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Dining in Europe > Bristol Bristol's bar and restaurant scene has exploded over the last few years, making it possible to find a pub or restaurant to suit your every whim...well, almost. The whole scene has become slicker, more high-profile (reviews of Bristol restaurants are not uncommon in the national papers these days) and generally more aware of what the discerning eaters and drinkers out there want - which can only be good news for the visitor. Restaurants: Many places have opened up in the last couple of years, and have quickly become firm favourites and these now compete with the long-established restaurants which continue to go from strength to strength. The choice is yours and if you're in the city centre, you've no shortage of places to try. If you're after a truly special meal and aren't too worried about the expense, try the Italian restaurant San Carlos in Corn Street or Cathay Rendezvous on King Street. If you want to sit surrounded by wonderful modernist architecture and decor amongst the beautiful people, try the ultra-hip River Station or its neighbour, Severnshed (also a good place to go just for a drink). For traditional and old fashioned elegance, make your way to The Glass Boat (yes, an actual boat moored on the floating harbour), Harveys Restaurant and the superb Markwicks, also based in Corn Street in the unlikely but impressive surroundings of a former bank vault. After a night dining in one of these places your stomach and your bank account should feel suitably self-indulged. If your budget doesn't quite stretch to this, theres plenty of places to get a fabulous meal for less expense in the city centre. Theres almost every type of cuisine you could want. Pan Asian fast food is available in the trendy setting of Budokan, cosy informality and warm atmosphere in the Portuguese A Cozinha, Middle Eastern decadence (and belly dancing if you're lucky) at Byzantium, French and British tradition at Jamesons, Belgian frites and mussels at Belgos, Mediterranean dining on the waterfront at Aqua - the list is endless. There really is something for everyone. If you don't fancy the formality of a restaurant, you can always go instead to one of the numerous places serving food that either double up as pubs and bars, or at least have that kind of relaxed atmosphere - good examples being All Bar One, the infamous Renatos on King Street and Las Iguanas and Los Andes, for Latin American liveliness. Eating in the daytime throws open a whole new set of possibilities! Not only do many of the places above do lunch at significantly cheaper prices than later on in the evening, but there are also masses of places for a quick and cheap bite. Try the area around St Nicholas market for some great stalls selling anything from curry to pasta to crepes. All of which you can eat at outside tables or take a short walk and enjoy sitting at one of the benches on nearby Welshback, overlooking the floating harbour. Vegetarians are well catered for, with the South Wests first veggie cafe, Royce Rolls, inside the market here and many of the stalls selling non-meat meals. Theres plenty of coffee stops in the centre - Costa, Chicane (on the lovely Christmas Steps), the award-winning Mud Dock and Netgates Cafe (for those who want to surf and slurp), all of which serve meals or snacks. Don't just confine yourself to the city centre however. Many of Bristols best restaurants are situated in the nearby suburbs. Go to Redland to sample the best fish in town at Red Snapper, or next-door to try an authentic Japanese meal at Samurai. Travel to the other side of the city to Totterdown, to discover one of Bristols best kept secrets, Glasnost - the place that looks like an austere Russian vodka bar but is in fact a model of Mediterranean warmth and classy cuisine inside. Then its back over to the north-east of the city to Montpelier, home of the acclaimed Bells Diner for those who want a very special meal out and cafes such as Tasca and The Bristolian for cheaper and more informal dining. Then of course theres picture-postcard-perfect Clifton. Dine amongst Georgian grandeur at Bouboulinas Greek restaurant, try a curry at Bombay Spice or a pizza at trendy Pizza Express. Don't be afraid to go further afield, into perhaps unlikely restaurant territory. The unlovely streets of Old Market are home to places such as Johns, serving wonderful Thai food and the area of Easton is where you'll find possibly the best and cheapest curry in town, at The Eastern Taste. If you want to hang-out with the young and trendy, take a trip down long and bright Whiteladies Road, where you can enjoy all kinds of food and types of establishment; Thai Classic for great Thai curries and a sedate atmosphere, Rocinantes for organic Mediterranean food and funky atmosphere, The Fine Line for stylish and relaxed pub vibe and Planet Pizza for club-like decor and spacey food. Pubs and bars: Generally speaking, head to the city centre if you want a full-on, lively, noisy night-out drinking. While this may not be the case in the week, at the weekend the city centre is heaving. In the dead-centre, you've got the Sedan Chair - perfect for those who like their music and their fellow clientele to be loud and The Slug and Lettuce and All Bar One for the citys smart, youngish drinkers. You've also got boisterous King Street, where the new clashes with the ancient surroundings every weekend. Heres where to come if you fancy a nights drinking amongst a loud and young crowd. Bar Med at the far end, near the water is the focus point for what seems like all of the young Bristol locals. There are places on this street that appeal to those wanting a slightly more chilled out drink - Renatos being one of them, which caters to a more arty, alternative crew. There are places to go to enjoy a more sedate pint elsewhere in the city centre, such as theArnolfini and the Watershed bar, but bear in mind that the atmosphere may be more relaxed but it will still be packed! Along the harbourside theres also some enormous super-bar type places, The Brasshouse is one example, which again cater for the young and glammed-up drinker. Bristol suffers, like every other city, from its share of beered-up blokes staggering around the streets, sometimes harassing those who cross their path. So if you're after a genteel and quiet night, the centre itself is perhaps not the place to go. Heading up Park Street you'll notice the people on the streets and in the bars getting younger - you're entering student territory here and the pubs and bars reflect this. Expect lots of youngsters weaving their way through the streets. Theres masses of bars along here, all the way up to Whiteladies Road, who are more than willing to cash in on the student dollar, so to speak. All of them are generally packed and offer various degrees of sophistication, from the basic pack-em-in of The Rat and Parrot to the funky chic of Bar Humbug or Boom. You can be sure to find something to your taste somewhere here - have fun checking it out and mixing with the citys media types (the BBC building is on this road), movers and shakers. If its a quiet boozer you're after, you may be better off heading to the outer edges of the city centre. Try Hotwells for the Adam and Eve and Hope and Anchor (great beer garden here); on the other side of the city in Montpelier theres the Cadbury House; Bedminster in South Bristol is home to the acclaimed Albert, where you can catch the latest in Folk and Jazz; Stokes Croft area for the low-key and impossibly trendy Bell; St Michaels Hill for the lovely Highbury Vaults and Clifton for some great hideaways, such as The Coronation Tap. Being popular neighbourhood locals, they're also busy but whilst you may not find a seat, you will be able to hear yourself speak! Entertainment in BristolBristol has really come into its own over the last few years and whereas the words "Bristol Entertainment" may have been regarded as a bit of a contradiction in the past, no-one would deny that this is now a city full of life and justly proud of its scene. The nice thing is, however, that it remains a smallish city thats kept its own clear identity, which can be summed up in one word - mellow. Going out is generally a low-key affair in this city. Thats not to say that there aren't clubs, bars and restaurants where you can glam it up with the best of them, but that you don't need to have your designer labels on before you dare venture out the door. Music: In the last few years Bristol has hit the headlines with its
home-grown talent, such as Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead, all
part of the so-called "Bristol Sound" and the music scene here
continues to go from strength to strength. All tastes are catered for.
If you're into classical, theres the newly and beautifully refurbished
St Georges, where you can listen to orchestras performing works by all
the classic composers and more obscure pieces you may never have
discovered before, as well as opera and jazz. Its also home to various
BBC Radio 3 broadcasts. If you're in town in the day, pop in to one of
their lunch time concerts. Classical music and opera can also be found
at the magnificent Colston Hall in the city centre and at the Victoria
Rooms in Clifton - home of the Universitys Music department. Clubs: Then of course there's music to dance to! Bristols club scene, like the rest of the city has undergone a renaissance in the last few years and is constantly in flux with places closing one week and reopening the next under different names, but theres a good choice of venues and club nights to satisfy most musical taste. For a glammed-up crowd and house and garage music, try either The Works or Evolution -both get packed with young things partying the night away. Well-known DJs regularly pack-out Creation and Cafe Blue, both massive and recently refurbished venues for you to get sweaty in. A trendier crowd can be found at the Blue Mountain club and the recently reopened and legendary Lakota, both on Stokes Croft, and at the infamous Thekla, the club-on-a-boat, moored on the floating harbour. For a more low-key nights clubbing theres the Tantric Jazz Cafe (as mentioned above), which has funk and soul nights, Cellar Cafe (a real find) and the Silent Peach who do a great 60s jazz, northern soul and soundtrack night. And for a gay and lesbian scene make your way to the Old Market area of the city and visit Castros and Winns. Stage and Screen: For those of us whose clubbing days are over, theres always the stage
and screen to entertain! And theres enough art-house and mainstream
cinemas and theatres to keep everybody happy. This is a city with an
impressive theatrical heritage - Britains oldest working theatre, the
Theatre Royal, still stands in King Street and is the place to go for
new productions that are on their way to the West End, new works by both
well-known and up-and-coming playwrights, and smaller more alternative
productions in the Studio and New Vic sections there. For big-name
shows, such as Dr Dolittle and The Phantom of the Opera its a short walk
from here to the Hippodrome, right in the city centre and bus-loads of
theatre-goers are a regular sight outside here. For smaller and more
experimental productions theres The Tobacco Factory, Bristols newest
theatre, situated in Bedminster and the Alma Tavern Theatre- a tiny
space inside a pub. Comedy: Bristol is firmly on the map of the countrys comedy circuit and you can always see at least a few different comedians most nights of the week in different venues. In north Bristol you can choose to go to Jesters Comedy Club on Cheltenham Road, which always has an entertaining line-up, and various special nights (student night, meal-deal night etc.) or The Comedy Box, which is above The Bristol Flyer pub and also hosts big-name acts and often has the same bill as that of Jesters the previous night. Close by is The Bristol Comedy Pub, on Stokes Croft, which tends to be a slightly more hit and miss affair with semi-professionals, although it sometimes features the same comedians from Jesters, who just have to cross the road to here if they need more laughs. If the comedian has really grown in stature he or she will perform anywhere large enough, so watch out for performances by comedians such as Al Murray and Mark Lamarr at The Colston Hall, the Old Vic and occasionally, the Watershed. Children: If anyone needs constant entertainment its kids, and they have more than enough to keep them happy in Bristol. Apart from the fact that just walking around the city provides numerous opportunities for diversions - think walking up Cabots Tower, watching the boats at the harbour, getting a ferry ride around the city, playing on the swings at Brandon Hill, visiting the City Museum, crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge and exploring the nearby caves and observatory - theres special events and places just for them. Take them to Windmill City Farm for a taste of the country, to Bristol Zoo for some really wild life, to a Saturday Morning Show at the Theatre Royal or let them express themselves through art at the Arnolfini. Then tell them if they're very good they'll get a treat at one of the child friendly cafes around town! Festivals: Bristol really comes alive in the summer and this is the time to visit if you fancy a festival experience. Theres the urban madness of St Pauls Afrikan and Caribbean Carnival, a massive music and community event which draws a huge crowd and is getting bigger each year. Then theres the rural feel of the Bristol Community Festival at Ashton Court, which takes place in acres of green just over the suspension bridge and is a weekend when Bristolians of all ages come to chill-out and enjoy this buzzing event, like a mini Glastonbury. If you're into boats come for the Harbour Regatta; if films your bag than visit the Animated Encounters and Brief Encounters festival at the Watershed and if you want the city to yourself in the dead of summer, then time your visit to coincide with the nearby Glastonbury festival - Bristol is virtually deserted, with all its youngsters gone to pay pilgrimage and roll in the mud at Worthy Farm! Dining in Europe > Bristol
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