South Gloucestershire

South Gloucestershire offers countryside scenery and historic sites, with local fare including traditional English dishes such as roast dinners and regional cheeses like Gloucestershire cheese.

Avenue Cafe

Avenue Cafe

112 Emerson Way, BS16 7AR, South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Cafe • Vegan • British • Vegetarian


"This, our local café, normally closes in the late afternoon about 17:00 this time of year; but occasionally it opens up on a Friday evening, until late, to provide a tapas evening with live music. These are occasions which we try to support as much as we can. Tonight was the latest of three such events that we have enjoyed supporting; it was also the last of the, I believe, four summer events have been held. The format, was as before, to stagger table reservation times to allow the kitchen to efficiently produce plates to order. This reservation system helps avoid what could be bottlenecks, that would surely result, if too many orders flood in at the more popular times. The menu is the same for all of these events; our preferences were again to the fore for certain plates, as follows: Chicken Skewers Greek style marinaded with yoghurt. Vegetable Spring Rolls with sweet chilli dip crispy, crunchy rolls filled with savoury mix of vegetables. Lamb kofta balls with tzatziki dip. Patatas Bravas crispy potatoes in a salsa brava with a creamy aioli. Skin on fries. It was once again a much enjoyed meal and, on this occasion, we had invited my Son to join us. He really enjoyed the plates and the atmosphere. Wine: we chose a bottle of the ‘Definition Pinot Grigio’ from north eastern Italy: very complex and much enjoyed: excellent. This bottle was my Son’s contribution to the evening (apart from, of course, his company). We followed that with a bottle of the ‘Pringle Bay’ Sauvignon Blanc from the Western Cape, South Africa: this was very good; wonderfully refreshing. My Partner and I paid for that one! Wine here is not too expensive, especially bearing in mind the quality. A note to say that the Patatas Bravas plate was excellent on this occasion, because the potatoes were indeed crispy. Our favourite plate, for all three of us, was however the ‘Vegetable Spring Rolls’. These were absolutely fabulous, such a great texture. If this plate was regularly featured on the menu, I am sure it would be a very popular choice. The provision of a sweet chilli dipping sauce is a masterpiece of culinary inspiration. The music for all of these events was a duo singing covers of popular songs accompanied by acoustic guitars. They use guitar mics to amplify the music an their vocals. On previous occasions the band have not been too loud; sadly tonight they were. There were times that we couldn’t hear each other speak, and my Partner had to twice ask the band to tone it down. There is a time and place for loud music and this wasn’t it."

The New Inn Pub

The New Inn Pub

Mayshill, BS36 2NT, South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Kebab • Steak • British • Vegetarian


"I was excited to revisit the New Inn after many years, as it used to be a favorite spot of mine. My group of 8 had pre-ordered at the request of the New Inn, but we were told 15 minutes after our booking time that our food was just being prepared. An hour later, our food still hadn't been served. After checking with the staff, the manager assured us that our order was next. Another 10 minutes passed before our food finally arrived. The gammon came with sides that we didn't like and were not mentioned on the menu. The portions were oversized, which was nice, but they were too much and off-putting. The salad trimmings were of poor quality. The fish in batter was enjoyed by those who ordered it. The main meals were okay, but I would have preferred better quality over quantity. We had to chase the staff for a glass of water, and even after being offered dessert menus, no one came to take our order. When we decided to follow up at the bar, the manager seemed more interested in finding out which staff member had failed to take our order than in solving the issue. The service was okay but could have been better, as no one checked on us after our meals were served. It seems like the staff could benefit from more positive training from a supportive mentor. When we asked for the bill, it took a while for it to be brought to us, so we ended up paying on the way out. It's a shame, as I had fond memories of the New Inn, but I am unlikely to return after this experience."

The Tollgate

The Tollgate

A46, Oldfield Gatehouse, SN14 8LF, South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Vegan • British • Breakfast • Vegetarian


"Having planned to spend this mid week morning at the nearby Dyrham Park we had reserved a table here for lunch. We were both hungry after a good 2 hours walk around the Park’s gardens. This small café restaurant is right on the A46 between Bath and the M4 at Junction 18. The views towards East Bristol are expansive, and it was a beautifully clear day. This was our first visit to an eatery in 2022. It was also well overdue for this restaurant; as it is located on the main A46 route to the M4 from both Bath and East Bristol. Both my partner and I have driven past this place hundreds of times, having lived in the area, in my case, for most of the last 40 years. Today our table was reserved for 13:30 and we arrived a good 15 minutes early (not a problem and had a short wait whilst our table was cleared and cleaned from the previous occupants. We studied the menu and both decided on a ‘Berry Go Round’ smoothie and then the beef burger. Sadly, the smoothies were ‘off the menu’, but the burgers were thankfully not. My partner opted for no burger bun, whereas I had the ‘full fat’ version. Our coffee and non alcoholic drinks were soon served the coffee was good and strong, and my sparkling rhubarb and apple water was excellent. The burgers arrived after a reassuring wait (thus indicating that they had been cooked to order . The burgers were served hot with raw and caramelized onions, leaves and tomatoes plus 3 good crisp onion rings. The brioche bun I enjoyed allowed me to eat from my hand whereas my partner had to use cutlery. We both agreed that we have rarely had a more moist, tender and tasty burger: it was fabulous. Slightly pink and so juicy, and the chips were good too. It is unusual for me to order a burger, but today it just appealed (maybe my sixth sense told me? Service was excellent and charming. The conservatory was a bit cold, but we were suitably dressed and warm from our walk, so that didn’t affect us. This is a very pleasant eatery; maybe ‘pleasantly quirky’ but much to be enjoyed. We will be back and it will be difficult not to have another of those wonderful burgers!"