Head away from the Tourist Trails
Once Bristol's Wild Wild West, home of Banksy's Mild Mild West
Once upon a time, Bristol's Wild Wild West, home of Banksy's Mild Mild West. Used to be notorious for heroin and crack. These days it's more sourdough with avocado and Lucy and Yak. Scratch away at the latter, the (oatmilkhalfcaff)Latté, if you will, adorning the area like a questionable tattoo and you'll get a flavour of the more traditional past. From the mainstay food staples of Slicks and Rita's, to Lakota, now orphaned standing in the rain clutching their molotov wielding teddy, in the shadow of superclub sibling Blue Mountain. Where rooms once shook to the Bristol sound now unfinished and abandoned student residences.
The People's Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) launched in 2007 when Chris Chalkley got fed up watching the council paint over street art. They've spent years promoting civil liberty and resisting overregulation through sweeping, painting and speaking out. You can find their shop - they self-fund by selling artisanal china decorated with street art and politics, while running artist studios and supporting local homeless people. Funding radical activism through beautifully crafted crockery.
Find the Croft a bit too hectic of an afternoon or evening for your liking? Head up the hill to Dove Street and the amazing Hillgrove pub. Smaller than your average but perfectly formed!
Essential survival skills: how to tell the difference between intentional street art and accidental graffiti, navigating around people having very passionate conversations about very niche political topics, and the unwritten rules of which cafes are for actual coffee versus which ones are for laptop performance art.
"You don't even know you're in the UK these days" - Actually, it's a delight for all the senses
"You don't even know you're in the UK these days, it's Sharia Law, it's Bristolistan out there"
Actually, Stapleton Road is a delight for all the senses and a place to discover incredible food, produce and characters. Pop the selfie stick and guide book in your backpack, and experience this unique street like a local. Take a bus or walk from Old Market to St Judes to Stapleton Road and immerse yourself in this melting pot of cultures - from Afro-Caribbean and Ethiopian to Afghan and Turkish, you'll find world class samosas, injera, fry ups, jewellery and spices, alongside all the everyday staples.
If you tire of the bustle of this busy street, head to the more pedestrian (oops careful it is still a road) little cousin St Mark's Road, with cute little shops and Bristol staple Sweetmart, next door to Thali Cafe - an Indian restaurant owned by a Spanish couple, charity shops and a great pub "The Sugarloaf" opposite the Jama Masjid (Friday mosque) next to a church. This is a lovely little microcosm to behold of a truly well-rooted and diverse community in the UK.
For a taste of something truly different, hop on the local train and head to Gloucester Road, Redland, Clifton Down or Sea Mills.
Get away from "Fast Fashion" and discover vintage treasures and world cuisine
In our commercial shopping centre, on the site of one of the country's largest slave markets dating back to the 1000s AD stands a 3 floor Primark. Get away from "Fast Fashion" and take a trip to Gloucester Road. With its myriad of vintage clothing stores and charity shops, there's something here for all shapes, and pocket sizes. If you've ethically shopped till you dropped there are loads of great coffee places and eateries as well.
From the grab and go Istanbul Bakery, to a trio of family restaurants nestled next to the railway arches. Oh Calcutta - Stunning southern Indian cuisine. St Mary's Kitchen - Some of the best Caribbean food in the city. And Sam Master Grill - Serving up truly exceptional Persian dishes, bring an appetite, and friends (if you have them) to this one.
Leafy former farmland where frugal Quakers kept the pub count low
Take a walk through leafy Redland, once farmland, many pretty streets with mature trees and gardens. Look out for Lovers Lane as you exit the train station left. Take a walk through the once Quaker (Society of Friends) heavy area, many of whom were merchants. The Quakers were quite frugal and didn't do anything in excess - which might explain why there are fewer pubs here than the rest of town.
A highlight is Chandos Road, with excellent Good Chemistry tap room, a Turkish/Italian bakery and a few expensive restaurants. Hungry on a budget? The Red Money does a great pork pie or traditional pub roll for £3 and the beer is good as well!
Keep walking and you'll hit Clifton Down/Whiteladies Road.
Named after Cliff Richard (probably not), with streets that sound controversial but aren't
Below the downs and Blackboy Hill and Whiteladies Road, you'll find Clifton Down. Err Backup wait what whiteladies????? BLACKBOY!!!!!!!!!
Despite the provocative names they actually have less... triggering explanations. Next to Whiteladies Road there was once a convent, where the nuns wore white habits. YEAH BUT WHAT ABOUT BLA... yes there was a pub called the Black Boy, named after King Charles II who was given this nickname for his very jet black hair and dark complexion.
Anyway... Clifton Down, named after Cliff Richard who was once a benefactor of a school in the area.
Clifton Down is a modern shopping centre. Fine if you need Sainsbury supermarket or a key cut by Timpson. It's opposite, Cotham Hill that is the real gem here. Once a bit of a rat run, temporarily pedestrianised during the latter stages of covid pandemic, the businesses launched a campaign to permanently pedestrianise part of the street, and it has worked a treat. Many amazing eateries and cafes in the area, along with a post office that sells (fairly poor looking) postcards of the city, but still perfect for reminding that special someone you were thinking of them on your trip. A real highlight on the street is Bravas tapas bar, that really helps to solidify the now very Mediterranean alfresco dining feel of this cracking little part of the city. If you are there during retail hours there are great charity shops here too and a cracking Oxfam bookshop.
4 options for onward travel here: up to the downs (? yes), down to the ups (? No down to Clifton Triangle), back through Redland or into Clifton village, darling.
It's not a real village (merchants just called it that to distance themselves from smelly Bristol)
It's not a real village, historically the merchants who lived there called it that to dissociate from the smelly and industrial city of Bristol below. IT IS NOT A REAL VILLAGE. Despite the beautiful Georgian squares and mansions and terraces, much paid for by the payout slave owners received during the emancipation act of 1833/34 Clifton is an interesting place to visit. You can head up here and save £12 getting the train to Bath it looks quite similar.
Highlights include the Mall, Royal York Crescent, the now defunct Clifton rocks railway and of course Bad Boy Brunel's Brunels Bloody Big Bridge, or the Clifton suspender bridge as you may know it. Cracking views of the Avon gorge below and nice treats and toilets up at the observatory above it.