Five Bristol restaurants make it into UK Top 100, including one open just three months

A Bristol restaurant that only launched three months ago has been included in the UK Top 100 compiled by a leading independent guide.

COR in North Street, Bedminster, was opened in October by chef Mark Chapman and his wife, Karen. Mark was previously executive chef at Bravas on Cotham Hill, and Gambas and Cargo Cantina in Wapping Wharf.

COR is the couple’s first restaurant together and it has already been widely praised by Bristol diners and critics alike. Last week, it received a glowing review from restaurant critic Tom Parker Bowles in the Mail on Sunday.

Mark Chapman said: “After only three months of opening, we could not be happier about our inclusion in the Top 100 UK restaurants, we are on cloud nine.

“It’s great to see what we have achieved as a team in such a short period of time and to be included alongside some of the UK’s best restaurants. We are very proud!”

COR appears at number 69 in the Square Meal UK Top 100 and it’s one of five Bristol restaurants to be included in the prestigious round-up.

Spanish restaurant Paco Tapas in Redcliffe is the highest placed Bristol establishment at number eight, with its sibling business, Casa, as number 29. At number 64 is Wilsons in Redland and Bulrush in Cotham is at number 77.

Each of the top 100 restaurants is placed by a combination of Square Meal’s in-house critic-led opinions and thousands of diner votes.

SquareMeal’s Head of Content, Caroline Hendry, said: “This year marks the first full year we’ve all been able to go out and about to eat again without covid restrictions. With our restored freedom we’ve rediscovered the pure joy of a phenomenal meal and we couldn’t be happier to celebrate those moments through our awards.

“It’s brilliant to see - for another year running - Bristol firmly maintaining its place on the culinary map. With consistently impressive spots such as Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’s Paco Tapas, along with relative newcomer COR, which impressed us with its relaxed and accessible menu that still manages to be beautifully sophisticated.”

To see the complete Top 100 UK restaurants list, click here.