Amoeba in Clifton is an ideal place to spend an evening people watching out front or quietly chatting with friends on the terrace. The drinks menu includes cocktails, spirits and beers from around the world including refreshing fruit beers.
Available :
Daily
Bristol's first art gallery, the Royal West of England Academy in Clifton was founded in 1849. Housed in a magnificent grade II-listed building, the gallery contains many fine works bequeathed by the academy's main benefactor, Ellen Sharples, plus new additions.
Available :
Daily
The Royal West of England Academy presents its most popular exhibition of the year. The Autumn Exhibition features over 500 watercolour, oil, paint, print, sculpture, photography and drawing works chosen from 1500 pieces submitted by well-known and little-known artists.
Available :
Oct - Dec 2013 (annual)
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery in Clifton houses permanent displays of local, national and international interest and excellent temporary exhibitions, usually with a local theme. The top-floor galleries include Old Masters and a collection of British and modern art.
Available :
Daily
The natural world is brought into fresh focus with the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery. Travel the globe through the eye of a lens, from the cold Arctic to the deepest tropical rainforests.
Available :
Nov 2012 - Mar 2013 (annual)
British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel's 19th-century iron ship is now a meticulously restored showpiece. The largest and most powerful ship built in her time, ss Great Britain dominates the waterfront along Hotwells and reflects Bristol's proud maritime history.
Available :
Daily
Boston Tea Party in Park Street serves delicious, affordable meals with ingredients mainly sourced from the West Country. The menu covers light snacks to more substantial meals such as sweet potato and feta wraps. Diners can choose from eating upstairs in the terraced garden or snacking on a panini on one of the comfy sofas.
Available :
Daily
The Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the Avon Gorge in Clifton, is Bristol's most distinctive landmark. Designed by British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the bridge was opened in 1864 to carry horse-drawn vehicles, but now around 12,000 cars cross daily.
Available :
Daily
The generous portions, good value and excellent service at the Beijing Bistro on Park Street ensures a loyal following. The minimalist, modern décor in this split-level venue does not detract from the delicious wok-fried noodle dishes served piping hot. The large windows overlooking Park Street make it a great place for people watching.
Available :
Daily
Once the home to a West India sugar merchant and his slave, Bristol's Georgian House, in the city centre, has been restored and furnished to show a typical 18th-century house, including the elegant living rooms, servant quarters and kitchen.
Available :
Apr - Oct 2013 (annual)
The Bristol Guild on Park Street, a labyrinthine building covering three floors, is a landmark shop selling hand-crafted and designer gifts. You'll also find unusual toys, gourmet foods, jewellery, furniture, crafts and kitchenware.
Available :
Daily; not Sun
The Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the highlights of the city's summer events programme. It features tall ships and a variety of other vessels, music, dance, circus and street theatre, markets and a spectacular fireworks show.
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Jul 2013 (annual)
Are you mad about moving pictures? Fusing the Brief Encounters and the Animated Encounters film festivals, venues around Bristol's Harbourside play host to the Encounters Short Film Festival - a highlight in every Bristolian film buff's calendar.
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Nov 2013 (annual)
Pick up tips and advice on how to live an eco-friendly, vegetarian life. Bristol Harbourside's Eco Veggie Fayre features vegetarian cooking demos and classes, live music on two stages from lunchtime onwards and children's entertainment.
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May 2013 (annual)
Bristol goes wild for the annual Festival of Nature, held every summer along the picturesque harbourside. With events ranging from a local food market to interactive workshops, the whole family is invited to come and explore the natural world.
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Jun 2013 (annual)
Bristol's Red Lodge is a magnificent 16th-century house, furnished in both Elizabethan and Georgian styles. It houses one of the city's greatest treasures: the Great Oak Room, considered to be one of the finest Elizabethan rooms in the West Country.
Available :
Daily; not Thu or Fri
Bristol Zoo Gardens, located in large award-winning gardens in Clifton, carries out conservation projects and breeds endangered species. The Seal & Penguin zone is particularly popular, allowing visitors to see creatures beneath the water's surface, through transparent tunnels.
Available :
Daily
Anywhere with reindeer has a headstart on festive celebrations, so Bristol Zoo Gardens is just the place to spend a Fantabulous Christmas! For two days, entertainers, bands, storytellers and Santa himself are on hand to ensure everyone feels some Christmas cheer.
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Dec 2013 (annual)
Get less bang for your buck at Bristol Zoo Gardens this Guy Fawkes Night! As its animals are distressed by the conventional clamour of fireworks displays, the zoo holds a special, but silent, fireworks spectacular to celebrate this usually cacophonous night.
Available :
Nov 2013 (annual)
If mega eco-friendly describes you best, head to the CREATE Centre, where an exhibition shows you all you need to know about recycling. Meanwhile, the next-door Ecohome is full of ideas and information on eco-friendly construction and living.
Available :
Daily
Platform 1 in Clifton attracts a crowd who enjoy dancing to a range of good music. The excellent sound system plays an eclectic mix of house, disco, funk and soul in this cosy underground venue with its retro décor.
Available :
Daily
The Bristol IMAX Theatre is the only IMAX screen in the Southwest and measures a gigantic 21 metres wide and 15 metres tall. Choose from a selection of scenic, beautiful or action-packed films and prepare to be swept away by the spectacular visual effects.
Available :
Daily
An award-winning family attraction, Explore-At-Bristol interactive centre reveals an amazing world of science and discovery. Science is brought alive through visuals and interactive exhibits. Enjoy a planetarium show or join the live science team for fun experiments and activities.
Available :
Daily
Zerodegrees is a city centre microbrewery serving black, wheat, pale and pilsner ales as well as thirst-quenching fruit beers. Pizzas from a wood-burning stove complement the beers and the open terrace has views across the city's rooftops.
Available :
Daily
If the sight of someone slipping on a banana skin leaves you in stitches, then Bristol's Slapstick Silent Comedy Festival is for you. Relive classic silent movies and view live comdey shows at the Watershed and other venues around town.
Available :
Jan 2013 (annual)
Bordeaux Quay, on the Harbourside, sources most of its food from the South West and serves delicious, seasonal European-style food. The menu changes frequently but often includes fresh, roasted sea bass. There is a brasserie downstairs with a bright upstairs restaurant which surrounds a central atrium. The effect is simple but sophisticated.
Available :
Daily
The University of Bristol Botanic Garden is on a secluded site near the edge of the Avon Gorge. A peaceful oasis away from the city, it's also a learning experience.
Available :
Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sun only
The Arnolfini, by the Harbourside, is a leading contemporary arts venue in a converted warehouse showcasing new and innovative works including arthouse films, live art and dance. Five galleries have regularly changing exhibitions and these are open free of charge.
Available :
Daily; not Mon
More than 50 artist bookmakers, dealers and small presses fill Bristol's Arnolfini to show and sell their work. BABE (Bristol Artists Book Event) provides a chance to meet and talk to artists and buy their works of art.
Available :
Apr 2013 (biennial)
If you're a nascent Sylvia Plath or Seamus Heaney, this literary affair at the Arnolfini Harbourside and throughout Bristol is for you. It offers an opportunity for closet poets to get some creative exposure and see the experts at work.
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Sep 2013 (annual)
The Big Chill Bristol brings the laid-back vibes and atmosphere of the Big Chill Festival to the South West. Expect comfy spaces, cool design and a relaxing blend of drinks, music and food. DJs spin tunes in the bar.
Available :
Daily
Housed in an historic transit shed in a stunning dockside location, the Industrial Museum showcases Bristol's industrial heritage. The Museum will close on October 28th 2006 and is scheduled to open again in the summer of 2009 at a new location.
Available :
Daily; not Thu or Fri
Located in the old Corn Exchange in the city centre, St Nicholas Market has a wide selection of stalls and tiny shops selling one-off products not seen in high street shops, including clothes, jewellery and bric-a-brac.
Available :
Daily; not Sun
Bristol's Old Vic has a beautiful, Georgian auditorium and is the oldest continuously working theatre in the country (since about 1766). Renowned for an excellent repertory programme, it plays host to some of the best local and national theatre companies throughout the year.
Available :
Daily
The Riverstation, located right on the riverside in the city centre, is a popular place for dinner. The European cuisine reflects seasonal variations so the menu changes regularly and includes dishes such as hake stuffed with fresh herbs. The bright, modern restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere where diners can linger over a freshly cooked meal.
Available :
Daily
Big-name UK and international DJs appear regularly at The Syndicate, a superclub in the city centre. The main arena pumps out dance music from a sophisticated sound system and room two offers alternative music, including punk and rock.
Available :
Daily
Rajpoot Restaurant is housed in a grand, split-level Georgian house that overlooks Bristol's Clifton Downs. The extensive menu draws influence from throughout India, with an impressive number of fish dishes. For dessert, try Mughal sweets like iced Rasgulla cooked in syrup with green cardamom or hot fried Jalabies with vanilla ice cream.
Available :
Daily; not Sun
The Dot to Dot Festival is a unique opportunity to sample a broad range of established and up-and-coming global music acts. Various venues across Bristol play host to this year's festival, which also visits Nottingham and Manchester.
Available :
Jun 2013 (various dates)
The Bristol Shakespeare Festival is a celebration of open-air performance that welcomes theatre companies from all over the country. Much-loved productions by the Bard are staged at indoor and outdoor spaces across the city, including Ashton Court and Bristol Zoo.
Available :
Jul - Aug 2013 (annual)
Mayfest is Bristol's annual celebration of outstanding new theatre from the South West, the UK and beyond. Performances take place at venues around the city and feature a mixture of productions from new and innovative to esteemed and established.
Available :
May 2013 (annual)
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