Whether you’re in the mood for a sit down meal somewhere fancy, or simply crave a particular takeaway, Bristol has no shortage of Chinese, Cantonese and Asian cuisine to sink your teeth into.
And, with the Lunar New Year celebrations just around the corner, we thought we’d compile a quick list of some of the best loved and highest ranked restaurants in Bristol, serving up some delicious dishes from this part of the world. From one that BristolLive readers themselves dubbed the best in Bristol previously, to others that have been featured in many a list and recommendation over the years.
They vary in location too, with some situated in the centre of the city and others towards the outskirts of Bristol. So there should hopefully be something for everyone to feast on here.
Know of a Chinese restaurant or takeaway that deserves to be on this list? Let us know and will try it for ourselves. Drop us a line at [email protected].
Hao Wei
Address: 13 Long Down Avenue, Stoke Gifford, BS16 1GU
Back in 2023, BristolLive reported that Hao Wei was the most highly-rated Chinese restaurant in Bristol. And, in 2025, it still ranks at the top of the best Chinese restaurants in Bristol list on TripAdvisor.
Praised as being “the best Chinese restaurant in the UK”, as well as a “hidden gem”, Hao Wei is situated in Cheswick Village, in Stoke Gifford, near to The University of the West of England’s Frenchay Campus and Stoke Park Estate. It was here that almost ten years ago local property developer, Tac Vien, spotted a retail unit he thought would make an excellent restaurant.
Although Tac’s career wasn’t in hospitality (Hao Wei was his first restaurant), he had ample experience in the business, from growing up in a family of chefs and being a pot washer as a teenager. Back in 2023, BristolLive reported that three of Tac’s brothers work in the kitchen at Hao Wei, and the unique combination of their skills and experience is partly what he credits with the restaurant’s success.
Since then, while also remaining at the top of TripAdvisor’s rankings, Hao Wei also boasts a 4.5 star rating on Google. One reviewer said: “Still the best Chinese restaurant in town. We were greeted promptly, the service was swift and smooth flowing.
“The place is clean, not too many seats available but it is spacious enough. For drinks, we chose a selection of the bubble teas which were made with care. We shared the crispy seaweed and the prawn toasts, which were flawless.
“Our mains were the satay beef, the ginger scallops and the Cantonese duck. All tasted fresh and well flavoured. It is great to see that they kept their standards high during the years, happily recommend anytime.”
Others have commended it for its vast range of gluten-free options, the quality of its food, the friendly staff and its reasonable pricing.
Rock Salt
Address: 34 Cotham Hill, BS6 6LA
Ranked at number two in TripAdvisor’s updated list for 2025, Rock Salt could be quite a confusing concept for some – it combines Chinese and Indian food, giving many of us the best of both worlds when it comes to deciding on our choice of cuisine. You can choose to mix and match dishes, or stick with just Chinese or Indian if you fancy – it’s totally up to you.
Replacing former tapas restaurant Bellita on Cotham Hill, Rock Salt opened back in 2019, with the 35-cover restaurant offering both traditional Indian and Chinese dishes, alongside an impressive range of cocktails. A joint venture between Harris Massey, previously of Dishoom in London, and former Dhamaka chef Kedar Subedi, when BristolLive paid a visit at the time, we were impressed with the amount of choice, the experience of the staff, the food itself and the unique concept that “really works”.
And it seems that Rock Salt has only gone from strength to strength, with a 4.9 star Google rating. One reviewer who visited just three months ago at time of writing, said: “Honestly the loveliest place to go. The staff were amazing, the food was the nicest I’ve had for a long time. Best Chinese ever.
“Our friends had the Indian and loved it. We went in the afternoon and that was great for us as we were a group of six. It can get a bit rowdy with chatting and laughing, but we were the only people in there because we went mid afternoon. We had the attention of the staff for just us. It was a lovely atmosphere and we are already looking to book and go again the try the rest of the menu. Top marks.”
Cathay Rendezvous
Address: Georgian building, 30 King St, BS1 4DZ
Rounding out the top three in TripAdvisor’s list is Cathay Rendezvous, which is located on King Street and serves up Mandarin, Szechuan and Cantonese dishes in a former Georgian library on a picturesque cobbled street. Sounds idyllic, right?
For those of you who love to dine in a historic venue, The Old Library is a historic building on the north side of King Street, built in 1738–40 and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building. Until 1906 it housed the main collections of Bristol’s public library, which was one of the first in England when it was founded in 1613 on the same site.
From 1779 the building also contained one of the country’s first public displays of fossils. Nowadays, it’s home to the traditional freshly cooked Chinese dishes at Cathay Rendezvous, which are served with ‘modern flair’.
The chefs here ‘revive and modernise’ recipes to tell the story of ancient and contemporary China, combining wok, steam, and modern methods using local products and British Isles seafood when possible. They even boast a popular custom Peking duck experience, featuring three unique ways to enjoy this iconic dish.
With a 4.1 rating on Google, reviewers commend it for its location, food and service.
Mayflower
Sitting at number eight in the list is a firm favourite of many, currently temporarily closed after its move away from its former site of 20 years. Bristol Live reported last year that The Mayflower would be reopening in a new venue in Broadmead, opposite Primark.
The Mayflower, which was located at Haymarket Walk before closing due to redevelopment of the Premier Inn near the Bearpit roundabout, confirmed that work was still ongoing back in September to get set up at the new location. It’s hoped that we won’t have much longer to wait.
This family-owned authentic Chinese restaurant is best known for its impressive range of dishes, friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. It’s also well respected among the Chinese community as being ‘the go-to place for traditional food’.
The 4.1 star-rated business has more than 880 reviews on Google. One reviewer, who visited two years ago, said: “We visited for dinner on a Friday evening and really enjoyed our visit.
“The staff were very friendly and welcoming, and our food was delicious. We ordered a few different dishes including the crispy beef and chicken in black bean sauce and they were the best we’d ever tried. Pricing was very reasonable as well – we’ll definitely be back!”
Wong’s
Address: 12 Denmark Street, BS1 5DQ
Established in 2012 by winner of the BBC Chinese food competition, Annie Wong, Wong’s is a renowned Chinese restaurant serving up traditional Cantonese and Szechuan dishes in a dark wood interior, decorated with traditional lanterns and furniture. It also boasts a variety of vegan dishes, too.
With 3.7 stars on Google, and some 800 reviews, diners have commended it for its atmosphere and decor, as well as the food offerings. One reviewer visiting seven months ago at time of writing, said: “The most amazing food I’ve ever eaten!
“So many incredible vegan options and the most gorgeous decor too! Ordered vegan chicken skewers, vegan salt and pepper prawns, vegan special fried noodles, vegan Sichuan beef and vegan chicken curry. INCREDIBLE vegan menu!”
A second said: “Genuinely the best Chinese food I’ve ever tasted! Everyone was friendly and ‘granny’ helped us get the authentic experience with our order. Left the restaurant full and will be coming back.”