48 Hours in Bristol, England
our itinerary for a surprisingly delightful weekend!
Hello friends, happy Sunday! I hope this post finds you enjoying the coziest of Sunday mornings: coffee in hand, feet up, and in the mood for a light spot of armchair travelling. I’m dropping by to interrupt your Sunday ever so briefly to share my latest travel guide with you, 48 Hours in Bristol, England. Husband and I visited the UK’s south-western city back in April for a speedy weekend getaway and had such a great time! Other than flying in/out en route to Bath a few years back, neither of us had ever been to Bristol before, but we were both blown away by what the city had on offer: fantastic restaurants, wonderful tourist-ing, and just a generally lovely vibe! Can I tell you about it?
Everything we learned and loved about Bristol is listed below, divided into the usual categories for ease: fun facts / getting there / where we stayed / where we had coffee & pastries / where we ate brunch, lunch, dinner / where we drank / and where we tourist-ed. We really squeezed a lot out of our short time in town, so prepare yourselves for a jam-packed guide!
Enjoy!
fun facts
Time for a quick fun fact or four? I thought so! ;)
Bristol is the fifth largest city in the UK! Home to 580,000 people, it comes in just behind Liverpool, Glasgow, and the obviously larger cities of Birmingham and London.
apparently, Bristol is the home city of anonymous street artist Banksy! I just love the way the world is like: yeah we don’t 100% know who Banksy is — but he’s from Bristol for sure! How crazy?! There are two top contenders in the ‘who is Banksy?’ game — most likely Robin Gunningham, but maybe also Robert Del Naja — and geographic profiling of Banksy’s artworks fits both. The mystery continues!
Bristol is also the home of Ribena and Fry’s Chocolate! We didn’t have either during our time in the city, but it’s pretty cool knowing they originated there.
the world’s first ever bungee jump happened in Bristol, from the Clifton Suspension Bridge! I cannot imagine anything more terrifying — especially after seeing the drop from the bridge with my own two eyes! — but a member of Oxford University’s ‘Dangerous Sports Club’(??) made the leap in 1979 and lived to tell the tale! You can actually watch it on YouTube here.
getting there
Here’s how we made the journey to Bristol for the weekend:
we flew with Ryanair from Dublin airport to Bristol airport. It was a delightfully short 44-minute flight.
from Bristol airport, we boarded the A1 Flyer and took it all the way to Temple Meads train station in the city, which took about 20-minutes. The A1 Flyer stop was located just outside the terminal main exit, and a single ticket cost £9 at the time of our visit. For more information about the A1 Flyer, click here.
from Temple Meads train station, we walked into town to drop off our bags at the hotel, which took about 20-minutes. *Actually, we stopped at Hart’s Bakery, below, first, which I’d HIGHLY recommend you do also!*
on our return journey two days later, we made the same journey except in reverse: A1 Flyer from Temple Meads train station back to Bristol airport. Conveniently, the A1 Flyer departs from the exact same stop that it drops you off at, so it’s easy to find. We only had to wait 2-ish minutes for one to show up, but I believe they run every 8-minutes, so you’ll never be stuck for long. Would recommend!
where we stayed
Ibis Bristol Centre // a really solid budget option in the centre of the city! I will admit, I had low expectations when we booked this hotel — but we actually had such a comfortable stay! Our room on the fourth floor was spacious and clean, the shower was better than I was expecting, and it was super quiet! I don’t know if we just got lucky by not having any noisy neighbours around us, but we didn’t hear a peep during either night of our stay. Would recommend. Address: Explore Lane For Car Park Use BS1 5ll, Bristol BS1 5TY
where we had coffee & pastries
Hart’s Bakery // the bakery of my dreams!! I actually detoured us a 20-minute walk out of our way on our arrival in Bristol so we could visit this bakery and omg I’m so glad I did, we loved it here! It was 9:30am on a drizzly Thursday morning, and, even though this place is wildly tucked away & out of sight, it was so busy and already sold out of pastries! We settled for a classic pork sausage roll and a salted caramel/ chocolate/ walnut bar to share and were in heaven! The sausage roll was ahh-mazing - warm, crumbly fresh filling, flakey buttery pastry - and the fancy caramel square was so good! Sufficiently wowed, we agreed to return before leaving Bristol and, having again missed the pastries but less sad about it this time, we went for a slice of shortbread to share. Spoiler alert: it was the best shortbread we’ve ever had! So much so, we went back up to buy two more for the journey home. A must visit. Address: Arch 35 Lower Approach Rd, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6QS
Mokoko Coffee & Bakery // a really great pastry place! We nabbed a table at the window, ordered enough pastries to keep us satiated, and whiled away a delightful morning people watching and doing the crossword together; it was so nice! Coffee-wise, I had a cappuccino, Husband had an americano, and pastry-wise, we sampled a pain au chocolat — made with Valrhona chocolate! — a cinnamon bun, and a pain au raisin the literal size of my head. The pastries were wonderful, super flakey and buttery, and their coffees came in the most gorgeous mis-matching ceramics! Address: 2 Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WE
where we ate
brunch
Arnolfini Cafe Bar // a great place for brunch! In need of substantial fuel before our journey home, we stopped in here on our last morning and had a very enjoyable meal! I went for a big glass of orange juice and a full English breakfast, while Husband went for an americano and the ranchero breakfast. I wouldn’t normally be a full English girlie, but there was homemade beans and roasted rosemary potatoes included, so. Everything was great! The space itself is also lovely, industrial chic style with fairy lights and plants hanging from the roof, etc. We also really enjoyed the ‘90s music they were playing for the whole duration of our meal! Address: 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
lunch
Seven Lucky Gods // I would blame our honeymoon for my love of Asian-fusion spots, but actually I’ve always had a soft spot for them - Canadian example here, French example here, you get the point. As soon as I read about this place, I knew I had to eat here, and I’m so glad we did - it was amazing! Along with an Asahi each - 0.0 for me & Baby Bean! - we shared their chicken katsu curry arancini, curry fries with kewpie and shichimi, and the meat bento with Korean fried chicken, crispy pork belly, kimchi, edamame, pickled cucumber & steamed rice. We devoured every single scrap of food, but the arancini maybe stole the show for me? I also really enjoyed the vibe of the place: inspired by the izakayas of Tokyo with neon lighting, cosy nooks, and quirky decor. A must visit. Address: Unit 26, Cargo 2, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RW
Clifton Sausage // such a great lunch find! Kind of like the ultimate bangers and mash spot, except fancier? I ordered a Guinness 0.0, Husband had a pint of Underfall lager, and, sausage-wise, we ordered one of ‘The Clifton’ - pork, cider & wholegrain mustard - and one ‘Gloucester Old Spot traditional pork’ to share, both of which came with onion gravy and a generous pile of buttery mashed potato. Both sausages were amazing, but ‘The Clifton’ was definitely the highlight: tender, flavourful, and so cozy! We also shared a hazelnut brownie with vanilla ice cream for dessert, which came to the table warm and gooey in all the right places. Would recommend. Address: 7 Portland St, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4JA
dinner
The Christmas Steps Pub // Husband has this knack for finding fantastic pub grub in the UK — but I think he outdid himself with this one, the meal we had here was fantastic! I ordered their mac & cheese with crispy onions + pickled shallots and a Guinness 0.0, Husband went for their beef burger in a pretzel bun with all the trimmings + chips and a pint of Infinity lager, and we shared a sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce + vanilla ice-cream for dessert. To say that everything was amazing would be an understatement; my mac & cheese came in an adorable little cast iron skillet and was so tasty, the sticky toffee pudding was steaming hot & perfect, and the atmosphere of the place was so lovely! Gorgeous wooden tables, candles, wonky stairs and little levels leading up through the pub up in an almost Leaky Cauldron manner, and it was supremely good value! A must visit. Address: 2 Christmas Steps, Bristol BS1 5BS
Magari // such a cute little pasta spot! We shared a plate of pesto & sun-dried tomato bruschetta to start, and followed it up with bowls fresh pasta served with sausage ragu for Husband and carbonara with guanciale for me; both dishes were delicious. The fresh pasta - which came in a kind of long squiggly and somewhat curly shape? - was really tasty, the guanciale was an exotic treat, and our waitress was lovely. Pro tip: located inside a shipping container, this spot is tiny - from memory, five tables for two people! - so I’d definitely recommend booking ahead if you plan to eat here! Address: Unit 18, Cargo, Museum St, Bristol BS1 6ZA
where we drank
Shakespeare Tavern // a lovely cosy English pub! The first time we visited, I went for an Estrella 0.0, Husband went for a Flint Eye lager, and we got a nice table downstairs where we whiled away a little of our afternoon in the relaxing atmosphere. However, when we visited the second time, the place was jammed! There was barely a seat in the building, but I made friends with some locals and nabbed us two chairs at a table in the undeniably less-cosy upstairs room. Regardless: seats secured, Flint Eye and a glass of Freixinet 0.0 in hand, we settled in for a good chinwag with our newfound friends and made hay while the sun shone! Address: 68 Prince St, Bristol BS1 4QD
where we touristed
Banksy Art // as the unofficial-yet-highly-probable hometown of Banksy, there are some of his pieces littered around the city if you’re up for an art pilgrimage! Seeing as they’re sort of spread around in random parts of town, we only sought out two: his most famous Bristol-based one, Well Hung Lover, and also his The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum, both of which were very cool to see in-situ up close! A pity about the ugly defacing of WHL, but can you really deface something that is, ultimately, graffiti? Hmm. A must visit. Addresses: Well Hung Lover is at 1 Unity St, Bristol BS1 5HH / The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum is at Albion Dockside Estate, Hanover Pl, Bristol BS1 6UT
Clifton Suspension Bridge // okay — this bridge was insane! When we walked up to the viewing platform on our end of the gorge, the sheer drop down side of the cliff face gave us both butterflies & jelly legs; it was so high!! My fear of heights well documented throughout my guides, I surprised myself by agreeing to walk across the bridge; it was so windy I thought we were going to blow over the edge and die, you could see through the structure of the bridge to the gorge below(!), and locals out on their daily jog laughed at me as I clung to Husband for dear life — but I did it and it was amazing! An absolute must visit. Address: Bristol BS3 2JX
M Shed // this museum far exceeded my expectations! We only really stopped in as it was en route to our chosen lunch spot, but it was actually so good! Set over three floors, interactive displays document the history of the city in a way that actually involves the museum-goer: costumes for kids, a full-size olden time bus, interactive photo displays with sounds, etc. Added bonus: Banksy’s The Grim Reaper is on display within the museum! Originally spray-painted onto the side of a boat back in 2003, the panel with the art was removed to protect the piece after 12 years of deterioration in the water. Would recommend! Address: Princes Wharf, Wapping Rd, Bristol BS1 4RN
St Mary Redcliffe Church // such a beautiful church! We actually stumbled across it by chance and decided to stop in after reading a quote from Queen Elizabeth I on the sign outside: “the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England”. Gorgeously Gothic in style, it kind of reminded us of Hogwarts in places, with beautiful stained glass windows and high arched ceilings etc. Fun fact: BBC were in the church setting up loads of camera equipment during our visit! They were there to film the Easter Sunday mass and air it live on TV; fun! Would recommend. Address: The Parish Office, 12 Colston Parade, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA
Bristol Cathedral // quite similar to the above church, but on a more grand and much larger scale. I think we both preferred the smaller coziness of St Mary Redcliffe, but this was also very beautiful, with more side chapels and quiet prayer nooks. There was also a rather lovely garden/cemetery out the back that was so peaceful and relaxing to stroll around; we enjoyed a little sit at one of the many benches and savoured a quiet few moments. Would recommend. Address: College Green, Bristol BS1 5TJ
Cabot Tower // the weather was absolutely miserable when we made the trek out here, hence the lack of photos, but I thought Cabot Tower was gorgeous! Almost like a tower you would expect to see Rapunzel appear at the top of, it kind of appears out of the landscape in the most fairytale way. I chickened out about 20-steps into the climb up the tower, but Husband went all the way up and said the views over the city were wonderful — despite the wet day we had! Address: Brandon Hill Park, Park St, Bristol BS1 5RR
St Nicholas Market // a cool covered market filled with fun stores and little foodie nooks. Many of the stores were closed for the Easter weekend when we visited, but we enjoyed our brief wander around, browsing through vinyl at a quirky record store and the likes. Cute! Address: The Corn Exchange, Corn St, Bristol BS1 1JQ
And there we have it: 48 Hours in Bristol, England! What did you think? Have you visited the city of Bristol before? Husband and I were both blown away by the place — it was so lovely! I have a recipe ode to Hart Bakery’s shortbread hitting the blog in the next week or two, so stay tuned!
Until then,
Vicki xo
*Date of trip: 17th - 19th April, 2025*
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