Bristol City Guide

Bristol has always danced to its own beat. This is the city that gave the world Banksy, Massive Attack, and Aardman Animations — and that independent, slightly rebellious spirit runs through everything from its street art scene to its fiercely local food culture. The Harbourside is the natural gathering point, where converted warehouses house galleries, restaurants, and the brilliant Arnolfini arts centre.

The music scene is exceptional and wonderfully diverse. Bristol practically invented trip-hop, but the city's sonic palette stretches from the drum and bass nights at Motion and Lakota to folk sessions in Clifton pubs, classical concerts at St George's, and jazz at The Old Duke on the harbour. Thekla, a music venue on a converted cargo ship, is about as Bristol as it gets.

Stokes Croft and Gloucester Road form the backbone of the independent shopping and eating scene — mile after mile of record shops, vintage stores, vegan cafes, and restaurants that source everything within shouting distance of the city. The weekend markets at St Nicholas and Cargo at Wapping Wharf are packed with street food traders who take their craft seriously.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge is the city's most famous landmark, and the walk across it at sunset is unforgettable. But Bristol rewards wandering — take the ferry along the harbour, explore the colourful houses of Totterdown, or hike up to Brandon Hill for a view that stretches across the city to the distant Welsh hills.