Grace Dent Praises Ragù and Lapin as Bristol Gems
grace dent has named Ragù and Lapin in Bristol as “absolute gems,” putting two Wapping Wharf restaurants back in front of readers who follow restaurant criticism for their next booking. She singled them out in her Guardian column last year, when MasterChef had “sucked up most of her waking hours” and she got to fewer restaurants than normal.
Wapping Wharf's two picks
Ragù and Lapin both trade from repurposed shipping containers on the harbourside, and Dent’s praise gives each a high-profile endorsement at a moment when critics’ shortlists still move diners. Lapin was described as a “peculiar, meta, slightly earnest and definitely delicious” slice of France, while Dent said she would “add caviar to any dish” if asked.
Lapin’s menu, according to Dent, ran from asparagus with sauce gribiche and gnocchi Parisienne to lapin whenever local hunters managed to bag some bunnies. She also highlighted its 80s French pop soundtrack and its “mint-green, menthe-over-club-soda diabolo” for providing “French exchange school trip vibes.”
Ragù and Lapin in Bristol
Ragù drew the sharper verdict. Dent said it may quite simply be one of the greatest dinners she has eaten this decade, adding that it delivered “flawless cooking in completely understated surroundings.”
The Bristol restaurant is run by Karen Chapman and Mark Chapman, who met in Australia before settling in the city and say their love of Italy inspired Ragù. The restaurant focuses on “quality ingredients, prepared simply, with love,” offers a seasonally updated menu, and invites diners in alone or with friends and family for an “aperitif, full family feast or a slice of tiramisu.” Karen and Mark also run COR, which gives Ragù a second layer of operational weight in Bristol’s dining scene.
Dent's return to One
From 9pm on One, Dent will return to screens with MasterChef and put six more amateurs through their paces. That schedule matters because it puts her tasting notes back in public view at the same time as these Bristol rooms are being framed as among her favourites.
For Bristol diners, the takeaway is simple: if you want the places Dent put at the top of her own list, Wapping Wharf is where she sent people last year. Ragù and Lapin already had the credentials; her words give them a wider audience and a stronger case for the next table booking.
