Cafes and restaurants at Bristol's Cabot Circus say there are defying the economic downturn, with some enjoying double the custom they had predicted.

The 20 new restaurants and cafes which opened at the shopping centre in September have been busy as many retailers and other businesses in the city face testing times.

Among the eateries boasting of success are the Second Floor Restaurant and Bar at Harvey Nichols and Brasserie Blanc in Quakers Friars.

Richard Belt, centre director at Cabot Circus, said: "Cabot Circus has quickly become a dining destination and we have been delighted with the response.

"The restaurants have created a new social space and brought life back into the city centre.

"Some restaurants have reported very high customer numbers – sometimes doubling original predictions.

"This is a tremendous achievement, particularly considering the current economic climate, and testament to the diverse choice and quality of food on offer."

Sue Stones, general manager at Harvey Nichols, said: "The Second Floor Restaurant and Bar has exceeded all expectations. "Quakers Friars has quickly become a dining destination and our bar has been firmly established as 'the' cocktail bar for Bristol. We have sold more than 1,000 bottles of champagne since opening."

John Lederer, managing director at Brasserie Blanc, said: "Cabot Circus and the city of Bristol have been an absolute delight. Business is very good."

Vikki O Neill, marketing manager at Giraffe, said: "In the first two weeks of trading, we achieved 148 per cent over the estimated number of customers.

"We have never seen a launch of this magnitude – we were welcoming up to 4,000 guests a week, totally surpassing expectations."

John Hallett, managing director at Destination Bristol, which promotes tourism and leisure in the city, said Bristol's restaurant and cafe industry appeared to be holding up well in the downturn.

He said: "There's a general consensus that people are spending more money and time within their own locality and not travelling as far as they would previously.

"The mid-market restaurants appear to be doing reasonably well and there have been a lot of reports that the budget eateries are doing exceptionally well.

"While some restaurants have been suffering quite badly, those responding to what people are looking for appear to be doing reasonably well.

"You see some restaurants doing things like lunch offers and these are the businesses which are going to thrive because they are responding to the current circumstances and being light on their feet, which is what they need to do at the moment."