The Ultimate Guide To Spending A Weekend in Bristol
Bristol has long held the title of one of the UK’s coolest cities, built up over decades of street art, independent shops and a food and drink scene that answers to no one. The trouble is knowing where to actually start, since the best of it rarely shouts about itself and tends to hide down side streets and behind unmarked doors. Consider this your shortcut: the hotels, restaurants, bars and sights worth making time for on your trip.
Where to stay
Hotel Du Vin
Housed in a former sugar refinery on Narrow Lewins Mead, Hotel du Vin brings its trademark mix of French bistro comfort to Bristol’s centre. Rooms and suites keep things classic, with sumptuous bedding and tasteful touches, while downstairs the bistro turns out French favourites made with local, seasonal ingredients alongside an extensive wine cellar.
There’s an outdoor terrace too, and you’re a short walk from the Harbourside, the Old City and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. It’s a solid, dependable choice for anyone who wants their city break with a glass of something good in hand.
Where: The Sugar House, Narrow Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NU
Website: www.hotelduvin.com
Number 38, Clifton
Set in a Georgian merchant’s house facing Clifton Downs, Number 38 Clifton is the perfect billing for those looking for a boutique city stay. The interiors mix period detail with vintage finds and modern art, and a few of the loft suites even come with their own copper tubs.
It’s a ten-minute walk to Clifton Down station and the bars and restaurants of Clifton Village, making it an easy base for exploring that side of the city.
Where: 38 Upper Belgrave Rd, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XN
Website: www.number38.com
Harbour Hotel
Set inside two former nineteenth-century banks on Corn Street, Harbour Hotel Bristol pairs original period grandeur with the brand’s signature bold, velvet-clad interiors. Rooms lean into rich colour palettes and plush furnishings, and many look straight out over the Old City’s rooftops. It’s a proper city centre base too, with St Nicholas Market, the docks and Bristol’s best bars all within a short stroll. Come evening, head down to the Gold Bar for a cocktail before dinner at Harbour Kitchen.
Where: 53-55 Corn St, Bristol BS1 1HT
Website: www.harbourhotels.com
What to eat
OTHER
Behind a bright orange door in Bedminster, Other is the work of Emma Lyons and Zak Hitchman, the latter a former Casamia head chef who honed his craft at Ynyshir before landing in Bristol.
The menu of small and large sharing plates changes weekly, but expect bold, globally minded cooking. Think plum sauce pork and celeriac, or a whole miso-glazed aubergine served with baba ganoush, harissa and garlic buttered flatbread.
The room matches the food: cosy, colourful and a little chaotic in the best way, with counter seats by the kitchen if you want to watch it all come together.
Where: 32 Cannon St, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1BN
Website: www.otherrestaurant.com
FED
FED is a small, homegrown group of neighbourhood cafés dotted across Bristol, from its flagship on Gloucester Road to a harbourside spot inside the Arnolfini gallery.
Each café has its own neighbourhood feel rather than a cookie-cutter look, so it’s worth picking whichever branch is nearest to wherever you’re exploring that day.
It’s a reliable, unfussy pick for anyone who wants a good coffee and something decent to eat without needing a reservation.
Where: venues across Bristol
Website: www.fedcafe.com
Sonny Stores
Tucked into a former corner shop on a quiet Southville side street, Sonny Stores has become one of Bristol’s most beloved institutions.
The menu changes daily depending on what’s good and in season, think handmade pasta, deep-fried quail and a beef shin ragu that regulars will tell you not to skip, all served in a bright, terrazzo-floored room that feels more like someone’s sunny kitchen than a restaurant. B
ook ahead if you can, since it fills up fast with locals who treat the place like a second home.
Where: 47 Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol BS3 1QS
Website: www.sonnystores.com
Gambas
Gambas is the seafood-focused sister restaurant to Bristol institution Bravas, and it’s every bit as good at Spanish tapas done properly.
As the name suggests, prawns are the speciality, cooked half a dozen different ways, alongside a wider menu of fresh fish and seafood built for sharing across the table. Head chef Gustavo Benet, who trained in Michelin-starred kitchens back in his native Valencia, keeps things clean and simple rather than overworked, and there are counter seats if you want to watch the open kitchen in action. Grab a table on the terrace at golden hour with a glass of something Spanish and you’ve got one of the best sunset spots on the harbour.
Where: Unit 12, Cargo 2, Museum St, Bristol BS1 6ZA
Website: www.gambas.com
Mercy Mercy Mercy
Slotted into Boyce’s Avenue in Clifton Village, Mercy Mercy Mercy is the neighbourhood spot doing coffee, brunch and, true to the name, a bit of hair of the dog too.
It’s local in its sourcing, with beans from Hard Lines, milk from Bruton Dairy, veg from Reg the Veg over the road and eggs from St Ewe, and it shows in the quality of what lands on the plate.
By evening the kitchen winds down and the drinks take over, with cocktails on tap from Black Lines and beer from Bristol favourite Wiper and True. No bookings needed either, so it’s an easy in and out whether you’re after a flat white or a margarita.
Where: 6a Boyce’s Ave, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AA
Website: www.mercymercymercy.com
Mangosteen
Mangosteen brings Thai tapas to a handful of Bristol neighbourhoods, with the Cotham Hill branch a good bet for a laid back dinner in the leafy streets around Clifton and Redland.
The menu leans into small, sharing-style plates, covering curries and stir-fries with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options built in throughout.
It’s part of a wider stable of restaurants and bars from restaurateur Kedar Subedi, who also has RockSalt, Harbour Hub and Golden Crane around the city, so expect a similarly relaxed setup here.
Where: Venues across Bristol
Website: www.mangosteen.com
What to drink
KASK wine
Down a Bedminster backstreet on North Street, KASK is Bristol’s go-to for natural and organic wine, poured from the tap or by the glass alongside a weekly changing selection of artisan cheese and charcuterie.
The focus is squarely on small, sustainable producers rather than big label bottles, so expect grape varieties you’ve probably never heard of from growers who treat farming as seriously as winemaking. Walk-ins are always welcome, and the team are happy to talk you through the list without a hint of snobbery. There’s a shop attached as well if you fall for a bottle and want to take it home.
Where: 51 North St, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1EN
Website: www.kaskwine.com
Carmen Street Wine
Just around the corner from beloved Bristol establishment Caper and Cure, lies its sister spot, Carmen Street Wine.
The walk-in bottle shop and bar is serving wine, Guinness and oysters from the same Caper and Cure team. Between the two, it’s one of the better pockets of Bristol for anyone who takes their glass as seriously as their plate.
Where: Carmen Beckford St, St Paul’s, Bristol BS1 3FD
Website: www.caperandcure.com
Greystone Coffee
Greytone is a small batch roastery working out of Dean Street Works in St Philips, sourcing single origin beans from growers across Colombia, Ethiopia, Peru and Kenya and roasting them on site.
Drop by and pick up a coffee or matcha before picking up some beans for the road to recreate the drinks at home. It’s a solid stop for anyone who takes their coffee seriously and wants to bring a bit of Bristol home with them.
Where: Unit A, Dean Street Works, 13-19 Dean St, Bristol BS2 8SF
Website: www.greystonecoffee.com
Same Again
Tucked onto the riverside at Finzels Reach, on the site of the old Courage brewery, Same Again is the debut bar from Pippa Guy, formerly of The Savoy’s American Bar, and Sebastiano Fileccia, once general manager at Bristol favourite Milk Thistle.
It’s a small, forty-cover space built around two shared passions, champagne and whisky, with a seasonal cocktail list that changes to spotlight whatever produce is at its best. The look is light, bright and a little glamorous too, making it a smart pick for an early evening glass of something sparkling by the water.
Where: Hawkins Ln, Bristol BS1 6JQ
Website: www.sameagain.com
Drizzle
Follow your nose down the cobbled Christmas Steps, and you’ll find Drizzle, a tiny green-fronted cake and coffee shop.
Loaf cakes are made fresh every morning at the back of the shop, with flavours changing daily. Think lemon drizzle made to the founder’s nan’s original recipe, Victoria sponge, Guinness cake and a rotating cast of banana breads among them.
The coffee comes from Triple Co, the Montpelier roastery that’s become one of the city’s better-known names, so it’s every bit as good a reason to stop by as the cakes are.
Where: 4 Christmas Steps, Bristol BS1 5BS
Website: www.drizzle.com
What to do
Walk over Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel’s first great project and still Bristol’s most recognisable landmark, Clifton Suspension Bridge has been strung 75 metres above the Avon Gorge since 1864.
Walking across is free and takes just a few minutes, but the reward is one of the best views in the city. It’s an easy add-on to a wander round Clifton Village, and worth timing for late afternoon when the light over the gorge is at its best.
Where: Bristol BS3 2JX
Hunt for Banksy
Bristol is home to famed graffiti artist Banksy, and though he’s kept his identity secret, the city is still home to a scattering of his original street art.
Well Hung Lover, painted in broad daylight on a sexual health clinic on Frogmore Street, is the headline piece, best viewed from the bridge at the bottom of Park Street, while Mild Mild West, a teddy bear squaring up to riot police, holds court in the more countercultural surroundings of Stokes Croft. Down on the harbourside, tucked into an alley near the marina, the Girl with the Pierced Eardrum reimagines Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring with a security alarm standing in for the earring.
Grab a map, wear comfortable shoes, and you have your afternoon in Bristol sorted.
Climb Cabot Tower
Perched atop Brandon Hill, Bristol’s oldest park, Cabot Tower has stood over the city since 1898, built to mark the four hundredth anniversary of John Cabot’s voyage from the harbour below to the shores of North America.
The climb up its narrow, twisting staircase is steep and can get a little squeezy if you meet someone coming the other way, but it’s free and quick, and the reward at the top is arguably the best view in the city, taking in the harbour, Clifton Suspension Bridge, both cathedrals and, on a clear day, the Cotswolds beyond.
Where: Brandon Hill Park, Park St, Bristol BS1 5RR
