I very much enjoyed eating out in Bristol; there were so many places where you could enjoy a colourful and reflective hour. I especially enjoyed the many independent cafés and eateries which lent a local flavour, from gigi bistros in Clifton village to the many food stalls at the St Nicholas indoor markets.
St Nicholas Markets, Corn Street
Pieminster
The St Nicholas markets were just round the corner from the theatre I was working at, which was handy as at the centre of it is a real variety of delicious-looking and smelling food stalls! Fresh felafel, pies, Jamaican curries, Indian dishes, Moroccan food, fresh juices – though not huge, it has everything your heart and yours stomach could desire, with an organic café too, if all you fancied was a beverage.
Me and Matt decided on Pieminster one lunchtime, which was a really great choice because I still think back to that pie, weeks later, and salivate. They have a range of pies that you can take away cold, or eat hot at their tables, and for £8 you get a towering mass of pie with minted mushy peas, red wine gravy, cheddar cheese, mash, and fried shallots. I had a fish pie, with salmon, haddock and prawn served in a creamy white sauce, and every mouthful was a delight.
The Canteen, 80 Stokes Croft
www.canteenbristol.co.uk/
Gloucester Road featured heavily on my post on Bristol’s street art, and toward the bottom of it is the Canteen, a rather unassuming-looking pub located amongst some of the wall murals in one of the grittier parts of Bristol. Inside, it is a huge space serving as a music venue as well as having a lovely and affordable menu. I loved the hectic and colourful mismatch of the rather industrial interior, especially the crochet granny square lampshades and the pompom trims on the table numbers. I had soup, a seared fish dish with sushi rice and seaweed (altogether like cooked, deconstructed sushi ingredients which were then stacked up…) and a delicious coffee. The food was quite nice, if rather on the stingy side portion-wise.
Primrose Cafe
1 Clifton Arcade, Boyce avenue, Clifton Village
www.primrosecafe.co.uk/
I got very lost whilst trying to find Clifton Village and Clifton Arcade (not to be confused with the area near Clifton Downs train station! – It’s not very near to that at all!). When I finally got there I discovered that most of the shops there are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I had lunch instead.
The Primrose Cafe was a delightful cafe/bistro in a rather gigi area of Bristol which felt somewhat like Stoke Newington in London. I had a really delicious latte, and a salad with those fried risotto balls with goats cheese. I did not photograph this as I was just too hungry, but rest assured that it was really tasty. I do recommend this lovely café if you make it to Clifton Village with success (or not); it’s pretty inside, with tulips on the table reminding me that spring is coming, and gold stars painted on an indigo ceiling. Their lunch menu looked great, with a yummy selection of sandwiches on offer as well. I believe that they also serve dinner.
No.1 Harbourside, 1 Canons Road
http://no1harbourside.co.uk
On a snowy morning my colleagues and I walked in to the theatre bundled up layers and layers of clothing, myself dragging my heels a little due to a little hangover…It was a glorious walk which took us along the rivers which wind round into the centre of town. We stopped for brunch at No.1 Harbourside, a bustling bar with a restaurant/café area featuring huge glass windows overlooking the boats on the water. The interiors are illustrated all over and it’s great fun spotting all of the handmade details, especially the hand-lettered signs which are popular throughout Bristol.
By the time the food came we were all far too ravenous to even think of taking photos. (Can you sense a trend here?) I refrained from photographing an empty plate for you; suffice to know that the fish, chips & mushy peas were delicious. The fish came in really crisp batter, soft delicate flakes and a great tartar sauce as a condiment. Lovely interiors, a great atmosphere, good view, and good, fairly priced food: a winner all round!
-Anushka
Wow I enjoyed reading this! I actually created those crocheted lampshades for the Cateen in Bristol and am so thrilled to finally see pictures of them, thanks so much for posting these photos!!
The fact that it’s the home to around 44,000 students probably says a lot for the quality of the city’s nightlife. Surprisingly, though, it’s relatively expensive, with prices similar to those in London. Mainstream nightlife centers around 3 main areas – Corn Street in the ‘old city’, Park Street / Whiteladies Road, and the Harbourside. These areas get extremely busy, if not rowdy, at weekends, however there are plenty of places in Bristol where you can have a good time without mixing with more student type crowds. drinksinbristol is a good source of information, as is Venue magazine.. The eastern end of King Street in the old city provides a slightly more relaxed, but popular, outdoor drinking area on sunny summer evenings, surrounded by historic pubs such as the 17th-century Llandoger Trow (reputed to have been the haunt of pirates and the model for the Admiral Benbow in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel “Treasure Island”).
Thanks for these tips!
I reckon you’ve done it right – St Nicks Market, The Canteen and The Primrose Café would all feature in my guide to Bristol food :)
I’ve been to The Canteen a couple of times and what I had was a bit less fancy-seeming and a bit more generous than what you got. The thing I remember best was a pork ragu with spaghetti that was served with orange zest on top. Mmm.
The Primrose Café does really good brunch and cake too, you’d be lucky to get a seat on a Saturday or Sunday morning (and the whole of Clifton Village would be swarming with people too).
Confusingly Clifton Down is also the name of a bit of grass near the gorge, just above Clifton Village. The railway line goes into a tunnel just beyond Clifton Down station and doesn’t go anywhere particularly note-worthy. The 8/9 buses are probably the best way to get to Clifton Village if you’re ever around these parts again :)
Oh that’s good to hear! Yes I was a little saddened by the fact that the portions at the Canteen were less hearty and more fancy-looking – it definitely wasn’t what I’d been expecting. (Even the roast beef didn’t fill up the other diners, and we had to get cheese boards – which were also stingy!) I will indeed be back in Bristol – for work again! Though I would definitely go back for leisure too. It’s such an amazing city.