Foodie Travels: One Day In Bristol

Zerodegrees terrace

Bristol food scene has a lot to offer to the curious palates. If you like combining your sightseeing walks with slight detours and stopovers for a good coffee, nice food and a few beers, I can suggest you this easy to cover one day itinerary.

Morning coffee

When visiting Bristol for the first time, you’ll surely want to get to see its most famous landmark – the Suspension Bridge. But what is a good day if it doesn’t start with a good coffee? I suggest you grab one from Spicer+Cole in Clifton on your way there.

You can choose from their House coffee and Guest coffee. House coffee is a full bodied blend of Brazilian Pantano Yellow Bourbon (60%) and Colombian Marinela (40%). Shall you decide to try it as an espresso or macchiato, you will taste citrus with bitter chocolate notes and a hint of caramel, but flat white is perfect with it too.

Cake galore at Spicer+Coles

Cake galore at Spicer+Cole

The abundance of pastries and cakes in this coffee shop is guaranteed to make you drool. Strawberry friands simply melt in your mouth and personally for me there is no better accompaniment to a coffee.

Spicer+Cole, 9 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton Village, Bristol BS8 4BX

Brunch

By the time you checked out the bridge, had a walk along the Royal York Crescent – the longest crescent in Europe and looked around the colourful Clifton village, you would have surely worked out your appetite for a proper brunch.

When you are on Clifton Down Road, turn off to a small Boyce’s avenue, where you’ll see some nice outdoor settings right at the end of it. Check out the charming Clifton arcade first with its interesting knick-knack, art and jewellery boutiques and then settle in at Primrose Cafe.

Primrose cafe

Colourful Boyce’s avenue in Clifton village

The menu includes traditional full breakfast with toasted bagels, croques, all kinds of poached eggs on a muffin, belgian waffles with either berries, bananas or bacon and maple syrup (!), organic muesli, freshly squeezed orange juice, so there is plenty to choose from.

Primrose Cafe, 1, Clifton Arcade, Boyces Avenue, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4AA

Afternoon espresso

If St.Nicholas market is on your to-do list, Small Street Espresso cafe is only steps away from it, so you can pop into it for a quick caffeine fix.

Small Street Espresso

Small Street Espresso café

I just love retro looking blue La Marzocco coffee machines and the same matching colour coffee cups. When I step into a cafe and see this combination, I am sold straight away regardless of the coffee they serve. What make things even better is that Small Street Espresso do serve good coffee. Usually I preffer single origin coffee, but I have to admit that their house espresso blend roasted by Clifton Coffee Co. that consist of 50% Columbia, 25% Brasil and 25% Kenya is perfectly balanced.

The cafe itself is tiny with only a few seats on the window sills and on the side of the bar, but if the weather is nice you can also sit outside on some benches or creative seats made of crates.

Small Street Espresso, 23 Small Street, Bristol,  BS1 1DW

Dinner and beer

After exploring the old town and the waterfront area and maybe catching a scenic ferry ride around the harbour, Zerodegrees microbrewery would be a good spot to relax, have some dinner and try some of the beers they produce.

You can sit either outside at the roof top terrace overlooking the colourful houses or inside of the restaurant with impressive illuminated cisterns behind the bar.

Zerodegrees bar

Zerodegrees bar with beer cisterns behind it

Food menu offers a selection of appetisers, salads, pizzas and pastas as well as pots of mussels cooked in different styles. Mussels that I ordered were quite small and green Thai curry they were cooked in was on a thin side, but they were fresh, so I’d give them four stars out of five.

However, beer is worth special attention here. The best part is that you can try before you buy, just don’t be shy to ask at the bar.

Zerodegrees Pilsner is their version of the classic golden lager brewed in Pilzen, Czech Republic. It very aromatic, with fresh lime fruit flavour and floral aroma.

Their Pale Ale is copper coloured ale that is a close version of classic English bitter. Rich malt flavour is combined with floral and fruity flavours in it. It is suitable for those who like the flavour of hops.

Zerodegrees unfiltered Wheat Ale is brewed with an addition of coriander seeds and bitter orange peel. They suggest it serving with a slice of orange which would be interesting to try, but since I am not a big fan of wheat bears, I gave it a miss this time.

Mango Wheat beer with added mango extract was their seasonal specialty and as curious as I was to give it a try, I wouldn’t be able to have more than a few sips of it. It is quite sweet and I can’t really appreciate beer cocktails much, so I determined that it’s not my thing straight away.

Black Lager was the first intuitive pick of mine and I ended up ordering it after sampling the rest. It is made of black roasted malts that give it chocolate and coffee flavours.

They were supposed to have dark amber colour American Rye Ale that intrigued me a lot, but unfortunatelly they ran out of it when I visited.

Zerodegrees, 53 Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5BA
 
 

5 thoughts on “Foodie Travels: One Day In Bristol”

  1. You convinced us! We will definitely visit Bristol during our next visit to the UK… we visit about once a year and you definitely make it sound like a great place to walk and explore… and taste! Thanks for all the detailed suggestions! I may get back to you with more questions when the time will come!

    1. Neringa says:

      Sure, will be happy to give you some advice 🙂

  2. Ahsan says:

    I want to visit Bristol but how far from Buckinghampshire? If I want to get back within same day? Please inform

    1. Neringa says:

      Bristol is 2 hrs away from you (approx 100 miles), definitely doable if you are driving.

  3. Caffe V says:

    Looks fantastic. Will definetly be coming to Bristol 🙂

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