Bristol bistro Little French named one of UK's best outdoor dining venues

With less than a week to go until the hospitality industry reopens for outside service, people are busy booking tables at their favourite restaurants.

In Bristol we have a host of fantastic options when it comes to al fresco dining - and one of them has just been named among the best in the UK.

Little French in Westbury Park features in a guide showcasing the six best outdoor dining venues in the latest Telegraph Magazine, a supplement in Saturday's edition of The Daily Telegraph.

Headed up by renowned chef Freddy Bird, Little French opened in July 2019 and got off to a flying start, earning glowing reviews from Bristol Live's Mark Taylor as well as critics from The Guardian, The Times and more.

But just eight months after launching it had to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, and with no outdoor seating area, reopening would not have been feasible when hospitality returned in July 2020.

However after talks with the local vicar, Freddy was able to create a stunning 40-cover al fresco dining venue in the courtyard of the neighbouring Westbury Park Church, fully covered by a tent from Easton's Prickly Pear Stretch Tents.

The makeshift space, which is illuminated by twinkling fairy lights, proved to be a massive hit and was well booked up for much of the summer and autumn.

It is therefore making a return this year when Little French reopens on Monday (April 12), and reservations are already flooding in.

Describing the restaurant in its round-up, The Daily Telegraph writes: "Such is the bonhomie that chef Freddy Bird exudes, with the help of his exquisite Bristol restaurant, littlefrench, that the next-door church has come to his aid.

"A deal with the vicar - maybe he's baking the communion bread - means diners can enjoy the gorgeous fruits of Freddy's labours in the adjacent courtyard of Westbury Park Church.

"Freddy is at the heart of Bristol's emergence as a gastronomic paradise with his classic French regional dishes, starring the likes of wood-grilled turbot and Paris-Brest. The food is fab, the prices are beautifully sensible."

Little French will also be welcoming diners inside with a few socially distanced tables when it reopens next week.

To book a table, head to Little French's website.