Student Guide to Bristol

Why study in Bristol?

As you would expect, we love it here in Bristol, so we wanted to share some of our favourite places with you. Thanks to its incredibly diverse range of cultures, Bristol is filled with hidden gems, many of which we’re only just discovering ourselves!

We won’t spoil the surprise of unearthing your new future favourites, but we will point you in the right direction, and hopefully, give you a better idea of what it’s like to live here.

Stokes Croft & Gloucester Road

Stokes Croft and Gloucester Road is the self-described ‘cultural quarter’ of Bristol. Packed full of bars, clubs, restaurants and caked in graffiti, it’s one of the first places you should check out for great music and to immerse yourself in the spirit of the city.

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The Full Moon

Impossible to miss, The Full Moon is one of Bristol’s most popular spots, and for good reason. Boasting the city’s biggest pub courtyard, wood-fired pizza oven and a great atmosphere, it’s definitely worth stopping by.

Elevator Sound

Heaven for modular synth fans, Elevator Sound is loved by staff and students alike. Best of all, you can get a 5% discount on any purchase with a flash of your student ID.

Crofters Rights

Located in the heart of Stokes Croft, Crofters Rights is one of the most popular venues on the Bristol music circuit and has everything from burgeoning live acts to established DJs playing in the intimate venue at the back of the bar. They have an outdoor beer garden over the road on the corner or Picton Street as well!

The Canteen

Right next door to Elevator Sound, The Canteen is all about good food, good drinks and good music. A regular haunt for creatives, it’s also an excellent place to meet other people for collaborative projects. Head there almost any day of the week for live music from local artists.

The Love Inn

Bar & kitchen, with rotating pop-ups, by day and one of the most popular nightclubs in the city by night, The Love Inn is a Bristol institution. If you want to hear sets from some of the best up-and-coming DJs in the country, you’re likely to find them at some point here.

Banksy Walking Tour

Banksy is about as Bristol as they come. His street art has elevated the city’s already worldwide reputation for graffiti and urban art and you can see plenty of his pieces dotted around the city. Start a walking tour of Banksy’s pieces at The Canteen on Stokes Croft with his famous ‘Mild Mild West’ mural.

Replay and Chance & Counters

Replay is a board game cafe on Cheltenham Road with a great selection of games, good food, excellent drinks and a tight-knit, community vibe. It's a great spot for spending an evening.

Further along Gloucester Road you'll find the new Chance & Counters, another board game cafe which has now expanded into this larger second location. A great selection of games, food and drinks here make it a great intermission on a pub crawl.

Gloucester Road Record Stores

Home to Plastic Wax Records, Centre for Better Grooves, Collector Cave UK and RePyscho, Gloucester Road is packed with record buying potential.

Hobgoblin

We’re not exaggerating when we say that Hobgoblin makes some of the best burgers in Bristol, both meat and veggie! Then there’s the infamous dirty fries, and if you’re feeling brave you can attempt their hot wing challenge for a chance to be added to their wall of fame. It’s a great pub, with an equally great pub quiz too, so expect this to become a favourite during your time here.

The Gallimaufry

The Gallimaufry - known as the Galli - is a popular haunt for music-lovers living up and down Gloucester Road. Of all the bars on that stretch of the road, The Galli is probably the pick of the bunch, with regular open mic nights, gigs and located on one of the most vibrant roads in the city.

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St Paul’s, St Werburghs & St Jude’s

St Paul’s, St Werburghs and St Jude’s straddle the city centre-end of the M32 and are all steeped in history and have some of the best venues in the city. St Paul’s, famous for its carnival, was the epicenter for Bristol’s long-standing relationship with reggae, dub, jungle and drum & bass and St Werburgh’s is an area synonymous with bohemia, hippies and the city farm.

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Lost Horizon

Located in St Jude’s, Lost Horizon returned recently after years of being closed down. As the ‘creative den’ of the Shangri-La family, it showcases some amazing art, culture and music and has a strong connection to the city’s LGBTQ+ community. It celebrates underground culture and ‘criticises the power structures that affect our daily lives’. Head over there for some of the best electronic music events in the city!

Cosies

Cosies is an iconic part of St Paul’s. This tiny wine bar, with a brick-vaulted cellar, gets rammed when it has a club night on, but it’s also a great place to have an afternoon pint over the weekend.

Mickey Zoggs

Home to Noods Radio, Mickey Zoggs is the latest addition to St Pauls. This intimate pub has great music, excellent bar snacks, great coffee and you can often hear your favourite DJ playing straight into the building from the adjacent radio space. If you want to embed yourself into the local scene, Zoggs is a good place to start.

The Farm

Want to feed some sheep and then top off the day with a pint at one of the most picturesque pubs in Bristol? The Farm, located right next to the City Farm in St Werburghs, is one of the best pubs in the city, with a huge outdoor area, a relaxed atmosphere and always plenty of dogs! It’s a little off the beaten path if you don’t live in Werburghs, but it’s definitely worth the trip.

Lakota

Arguably the most iconic and infamous club in Bristol, Lakota is heaven for anyone that wants to hear drum and bass and jungle into the early hours of the morning. Straddling St Paul’s and Stokes Croft, it’s the only remaining part of the old Stokes Croft Brewery and was once thought to be the UK’s most famous club outside of London. In the summer, keep an eye out for their day parties which are always a big part of summer in the city.

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Old Market & Redcliffe

Old Market and Redcliffe are two of the oldest areas in the city. Near to the centre, the areas include the historic Temple Meads train station as well as countless bars, restaurants and music venues.

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Exchange & Specialist Subject Records

By day, you’ll find a quaint cafe and bar downstairs with the excellent Specialist Subject Records upstairs. By night, it turns into one of the city’s best small venues with a main room on the ground floor as well as a basement space.

Bop DJ

Just around the corner from Exchange you’ll find Bop DJ. Filled with an amazing selection of gear and instruments for the electronic musician, it’s a great place to learn a bit more and come away with some new gear.

Old Market Assembly

One of many great pubs in the area, Old Market Assembly tops them all thanks to the amazing building it lives in. Plus, the excellent Wardrobe Theatre is hidden in the back.

Trinity Centre

Based in a converted church, Trinity is one of the grander venues in Bristol. Featuring two floors and an impressive roster of music, performing arts and workshops, it’s well worth checking out.

The Loco Klub

The Loco Klub is one of the city’s best hidden gems. It’s a nightclub you won’t really stumble upon, but definitely one to check out. Located in the bowels of Temple Meads, the underground club is located in the old ash pits of the train station and really connects you to the history of the city. As well as hosting some of the best DJs in the country, it’s also a theatre and art exhibition space too!

Motion & Marble Factory

Part of the industrial quarter of the city, Motion and the Marble Factory is set across a network of old warehouses and regularly welcomes some of the best acts in electronic music at Motion and some of the best bands at the Marble Factory. Motion is the biggest nightclub in the city, has won national awards and is recognised as one of the best big nightclubs in the UK. If you're studying our BSc (Hons) Live Sound degree in Bristol, you'll become intimately acquainted with this venue.

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Bedminster

Bedminster - affectionately called Bemmy (or Bemmie) but never Bedmo - is the only area that we’ve highlighted that’s south of the river. A microcosm in itself, you can find everything you need in Bedminster, from excellent restaurants and bars to record shops, charity shops, theatres and more.

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Victoria Park

Bedminster’s Victoria Park is one of the largest in the city and an excellent place to get away from the noise of the city and enjoy some greenery. It’s only a short walk away from our Mitchell Lane campus too, so if you need a break from the studio and a little inspiration from nature, then look no further.

Friendly Records

One of many record stores located in Bristol, Friendly Records is a favourite of ours. Located on North Street, it features the Friendly Records bar next door where you can grab a tasty beer after some extensive crate digging.

North Street

Not only home to some of Bristol’s best shops, bars and restaurants, North Street is also home to Upfest - the annual graffiti festival that reimagines the visual identity of the entire street.

Tobacco Factory

Sporting a great bar and an excellent market every Sunday morning, you’ll also be able to catch a host of events in the Tobacco Factory Theatre, which has hosted some of the country’s finest stand-up acts and plays.

Wapping Wharf & Spike Island

Wapping Wharf and Spike Island are two of the newest areas to be redeveloped in the city. It’s a vital connection between the centre and the south of Bristol, right by the harbour and connecting the city centre to Bedminster.

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M Shed

A museum dedicated to the history of Bristol, M Shed is one to keep your eye on, as its rotation of exhibits is always packed with something interesting.

Cargo

Just behind M Shed you’ll find Cargo; a sea of shipping containers housing a variety of restaurants, independent shops.

SS Great Britain

Deeper into Spike Island you can climb aboard the SS Great Britain and traverse this 19th Century passenger steamship.

The Cottage Inn & The Pump House

Further still, and you can drop into either The Cottage Inn or stop off at The Pump House across the river for some much needed sitting down.

Spike Island

Spike Island is an arts centre, exhibition space and workshop centre opposite the iconic Vauxhall Bridge that connects the island to Bedminster. A short walk from The Cottage Inn, Pump House and SS Great Britain, it’s an excellent place to check out local art and have a coffee.

Harbourside

Head down to the harbourside on a hot summer day and you’ll see hoards of people sat by the edge of the water by the Arnolfini enjoying tinnies in the heat. But aside from that, there are tons of things to see and do at Bristol’s historic harbourside.

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Watershed

Another wonderful cinema, but also cafe/bar and exhibition space, Watershed prides itself on offering a wide array of indie, world and classic film screenings.

Arnolfini

Just across the water from Watershed is the Arnolfini, a contemporary arts centre and gallery that is constantly showcasing some fantastic exhibitions. It’s bookshop and café/bar are also well worth a visit.

Queen’s Square

Another great spot to chill out and relax is Queen’s Square, which is a short walk from the campus. During the summer you can also catch the Bristol Comedy Garden, which offers a week of shows featuring a huge lineup of stand-up comics.

King Street

Home to some of Bristol’s most-loved bars and pubs, King Street is where you'll find the iconic The Old Vic theatre, which like the Tobacco Factory, has a great selection of theatre and comedy all-year round.

Park Street & Whiteladies Road

If you can stomach the steep hills, Park Street and Whiteladies Road have a huge amount to offer. Packed full of shops, areas to chill out and interesting pubs, it’s one of the most popular areas for students to hang out.

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College Green

A great place to chill out and enjoy some sunshine whilst still being in the centre of the city. It’s also the home of the Bristol Central Library, which mirrors our reading list should you need to grab a copy that’s currently booked out in our library.

St George’s Hall

This 580-cap concert hall plays host to some of the best musicians in the country and beyond, showcasing all genres of music from classical to electronic. Located in a 200-year-old church, the venue is touted as having some of the best, if not the best, acoustics in the city.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Scratch that historical and cultural itch at Bristol’s Museum & Art Gallery which lives at the top of Park Street. You may need a rest after climbing the hill before exploring inside.

Cabot Tower

Located on Brandon Hill, Cabot Tower offers amazing views of the city with equally fantastic park grounds to explore.

Everyman Cinema

Though its ticket prices are a little steep by comparison to other cinemas, Everyman brings back the sense of occasion to cinema and is a must-see whilst studying here.

Bag of Nails

Like cats and pints? The Bag of Nails is the perfect pub for you. Just down from College Green towards the Hotwell Road, the Bag of Nails is a tiny pub full to the brim of cats lounging across the bar and pottering around. Far from a gimmicky cat cafe, this is simply a pub that happens to be full of cats and great music ebbing from the record player tucked away in the corner. Don’t try and change the track though, the owner has ever-changing pub rules and can be notoriously blunt if you break them.

Clifton

The well-to-do area of Bristol, comparing Clifton to Stokes Croft is like chalk and cheese. Even if you’re naturally drawn to the edgier parts of town, Clifton is a stunning place to walk around for a change of pace.

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Clifton Suspension Bridge

Perhaps the most iconic landmark in the city, Clifton Suspension Bridge is quite a trek, but absolutely worth the effort. There’s also the Observatory and Giant’s Cave to explore too.

Leigh Woods

Whilst you’re at the Suspension Bridge, you can also venture over to the other side of the river and explore Leigh Woods. Don’t attempt this in knackered trainers.

The Downs

At Clifton’s northernmost point are The Downs, which hosts a yearly music festival during the summer. For the rest of the year, it’s a great stretch of natural greenery and offers some amazing views of Avon Gorge.

Old City & Broadmead

Right in the heart of Bristol is its Old City and Broadmead, the epicentre of the city, the shopping quarter but also, surprisingly, somewhere you can find some of the best clubs, event spaces and underground venues.

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The Christmas Steps

One of the cosiest pubs in Bristol, The Christmas Steps is great in all seasons, but gets better the closer it gets to its namesake. Located at the bottom of The Christmas Steps, which connects to A38 to Colston Street, the pub is owned by Crack Magazine, does a banging roast dinner and regularly has day parties in the courtyard.

Chance & Counters

Right next to The Christmas Steps, is the aforementioned Chance & Counters. This is its original location, with lots of great board game options and super knowledgeable staff. It is a little bit more expensive, and due to its size you’ll need to book in advance and you’re limited to a time slot.

The Lanes

Beer, bowling and live music. Need we say more?

The Island

The Island is one of the most interesting venue spaces in Bristol. Set in an old police station, with cells and all still a part of the complex, it is intimate but it also brings in some of the best DJs in the country.

The Station

The Station - or The Old Fire Station - is a youth centre in the heart of the city. It has everything from theatre and live performances to workshops and courses for young people including song writing, graphic design and much more.

Bristol Beacon

Formerly Colston Hall, the Bristol Beacon is the premier venue in Bristol, drawing the biggest acts from across the spectrum of music. Renamed following the BLM movement in Bristol, the Bristol Beacon is one of the best venues in the South West.

Rough Trade

Rough Trade sells the latest vinyl records, record players, CDs and books. There’s always an excellent selection of secondhand records to rifle through too, plus a jam-packed rotation of intimate shows with a range of artists.

Left Handed Giant Brewpub

Located on the river opposite Castle Park, LHG's city centre brewpub brings the breweries vast collection of beers and ciders to an incredible setting. With frequent events with guest breweries and an excellent selection of veggie and vegan fresh pizzas made on site, it’s one of the city's most popular destinations.

St Nicholas Market

Whether it’s delicious street food, secondhand records and books or an old fashioned sweet shop, St. Nick’s Market has it all. It’s dangerously close to our campus, so you’ll need to become an expert in self-restraint.

Dareshack

Dareshack is much more than just a bar and kitchen, it’s a creative studio that helps to connect creatives, exhibit local art and showcases some of the best DJs in the city. Featuring an immersive 22-speaker d&b Audiotechnik Soundcape system, the sound here is like nothing else.

Castle Park

Just across the road from St. Nick’s, Castle Park sits right on the river and never fails to draw a crowd when the sun’s out. Only 5 minutes away from the campus, it’s a great place to spend some downtime during the summer.

Easton & Church Road

Near to St Paul’s Easton is another area of the city steeped in cultural heritage, with its own roots in the reggae and dub scenes. It also has one of the most ‘Bristol’ pubs in the city: The Plough. The nearby Church Road is one of the most up-and-coming areas in the city; bursting with new bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs.

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The Plough

The Plough is a pub that oozes the personality of Bristol. It’s rough around the edges, locally-minded, has live music, is covered in graffiti and captures the sense of rebellion that permeates the city.

The Black Swan

Much of Bristol’s thriving drum & bass scene was cultivated in The Black Swan, and it still is! For late nights of jump up, jungle and dubstep, there isn’t anywhere better.

The Dark Horse

For a country pub feel, complete with a roaring fire and tasty roasts, The Dark Horse on Church Road is one of the best in the city. It’s got friendly staff, a rooftop terrace and a back room that can be booked for events, if you’re thinking of putting on a night slightly off the beaten track.

The Red Church

Also owned by Crack Magazine, The Red Church is a symbol of the modernisation of Church Road. They serve pizzas and small plates as well as a Sunday roast, brunch and have a venue space for live music.

St George Park

St George Park is easily one of the best parks in Bristol. It’s got an amazing skate park, a lake, tennis courts and ping pong tables alongside the pathways. It’s much bigger than St. Andrew’s Park just off Gloucester Road and gets much less busy.

The Lock Up

Another hipster addition to the Church Road, The Lock Up is all about great food and cocktails in a picturesque setting. What’s more, all of these places are a stone’s throw from each other, so if you don’t like one of them, you can try another!

Student Guide to Bristol

Why study in Bristol?

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