Having earned a spate of plaudits in recent years that include being named the happiest city in the UK, and the best place to live for under-25s (outside London), Bristol is having a moment, or several of them. And it’s little wonder: with its cobbled streets, eclectic art scene, quirky boutiques and lovely restaurants, a visit to Bristol ticks all the boxes for a weekend break, as I discovered recently.
For an entry point into the scene, spending a morning in St Nicholas Indoor Market sampling street food and browsing quirky stalls is a great foray into the Bristolian food scene, but if you happen to be in the city on a Saturday, Whiteladies Farmers’ Market will give a deeper insight into local produce, with many local chefs making the pilgrimage to stock up each week.
Bristol native and Ballymaloe-trained chef Freddy Bird is one such chef. He is something of a celeb in the UK, and has an impressive pedigree in Bristol that includes stints in The Square with Philip Howard and later at Moro with Sam and Sam Clark. In 2008, Bird returned to Bristol and spent a decade as a director and executive head chef at the award-winning Bristol Lido. He then went on to co-present the TV show Hidden Restaurants with Michelle Roux jnr and more recently, he appeared on Remarkable Places to Eat with Michelle Roux jnr and Fred Sirieix. In 2019 Bird and his wife, Nessa, went on to open Littlefrench, his first solo venture in the affluent Westbury Park district of the city followed by the cafe and bakery Littleshop before more recently opening the doors in 1 York Place just last year. It was an instant hit, and for good reason. On our visit we enjoyed feather-light potato beignet with anchovy mayo, possibly the best beef tartare on crunchy bone marrow toast, queen scallops with vermouth butter, lobster ravioli and whipped cod’s roe with radishes among other decadent dishes.
Tiramisu and creamy Gorgonzola with pears ended a decadent meal. 1 York Place is not cheap, but for a meal of this standard, it’s great value and should be on your list of must-visits. For a more casual experience, a Cheese + Wine tasting at lively Kask Wine in Bedminster is a fun and informal way to spend an hour or two, although, be warned, there may be a test or a Q&A during the evening – although I suspect they don’t go too hard.
Nearby Cor Restaurant is run by husband-and-wife team Karen and Mark Chapman and serves charming farm-to-table small plates. Standout dishes included Roman-style artichokes with Castelvetrano olive salsa verde and slow-cooked pig cheek with crispy polenta, wild fennel and chilli gremolata. A bottle of medium-bodied, still Peppershells Wilding Cider was a great choice and raised the question yet again as to why we can’t source these types of ciders as a wine alternative in Ireland when it’s done so well elsewhere in Europe.
Good coffee and pastries are also abundant in Bristol and, if you happen to be a cake fiend, make a beeline for Farro, for the labour-intensive Medovik cake consisting of eight layers of biscuity einkorn sponge layered with burnt honey cream or a perfectly portioned seasonal galette while Hart’s Bakery is where to go for a cheddar, mustard and sesame croissant.
For pre-dinner drinks with a difference, book a table in 6 O’clock Gin at the Glassboat, a unique waterfront gin bar where you can choose from a menu of 6 O’clock Gin G&Ts, creative gin cocktails along with a range of other drinks and snacks. Perched on the banks of the Avon River, there are cocktail masterclasses, blend-your-own gin evenings and a handy shop on board to pick up that all-important bottle of damson or sloe gin. If gin doesn’t float your boat, a visit to Grape & Grind on Gloucester Road is the place to go to pick up some excellent English sparkling wine, Somerset Ice Cider or Cider Brandy.
For relaxed, dining poolside, reserve a table at possibly the most famous restaurant in the city, Bristol Lido. Even better, pack your swimsuit and book a Swim & Dine package, which includes access to both the (heated) swimming pool and the spa facilities (including the outdoor hot tub, sauna and steam room), followed by dinner in the stunning restaurant. The chefs at Bristol Lido are dedicated to supporting local suppliers, farmers and fishermen from the west and south coast, and the menu reflects just that. Sample seasonal dishes include an autumn salad of Cox apple, farm celery, chicory, Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts and a whole roast partridge with girolles, baby spinach, porcini and oloroso sauce with pommes Anna.
If a day trip is on your to-do list, there are plenty of options given the stellar location, but for me, it would have to be a day of wine and cheese tasting in the Cheddar Valley. The trip starts with a visit and wine tastings at a natural, biodynamic vineyard with views over Chew Valley Lake before enjoying lunch and a garden tour at the Michelin-starred The Pony Chew Valley, run by Josh Eggleton.
Closer to home, a 20-minute walk from the city proper brings you to the pretty suburb of Clifton and all that it has to offer, including one of the most impressive sights in Bristol, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. One of the UK’s most recognisable structures, it was designed by a young Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineer later describing it as “my first child, my darling”. The design marked a turning point in engineering history and has become an instantly recognisable symbol of the city. The bridge, which took more than 33 years to complete, crosses the stunning Avon Gorge and while vehicles pay a small toll to cross, pedestrians can cross for free, making it the perfect place to snap some memorable pictures.
We stayed at the nearby Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin, possibly the best-located hotel in the city. The Grade II-listed building, which dates from 1898, is nestled into the banks of the Avon river, when it was known as the Grand Clifton Spa and Hydropathic Institution. Today it’s a smart, stylish hotel in a stunning location with a generous terrace overlooking the water, which I imagine is in high demand on a summer’s evening.
Inside, Goram & Vincent Restaurant (named after two local, mythical giants) has floor-to-ceiling windows, making the most of the aspect, and serves a hearty selection of meat dishes prepared in an array of smokers, grills and clay ovens. Go in hungry, would be my advice: the portions are exceedingly generous.
Getting there
Ciara McQuillan was a guest of Visit Bristol, and Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin, where rooms start at €102 per night. Aer Lingus flies to Bristol daily from both Dublin and Cork, and Ryanair flies daily from Dublin. Flights from Dublin take 50 minutes. The journey from Bristol to the Hotel du Vin Avon Gorge was about 30 minutes and cost £45.
