The stunning city of Bristol is home to a number of truly delicious pasta joints, from five-star innovators in the fresh pasta game, to quaint, family-run establishments with a loyal fanbase - we scoured the streets to bring you the best pasta restaurants the city has to offer!
Pasta Loco
Image credit: Pasta Loco
Pasta Loco prides itself as Bristol’s first fresh pasta restaurant, where they serve a changing menu of stunning and unique dishes. Cotham Hill’s family-run eatery cites both Italy and Bristol as inspiration for their menu, which is likewise informed by fresh, seasonal produce, showcasing quality ingredients in simple fashion, in true Italian style. Stop by and you may be able to try their delectable fresh bucatini with cream, black pepper and gorgonzola - a simple yet perfectly executed dish that had us wanting more. In fact, we’re pretty confident any dish on their menu will probably be mind-blowingly good - sometimes you just know you’ve found a good spot! Be sure to wash your dish down with ‘the finest Negroni this side of Florence’, as promised by the Pasta Loco lot - buon appetito!
Pasta Ripiena
Image credit: Pasta Ripiena
Pasta Ripiena is brought to you by the team behind the award-winning Bristol-favourite Pasta Loco. Here, they’ve honed their passion for pasta, bringing you the finest filled pasta (hence the name!) you’ll find in any restaurant outside of Italia. Though their menu is always consistently brilliant, highlights include the stunning and fresh Ravioli with ricotta and Amalfi lemon, peas, wye valley asparagus and mint butter, or the ravioli with saffron and potato, in a crab bisque, with mussels and fiolaro. All their pasta dishes are lovingly handcrafted by the Pasta Ripiena team, using only quality ingredients - something immediately apparent upon first bite. And second, and third….
San Carlo
As with all San Carlo restaurants, San Carlo Bristol is a lavish Italian eatery, celebrating modern Italian Cuisine in a luxurious setting. Just a short stroll from the Bristol Hippodrome, San Carlo’s formidable seafood-driven menu features pasta delights such as their spaghetti Vognole with baby clams and punchy garlic and chilli, or similarly bright spaghetti gamberoni piccanti, a fusion of juicy king prawns, salty anchovies, capers and olives, and fresh San Marzano tomato. For something a little more comforting, we recommend the rigatoni alla Norma, an dish inspired by the cuisine of the South, featuring creamy aubergine, tomato, basil and garlic, lovingly topped with a lashing of pecorino cheese.
Prego
Image credit: Prego
Looking for authentic Italian cuisine in a stylish yet relaxed setting? Be sure to stop by Prego, in the Westbury Park area of Bristol. Not only do Prego offer some pretty delightful pizza, but their pasta dishes are extremely well-executed, and hugely moreish. The 12 hour ox cheek ragu is a beautifully hearty dish, with equally robust mezzi rigatoni pasta, and rich flavours of montepulciano and grana padano cheese. For a lighter yet equally satisfying choice, try the devon crab linguine, with fresh tomatoes, parsley, lemon and a touch of chilli. Showcasing local, fresh ingredients ensures Prego is a solid choice for any diner seeking quality Italian fare.
Zanky’s
Zankys, the namesake of this family-run eatery, was born in Nuoro, Sardinia. The stunning landscape and cuisine of the island serves as inspiration to Zanky’s grandchildren and founders, who serve stunning, traditional Italian fare, such as the casareccie al ragù di cinghiale, with 12-hour marinated and slow cooked wild boar ragù, with Cannonau (Sardinian wine) and ricotta cheese. The bucatini all’amatriciana is certainly a solid choice too, with spicy ‘nduja, guanciale and stracciatella cheese, in a bright tomato sauce. Their raviolo ai carciofi is a stunning vegetarian option, with artichokes, ricotta and courgette flowers, with a light tomato butter sauce, and crispy courgette flowers.
Aqua
Image credit: Aqua
Head to Aqua, not far from Bristol Bridge, for delicious pasta offerings in a stunning yet chilled setting. Be sure to dine al fresco, to exploit the stunning views of the River Avon this competitive location affords, from their cozy, heated patio. Whether dining inside or out, the Italian fare offered at Aqua is consistently delicious. Pasta highlights include the pappardelle with slow roasted ox cheek ragù, or the seafood linguine, a delicious fusion of king prawns, mussels and calamari, all enrobed in a spicy tomato, chilli and ‘nduja ragù.
Bomboloni
Image credit: Bomboloni
Gloucester Road serves as home to Bomboloni, a fun Italian eatery. Though Bomboloni derives its name from the cute doughnuts popular in cafes across Italy, do not underestimate the quality of the savoury offerings here. The ox cheek and porcini mushroom ragù, with red wine, pappardelle and parmesan is both sumptuous and delicious, and the seafood linguine benefits from a deliciously crunchy layer of traditional pangrattato (breadcrumbs). Should you happen to pass by at lunch time, their mid-day menu boasts a particularly enjoyable dish; their penne with courgette, local ricotta, mint and lemon is mouth-watering, yet pleasantly light and fresh.
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At Pasta Evangelists, we bring a taste of Italy to your kitchen. Prepared using the freshest ingredients, our gourmet pasta dishes are perfect for those looking to enjoy restaurant-quality meals, delivered to your door, and ready in under five minutes. Order from our weekly menu today, and we’ll offer you 25% off your first delivery - simply enter the code BLOG25 at checkout.
