Quay St Diner in Bristol, City of

I visited Bristol for a weekend and visited many places but this one is very poorly managed (maybe consider change of whoever runs this). This 1 star goes to the management as there is a lot of things that needs to be improved in this place and has a knock off effect on everything else. Visited Sunday morning for breakfast, we made a booking for 10:30, the place was massively understaffed. Because of lack of staff, the waitresses and people making drinks were super busy and couldn’t keep up (definitely not their fault) but they couldn’t provide good customer service due to that. Our coffee drinks arrived about 20-25 mins after our food, and then I found out my coffee was not what I ordered. There was constant flow of people coming in. Bacon pancakes were good, service was slow. We finished food and then coffees arrived. My vegan waffles were pretty average but that wasn’t the issue. This place is very popular and it needs a lot more staff members - because of lack of staff, customers are not happy when mistakes happen and then obviously it affects waiters (I’m sure this place has high staff turnover, I wouldn’t want to work here). As seen on photo, my table and chair was an inch in front of the disabled toilet which I found very grim regardless if the toilet was in use or not. This table should be for one person only and not for two. None of the above is staff members fault, they are trying their best but this is the only food place in Bristol that needs heavy management changes as clearly it needs works. Sadly we will not be returning here. I highly recommend “be natural cafe” in the market hall, their breakfast was 1000% better.

We ate early so the atmosphere wasn't great, it meant we could hear all the staff were saying which wasn't exactly customer friendly. Shame. I'm sure when it's busy it's it's much better vibe. Toilets were horrible though which I feel brings the place down no matter what.

Food was genuinely one of the best meals I’ve ever had, so tasty everything was hot and cooked fantastically. The service was great too. Thank you so much

I used to love the food from here ! Not sure who’s in the kitchen these days but they are trying to destroy your business. Last month my chicken burger was missing half the contents and was inedible. Today my steak was so rare it was blue and inedible ! I will never order from here again.

Llamé aquí para un bocado antes de un concierto. Fueron muy útiles con el tiempo, ya que estábamos en un horario ajustado. Buena comida, filete y fritas y una buena cerveza. Buena relación calidad-precio. Puede que llame mañana sábado.

¡Nunca volverás a poner un pie ahí! Pedí nuestra comida, 40 minutos después, nada! La gente que estaba sobre la mesa a nuestro lado seguía esperando la suya, ¡nunca llegó! La persona le preguntó al camarero dónde estaba su comida, pero no parecía saberlo. Se levantaron y se fueron (sin comida) pero el camarero no les cobró por sus bebidas, , mientras que, cuando mi marido se quejó el camarero no se disculpó, de hecho no dijo nada, y todavía nos cobró por nuestras bebidas! No recomiendo este lugar, personal grosero y sin disculpas!

Decent grub and some good deals depending on the day. Top notch American style diner

Amazing food wow i loved the big breakfast, I couldnt decide between the waffles id breakfast so i ordered both and i was not disappointed! It was stunning. I ordered a latte which was luke warm but i didnt mind because the breakfast was so nice. The staff are so patient aswell i took a while to order because i couldnt understand and she was completely fine with it and gave me enough time, checked on us to make sure everything was okay and then when we payed asked if it was okay and then made conversation with us which was really nice. The atmosphere is calm and a good vibe, id say it gets busy around 10 am the music was great aswell really abit of old fashioned music and gave a calm atmosphere

Ordered from here for the very first time and it's safe to say I'll never be ordering again and certainly won't ever be coming in to the restaurant. The £16 "del rey burger" that I ordered is not the abomination I received... supposedly a plant based patty, lettuce, cheese, house pickles, pink pickled onions, and house sauce... what I received was a cremated vegetable patty, dry, on its own in a dry old bread bun, served with a meagre handful of half cold fries. Definitely not a £16 burger, and the best part in all this is that they dont even have vegetable patties listed anywhere on their menu, so who even knows what else they're substituting from the local corner shop last minute with zero thought for allergies or customer awareness. Major food safety violation and the best I'm offered is a "£6 refund"... 🤦🏼‍♀️ disgusting and appalling.

I had the lunchtime deal which is good value for £10. Smashed burger, fries and a a drink, well cooked and tasty. I will definitely return for lunch next time I'm in Bristol

Amazing burgers and boozy shakes! Lovely staff and atmosphere too

Absolutely love the Quay st diner! Have come here years previously and specially returned because of the good food and good vibes 👍 .

Tan buen lugar pequeño subestimado en Bristol, he estado aquí tanto para el brunch y las comidas nocturnas (un fanático particular del martes de tacos! ) y siempre he tenido una experiencia tan agradable. El restaurante es tan céntrico pero nunca demasiado ocupado, los precios son extremadamente razonables y el personal es siempre tan hablador y amable. Un montón de opciones, incluyendo vegetariano / vegano que han sido deliciosos y un gran menú de cócteles.

We had hash brownies as dinner which were nice. When we entered, the waitress seemed as if she did not want us to be there. After ordering, had to wait 20 minutes until we got tap water which we asked for at first, and had to remind them again. Although the restaurant was not too crowded, the food which didn’t have a big complexity took too long to be served. Overall, a decent place, with a good location, good food, and bad service.

Had a great brunch here, loved the atmosphere & music playing in the background. Service was brill and the food was stunning. I had "The hash browny" - swapped out the pork for black beans (veggie) and it was fantastic. Also had a mint choc milkshake which was also fab. My partner had biscoff pancakes which she also very much enjoyed so all around a brillmeal!

If I could give 6 starts I would. My partner and I visited and it was great. The food was spot on and the service friendly and efficient. We will definitely be back and bring the whole gang with us!

Nice diner feel, with good milkshakes. Burger and fries were delicious, and the fried chicken was really good.

Enjoyed the food, but not the service. One server was friendly and accommodating, the other was impolite and terse. We asked to remove the service charge as a result, but were told that we weren’t able to do so since payments were already being taken (the bill was split between a few of us). There are ample brunch venues in Bristol, so will have to give this place a swerve based on this experience and in favour of more welcoming establishments.

Me encontré con este pequeño lugar cerca de un hotel en el que me alojé. La comida era excelente y el servicio de Holly no podría haber sido mejor. Era increíble. Definitivamente volveré de nuevo si me aventuro a Bristol . . Excelente!

Stumbled on this little place close to a hotel I stayed at. Food was excellent and the service from Holly could not have been better. She was amazing. Will definitely come again if I venture back to Bristol.. Excellent !

A good city centre location for US-style brunchy food and burgers, hotdogs etc. You'll also get British breakfast items here and good tea and coffee. They also do bottomless prosecco and cocktails. Beer selection is mostly Camden with Budvar and Estrella Galicia. White, red and rose wine available too. There's no children's menu that we could see, so it may not suit very young kids who prefer plain food.

Brilliant food, excellent service. Will definitely come again.

We’ve been here a few times now and every time the staff that work there are so friendly and so attentive. Food is great and will keep coming back.

Quay Street Diner is a nice restaurant to visit for some food and a hang out. The place is quite popular and always has a good atmosphere. The food was cooked and was of good quality. Weren't a fan of some of the quirkier dishes but I appreciate the effort!

I had the parm and some tenders and found both pieces tough and the tenders lack seasoning. The chicken parm was awful, no parmesan and the sauce was lukewarm and lacking. It seems like the burgers are the main thing about this restaurant, though I don't recommend the chicken at all.

Had a super brunch session with two of my friends this afternoon! I had a vegan burger, and my friends had bacon with pancakes and the chicken Parma. All of them looked delicious, but for me my burger was probably one of the best vegan ones I've ever had - will definitely be back for another one! Very much recommend this place, it was quite quiet which was a shame, but the atmosphere was awesome (music was eclectic but brill!) and the staff are super nice and helpful.

Lovely food and really friendly service, would definitely recommend a visit!

Gran pequeña cena, excelente servicio al cliente y comida deliciosamente presentada. Nos encantó aquí y sin duda volveremos.

I’ve had food from this place a few times now. What I can say is: delivery is better than restaurant, chicken is better than beef and if you’re going to get fries, get the “dirty” ones. Good stuff mostly, but a little inconsistent in the quality and doneness of the food. Waiters are always great and helpful though.

Was sad I couldn't buy a side of fried chicken on Ubereats... but the bbq burnt ends where real nice! mmm

Popped in with my partner for lunch, not knowing what we wanted. Seconds after looking at the menu we both knew exactly what we wanted. Food came out quickly and was delicious - I would definitely recommend the Hash Browny!

We sat outside as it was a nice day. Quick service by a very pleasant young lady. Drinks came within a couple of minutes. The burgers were really tasty and juicy and the dirty fries were amazing! I wasn't overly keen on their coleslaw, a soggy blob on the tray.

Wonderful spin on brunch with brilliant combination of taste and options. Portion sizes generous and plenty of drinks options available. Service prompt and friendly. The Hash Browny brunch 100% hit the spot. Diner style without being overly American-ised. A fabulous option in Bristol

Everything amazing from food to service! Non greasy and served with jokes and smiles 😁 Klara the waitress is the best person ever 🫶🏽 Will definitely be back! Thank you chef!

Fancied steak for breakfast and found this diner. However upon reading the menu - nearly changed my mind. Wonderful breakfast/brunch menu for a Sunday chill. Loved the food. Ate outside so didn’t venture into the diner. Looked after very well be Clara

I’d been to Quay St diner once before and was really impressed with the food and drinks, but this time was a huge disappointment. We visited at lunchtime, but were only offered the brunch menu. I ordered the waffles and chicken which was not good at all. The waffles were har, the chicken was very over cooked and dry and the bacon on the top was a dodgy colour. A really unpleasant plate of food. The waiter was an absolute space cadet. Nice guy but a rubbish waiter. Forgot to add the extra fries we asked for and was generally really scatty. Such a shame, as we’d had such a good meal on our previous visit.

Went for brunch with the family and didn't regret it! Not cheap (especially as theres six of us), but the food was so good, and the service was exceptional - dishes on the menu were offered to be tweaked to be better for kids, and requests to substitute items were not questioned. Highly recommend Quay Street Diner!

Have been here a few times. I’ve had ok burgers here before and brunch. Enough for a 3 or 4 stars. But last time I went the food was bland and the fries were terrible. You can’t be a diner if you can’t do fries! Milkshake was expensive, but when it came it was just syrup and milk.

The chicken and waffles was such a treat, very delicious. Absolutely amazing food, love the style of the place and the atmosphere is very chill, I'm autistic and I find it hard to find somewhere like this.

Can’t give more than 5 but would if I could.

Paid £14 and my chicken dish only had two tiny pieces of chicken. Poached eggs were really dry. Order took ages even though the place was really quiet. Salad had no dressing. Maple syrup was nowhere to be seen even though the dish was meant to have it. The food that came was a tiny portion for the price and mediocre. I should've take a photo to show how tiny the portions were. Nothing about this place apart from the decor is American. Staff were friendly, decor is nice but I couldn't believe how underwhelming the food was. Coffee was good.

Pancakes stacked high, gosh! Dehydration in the air Syruping the soul

I had an All American Burger, Fries and a Chocolate and Cherry Shake. I loved the food, atmosphere of the place was lovely for a Friday Evening & the server was helpful

I had an All American Burger, Fries and a Chocolate and Cherry Shake. I loved the food, atmosphere of the place & the server was helpful

The meat was so unseasoned and bland today. Don’t know what’s up but it doesn’t hurt to add some spices. Came here 4 times. All four times the food quality was so inconsistent. It’s not worth your money to spend here. If you really want to try something, their breakfast is still ok. But their burgers today were so bland. As with my steak frites, just no flavour. Chewy even, the cuts were not good. I hate to be a sour puss but damn the food was so disappointing today. And lack of staff, it’s so weird. Half full and only one waitress.

Bank Holiday Monday visit with the family. Not the cheapest place for a breakfast but the quality of the meat and products used was reflected in the price. Everyone enjoyed their food.

Thank you to Clara for your assistance on deciding on the nachos, they were beyond incredible! Also, the apple caramel Betty pie (or Brown Betty as I know it back home), best apple dessert I've ever had outside the US, hands down. Also, they're peanut and nut free!!!

Delicious Tacos on Taco Tuesday!! Lovely interior in the diner. And free margharita was great!! A very special thanks to the waitress Sorcha who served us. She was amazing & went above & beyond in her service for my gf and I. Thank you so much. Will be back again soon.

Really great staff, very welcoming, friendly and helpful. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals drinks and shakes and would definitely return for another informal family get together.

The food here tastes quite ordinary, not very delicious. I am disappointed with this place. If it weren't for the good first impression, I wouldn't have come back. The first time, the burger was cooked perfectly, including a hash brown inside and thick-cut fries instead of small ones. I wonder how much they've cut back to save costs, but I won't be returning after this experience. The food is very expensive, and they will charge you an extra fee of about 2 pounds at the bill, which the server won’t mention. There isn't a big difference between the food here and what you get at McDonald's, where you can spend just 5 or 6 pounds for the same amount of burgers, instead of more than 16 pounds here. Additionally, I found that the glasses had a taste of detergent and rust, which was unbearable. My advice is to avoid this restaurant if you don't want to put up with the issues I've mentioned.

I have to agree with the other reviewers that say this place is expensive and not authentic, which is a shame, because I really like their diner décor. I had a double burger which was juicy, but a very small portion for the price; I was still hungry when I was done. The fries that came with it were absolutely disgusting, the most dry, bitter fries I've had, much worse even when compared to fast food. I had churros for desert, which were good, but brought the bill to over £30 in the end.

Had our dinner here last night, very nice it was too. American burger, iced tea's and coffee to finish. Very pleasant friendly staff. Only gripe would be that the service charge is added to the bill, would have preferred to give it directly to the Young lady who served us.

Great food, very nice service ,friendly staff.

Problems with ubereats, after 3 hours I didn't get my food. BUT Restaurant phoned me, let me know they were cooking fresh food between drivers cancelling. They phone again to apologise for the wait and suggest I try and cancel to get food sooner (UE doesnt allow this client side). And finally called again to apologise that the order wouldnt complete because they were closing. Integrity and Quality. That's all I can say about this business. When I'm actually in town I will come in. I will eat. I will tip.

A super tasty meal and lovely staff. The tortilla chips and guac were delicious. The Quay St Burger was cooked to perfection and oozing with flavour. And the vegan cheeseburger tacos were yummy. The peach ice tea was one of the best I’ve had. Would definitely recommend.

Food was so good and the vibe was really great. If you’re lucky, Clara will be your server 💯

had a great time at bottomless prosecco here and the food was lovely, not sure of our servers names but both were amazing and attentive, we will definitely be back again!

Came in for some food and cocktails, we had a lovely waitress Clara who was very helpful with all the great drink choices! Will be coming back

Loved this dining experience! We came in on a Saturday for Bottomless Brunch and had a lovely experience. Faith was our server and was very attentive and lovely! My drink was always replenished :)

Cool brunch spot with great vegetarian options. Highly recommend the plant based burger!

Cosy little diner with great atmosphere and friendly staff.

The wings were dry but there was a good quantity. Unfortunately they forgot to provide the sauce. Fries were good, crispy, definitely above average. The burger was good, could do with more sauce. The beef was interestingly shaped. I prefer five guys though.

Nice American brunch/breakfast menu that was prepared beautifully with all that is expected! Great location in the center and spacious booths

Service was impeccable and there are not enough words to describe just how good the breakfast burger I had tasted. Came as a group of 4 Sunday morning slightly hung over from the night before and this was definitely the place to have restored our energy levels. Staff super super friendly and attentive but without invading your space. All plates were cooked to perfection and I'll say that the breakfast burger was the best burger I have ever eaten. Will definitely come back here next time I am in Bristol

I had one of the best waffles in town, loaded with creamy and perfect ice cream and brownie by its side! Chef Damien is a star and I would love to visit Quay St again!

Nice food, I had pancakes with fried chicken. Thought the pancakes were swimming in maple syrup until I ate them and they soaked it up to the right amount. Would have been nice to have this separately or a little extra in a pot. The American Breakfast seemed better value as I also had to eat one of the pancakes from that it was so much!

Came here for brunch twice and both times I've been disappointed by the food. Today we were told when we sat down that they were out of black beans (?), which severely limited the vegetarian options. I got the avocado & eggs; the eggs were well poached but the avocado tasted incredibly processed, it was puréed like the one you find in a squirty bottle in supermarkets, definitely not fresh. The slices of toast were very thin as well, they did not seem like fresh sourdough (as it's advertised as coming from a local bakery but left to be desired). The side salad also had a mustardy dressing on that wasn't very nice. The service was friendly but they were understaffed, we had been there for almost an hour by the time our food order was taken. I wouldn't bother, especially if you're vegetarian/vegan.

Amazing service from Clara and great food made by Damian! Will be back again soon

No fuzz, great food, good prices...one of my local eateries

How this place isn't packed out on a Friday night I've no idea. Great and generous tacos, brilliant chicken burger, came with great slaw and pickles. Guac and nachos great, nothing to fault.

Nice diner, I just had a burger and a beer, service was very good and quick. Burger was good.

Amazing food, milkshakes and services. myself and my friends will definitely come again. Though we never got the waitresses name she was very good.

Sadly a disappointing experience. The food wasn't very tasty and there wasn't much service either. A glass broke and no one noticed so we pretty much had to clear it up ourselves. When asking for a paper and pen for a toddler to use that wasn't possible. Wouldn't recommend or return.

Really awesome spot to grab some quick food. Portions were very good and delicious. There was a table of 7 that ordered before me and I still got my meal within 10-15 mins! Staff were welcoming and lovely (The diner was nice n warm too - get out of the cold) Defo will be going back next time I'm in the area.

Probably the best breakfast and coffee I have had full stop. Service was fantastic and place was rammed. Highly recommend!

Great food but poor service from Alexandra probably wouldn't go back other than great service from Liv, absolute gem.

I came here for the chicken & waffles on a quiet, rainy evening. The staff are really nice & the atmosphere is relaxed. The chicken & waffles isn't a huge portion but definitely filling given how rich this dish is. Loved the touch of pickled onions & gherkins. Overall delicious however I really wish the syrup was served separately on the side so the customers could control how sweet they want the waffles to be.

Payed £6.60 for a pint of Orchard Pig, the whole place was very cold. They have 10% service charge that you are charged nobody mentions in if you don’t ask why you pay more than the menu says.

Amazing food and lovely hospitality.

Great little diner, with a good selection of diner classics and tacos. Quick, friendly service.

Great menu, great food, obliging, respectful service, honest prices (except for adding 10% without permission).

My cousin and I visited for lunch, really enjoyed the food (hard to find anything like this in Bristol) and our waitress was extremely helpful and friendly! Would definitely return

Great place for brunch, really nice fresh food!! Pancakes were incredible

I went in with low expectations, as I’m from California and have had many incredible diner experiences, and know first hand what an American breakfast should taste like. Quay St. Diner is not it. I guess it’s cool to be experimental sometimes, but who puts pickles and coriander seeds on top of pancakes??? It was such a gross combination. I also asked for crispy bacon and it was almost like they barely cooked it. And I’m pretty sure the pancakes were from a package 🤯 The hash browns definitely came from a bag, as I could taste that they had been frozen. Nothing about the experience felt like being in an American diner, and it was very disappointing. If you’re going to run an American style diner, maybe do a bit more research. And please learn to make fluffy pancakes from scratch, it’s not that hard!

Cracking breakfast and service.

Lovely food with great atmosphere, one of the best brunch spots in Bristol. Highly recommend you book as it can get fully booked on weekends. The food used to be better as they had a large gammon bacon slice and a pot of mixed baked beans. I hope they bring them back.

Cracking little place to have some great food and drinks before we go to watch a show at the Hippodrome

Not the best sadly, chef forgot items on one dish and then one waiter didn't apologise and items came quite a bit later and undercooked. Waitress was lovely though and accepted my suggestion that dish taken off bill. I think maybe a bad day or new chef.

Ordered two gluten free items through Uber eats after they were explicitly available. Turns out they do not offer any items as gluten free.

Second time we've had breaky here, best place in Bristol

Really yummy American breakfast and great coffee. Just the pancakes that let it down slightly as they didn’t taste very fresh (reheated?). Still enjoyed it, though!

The food here is fantastic and the waiting staff are really friendly. One of my favourite places in Bristol.

I came here with my sibling, lovely atmosphere the building is great to spend time in. Food was great! Service was friendly and fast, would come again :)

Food was ok but at first they served me meat rather than vege, so I ate some beef. When the veeg option came it was a bit dry.

After looking at the reviews we were looking forward to breakfast here. We booked a table for 11am on a Sunday a few days in advanced knowing it would be a busy Christmas weekend in Bristol. We arrived at 11am and were told the kitchen was running behind so we would have to wait a bit for our table, unfortunately we had to sit outside, luckily under some cover as it was raining. We waited 15 minutes before our table was ready and we waited roughly another 20 before our coffee's arrived. We ordered food promptly as we had places to be, but again we didn't get our food until 12.20, so well over an hour from arriving to actually getting food, which was only chicken and pancakes for me, and pancakes for my wife. So not really the most strenuous meal to make. We were given 20% off the final bill which was nice of the man to acknowledge the faults, but also there was a 10% service charge on there. Unfortunately, we wouldn't return which is a shame as we were looking forward to it.

Came in for dinner at about 7pm, service was slow (25 minutes for drinks order) and food took forever to get to the table after ordering (40 minutes). All the wait to end up with less than mediocre food.

Hour long wait for Brunch order, non existent service. No apology for the delay and noone came to see if we wanted more drinks during the long wait. Food was good, but felt so sick with hunger by the time it came didn't enjoy it

If you have a Philly CheeseSTEAK on the menu you should really put proper steak in it. Feels like a total cop out to use minced beef. + it was around £14 which is far from cheap. I always avoid leaving negative reviews cos I hate to be that guy but it really was bland. Season ya beef and please start using steak in the Philly cheesesteak. The cheese was also majorly lacking. Lovely staff and a great environment but hard to feel ok about that Philly Cheesesteak. Especially for the price.

I had the fried chicken and waffles here. The chicken was great but unfortunately the waffles were solid in the middle, there was next to no maple syrup compared to other places I had eaten. We had to wait a long time for our food, the staff did update us there was a delay though. The staff were polite but first forgot our water and at the end when I mentioned about the solid waffles, they just said sorry and they then handed us the card machine. The design of the place was nice but not enough to save the poor food and not great service. I would steer clear of here personally.

This place is like a hidden gem in Bristol! The food is amazing. Staff are friendly and helpful. Even the drinks are lush! Especially when having the bottomless prosecco! My go to place when I'm visiting Bristol.