After more than 20 years, one of Bristol’s most beloved Chinese restaurants was forced to relocate last year from its location in the Haymarket, in the city centre. And it was only last week that Mayflower finally reopened in its new location opposite Primark along The Horsefair in Broadmead.
The popular restaurant reopened last week (Tuesday, January 27), just in time for Lunar New Year celebrations. As a cherished establishment for many locals, my partner and I were very excited to see how their new location compared.
The new space is freshly renovated with a huge bar and airy dining space. It was beautifully decorated with red and gold lanterns when we visited and we were pleased to be sat by the large windows, a notably brighter difference from the previous location.
The staff at Mayflower have always been exemplary. We arrived about twenty minutes early for our booking, due to anxious anticipation on our part, and they were still really accommodating and found a table for us within a few minutes.
With complementary prawn crackers on the table, we had a great time pouring over their extensive menu. As expected, the food at Mayflower remains exceptional.
Now everyone has their go to favourites for a Chinese order so we decided to get our usual, with a few new additions. We started with the prawn toast (£8.50) which was perfectly crispy and golden.
The huge portion of sweet and sour chicken (£14.20) was my partner’s favourite. We also decided to try the ‘roasties’ duo of pork belly and duck from the grill (£19.20) which we wouldn’t typically order but saw it arrive at the table next to ours and couldn’t ignore the food envy.
I will definitely be adding this to future takeaway orders; both meats were so tender and full of flavour. As a huge pork crackling fan, I will be ordering this dish for that alone.
We also ordered a plain chow mein (£10.50) which is a must to accompany my personal favourite dish of crispy shredded beef (£15.20). All the food was incredible and we will definitely be going again.
While the overall dining experience was positive, there were a few teething issues. Most notably our sweet and sour chicken was forgotten from our order and we were only able to get the attention of a staff member towards the end of our meal.
However, they were very apologetic and rectified the issue quickly. The rest of our food was also noticeably lukewarm when it arrived, which was a real shame but it was still tasty.
These minor setbacks wouldn’t stop me from recommending a visit or takeaway order to others, as they are understandable during a transition period. I am hopeful the level of staffing will be adjusted as the restaurant settles into its new location.
Despite minor challenges, Mayflower’s new Broadmead location builds upon its longstanding reputation for quality and authenticity. The combination of a brighter, more spacious setting, friendly service, and delicious food means, even in a new location, it remains one of Bristol’s most-loved Chinese restaurants.