Bristol, England - Do any ILXers reside in this fair city?

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Beerd is near Highbury Vaults and White Bear (3 and 4 on that tavern trail) btw

kinder, Saturday, 9 July 2016 11:44 (seven years ago) link

Highbury Vaults was probably my favourite old school pub in Bristol. Cotham Porter Stores is nearby and probably the last real old school cider house in town (used to have just a section of wall and a drain outside as the gents, for example).

suffeeciant attreebution (aldo), Saturday, 9 July 2016 11:54 (seven years ago) link

Love all the Kingsdown pubs and then you've got Crofters Rights etc on Stokes Croft. That's been fairly recently re-done and looks like they've half finished but think that's the intended effect. Has tons of local and guest craft beers/ciders
http://croftersrights.co.uk/tap-list/

kinder, Saturday, 9 July 2016 11:58 (seven years ago) link

Aldo OTM about the Highbury Vaults and Cotham Porter Stalls (though the last time I went to the latter it had been given a lick of paint and wasn't quite the dark brown cider cave I remember from visiting in the 80s. Still excellent though.

Tim, Saturday, 9 July 2016 15:06 (seven years ago) link

Wow, thanks for all the tips everyone. I will report back in a few. Cheers!

Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Sunday, 10 July 2016 07:11 (seven years ago) link

hah, I've been to hardly any of these places.

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Sunday, 10 July 2016 07:16 (seven years ago) link

Staying nearby Temple Meads for the odd night or two for the next few weeks. Any nice restaurants to check out?

xyzzzz__, Monday, 18 July 2016 18:15 (seven years ago) link

Also a good vegetarian place if possible

xyzzzz__, Monday, 18 July 2016 18:18 (seven years ago) link

Follow my friend Mark on Twitter or scroll through his tweets.

a nice cup of tea and a sit-in (suzy), Monday, 18 July 2016 18:29 (seven years ago) link

tx!

xyzzzz__, Monday, 18 July 2016 19:04 (seven years ago) link

Temple Quay often has good street food events but they're during the day I think.
Been recommended Yurt Lush right near Temple meads but not been. I try and ignore the shit name.
Temple Meads seems like it's far out of the way but it's not too much of a trek to Queen's Square, Riverstation (which is v nice) - 12 mins walk from the station according to google - and all around Welshback/ King Street. So loads of places if you don't mind a 15-min walk!

Then there's Casa Mia which is a bit more 'occasion' and the Ostrich pub which is worth stopping by for a drink.

Veggie friends like Souk Kitchen which is in Clifton and Southville and Thali Cafe is always a good bet (also in Southville, Clifton, Montpelier, and other places). Dog latin could probably help on that front, too.

kinder, Monday, 18 July 2016 20:27 (seven years ago) link

sorry just re-read your post, thought you were looking for convenience but if you don't mind going a bit further there's tons more I could suggest, but probably best to have a look on Bristol247.com or similar.

kinder, Monday, 18 July 2016 20:30 (seven years ago) link

Thanks - good for a 20 min walk around temple meads btw so I'll try some and let you all know. Feeling violated by what I had tonight. xp = not a problem, quite like more suggestions and can always make the time, especially in summer.

xyzzzz__, Monday, 18 July 2016 20:32 (seven years ago) link

where did you go tonight?!

kinder, Monday, 18 July 2016 20:39 (seven years ago) link

hotel food.

xyzzzz__, Monday, 18 July 2016 20:44 (seven years ago) link

I'd say St Nick's Market and the area around Corn Street is a good shout for street food and restaurants. Feels like I see a new place every day - especially Asian cuisine.

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 18 July 2016 22:51 (seven years ago) link

for value, near the arches on Gloucester Road I have tried Asian Spicy (which despite the generic name is an excellent Indian restaurant) and Affendi, a Lebanese restaurant which we checked out randomly the other day and loved. Both are BYOB which makes for a nice cheap meal.
More expensive is Glassboat on the Welsh Back. As the name suggests, it's on the river and the food is very tasty, Anglo-French. Good if you like steaks and seafood and just the right kind of service.

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 18 July 2016 22:54 (seven years ago) link

Cheers.

found this anarchist bookshop today. #adventures

xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 19 July 2016 19:41 (seven years ago) link

one month passes...

just booked tickets for Simple Things Festival. Prices go up at midnight tonight but they stand at £35 incl booking fee, which looks reasonable to me.

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:25 (seven years ago) link

I'm considering going to that, it has a good line up and the Tekklife showcase should be great

Neil S, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:35 (seven years ago) link

The Teklife showcase is one of the main reasons I want to go.

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 14:49 (seven years ago) link

i return to work next week DL if you ever decide to do the lunch hour meet-n-greet thing.
i work tues/wed/thurs.
i work between st nicks and the galleries.
well, that is as long as the crew i work for have not been relocated in my absence - this is not beyond the realms of possibility !
ps. glad to hear things are going well, and hopefully your have managed to sort a new place to dwell out.

mark e, Wednesday, 31 August 2016 16:47 (seven years ago) link

hey Mark - shit can you believe it's been a year to the day since I moved here? I must have been busy because it feels like no time at all. I work right near castle park/passage street so let's definitely do that. I'll take it to Facebook

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Wednesday, 31 August 2016 17:50 (seven years ago) link

two months pass...

Just a quick update my favourite place is Namaste I think (just found it after one of my many walks around September), really good curries over the week. Good 20-25 mins from the hotel so a bit nearer is Old India. That street is good for pubs and pretty serene too.

xyzzzz__, Friday, 18 November 2016 19:08 (seven years ago) link

Wish I'd made the decision to move here instead of staying in the south east. For one thing I'd be much closer to my family. Maybe one day we'll make the move.

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Friday, 18 November 2016 22:56 (seven years ago) link

one year passes...

Does anyone have any Bristol record shop recommendations? I lived in Bristol in the Revolver/Imperial/Replay years and I understand things have changed a fair bit!

Any fine(ish) dining tips appreciated, though there's some very good stuff above...

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 18:52 (six years ago) link

I like Bells Diner a lot (small plates with a Mediterranean kind of feeling, ate so much I nearly exploded and it was all delicious);had a really good modern European meal at Wilson’s on Chandon Road - that’s the closest to fine(ish) of the one’s I’m mentioning here.

The place I was most excited about finding last time we were there (last month) was a wine bar called Bar Buvette, the food offer is really simple but fab and the wine is great and it was a very pleasant place to be.

There was a good fish place in Clifton Village but I can’t remember its name.

Tim, Monday, 9 April 2018 20:11 (six years ago) link

nice one, thanks Tim. This article has what looks like some good recommendations, including Bells:
https://www.timeout.com/bristol/restaurants/the-best-restaurants-in-bristol

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:35 (six years ago) link

The fish place in Clifton is called, somewhat predictably, Fishers. I once got kicked under the table for half an hour so I wouldn't bellow NICK FUCKING KNOWLES at Nick Knowles, because he was two tables away.

Casa Mexicana on Redland Road has been the best Mexican outside of London for 30 years now. There are two great South Indians nearby too, Hare Krishna Kitchen on Redland Road and Dev's Kerala Kitchen on Gloucester Road (top of Pigsty Hill). But I suppose none of them are fine(ish).

There's always been a good place on Chandos Road, but I've been away for 5 years so I don't know what it is now. There used to be a good one on Cotham Brow, more or less next door to Cotham Porter Stores but it's probably changed hands or might not even be there now. So I guess I've got nothing.

Bimlo Horsewagon became Wheelbarrow Horseflesh (aldo), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:40 (six years ago) link

hah no it's all good, thanks! The other half is vegetarian so South Indian is always a good bet!

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:42 (six years ago) link

If you’re on Twitter, follow Mark Taylor - fantastic food critic repoing for Bristol 24/7 (and an oooold mate of mine).

suzy, Monday, 9 April 2018 20:44 (six years ago) link

cheers, spotted that upthread, will take a look now

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:45 (six years ago) link

From that link, Flour & Ash recently got in a twitter fight about substituting mozzarella with rennet. (Long story, I actually thing they're entirely in the right but I have heard things about their attitude from other people so I'm on the fence.) They also did a naked restaurant night so they're kind of a clickbait hipster place.

I went to the first Zazu's Kitchen before it moved (and before the second branch). It was OK, but was a few years ago.

I boycotted Bell's Diner after they refused to fit me in one night when the place was only half full and I told them I'd be quick. Petty, maybe, but you have to have some discriminators otherwise you'd be out all night so they went 15 years without my custom.

I note Pieminster says they've been tarted up in the review, it was basically a hot counter and some seats a few years ago. Everything else is after my time, sorry.

Bimlo Horsewagon became Wheelbarrow Horseflesh (aldo), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:50 (six years ago) link

yeah Flour & Ash sounds a bit much I think. Pieminister is fine, but pies are pies aren't they!

any advance on Wanted Records for blowing-cash-on-tat purposes? Friendly Records looks like it might be good...

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:53 (six years ago) link

Everywhere I knew was shut when I left, sorry. I'm from the Revolver/Imperial days too.

Bimlo Horsewagon became Wheelbarrow Horseflesh (aldo), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:54 (six years ago) link

I wonder if any of those places on Gloucester Rd which were just bins and bins of tat or huge amounts of unwanted dance records are still there. Probably gone or totally picked over by now

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:56 (six years ago) link

The one on Cheltenham Road is still there (can't remember the name, orange sign?).

Bimlo Horsewagon became Wheelbarrow Horseflesh (aldo), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:57 (six years ago) link

I used to go in there (whatever it was called) and desultorily flick through the bins while avoiding studying. I'd probably find good stuff there now if I could go back in time!

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 21:00 (six years ago) link

Cotham Brow place is Bulrush, meant to be vv good although I've not had a chance to go.

I love Dev's Kerala but it's more like a canteen rather than tablecloths.

Souk Kitchen good for veggies too iirc (I've only been to the Southville one)

I don't really do record shops any more but you're probably thinking of Idle Hands and/or Plastic Wax.

kinder, Monday, 9 April 2018 21:21 (six years ago) link

Plastic Wax, that was it! Thanks also for restaurant advice...

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Monday, 9 April 2018 21:24 (six years ago) link

Blimey, Plastic Wax.

Tim, Monday, 9 April 2018 21:43 (six years ago) link

I have bought so many 7"s over the years thanks to the combination of weekend daytime drinking and Plastic Wax's 20 for a tenner deal.

raise my chicken finger (Willl), Monday, 9 April 2018 21:59 (six years ago) link

Also check out the 'Centre for Better Grooves' on Cranbrook Rd, just off Gloucester Rd for a decent collection of funk / soul / jazz and PK music for mountains of drum and bass / hip hop / house etc.

raise my chicken finger (Willl), Monday, 9 April 2018 22:05 (six years ago) link

Centre For Better Grooves shut the other week :-/

Bell Diner was definitely magnificent when I went there, but I hear say it went a bit downhill of late, maybe a change in owner or something. Can't speak from experience.

For that sort of thing though, I really enjoyed this place in Clifton http://newmoontapas.co.uk

loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 00:13 (six years ago) link

As for record shops, Idle Hands are a neat little dance specialist with a good and interesting range.
Rough Trade have just opened a very nice branch near the Lanes in town.
Plastic Wax, as people are saying, is great, along with a bunch of other indie places up Gloucester Road

loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 00:16 (six years ago) link

pubs wise I have a list of old haunts from student days as possibilities: Highbury Vaults, Coronation Tap, Cadbury, Hope & Anchor. Anywhere newer that is worth checking out? There are a few suggestions upthread that I have noted.

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 07:53 (six years ago) link

Cadbury was a haunt of mine but the new owners have tried to spruce it up a bit, which of course meant sacking a bit of the life and soul out of it.
Not sure about those others.
The Bell on Jamaica Street is quite good fun
Stag and Hounds in Old Market is a fairly big pub with a good atmos and live music sometimes
St Werberghs and Easton have a plethora of decent pubs if you can be bothered to venture slightly off the beaten track. The Plough in Easton is especially good
Then there's Gloucester Road of course. A great 'audiophile bar' called Edit where they sell small plates and sometimes showcase full albums on their fancy soundsystem
The Gallimaufry is always popular but good

loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 08:00 (six years ago) link

thanks! I know the Bell of old, always a place to go prior to Blue Mountain/Lakota/Cube etc. (showing my age again no doubt). Edit sounds like a good bet too, I think we'll be doing some hanging out round there

Thomas NAGL (Neil S), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 08:16 (six years ago) link

Bell Diner was definitely magnificent when I went there, but I hear say it went a bit downhill of late, maybe a change in owner or something. Can't speak from experience.

I was there last month and it was still very good, in my amateur estimation, which is to say I didn't notice a difference in quality from the previous time I went. It seemed unusually quiet for a Thursday night though.

Tim, Tuesday, 10 April 2018 08:23 (six years ago) link

sometimes happens when places switch owners, bit ropey for a bit and then gets better.

Blue Mountain and Lakota still going strong if you fancy some late-night studenty clubbing vibes. The Cube is a really good arthouse cinema now and always worth a visit.

brand new universal harvester (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 08:38 (six years ago) link


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