Lapin Restaurant Bristol

If you’re searching for good food in Bristol, Wapping Wharf is a safe place to start. The converted shipping containers on the city’s harbourside are home to an unusually high concentration of excellent restaurants, and new addition Lapin is no exception.

A step away from its sister restaurant BANK in Totterdown, Lapin swaps live-fire cooking for playful French dishes that blend classic flavours with modern twists. Expect a journey to France via the West Country, with local produce woven through each course. Delicate Cornish seafood, buttery Somerset saucisson and bright strawberries from Cheddar all make an appearance.

Once seated, you’d be forgiven for forgetting entirely that you’re in a shipping container. Warm lighting, wooden floors and bottle-lined walls give the feeling of a Parisian brasserie, complete with simple white crockery and elegant glassware.

The menu follows a traditional appetizer-through-dessert format - a welcome rebuke of the well-worn small plates formula. If three courses from the a la carte menu feels too indulgent, the prix fixe menu offers the same for £29 at the time of writing.

The dishes combine traditional French decadence with a lively freshness. Buttery scallops arrive with crisp agretti; creamy goat’s curd is lifted by sweet heirloom tomatoes; and confit duck, golden and rich, sits in a mint-flecked pea and broad bean broth. The surprise standout is the crispy-skinned salmon, balanced beautifully with acidity and crunch from white cabbage and dill oil.

The wine list is a highlight, and resident expert Carole’s pairings are spot-on. A fresh, minerally Riesling and apple-bright Chenin Blanc work with the starters, while a chilled red and juicy Viognier complement the mains. Every bottle is available by the glass - ideal for exploring something different with each course. Dessert keeps the bar high: boozy, nutty St-Emilion au Chocolat the perfect indulgence with sweet wine or coffee.

Conceived and launched in just two months by co-owners Dan and Jack, Lapin feels warm, inviting and entirely at home in Wapping Wharf. Drawing on the best of the West Country while channeling classic French technique, it delivers food that’s both rooted and refined - a welcome new voice in Bristol’s dining scene.

Nodding to the traditional but serving with a flair of theatrics and flavour, Lapin is a contemporary French restaurant from the team behind Totterdown restaurant BANK.

Inspired by the bistros and brasseries of France, Lapin gives off a comfortable but luxurious ambiance thanks to simple decor and a beautiful waterside terrace.

Lapin's a la carte leans heavily into luxurious French cooking, taking inspiration from traditional Escoffier-esque French cooking. Among the starters you'll find dishes like rabbit rillettes with carrot confiture, and a fantastic lobster bisque a l’Americaine en croute, as well as a souffle Suisesse, made famous by La Gavroche. Mains stretch out to include some more Mediterranean ideas, like gnocchi parisienne with Roscoff onions and soubise, or fresh mussels with fennel and cider cream sauce. To reflect France's strong culture of sharing food, Lapin has a number of big sharing plates for two or three including a roast duck crown a l’orange served with bigarade sauce and braised chicory, and a whole brill served with a sauce vierge. You can also add little accoutrements to dishes, including a spoon of caviar, truffle shavings, or a scoop of Rollright cheese.

Diners also have a choice of having a Trou Normand (a traditional French palate cleanser) made up of apple sorbet sitting in Somerset apple cider brandy, or a Bouyguette goat’s cheese served with honey and a baguette. Afterwards, why not try an indulgent French dessert, each of which is paired with a glass of wine that compliments its flavour; the Basque cheesecake with rhubarb, for example, pairs well with a sweet glass of Jurancon, or try any of their other 60 wines by the glass. The restaurant also offers a great value three course prix fixe menu. 

Perfect for all occasions, and accommodating to large groups and celebratory events, Lapin serves both lunch and dinner with a focus on seasonal produce. The restaurant partners with butchers, fishmongers and farmers to assure that they serve the best-quality ingredients as close to home as possible.