Angela’s Guide to Bristol Student Life

Our Student Manager, and Bristol University Graduate, Angela Broomby, has seen most sides of student life in Bristol and has put together a guide to the city based on location. We hope you find it amusing and useful!

Whether you have been in Bristol for a while or are new to the area you have undoubtedly heard that the Bristol social scene is massive.  Every area has its own charm and nightlife with every taste being well catered for.  This is our guide to the social-scene in the areas we specialise in providing property.

Clifton

The wine bar centre of Bristol!  Clifton is littered with small, speciality eateries as well as a ridiculously large number of wine bars in such a small area.  If you look hard enough you will also find a few remaining ‘proper pubs’ such as the Clifton Hophouse; a warm environment serving ales and good pub food, Somerset House well located on Princess Victoria Street and the infamous Coronation Tap; Bristol’s own cider-making local which is packed to the rafters most nights and can guarantee you leave at least a little inebriated.  The favourite ‘Exhibition cider’ is brewed so strong that it can only be served in half pints!  Add to this the fact that two-pint take-away’s are available and you’ve got a cider-lover’s heaven.

Hotwells

Stretching down the hillside below Clifton and reaching the desirable waterfront; Hotwells is the pub-goers Mecca.  Each turn of the windy streets seems to reveal another pub discreetly nestled amongst the pastel-wash houses.  Down by the water there remains a happy mix of quirky pub such as the strangely named ‘Bag of Nails,’ river-view pubs like the Spring Gardens and student favourites such as the mighty Hope and Anchor on Jacobs Wells Road, a place with good food and a funky garden terrace to enjoy it in. 

Redland & Bishopston

Living in Redland or Bishopston gives you quick and easy access to the student orientated nightlife of Gloucester Road and the more upmarket pubs, bars and cafes along the historical Whiteladies Road.  Redland is plonked neatly in the middle of these two social hot-spots and the walk is short and safe.  Dining on Whiteladies Road is always a good experience: The Fine Line is a delight in fine cuisine and caters for nearly every taste; however, for those diners where fun and frolics are on the menu you can never go wrong with a good Mexican.  Las Iguanas and Tequila Max both cater for large parties and small groups, serving a mean cocktail and a huge variety of Mexican fare from chilli rich meals to make you eyes water to mild but beautifully tasty feasts for those who fear chillies.
Walking the other way to Gloucester Road brings you to take-away centre.  The whole stretch of the road is littered with chicken, pizza, Chinese and Indian; you will never go hungry.  There is also no shortage of funky bars.  If you are looking for a more intimate setting try Halo, a deceptively sized café/bar with a small front but a rear that stretches way back and opening into a massive garden-terrace.  During the day Halo serves breakfasts and Sunday roasts but in the evenings it bursts into life as a bar with an exceptionally good cocktail menu and the bonus of regular Happy Hours. 
If you are after cheap and cheerful your best bet will always be the mega-chain.  The Rising Sun has a dedicated following as it is bright, airy and being a Scream pub; stupidly cheap.  It is without doubt the place to go to drink-lots.  Not many people leave this place sober and the friendly staff combined with their excellent ability to persuade you to buy shots definitely makes this a fun pub to colonise on a regular basis.

Cotham

Cotham stretches down from the University of Bristol’s turf on St. Michael’s Hill, all the way to the Arches on Gloucester Road.  The top of the hill, rolling distance from most of Bristol University’s libraries, offers the popular Highbury Vaults.  Although a little intimidating from the outside, the Highbury offers a place where everyone can meet after lectures, no matter what side of town they actually live on.  There is a range of hearty pub food with an emphasis on jacket potatoes and some fantastic nachos.  The real bonus, however, is the garden.  Stretching back there are plenty of places to sit, a cover to protect you from the rain and very powerful patio heaters which allow the garden to be inhabited at all times of the year.  There are also numerous weird and wonderful statues littered about the garden rockery which always provide a talking point at some time or another. 
Almost opposite the Highbury is the other gem-The White Bear.  This is busy day and night and serves some of the best lunches around the university.  From burgers to falafel, The White Bear lunch is something that everyone at Bristol University will have experienced at some point.  Evenings also bring a flurry of sports club meetings, pool playing and the occasional BBQ.
Moving down the hill, the Cotham end of Gloucester Road has many highlights.  The Cat and Wheel is a specific favourite of anyone living nearby as it is cheap, friendly and has not one, but two beer gardens-great for those of us who live in flats and need a place to enjoy the sun!  The Bishops Tavern and The Prince of Wales are more popular student haunts and they are experts in catering for this market.  Where the Tavern concentrates on cheaper prices, as with many chains, the newly refurnished Prince of Wales is geared more towards the hippy end of the market, with Organic food, a heated beer garden and dreadlocked bar staff-a warm and welcoming place in any weather.
For the rockers and ravers among you, Cotham also offers close access to Stokes Croft. Check out The Croft, a bar which regularly has live bands playing in the back room and is often a favourite for smaller Jungle and Drum and Bass nights.  It is also only a short walk to Lakota and Blue Mountain, two large clubs which are a welcome break from the cheesy nights offered by the more popular city centre and waterfront clubs.  If you’ve got the nerve to break away from the cheese, this is the end of town to be.  Baggy trousers, braids, dreadlocks and raves galore.

St. Andrews

St. Andrews is rapidly becoming studentified, but it has maintained its quiet dignity of a family area.  Backing onto the huge St. Andrews Park, this is the place to be in summer, especially if you aren’t blessed with a garden. The social scene of St. Andrews is again provided by Gloucester Road and the wealth of bars and pubs it has to offer; the area is across the Gloucester Road from Cotham and therefore shares all of the social benefits described above.

City Centre

Ah, the centre.  Where everything is at your fingertips; shops, bars, clubs, university.  The only thing you don’t get is parking!  But who needs a car when everything you need is a few steps from your front door?  The inevitable stumble home after an evening on Park Street is never really a challenge when your front door is only 20 metres from your house.  Park Street is littered with bars that also do a good job of masquerading as clubs.  Many are worth a visit and many are not.  The Elbow Rooms is the daddy of Park Street bars-with a happy mix of pool tables, shot-racks and flat screen TVs showing various snowboarding antics. The upstairs room regularly hosts less mainstream music and on a Sunday is open until 1am and has a kicking DnB night. 
There is also no shortage of clubs in the centre.  The mainstream giants such as Baja on the waterfront pull huge crowds and by far the best night is Vodka Society on Mondays-cheap vodka and cheesy pop tunes!  The massive Bristol Academy is located virtually underneath Park Street and hosts a variety of popular nights and if you’re after smaller, more specialised clubs, Park Row is home to both Level and Dojo Lounge-two places that should be not be missed.
If you’re up for some more drinking once 2am has fallen, check out Yia Mass. A Greek Taverna near the top of Park Street with a good menu, extra late hours and a funky atmosphere.
There is always a need for a take-away after a hard night of shot drinking.  Along Park Street and down by the centre’s fountains there is a huge selection of take-aways; mostly specialising in fried chicken.  However, you can not go wrong by side-stepping slightly to Park Row and trying out the Taveria Lebanese Take-away.  Once you’ve had one of there flavour-filled dishes you’ll never waste money on a donner again.

Southville & Bedminster

Rapidly becoming more popular with both UWE and Bristol Uni student; Southville and Bedminster offer quick access to the centre but have not yet been hit with the high rent prices found in the other student areas in Bristol.  Because of this, a fledgling student social life is springing up, centred mainly around North Street in Southville.  They are many local pubs for local people, but more student orientated places are beginning to intersperse them.  The Hen and Chicken is a happy mix of both, with good value drinks, pool playing and the occasional pub quiz.  The more modern Bar Salt has become a favourite of the Southville inhabitants: it has a fresh, slightly hippyfied interior, a large garden complete with powerful heaters and a pool shed to entertain the more coordinated of the group.
For the arty among you there is no denying the appeal of the Tobacco factory.  A giant…well…factory, which has been converted into a theatre, art gallery and café, it is a unique place and its development was one of the major turning points in the social growth of Southville and Bedminster.

No matter which area you live in your Bristol social scene will quickly blossom.  Don’t be afraid to try new places, new drinks and new music-University is supposed to help you grow; in confidence and in knowledge-there could be a whole new passion out there just waiting for you to have the guts to discover it.