Bristol's best Christmas set menus: 12 restaurants serving up festive cheer

If you’ve landed here, chances are Bristol is already starting to sparkle with festive spirit. And if you’re looking for the perfect spot to enjoy a Christmas meal with friends or family, you’re in the right place - we’re rounding up the best Christmas set menus in Bristol.

It’s worth getting a head start on your search for a great Christmas party venue or festive dinner location. Anyone who’s tried to book in November knows the struggle of being late to the party, quite literally. 

In recent years, Bristol’s restaurants have started to embrace a trend that we love: set menus. We all love a bargain, and for those of us willing to trade autonomy and choice for quality, set menus are brilliant - you can rock up, enjoy the occasion and wait for food to arrive, without faffing about with a menu or worrying about going over a budget.

Most of these festive set menus offer two or three courses at very friendly prices, which makes it much easier to plan group festivities without compromising. Bristol is an exciting, diverse city for food, and this list reflects that. You’ll find restaurants that stick to classics like roast turkey with all the trimmings, and Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, but equally, Bristol has great celebratory options ranging from Spanish tapas bars to indulgent Italian spreads and cosy steakhouses.

Set menus also make group dining simpler: pre-ordering means less hassle on the day, and fixed pricing helps with budgeting - especially when you're planning for a crowd.

So, if you're planning a Christmas party in Bristol this year, don’t wait too long. The city’s festive menus are filling up fast, and with options starting from £32 per person, there’s never been a better time to book.

Mowgli Bristol

What: Frankly, £40 is an absolute steal for the cooking at Mowgli - not only do you get a glass of fizz as a welcome, you also get to load up on signature yoghurt chat bombs, zingy gunpowder chicken bites, and two-tier tiffin boxes loaded with curries. Mowgli caters for all sorts of dietaries too, and the interiors have a lovely mystical quality, with fairy lights draped across birdcage lamps and twisting trees. When it comes to Christmas celebrations, you really can’t go wrong with Mowgli.
How much: £40
Where: 35 Corn Street, BS1 1HT
Book now: Mowgli Bristol

Watershed

What: Christmas at Watershed mixes harbourside views, private film screenings and festive buffet food, all customisable within a variety of packages. If you’re pulling together a group of pals who love a festive film, Watershed lets you watch your favourite movie in a private space, alongside access to the Watershed Bar and Christmas-themed film nibbles. Or for something more classic, you can book a festive buffet to enjoy whilst looking out over Bristol Harbourside.
How much: From £45 per person
Where: 1 Canons Road, Harbourside, BS1 5TX
Book now: Watershed

Bistro du Vin

What: Located in the heart of Bristol, Bistro du Vin delivers classic, French-inspired set menus this Christmas, which can all be enjoyed within its rather luxurious surroundings. The Celebrations Menu is a three-course feast, packed full of hearty plates. Start with the likes of chicken live parfait with plum and figgy chutney, or curried parsnip soup with coriander, before moving onto turkey ballotine with all the trimmings or pave of cod with curried cauliflower puree. Desserts continue the festivities, think pear and gingerbread trifle or sticky figgy pudding with red wine and toffee sauce.
How much: From £42.50 per person
Where: Lewin's Mead, BS1 2NU
Book now: Bistro du Vin

Aqua

What: Aqua’s chic brasseries have proven to be a huge hit in Bristol and beyond. This is a group that understands how to craft delicious, appealing menus that elevate classic flavours. This year the festive menu clocks in under £40 a head, and includes some quality cooking, like smoked beef burnt ends with tahini yoghurt, a butter roast turkey with all the trimmings, and an incredible white chocolate cheesecake with burnt clementine. All three locations run the same menus, so you're in good hands wherever you decide to head to.  
How much: £39.95
Where: Welsh Back Dockside, BS1 4RR; Martingale Way, BS20 7AW
Book now: Aqua Welsh Back; Aqua Portishead
 

The Albion

What: This 17th century pub in Clifton is one of the smarter gastropubs in this well-to-do part of town, and a recent revamp has left it looking very shabby-chic inside with sanded wood floors and distressed brown leather armchairs. The Christmas menu keeps things pretty classic, but The Albion has a rep for well-executed pub grub that makes it especially popular at Christmas. Go for the roast turkey crown with trimmings, stay for the Christmas creme brulee and extensive cheese selection.
How much: £25 for one course, £29 for two courses, £33 for three courses
Where: Boyces Avenue, Clifton Village, BS8 4AA
Book now: The Albion

RiverStation

What: One of Bristol’s most reliable veteran restaurants, you can always rely on RiverStation to turn out homely, hearty classics. The festive menu kicks things up a notch with elevated Christmas cooking, from ham hock terrine with sauce gribiche, to a stuffed turkey breast with braised red cabbage and cranberry puree. All mains come with healthy mountains of roasties, charred sprouts and more, and there’s a rather good Christmas pud with brandy foam waiting in the desserts.
How much: £55 for three courses
Where: 1 The Grove, BS1 4RB
Book now: RiverStation

Cotto

What: Cotto is a buzzy wine bar in Bristol Old City, run by the team behind other excellent local restaurants like Bianchi’s and Pasta Loco. The bar marries a neat Italian wine list and some classy pasta dishes, so if that sounds like your bag, check out the £42 per person Christmas menu, which includes a load of shared antipasti, a choice of pasta dishes (or a delicious red risotto with gorgonzola and radicchio) and a nice little dolce to finish things off. This is a stellar choice for a big group.
How much: £42 per person
Where: 29 - 31 St. Stephens Street, BS1 1JX
Book now: Cotto

BOX-E

What: Brilliant BOX-E is one of many fantastic restaurants in Bristol’s buzzing Wapping Wharf cargo district. This is where former L’Ortolan head chef Elliott Lidstone and wife Tess cook gorgeous seasonal plates at quite extraordinary prices for the quality. The menu is a la carte but there is also a seven course unwritten tasting menu available too (with an optional wine flight) that’s perfect for festive celebrations. You need to ask when you book, though.
How much: £59 per person
Where: Unit 10, Cargo 1, Wapping Wharf, BS1 6WP
Book now: BOX-E

Poco Tapas Bar

What: We’re big fans of Poco Tapas’ seasonal sharing menu, which clocks in at just £40 per person for multiple courses of delightful Spanish cookery. Poco also does really brilliant gluten-free and pescatarian versions of the same menu, as well as a slightly cheaper ‘Root to Fruit’ menu for vegans and vegetarians, making this an ideal choice for groups that have some dietaries to consider.
How much: £40 per person
Where: 45 Jamaica Street, Stokes Croft, BS2 8JP
Book now: Poco Tapas Bar

MUSE Brasserie

What: Muse Brasserie attracts a crowd with its striking pink and blue colour palette, and cascading foliage, but this Queen Square brasserie isn’t just looks, there’s also some solid French cooking on the menu too. Muse’s roast turkey comes with apricot and cranberry stuffing, as well as pigs in blankets and roasties, but there are good alternatives elsewhere, including a red mullet bouillabaisse, and braised beef cheek with boudin blanc. Save room for the apple and raspberry crumble with vanilla ice cream.
How much: £48 per person
Where: Crown House, 37-41 Prince Street, BS1 4PS
Book now: MUSE Brasserie

The Ox

What: The Ox is proudly meat-focused - a city centre steakhouse that lays on a proper feast come Christmas. Tucked away in a hidden basement in the Old City, the cosy, cossetting interiors are filled with the aroma of charcoal grilled steaks, as well as crisp belly pork with black pudding croquette, and roast cod with chive beurre blanc and pomme dauphin. You get three courses of proper festive cooking at The Ox, with warm pistachio financiers to round things off.
How much: £55 per person
Where: 43 Corn Street, BS1 1HT
Book now: The Ox

Bar 44

What: Bar 44 is always a good time. This Iberian small plates spot is extra popular over the Christmas period thanks to really affordable group tapas menus, as well as fabulous festive drinks that range from sangria jugs to spicy cocktails and plenty of fizz. Dishes on the group menu include nibbly bits like padron peppers and olives, before moving onto chicken with roast garlic in sticky sherry glaze, jamon croquetas, patatas bravas and more. Or, you can upgrade to the £46 a head menu for some more lux fare, like garlic and chilli prawns, and dry-aged rump steak.
How much: £32 per person
Where: 18-20 Regent Street, Clifton Village, BS8 4HG
Book now: Bar 44

If you're planning something a little smaller, there are loads of brilliant restaurants all over the city that take normal bookings over the Christmas period. Check out our roundup of the best restaurants in Bristol for more of that, or perhaps check out the best brunches in Bristol if you fancy some festive fizz and brunching.