Visit the super-cool city of Bristol for street art, lip-smacking spirits and food, glorious food
Quirky, raffish and determined to do its own thing, Bristol feels like a kind of inland Brighton. There’s so much happening in this urban corner of the West Country. It’s also a real foodie paradise, where cheffy cool meets community spirit – just look at the volunteer-run Incredible Edible plant beds, which anyone can pick fresh herbs from. This may be your first visit, but we’re pretty sure it won’t be your last.
Bristol’s hella hilly, so you’ll need to keep your strength up. Carbload at local fave Hart’s Bakery. It sells coffee from Extract Roasters and the city’s best cinnamon buns. Get there for 10.30am, when the first sausage rolls come out of the oven.
Banksy is Bristol’s most famous export, but the elusive graffiti artist is just the beginning. The Stokes Croft area is patchworked with street art. Take a tour with Where the Wall, or make your own A2 artwork at a #SprayStreetArt session, held at under-threat arts centre Hamilton House.
St Nicholas Market is a cut above the average arcade. Its stately Georgian precincts are home to some of Bristol’s coolest independent traders – think vintage vinyl, handmade ceramics and Caribbean wraps.
Head to Wapping Wharf, Bristol’s equivalent of Boxpark. Its converted shipping containers are an edible Aladdin’s cave: feast on bao at Woky Ko, hit The Pickled Brisket for a salt-beef sandwich and pop into The Bristol Cheesemonger, which specialises in West Country goodies.
You can’t go to Bristol without stopping by The Coronation Tap for a sip of its notorious Exhibition cider (it’s so strong they’ll only sell it to you in half pints). For something a little more refined, pull up a stool at Psychopomp Microdistillery. Order a bespoke G&T or take a gin-making class, where you’ll get to flavour your own with everything from fennel to chipotle.
Head for the Harbourside at sunset. A bustling hub during Bristol’s maritime heyday, it’s now a little more sedate (and scenic) – soak it all up with a sherry and slices of jamón from Paco Tapas.
Forget cobwebs, rusty nails and broken lawnmowers – this is not your standard shed. Daisy and Jon’s hideout, tucked away in their Bristol garden, was shortlisted for Shed of the Year 2018. It’s a cosy, yellow-painted nest with a super-king-sized bed, tiny kitchen and cute, colourful design touches. Breakfast comes in the form of a hamper loaded with locally sourced sourdough, honey, coffee and apple juice. Head out of the garden gate to explore kaleidoscopic Cliftonwood or take the short walk to the Harbourside, before snuggling up for a dreamy night at the bottom of the garden. Ellie Walker-Arnott From £70 a night.
Whether it's checking out world-class club nights, taking a plunge at the lido or getting a new perspective from the top of the Suspension Bridge or Cabot Tower, there's plenty to keep you busy in our great little city
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