Ritorno Lounge: We visit Bristol's new harbourside restaurant and have mixed feelings about the food

Located in the former Pitcher and Piano venue which closed earlier this year, the brand's 228th Lounge opened its door on July 17 and seems to have been well received by the community.

We visited the new restaurant in the afternoon and it was bustling.

We decided to take a seat at one of the few outdoor tables that were left so we could enjoy the beautiful harbourside views with our meal.

Their menu offers a wide range of dishes including brunch options like variations of the English breakfast, sandwiches, flatbreads, burgers, salads and bowls, tapas, sides, puddings and cakes.

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We decided to order a cappuccino (£3.75), a Watermelon Iced Tea (£4.10) from their homemade drinks, the Bang Bang Chicken (£15.50) from the mains and the Hummus, Honey Whipped Feta and Patatas Bravas from the Tapas Board Deal (3 tapas for £13.75).

The service was relatively fast, and our food arrived within 18 minutes of ordering.

The chicken from the Bang Bang Chicken was mixed in texture: some pieces were soft, whilst others were chewy and slightly crunchy. As for the batter, it had a slight sweetness, which contrasted well with the sourness of the lime.

The dish was complemented by crunchy tender stem broccoli and sugar snap peas, refreshing carrot slices and soft sliced mushroom pieces.

The soft and well-cooked noodles intertwined with beansprouts, and the coconut sauce was sweet and creamy with a slow-burning, slightly spicy kick. The dish could have used a bit more of the sauce, which brought the Bang Bang Chicken together.

We were pleasantly surprised by the Honey Whipped Feta, which we ordered to fulfil the tapas deal.

It was creamy, slightly salty, light and yoghurt-like with a slight sweet hint from the honey. The feta is the protagonist and the dish is not too overpowering. It complemented well with the warm pita which had a soft middle and slightly crunchy exterior.

The hummus offered a good contrast in taste to the feta dish. The creamy dish was flavourful and blended well with the nutty topping and the not-overly-sweet and soft red peppers.

The Patatas Bravas, however, were rather disappointing. The tomato sauce was dark and creamy and the roasted garlic mayo was rather tasty, but the potatoes felt reheated and were missing the slight spicy kick that characterises the dish.

As for the drinks, the cappuccino was foamy and had lots of chocolate powder on top but was average in taste.

The Watermelon Iced Tea was very refreshing and the sweetness of the watermelon contrasted well with the citrusy taste of the lime juice. The slight fizz of the drink left a tingly sensation on the tongue after each sip.

Overall, the food was rather filling, well priced and very well presented and the staff were friendly and fast, which was no wonder why the venue was so popular during our visit.

Ritorno Lounge, Unit 3, V-Shed, Canon's Road, Bristol BS1 5UH. Open Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 11pm and Friday and Saturday from 9am to midnight.