Free Weekend? Explore Bristol – a beginner’s guide

Eating

Lunch: River Cottage Canteen

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen has just opened on Whiteladies Road near genteel Clifton, in a Grade-II listed 19th Century church building. The menu is vogueishly short, items grouped under headings like “Together,” “Smaller,” and “Bigger.” We shared a handful of plates: mackerel fishcakes were smokey-salty, the aioli rich and creamy, while a light and airy beetroot hummus, beautiful to look at, didn’t quite pack the earthy punch of that winter favourite. Mayonnaise-free coleslaw was a zingily crunchy bowl with lots of sesame and caraway, and onion bhaji energised by a mint yoghurt accompaniment. But best of all? Wood-roasted gurnard – packed with meaty flavour – served with spring greens, smokey bacon and celeriac. To finish, an iced choc terrine, whose hint of tartness provided by a cider brandy syrup. We drank a Fleurie (£26). Sharing plates £4.75-£7.25. Mains £9-14.

Dinner: Flinty Red

Flinty Red, in the city’s upmarket Cotham Hill district, is one of Bristol’s most acclaimed restaurants, but also very much in the Soho vein: laidback, simple decor and sharing plates. We booked two seats at the counter (and you must; there are no walk-ins) and ordered surprisingly well: a divine kale and anchovy cauliflower with mint and preserved seville jam, a deeply moreish cuttlefish risotto, duck egg with morcilla and, best of all, the best, most deeply umami anchovy toast we’ve ever tasted (served on sourdough). Friendly manager Ian was happy to chat despite the tiny room being Saturday night-busy. The bill for two with wine? A good value £47.

Drinking

It’s impossible even to begin to be comprehensive about Bristol’s vast drinking scene in just a weekend’s stay, but two bars on St Michael’s Hill we liked were Beerd (if you’re a fan of Camden Town Brewery), with its pleasingly nerdy approach to local ale (we tried the Bath Golden Hare) and bright, mis-matched furniture. Over the road the ancient Highbury Vaults is for fans of the Southampton Arms: dark, cavernous, buzzy – and with a nice walled garden – and moreish gold pale ale.

Down in Stokes Croft is Poco, a friendly but rowdier (and dog-friendly) tapas bar worth either a drink or dinner. Lots of wines by the carafe (the house red, a tenner, was perfectly quaffable) and its central kitchen manned by a careful, calm chef. Freestyle jazz, flickering candles and, despite having eaten At Flinty Red, we couldn’t resist an onglet with crunchy spring greens and chimichurri (£10) – whose pillowy, tender meat was cooked perfectly.

Finally, we tried to get in – but failed – to the apparently hip Milk Thistle cocktail bar. Guess we just weren’t cool enough. For more drinking tips, see local boy Ben’s column below.

Art

It goes without saying not to miss the graffiti everywhere, and especially the Banksys dotted around: start at the bottom of Park Street, and head over to Mild Mild West, by Canteen in Stokes Croft. Download a free app here for a walking tour, and check out our slideshow overleaf.

As well as the smaller galleries dotted around Clifton and Stokes Croft, head to the harbourside for a very different atmosphere to the rest of the city. On a sunny weekend expect to jostle with lots of out-of-towners all admiring the scenic water views.

A must-see art space is the Arnolfini, a gallery originally dating back to 1961 now housed in a two floors of a 19th century Grade II-listed tea warehouse on the side of the Floating Harbour. Then cross over the bridge and pop into M Shed, a family-friendly museum which proposes to tell the story of the city, but keep walking much further along the waterfront to the SS Great Britain; behind is the mammoth Spike Island arts space, funded by the Arts Council, which also has a cafe for the weary of foot.

More Tips? Local Ben Spicer

Thanks to Ben Spicer, a freelance VIP consultant born and brought up in Bristol, who gave us many of the above suggestions. Here are some more of his insider tips:

Eating
Try the Lido outdoor pool and restaurant. Or Bravas, a tapas restaurant on Cotham Hill. And the Star and Dove Pub in south Bristol is a lovely pub with real ales and a good restaurant upstairs.
Drinking
Avon Gorge Hotel in Clifton – good for views of the Suspension Bridge from garden but the pub itself isn’t great; if sunny it’s worth going. Better is the Pipe and Slippers on Cheltenham Road: if you keep walking, you’ll also get to Stokes Croft where there are more bars/pubs including Canteen. Milk Thistle is a cocktail bar with an easy-to-miss entrance.
Going Out
Cube Cinema is an independent cinema and arts centre; and Mr Wolf’s – a bar and music venue – is good for a bit of a boogie. Thekla, a club on a boat, has some of the best nights in Bristol.
Coffee
Stokes Croft is atmospheric for an americano in the day time; Kino on the corner is especially nice.
Don’t Miss
Cabot tower has spectacular views over the city. And St Paul’s Carnival, the area just by Stokes Croft, has a Caribbean and African carnival (on the 6th July this year). It’s always a fun day, like a mini, more manageable Notting Hill.

Accommodation & Getting There

Accommodation was provided by Hotel du Vin Bristol. An overnight stay costs from £149.00 per room, based on two adults sharing. To book head here or call 084473 64252. We travelled by train to Bristol Temple Meads, which takes about 90 minutes from Paddington and costs £67 off-peak return.