Cathay Rendezvous

Someone from this business manages this listing.

421 reviews

#251 of 1,519 Restaurants in Bristol££ - £££, Chinese, Asian, Cantonese

+44 117 922 6161+ Add website

Hours

Sun

17:30 - 23:45

Tue

17:30 - 23:45

Wed

17:30 - 23:45

Thu

17:30 - 23:45

Fri

17:30 - 23:45

Sat

17:30 - 23:45

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Ratings and reviews

4.0

421 reviews

#251 of 1,519 Restaurants in Bristol

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Chinese, Asian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

“The prawn toast from here is always the best really thick juicy layer of prawn !”

“... and we were advised to order one rice bowl per person, when in fact they ...”

“Excellent friendly authentic Chinese restaurant!”

Location and contact

30 King Street, Bristol BS1 4DZ England

Old City

+44 117 922 6161

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Does this restaurant serve Shanghai food?

Yes

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Details

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About

Situated in King Street, which dates back to 1650, our impressive building was designed in 1738 as the first purpose-built library in England. Within its elegant facade, the restaurant offers spacious and flexible air-conditioned rooms on two levels. Licensed for 150 people, we can cater for parties and events of all sizes. Cathay Rendezvous offers diners a unique experience in oriental cuisine that spans the main gastronomic regions of China, cooked and presented in truly authentic style. Established in 1986, Cathay Rendezvous is still the leading Chinese restaurant in Bristol flavoured by local and National Celebrities. A Bristol institution which have been copied and imitated by others but there is only one Cathay Rendezvous.

PRICE RANGE

£15.00 – £40.00

CUISINES

Chinese, Asian, Cantonese, Szechuan, Shanghai, Hong Kong

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Dinner, After-hours, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Buffet, Private Dining, Seating, Street Parking, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.0

421 reviews

Excellent

206

Very good

113

Average

Poor

Terrible

Heidibirman

Bristol90 contributions

Nice food, not spectacular. Wouldn’t rush back

Feb 2020 • friends

Visited Cathay Rendezvous on a Wednesday evening. It was a cold and wet evening and unfortunately once seated the restaurant was quite drafty and we had to ask to be moved. Me and my friend ordered starters of chilli squid, vegetable spring rolls and prawn dumplings. Prawn dumplings were lovely, squid was nice, vegetable spring rolls were average and all served with shop bought bottled sweet chilli sauce, which is always a disappointment. Next we had mains of sweet and sour prawn and honey chicken. Again, both were pleasant but nothing spectacular. Rice was pretty bland and needed salt or soy but there was none on the table. Waitresses seemed to lack a bit of confidence and seemed very timid but nothing negative to say. Overall, nice food but not amazing. Wouldn’t rush back but would also eat here again if invited by somebody else.

Written 15 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

aveagoodtime

Bristol286 contributions

Just the ticket

Feb 2020 • none

Three of us took advantage of the Express Lunch Offer of £9.95/ £12.95 for 2/3 courses. We enjoyed the food which we thought represented excellent value for money. The staff were courteous and the service was very good. There were 6 starters on offer and approx 10 main courses. This is very good for the price. I thoroughly enjoyed my choices of chicken satay and beef in black bean sauce. My tip has to be to try this restaurant for lunch - the price applies Tuesday to Saturday (closed Mondays and not applicable on Sundays).

Written 17 February 2020

Desmond C

Cardiff359 contributions

Busy restaurant on a Saturday night.

Jan 2020 • none

I was recommended this Chinese restaurant by the receptionist in the hotel where I was staying. It seems fairly authentic and worth a visit. I selected the 1/4 aromatic crispy duck for my starter which came with 11 steamed pancakes and the usual accompaniments for £13.95. There was plenty of meat for one person and more than enough pancakes. My main course was a sizzling lamb with ginger and spring onion with a good hit from the lemon grass which was an inspired infusion. I had a choice of plain boiled rice or egg fried rice for an extra £3.20. I chose the fried rice which caught me out as the egg pieces were so small that they blended in with the rice which had not been fried very long. Lamb can be a bit chewy but this was not. A good main meal for £14.95. My choice of wine was European. Although China does have some vineyards, let's not be silly. I selected the Valpolicella Ripasso classico superiore- Recchia, Italian, 2014 at 14.5% volume and £29. Never spoil a meal with a cheap bottle of plonk! Worth the extra. Busy on a Saturday evening. It is always satisfying to see Chinese nationals eating in a Chinese restaurant as they should know the real thing. Beware the steps! I think it is 3 to enter, 4 to descend into the lower area and the toilets are on the first floor so more steps. About 100 covers and graded a 4 star health assessment.

Written 5 January 2020

Meg

Bristol128 contributions

Great food

Aug 2020 • couples

Great duck pancakes, all dishes tasted excellent, no complaints on taste. Dim sum platter and duck pancakes stuck to the paper in the steamer so had trouble eating those. Rice dishes were a bit pricey. Service lacked a little bit, we had about 3-4 different waiters/waitresses, the final man who took our payment gave the best service as he had a little joke with us. The rest of staff didn't speak and were running about.

Written 10 August 2020

Neill M

14 contributions

Not good at all

Jan 2020 • couples

Went to this restaurant with high hopes. The result was a very poor meal, to be honest I have had better at a takeaway but that would be an insult to the takeaways I have had in the past. th The staff were clowning about and the food was dreadful my chicken curry was microwaved and the meal my wife had which was noodle based was simply greasy and horrible. When this is mentioned to a member of staff she simply shrugged. I don’t normally do bad reviews but this needs to be said.

Written 7 January 2020

wisewonderer1223

Bristol529 contributions

Good venue let down by food and staff

Oct 2021 • none

This being our first visit we were impressed by the building inside and out but there the compliments end I am afraid to say. It was a birthday gathering with family many of whom we have not seen in nearly 2 years but the celebrations were spoiled by the food and service. We waited for a long time for the drink order to be taken several times and then a long wait for service and or had to remind them, they served a gin and tonic order to someone who had ordered water! The menus were very hard to decipher and not very well explained at all, prices are high especially for the standard one gets. Some standard dishes missing from menu as well. The food was not very well presented, felt like it was shoved out with no care on strange sized plates or bowls. even the dinner plate was strangely small. Different people in our group had complaints such as things being under cooked or missing. The waitress when asked several questions just said ''I don't know'' with a shrug and that was it! There were long waits between courses and most dishes were not very good tasting, dry or not much meat. Everyone there that evening are used to eating at very good Asian restaurants all over the world and this is just not one unfortunately. Even spotted a long noodle, from another tables order, trailing on the arm of the waiter. We shall not be returning.

Written 13 November 2021

klammer

171 contributions

Nice setting,good atmosphere,good quality but

Mar 2020 • none

Overall,this was a pleasant meal with good atmosphere and friendly service. Whilst the quality of the food was good the menu lacked some regulars such as duck with plum sauce.Whilst they also had crispy beef and chicken there was no crispy duck on offer.We also thought three bowls of fried rice at £10 .50 was overpriced. We would visit again but would check the menu more closely beforehand to ensure our favourites were listed.

Written 16 March 2020

SmartieBristol

176 contributions

Just the ticket!

Jan 2020 • none

Visited here on saturday evening on the off chance there was a free table, luckily they managed to fit us in. Glad they did, had a lovely meal. 2 starters, 3 main courses and rice dish and 2 rounds of large drinks, just over £90 which I thought was not bad considering the location. Food was lovely, staff really friendly. Will be back another time !

Written 30 January 2020

Birbeck54

Bristol600 contributions

Some Things Good, But Mostly Mediocre

Aug 2020 • friends

Went late evening during Govt's Eat Out Scheme. My Dim Sum starter was tasty. My friend's seafood main course was more interesting than my crispy chilli chicken (bits) which was not very tasty, and just piled on a plate without any garnish, or sauce to go with rice. Most sides are overpriced, and my few, slighhly overcooked brocolli and garlic spears was just ok. The waiter was polite and efficient. Only one toilet, which was upstairs, The disabled one was out of service. In a central and historic street and listed building, which makes it a popular place, and prices reflect this. Had a good lunch (great deals) there several years ago, so probably would visit again.

Written 15 September 2020

Valerie L

1 contribution

Such a Disappointment

Mar 2022 • none

Having read good reviews about the Cathay Rendezvous, we were really looking forward to my Birthday celebration meal. What a disappointment. The mixed starters were hardly warm, let alone hot. The sesame prawn toasts advertised as fingers consisted of one bread slice cut in two and were not crispy, just soggy. We mentioned this to our waitress who was very sweet and said she would tell her manager. The manage never materialised! For main course we had beef in black bean sauce and sweet and sour chicken with additional rice and noodles. The beef was tough and for us inedible, we had to leave it. The chicken was however perfectly acceptable but not up to standards that we are used to at other chinese restaurants. Once again we complained but no apology or appearance from the manager and no recompense for the beef meal we could not eat. What a letdown. Just shows it doesn't necessarily pay to check reviews.

Written 24 March 2022

CAmpbellSs

Saltford29 contributions

We booked this restaurant

Aug 2020 • none

We booked this restaurant based on the reviews and can’t see how there are any positives. Upon arrival we were left standing in the foyer 5 minutes before we were shown to our table. Only two of the employees were wearing masks. No hand sanitiser or social distancing in place. No covid signage no contact tracing . Menus were sticky on the table and the place just had a general lack of atmosphere. The waitress was sweet but seemed oblivious again to social distancing . As the menus was sticky after we placed our orders I went to the ladies to wash my hands. An employee came out from the toilet again no one way system in place and pulled the flush but DID NOT WASH HER HANDS! I then attempted to turn on the hot tap to wash mine only to find it was turned off and tightly. Only cold water available , soap was available but in these times of a pandemic , it would be welcome . My husband then went to wash his only to find the same thing , no hot water. He reported the employee for not washing her hands and the lack of hot water, and was told there had been a leak so cold water was ok. Not even responding to the lack of hand washing from the staff member . Needless to say we left immediately. Wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

Written 15 August 2020

Cathay_bristol

Hello, We’re sorry about your experience this week. Since reopening it’s been a constant learning process for us to get everything right. I’m sorry that you had to wait for 5 minutes at the foyer, as we were short of staff and we were busy. We do have a big bottle of hand sanitizer at the foyer for guests to use before they enter rather than on the tables. Our tables are two meters apart and follow government regulations. We have a one way system for customers to come in & exit the restaurant but this is difficult to enforce across the restaurant. We had 3 waitressing staff whom are all were wearing masks. The gentleman behind the bar was not as we don’t encourage customers to drink at the bar at the moment because of the difficulty in social distancing. We do have all our customers contact numbers when they are dining with us. Regarding the hot water, unfortunately we have had a hot water issue which meant that day we had to turn off the hot water completely so as not to burn customers hands. NHS guidelines are to wash your hands with water & antibacterial with cold water still being okay - which we had in place. We apologise that you weren’t able to use the hot water and can assure you this is being fixed for future customers. Regarding you stating the employee didn’t wash their hands we have to respectfully disagree with that. Our employees wash their hands and regularly sanitise throughout the night. Either way we are sorry that you’ve had a bad experience with us, we’d like to extend an invitation to return for dinner on us, but understand if you would rather not. Cathay Rendezvous

Written 21 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Blackth0rn

Bristol1371 contributions

A bit of a mixed bag

Jan 2023 • none

A long established and very large Chinese restaurant, we’ve been here a few times over the years and have always found it to be a pretty decent standard. We noted a few Chinese customers on our recent visit which always strikes me as a good sign, although the large room that we were then shown in to seemed a bit lacking in any atmosphere with only two other customers. There was also a distinct chill in the air, and we noted a number of small fan heaters around, so once had to tread carefully to avoid tripping over their cables. Whether there was a problem with the heating, or they felt this would be cheaper than turning it on, I’m not sure, but it certainly didn’t add to the atmosphere. I noticed they had Asahi on tap which was a pretty good choice, even if it is Japanese rather than Chinese, and, I believe, brewed in the UK. Something a little more authentic wouldn’t have gone amiss, but it could have been worse. The menu offered an extensive selection covering all bases, and we opted for the mixed starters consisting of “homemade” spring rolls, BBQ spare ribs, chicken satay skewers and sesame prawn fingers. It was all distinctly average and it all tasted as though it had been lying around for some time rather than being freshly cooked, with the spring rolls being particularly stale. The spare ribs were quite fatty and chewy, and the bbq sauce tasted very artificial. I’ve had far better food from my local takeaway. Main courses of sweet & sour chicken and a crispy chilli beef fared much better, both were decent enough, albeit nothing spectacular, but they were certainly a great improvement over the starters. Service was on the whole good enough, although the drinks seemed to take a long time coming and we were advised to order one rice bowl per person, when in fact they were massive and one would have been plenty for two to share. At around £40 per head including service and a couple of rounds of drinks, it’s not bad value.

Written 9 January 2023

Claire F

1 contribution

Family meal

Aug 2022 • family

We visited here for a meal on our stay in Bristol and can honestly say it was the worst Chinese we have ever had. We ordered a set meal for 3 between 4 of us. The starters didn't include all what they should have and when the main course came the crispy beef dish was inedible and had orange shavings on that were very dry and weren't appetising and the chicken satay wasnt at all like we expected, deep fried pale looking plastic chicken. When the bill came they added on service charge and tax which came to £27 extra on the bill. Total rip off and wouldn't return. Would not recommend at all.

Written 27 August 2022

vestas

Bristol108 contributions

So disappointed

Dec 2022 • family

This place has been a Bristol landmark for many years. We have always come here for family treats etc since the children were young. They loved it here. We brought my son yesterday to celebrate him turning 18 a few days earlier and to carry on the family tradition of bringing them here. Oh how disappointing! I don’t know what’s happened to this place. The courses all turned up at such different time that some were still waiting for their food when other had finished. The waiter was taking the wrong plates to the wrong tables all evening. To top it off it was absolutely freezing cold in the restaurant. Everyone was sitting in their coats. An expensive place which used to be worth paying that extra for. So disappointed.

Written 3 December 2022

MySloeLink

United Kingdom342 contributions

Where to start?

Mar 2023 • none

Hospitality businesses have had it tough over the past few years, but even making allowances for that, there’s no excuse for probably the worst meal I’ve had for a very long time. I should have paid attention to other recent reviews. It takes a particular skill (and not a good one) to be able to serve up a meal so completely lacking in flavour and taste. First up, the restaurant lacks any atmosphere. Granted it was early evening but we were put in an empty room so cold we had to keep our coats on. A couple of small heaters had no impact at all. On the positive side, service was attentive. The mixed starter plate was the usual mixed starter in a Chinese restaurant. Not home made, all bought in, we’ve had it numerous times. The chicken satay was a particular low point but fairly typical of all the meat dishes, a rare combination of tough but watery. As for the sauces, absolutely a million miles away from even moderate flavour to coat the meats. And sesame toast and spring roll – how can you cook the flavour out of that? Crispy aromatic duck with pancakes – the pancakes were the only things as expected. A bit of a high point, almost. There was no crispy and no aromatic, the duck was bordering on tepid and again no flavour. We had a polite word with our server who said he would speak to the kitchen to see what could be done. Given they were unlikely to be preparing fresh for us, I doubted we’d get anything. Three dishes came out flavourless and barely warm. A chicken dish came out with the server proclaiming the hope that this dish would be different. Indeed it was. It was hot, for a start. Then we found out why, it seemed like in order to get some flavour into the dish, it had been given a quick go in a wok and doused in soy sauce. So, it did have flavour, just not the flavour of the dish. Given it was so cold in there we couldn’t really even laugh the experience off as ‘one of those things’. I can’t recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.

Written 13 March 2023

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CATHAY RENDEZVOUS, Bristol - Old City - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor