3a-5 Haymarket Walk,
The Haymarket,
Bristol,
BS1 3LN
(0117) 925 0555
The ViewBristol Review
The Mayflower is an authentic Chinese restaurant situated right in the heart of Bristol’s city centre. It has an impressive range of tasty food and drink, friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere. In short it's quite possibly Bristol’s best Chinese restaurant.
The Venue
Unfortunately the Mayflower suffers from a bad location. It's stuck in the city centre, opposite the large Debenhams and finding it is a bit of a chore. To get there you need to go down the steps at either the end of Stokes Croft/St James’ Barton roundabout, or access it just outside Debenhams, which is beside the number eight bus stop.
It’s a fairly small restaurant but they haven't rammed it full of tables so there's room to move about.
Round tables can accomodate big groups (you could probably fit 10 people around them without risking elbow aggro) and there's more intimate tables for two.
The People
The Mayflower is one of the most authentic Chinese restaurants in Bristol and you'll no doubt overhear people discussing who told them to give it a try, as well as others congratulating themselves on discovering it years ago.
Aside from that, the atmosphere is generally very relaxing and comfortable. There's no hint of pretentiousness despite the quality of the food and the restaurant’s first class reputation. The music is quiet enough to allow you to chat and even on a Saturday night there's no sign of drunken diners scoffing crispy duck pancakes and ordering ludicrous amounts of Chang beer.
The Food
The food in the Mayflower is exquisite. The set menus probably provide the best value for money with all the usual dishes included - sweet and sour chicken or pork, egg fried rice, black bean chicken and chicken schezuan. The prices are reasonable but choosing individual dishes can make things a bit pricier. The crispy duck (£7.50) is an absolute must and the calamarie is very tasty, although not particularly authentic.
You should try some of the starters as well, the spring rolls (£3) are the highlight of all the little treats. You should also make sure you try the seaweed and the sesame prawn toast.
The Drink
The Mayflower has a really good bar and is well stocked with all kinds of interesting liquor. There are some very fancy Chinese beers that are worth the money. The wine is well priced and there are some interesting flavours - the lowest price Chilean is fruity and quite light and goes well with the Chinese food.
The Last Word
The Mayflower is one of the most highly recommended restaurants in Bristol but still remains something of a hidden gem due to its hard-to-find location. The food and the laid back atmosphere make this restaurant a must visit in Bristol.
Mayflower Chinese Restaurant has been reviewed by 2 users