Looking for some quirky places to eat and drink in Bristol? We feel ya! Bristol has some amazing places to eat and drink but sometimes, we all want something a bit different… something a little quirky! We’ve pulled together some of our favourite bars, restaurants and cafes with a difference to help you get your quirk on!
Kongs
Kongs is a seriously cool bar on King Street. Not only do they have arcade games, ping pong and a foosball table, but they have great DJ’s most weekends and a brilliant craft beer selection. Hungry? Burger Theory is now running their kitchen and serving some of the best burgers in Bristol. You need this!
Spoke & Stringer
Need a wetsuit AND some great tapas? Who doesn’t! Head down to Spoke & Stringer and they’ll sort out all of your surfing or cycling needs, plus serve you some of the best pintxos and tapas in Bristol. Since opening a just over a year ago, Spoke & Stringer has established itself as one of the best restaurants in the city. It also has one of the best views to match!
The Old Bookshop
The Old Bookshop has become one of the best places to eat and drink in Bristol. Having recently taken on super chef Alex Bluette to permanently head up the kitchen and partnered with Bristol’s legendary Psycopomp to run a dedicated cocktail bar, things are getting more exciting by the day. The venue itself is totally wacky, with good and bad taxidermy, trumpet lighting and the best smoking area around. The Old Bookshop is arguably the best Sunday lunch around.
Assilah Bistro
Assilah is a Maroccan Bistro on Wells Road, Totterdown. The decor is everything you’d expect and more from a Maroccan restaurant and the menu and food has been highly rated since the day they opened. Assilah trivia: Joss Stone filmed some of her recent music video here.
Sky Kong Kong
In terms of decor, this is as quirky as it gets in Bristol. Situated in Haymarket, Sky Kong Kong is run by one of the most talented chefs in the city, Wizzy. Wizzy’s Asian-Fusion menu changes daily and dishes are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat.
Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Serving cocktail in anything from Chinese takeaway boxes (the cool American style ones. No tupperware) or small wellington boots, HMSS is one of the best cocktails in town. It may sound gimmicky, but trust us, everything is pulled off with style and finese and tastes as good as it looks. If you’re looking for a drinking spot to impress friends or colleagues, head to HMSS.
Yurt Lush
Fancy dinner in a Mongolian Yurt? Course you do! Yurt Lush is the permanent home for Bristol’s annual Eat Drink Bristol Fashion festival. And with a menu created by Michelin starred chef and local food hero, Josh Eggleton and Head Chef Aidan Dunford, it’s food credentials speak for themselves.
Falafel King
OK… so you may have been to Falafel King BUT if you didn’t go downstairs, you’ve basically missed half of the magic… it’s like stepping into a different world! Kitted out in full Middle Eastern decor, they’ve got an awesome shisha bar full of beanbags and cushions. Pretty sweet right?
Ahh Toots
St Nic’s market is Bristol’s lunch time foodie hot-spot, and just a few steps in is Ahh Toots. Serving a range of amazing sandwiches, quiches, cakes and pastries in their lovely little cove, it’s a really cool place to sit for an hour and enjoy the hustle ‘n bustle.
Atomic Burger
Got kids? Or are you just a big kid at heart? If yes is your answer, we reckon the Atomic Burger is a bit of you! It’s a comic book and cartoon themed burger bar with a menu based on comic books, cartoons and superheroes. Tip: try the bacon milkshake.
Steak of the Art
Designed entirely by one artist, Steak of the Art is a work of art itself… I mean, check out the huge bar! It’s lit in bright blue and green lights, you can’t miss it. What’s more, they’ve even got an Alice in Wonderland booth. With custom floorings to boot, this is one of the most striking restaurants around.
The Gallimaufry
An all-time favourite of ours, you can’t get quirkier than the Gallimaufry. Boasting an outdoor seating area perfect for people watching, their bohemian interior will make you forget you’re even in Bristol! Expect doll clocks on the walls, bad taxidermy and really awesome art. What’s more, their food is seasonal and some of the best on Gloucester Road.
Cox & Baloney Vintage Boutique
Afternoon tea, cocktails in tea-pots and vintage fashion… gangs all here! If you haven’t been yet, you’ve got to get yourself down the ASAP! Cox & Baloney is a really lovely boutique on Cheltenham Road and their passion is evident in everything they do. You’ll have lots of fun here.
Under the Stars
Bristol isn’t short of bars and restaurants on boats and it comes as no surprise that Under the Stars found its way on this list! Afterall, it’s not just a boat… it’s a ship! A ship with great tapas, brilliant cocktails, movie nights and live music. Aaaarrggh!
The Cauldron
The Cauldron is one of our favourite new openings of 2016. Situated in the quirky area of St Werburgh’s, they cook all of their delicious brunch and dinner dishes on a huge cast iron cauldron with pits of charcoal. AND did you know that this cauldron is “…the UK’s first solid fuelled kitchen in over 100 years”? And it isn’t a gimmick, the food here is some of the best you’ll find in the city.
Cargo
Made up of over a dozen shipping containers, Cargo and Cargo 2 is a new development of bars, restaurants and lifestyle businesses in Whapping Wharf. Here’s what you’ll find:
Pigsty: with years of experience in hog roasting and sausage making behind them, Michelin-starred chef endorsements, ‘My favourite sausage, best in the business’ Michel Roux Jnr. and thousands of satisfied customers along the way, launching their own restaurant for the wonderful people of Bristol was naturally the next step.
Chicken Shed: an organic chicken restaurant by the creators of Eat Drink Bristol Festival with a stunning roof terrace overlooking the harbour.
Box-E: a 14-seat restaurant – with kitchen table – showcasing seasonal modern British cooking.
Woky Ko: Woky Ko is the brainchild of former MasterChef finalist Larkin CenFresh. You can expect Asian dishes cooked with some serious wok skills.
Lovett Pies: Award-winning pies, handmade in Bristol using local ingredients