Quick info
About The Kensington Arms
On Stanley Rd in Bristol, The Kensington Arms is a gastropub with banquettes and framed pictures on the walls, serving a European menu alongside Sunday lunches. The Sunday roast comes as a set menu of two or three courses, with pork belly a recurring order, and bone marrow appears among the starters. A burger is served with chips on the side, and bar snacks and starters can be ordered communally as a lunch option. Walk-ins are taken rather than reservations. A function room can be booked for groups, with a set or pre-order menu arranged in advance. Regular pub quiz nights add a fixed date to the weekly rhythm alongside the roast service. Sunday remains the busiest point in the week for the set menu, drawing on the same kitchen that runs the rest of the European-leaning list.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention pork belly, bone marrow, sunday roast and burger and chips.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention pork belly, bone marrow, sunday roast and burger and chips.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers lead with the Sunday lunch, where the pork belly is called crispy and juicy by one diner and delicious by another, with the fish and beef also praised. Bone marrow starters draw repeated approval. At dinner, diners single out the onglet, venison haunch, rosti and peppercorn sauce, and one reviewer calls the burger divine, with well seasoned chips. Several describe it as restaurant food rather than pub grub, with friendly, attentive waiting staff. Criticism is sharper in one account of a function room set menu: a tiny mackerel starter in a bowl that made it hard to reach the food, chewy lamb breast, very salty mash, and a fish main with no carbs in an overly salty sauce. That reviewer also found the prosecco eye wateringly expensive. Another group found the attitude of the bar staff uncomfortable and left before the quiz. They also noted the menu did not list pork or pickles in the burger, though staff quickly replaced the burger that contained pork.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers lead with the Sunday lunch, where the pork belly is called crispy and juicy by one diner and delicious by another, with the fish and beef also praised. Bone marrow starters draw repeated approval. At dinner, diners single out the onglet, venison haunch, rosti and peppercorn sauce, and one reviewer calls the burger divine, with well seasoned chips. Several describe it as restaurant food rather than pub grub, with friendly, attentive waiting staff. Criticism is sharper in one account of a function room set menu: a tiny mackerel starter in a bowl that made it hard to reach the food, chewy lamb breast, very salty mash, and a fish main with no carbs in an overly salty sauce. That reviewer also found the prosecco eye wateringly expensive. Another group found the attitude of the bar staff uncomfortable and left before the quiz. They also noted the menu did not list pork or pickles in the burger, though staff quickly replaced the burger that contained pork.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Visted yesterday from Liverpool without a reservation me and with my boyfriend and was so pleasantly surprised, we stumbled across it as our Airbnb is close and could not fault anything about this place. Staff were super friendly and attentive filling our water without asking for. Just little things that really make the service feel like you’re really being looked after. Food was honestly so good and well priced we was shocked with how nice it was. We eat out often and even both said that’s the best meal we’ve had out in a long time. If you stumble across this place definitely recommend a visit”
- Google user
“Went down for the pub quiz & burger. Burger was absolutely divine, one of the best ever ever! Super delicious and was very happy to pay the price of £18 given they added a pint for £2! The chips were well seasoned & moreish too. All the waiters were lovely, however we had a slight issue with attitude of the lady behind bar which made things uncomfortable and we dis not stay for the quiz. We were also slightly miffed that the menu did not include the entire contents of the burger. We had one person who did not eat pork, and another who was adverse to pickles however neither ingredients were listed on the beef burger. We did have to send one burger back due to the pork, but staff were super quick to respond & rectify this. Overall it was a worthwhile experience & we can see why people are raving about the food!”
- Google user
“From the moment we walked in until we left, everything was fabulous. Kerry (front of house) and her team made our evening so enjoyable. The food was something else! We had the trout and the bone marrow for starters followed by the onglet and the venison haunch for mains, followed by cheese. Loved it all. We had extra sides and the rosti were outstanding as was the peppercorn sauce. The wine was lovely and we really enjoyed the cocktails. We were not rushed, and were able to make a great night of it all. Such a lovely evening. Definitely a great place and would absolutely recommend- whether for a pint or a full blown meal. Wonderful.”
- Google user
“My friend booked the function room for a birthday, and we all pre-ordered from the set menu. Starters were a mix of bone marrow, artichoke and mackerel, followed by lamb breast and fish mains. The bone marrow and artichoke starters were good and a decent size. The mackerel, however, was shocking - a tiny square of fish served in an awkward bowl that made it hard to actually reach the food. The lamb main was disappointing. Lamb breast is a fatty cut that needs slow cooking to render down and become tender, but this felt flash cooked and was chewy throughout. The mash was incredibly salty - tolerable for a couple of bites because the lamb itself was under seasoned, but at points the salt was so strong it caught at the back of your throat. The best thing on the plate was the chard which was lovely. The fish main came with no carbs at all and was swimming in an overly salty sauce, making it basically inedible. The only positive was that the fish itself was cooked well. I think the puddings were good, but I didn’t have one. This place isn’t cheap, so you expect a high standard. It appears to be trying to be Michelin style food, but it’s nowhere near that level. A bottle of prosecco is £40, which is eye wateringly expensive. We were all excited and had high hopes for the Kensington Arms, but left disappointed.”
- Google user
“Absolutely blown away by the quality of food served at this pub. From starters, to main, topped off with a desert it was all top notch. Margaritas were decent also. This is restaurant food not “pub” grub. Big shout out to our waitress also, lady from Slovenia or Slovakia. Visit this place 👌”
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Traditional pub with banquettes and framed pictures, serving a European menu and Sunday lunches.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, restroom, seating
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Bars near The Kensington Arms
- Highbury Vaults4.69680.4 mi
beer garden with heaters, real ale selection, model railway
- Hillgrove Porter Stores4.76260.5 mi
local craft beer selection, cask real ale, japanese food by kansai kitchen
- 0.6 mi
sunday roast, upstairs theatre, comedy show
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kensington ArmsWheelchair accessible | 4.5608 | — | pork belly, bone marrow, sunday roast |
| Highbury Vaults | 4.6968 | 0.4 mi | beer garden with heaters, real ale selection, model railway |
| Hillgrove Porter Stores | 4.7626 | 0.5 mi | local craft beer selection, cask real ale, japanese food by kansai kitchen |
| The Alma Tavern & Theatre | 4.6976 | 0.6 mi | sunday roast, upstairs theatre, comedy show |
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