A Cozinha Reviews

Absolutely delicious food - we had the Porco Na Cataplana, and tasty house wine too. The chef/waiter was really friendly, providing excellent service as well as cooking a wonderful meal. The weather was grey and drizzly outside but the restaurant felt as though it was filled with sunshine - I highly recommend repeated visits! This is one of those few restaurants that while understated in terms of decor, excels in service and quality of food.

This is a lovely little place which is hidden away, but really special, especially in terms of the charming service and host who, as mentioned by others, does everything from waiter-ing to cooking in front of you. It’s perfect for a sweet and intimate evening out and very good value for the food which is cooked from scratch to order, though you are well catered for with bread and olives while you wait, which isn't a long wait anyhow, and bought direct from Portuguese suppliers. It’s a really authentic personal experience which makes a refreshing change from mass catering pubs and chains churning out the same old thing. Highly recommended!

This is a brilliant place. It’s really friendly, welcoming, cosy and familiar. The owner does everything, welcomes, waits and cooks and while he does operate on a no rush policy I’ve always got my food in a timely fashion. He puts real effort into the food and really seems to care about it. Portions are generous and I’ve never been disappointed - having been there about eight times. Don’t be put off by other reviewers comments, you have to try this place. It’s a real gem.

My girlfriend and I experienced a cosy atmosphere, a cheerful cook/owner, and a quality sounding small menu that was reasonably priced. The wine was also of a good vintage. On the other hand we were seated by the door that continuously opened due to smokers; our alternative was to sit downstairs where it was below freezing. Our starters were straight from the fridge as the sardines and crabs were colder than the wine. After nearly two hours our main course turned up. We hoped that it would be worth the wait as all the food was freshly prepared, but my lamb dish was tasteless and full of a watery tomato sauce, three small pieces of lamb, and half a pound of onions. There was not even a hint of seasoning. It is a shame that a nice place like this is let down by the main ingredient - taste.

Our trip to A Cozinha in July 2008 was our second visit to this charming and cosy restaurant - out of the way perhaps, but A to Z, the first time, and Sat Nav, the second time, meant it wasn't difficult to find. Admittedly I am a Lusophile, but it was a real pleasure to find typical Portuguese favourites such as caldo verde, bacalhau and cataplana on the menu, and cooked to perfection. The owner and chef admitted that he made a slight concession to English tastes by slightly adding less salt than would be expected in Portugal. You don't want to be in a hurry, as the owner does pretty much everything himself, but we were never kept waiting, and the fact that you're not a first or second sitting makes the dining experience a pleasurable one, complete with contemporary fado coming from the CD player. If your experience of Portugal consists of a holiday in the Algarve, then you may not recognise the cuisine. In my opinion, A Cozinha is one of Bristol's hidden treasures.

I went to A Cozinha with my boyfriend recently and have to say, we really had a very good meal. We did have problems in finding it, but we had a warm and pleasant dinner. My boss recommended this place when I was looking for a special place to visit with my boyfriend. I am Chinese and have to say that the food was better than a lot of other places in the UK. The owner/chef was very nice to us and helped us a lot. I will recommend it to all my friends and I am looking forward our next dinner there.

I dined there recently and had a rather terrible experience. I found the food was lacking in flavor and felt it was not authentically Portuguese. I also found the portions too small. I was upset when a waiter clumsily spilled a dish onto my new jacket and the owner refused to take responsibility.