding presence of the staff shucking the oysters from all angles.
Good selection of regional and local craft beers and wine to compliment the food. Should check out the desert menu also while there.
It is a sure bet for seafood lovers.

What a great addition to Bristol. So, we went the second night they were open. The owner Pete was there telling us all about the oysters listed on the chalk board, and he is a local oyster farmer! House oysters are raised in his Bristol based farm.
$ 1 OYSTERS FROM 4−6pm EVERYDAY??? #winning
Beer selection is great, lots of craft stuff, but after seeing the copper mug… had to go moscow mule.
Started with clam casino and oyster Rockefeller, both great. Sent out some complimentary Oyster shooters, they loved them.
Tried the scallop chowder, awesome! Whole scallops, not nearly invisible «I think it’s scallop» pieces.
Finished off with a patty melt (yes, at an oyster bar) which was cooked perfectly sandwiched between good thick, farmhouse style bread.
BOTTOM LINE: Cozy place with an excellent Raw Bar!