Banco Lounge

Reviews

• Oliver S.

  star star star star star_border 10 June 2026

  The Banco Lounge is one of a number of 'Banco' bars scattered around the country (I recently stumbled across one in the village of Caversham near Reading). It is situated in what used to be a bank on the corner of a busy road in South Bristol.
  
  The overall effect when you enter is that it is a welcoming, warm and cozily lit place. It is almost always busy and they have a great range of beers and wines to choose from, all easily visible from your side of the bar. The Toga Beer is their own contribution to what's on offer and it's pretty good. Also they have favourites such as Addlestone's cider.
  
  The food is what sets it apart. The range on offer may look, at first, like your run of the mill pub food but it becomes obvious that there is more to it. they do an excellent range of Mezze with delicious choices including albondigas and a delicious houmous. The burgers are also absolutely fantastic. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon when you need some serious comfort food.
  
  Papers and games are on offer as is information on events in and around Bristol. Like most places which are worth their salt in Bristol, there is real support for other local businesses and events. I suppose most important are the friendly staff. There does seem to be a high turnover of new faces, but they are generally an upbeat and capable lot, eager to please.
  
  Pop along if you want to be sure of a cozy evening/afternoon in a decent pub  with a pleasant atmosphere.

• Jack R.

  star star star star_border star_border 7 June 2026

  Nice atmosphere and decor, friendly staff. I had pork Milanese and my other half had the Mac and cheese with bacon, the food is nicely presented. However the Mac and cheese was very bland and the bacon that cost an extra £1.50 was floppy and a bit sweet and its smokeyness was a bit kippery. The Pork Milanese was ok but the spaghetti and sauce it came with was really under seasoned. All in all for 2 mains and a beer & a coke at £26.80 I expected the food to be better - may just be an off day here so won't write the place off completely but with the star and dove just down the road and similarly priced for their bar menu I think I'll be spending my money there instead.

• Lucy R.

  star star star star_border star_border 6 June 2026

  I'm never particularly impressed with this place, I used to like the lounges but they have recently changed the menu and it's not as varied or interesting. I had mac and cheese on this visit and it was pretty bland and at 8.50 it was overpriced too!

• Henry N.

  star star star star_border star_border 22 May 2026

  The latest of the local Lounges to spring up in the city, this one is housed in a former bank in Totterdown. It very much follows the formula of the others in the small chain, with an identical menu and even the same pictures adorning the walls.
  
  Where I would say this is inferior to the original Bedminster-based establishment is that it's far smaller, with too many tables and chairs crammed in. Consequently it gets a bit crowded and waits at the bar can get a bit tedious. However, the reason that it always seems to be busy is that the food is very good and very reasonable.
  
  I would personally recommend the sweet chilli chicken panini with chips and salad for just £6, though this remains very much somewhere I would pop in for some grub (including breakfast - they open at 9am), than actually sit down and drink for more than a quick pint.

• Qype User (hayle…)

  star star star star star_border 15 May 2026

  A recent addition to the Lounge chain in Bristol, the Banco Lounge is located in the old Lloyds Bank building, which was then used by the YMCA.
  The food is pretty good, although we went recently for breakfast and it seemed to take quite a while for our food to come out.
  They have lots of beers, a varied menu, and books and games to play with while waiting for your food!