Things to do in Bristol Old City – what to see and where to eat

The Bristol Old City quarter is one of the best places to soak up Bristol’s history as a thriving port. Peek through the doors of elegant buildings in Corn Street and you’ll see the lofty banking halls that reflected the city’s wealth and importance. It was in this part of Bristol that ships from all over the world would arrive laden with wines, rum and sugar, to be unloaded on the quayside.

Now these historic buildings have been turned into bars and restaurants that you can enjoy. Stroll along the cobbled streets by the river and drink in the old pubs that were a favourite haunt of sailors and pirates. I love writing about all the things to do in Bristol old town, so read on for my personal guide to the Old City of Bristol.

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Let’s start from Bristol’s Harbourside

My weekend Bristol old city walk started at the fountains on St Augustine’s Parade, which are easy to find opposite the Hippodrome. As you stand on this spot, the harbour is straight ahead.

You may not realise that the water once extended much further into the old town of Bristol. Where you are standing would once have been a busy quayside with a forest of masts, as ships unloaded their cargo from all over the world.

You’ll get a feel for the narrow cobbled alleyways of past centuries in old Bristol if you walk up Christmas Steps which once led up the hill from the harbour.

Read More: 10 cool things to do in Bristol Harbourside

Corn Street – the heart of Bristol Old City

From this plaza you can walk up Corn Street, into the heart of Bristol’s Old City. You’re standing where much of the city’s business and commerce took place. Be sure to look up at the impressive buildings that were built by the banks and financial institutions of Bristol.

Now transformed into bars and restaurants, you can still get a feel for the wealth if you pop into some of them. Check out the Cosy Club (No 31), The Commercial rooms (No 43), Mowgli (No 35) and the Sansovino Hall of the Harbour Hotel (No 55). All are former banking halls with lofty skylights and decorative plaster-work.

Read More: Christmas in Bristol – a local’s guide to feel festive

Corn Street is now pedestrianised and still buzzing, although not with commercial activity. There’s more of a lively bar and restaurant scene as well as regular street markets.

As I wandered through on a weekend there was a flea market selling antiques, vintage clothes and collectables. You’ll also find a Farmer’s Market, Street-Food Market and vintage market on different days of the week – check the St Nicholas Market website for the exact schedule.

If you reach the end of Corn Street and turn left into Small Street, you’ll find even more impressive old buildings. Many were associated with the law courts and chambers. Their narrow openings lead through to courtyards and alleyways that look positively Dickensian.

We’ll explore this street in a bit but first it’s time to visit St Nicholas Market, which was the old Corn Exchange. This is where the merchants came to trade. Outside you can still see the metal tables where they made their deals, known as The Nails. It’s where the expressions “to pay on the nail” came from.

Read More: 25 Fun things to do in Bristol with your friends

St Nicholas Market – quirky shopping in the Old City of Bristol

Inside the Corn Exchange the room is packed with stalls of small traders. There’s a festival feel with a waft of incense in the air, silver jewellery and colourful clothes on sale. This is the place where many local businesses selling handmade or specialist items start out. You’re guaranteed to find something unique and unusual.

On the far side of the Corn Exchange building is the Glass Arcade. This comes alive around at lunchtime as locals come to buy their lunch from their favourite food vendors.

Each stall sells something different, from salads and fresh juices, to sausages and pulled pork. You’ll also find Caribbean, Moroccan and Portuguese flavours. The market’s also open on Saturday but closes on Sunday and in the evening, so the market is best for a lunchtime visit.

Places to eat in Bristol Old City

The streets around St Nicholas Market are packed with unusual cafés, bars and restaurants. So, even when the food market’s closed there’s always something good to eat.

If you enjoy Asian food there’s plenty of choice in Bristol Old City so look out for Eatchu and Chilli Daddy near St Nicholas Market. Try Pho on Corn Street as well as Dangun on St Nicholas Street.

If it’s a fine day you can order some to take out and eat in nearby Castle Park.

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Bristol’s burger culture

Another place I’d been wanting to try for ages is Burger Theory, which is on St Stephen’s Street. I’d heard they serve some of the best burgers in Bristol.

There’s a bit of a burger culture in Bristol, with lots of places that serve juicy pink beef patties served with tempting toppings. If you’re out and about in other neighbourhoods of Bristol look out for Asado and Oowee if you love a proper juicy burger.

Burger Theory brand themselves as The Creative Burger people. They make all their burgers, sauces and pickles on site, using locally sourced and high welfare meat. The place had a nice atmosphere and relaxed vibe, with an outside area of tables too.

I ordered a Down n Dirty burger with a juicy beef patty topped with crispy bacon, melted cheddar, pink pickled onions and dirty burger sauce. They offered a choice of brioche, Italian herb, seeded wholemeal or gluten free bun.

I was really happy with my super juicy burger oozing with cheese and toppings and in danger of splattering the front of my shirt, just as you’d hope for in a good burger.

Street Art in Bristol Old City

After a great lunch I continued my wander around Bristol’s Old City Quarter along Small Street. This is where the law courts and legal chambers of Bristol were traditionally based.

Heading down Small Street will take you to the old gate and part of Bristol’s medieval city wall. Here you can pass through the arch under the church of St John in the Wall.

Read More: Bristol Street Art – so much more than Banksy

Beyond the city gate is Nelson Street, where you’ll find quite a few impressive street art murals. These murals were created as part of the See No Evil Street Art Festival that took place in 2011 and 2012.

The festival was a popular celebration of Bristol’s street-art culture. It was later replaced by Upfest, the Urban Arts festival that takes place in summer in the Bedminster neighbourhood south of the city.

If you enjoy Street Art you should visit the Upfest Gallery on North Street. Here you can see the murals created during the festival when international street artists come from all over the world.

Stokes Croft

Stokes Croft is another area where you can see Bristol’s famous Street art scene and is around 10 minutes away from the Nelson Street murals. It’s also worth taking a street art tour with Where The Wall. They take you past the best street art murals that you may not find as a visitor and tell you the stories of each piece and the artists behind them.

Also check out this walking tour of Bristol – from Blackbeard to Banksy: It’s a fun, informative and educational tour through 1000 years of history and Bristol’s wealth of street art

Castle Park in Bristol Old City

As you walk back along Small Street you’ll be heading towards Bristol Bridge, the original bridge across the river. This gave Bristol its name of Brigstowe – the place by the river.

Old drawings show that the medieval bridge was much wider than the current stone bridge. There were shops along both sides and houses closely packed along the river.

This part of old Bristol was heavily bombed during the war. The whole neighbourhood with houses, shops and cinemas near the river had to be demolished and instead the area was made into Castle Park.

In the centre of the green space sits the shell of St Peter’s church, left as a memorial to the civilians who lost their lives in the bombings. The park is a beautiful place to walk or relax on the grass in summer. It’s a popular spot for locals working in nearby offices to come in the lunch-hour or after work.

Read More: 20 Free things to do in Bristol

Behind the church are stone sculptures as part of a water feature. Running along one side is a Physic garden, modelled on the medieval gardens that would be packed with herbs and medicinal plants used in cooking and healing.

The scented garden is at its most beautiful in the early summer, with the roses and poppies blooming among the tangle of herbs and summer wild flowers.

If you want to explore across the river, the snaking footbridge, named Castle Bridge was recently completed to connect Castle Park with the Finzels Reach development on the other side. It’s worth trying the locally produced beer at The Left Handed Giant, a lively brew pub that overlooks the river by the bridge.

Inns and Warehouses in Old Town of Bristol

Enjoy a wander in Castle Park (it’s a good place for a picnic), then head back to Bristol Bridge and continue along the cobbled street by the river known as Welsh Back. Along this stretch are several boats and barges made into restaurants, such as Three Brothers serving burgers, craft beers and cider and The Apple, specialising in ciders.

You can also discover Bristol’s unique craft beer scene with a self-guided walking tour

This quarter of Bristol Old City was once full of warehouses and was a favourite drinking spot for the sailors who landed in Bristol’s harbour. You may notice the blackened timber beams of the Llandoger Trow, built in the 17th century.

Llandoger Trow is thought to be the inn mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, where the young hero Jim Hawkins comes across a pirate’s treasure map. There are information signs around here for the Treasure Island Trail which follows the Bristol places mentioned in the Treasure Island book.

On a summer evening it’s a great place to sit outside on the wooden tables between the pubs. You may hear some jazz wafting from The Old Duke which is just opposite.

Along King Street you’ll see old buildings from different centuries. There’s the Georgian Bristol Old Vic Theatre which has undergone a complete renovation, as well as Victorian decorative brick warehouse buildings.

Many have swing arms at the upper windows that would have been used to hoist cargo up into their lofts. There are plenty of historic pubs and bars here if you want to spend an evening supping ale or West Country cider.

Queens Square in Old Bristol

Set behind Welsh Back is Queens Square, with grass, gravel walks and a central statue of King William III. It’s surrounded by shady mature trees and elegant Georgian buildings that are now mainly used as offices.

This area was marshy land in medieval times, but once it was drained the square was laid out in the 1720s, with houses built by wealthy Bristol merchants. In the 1820s many of the houses were destroyed during the Bristol riots, but were later rebuilt.

The square is now a pleasant place to walk and admire the old houses or sit with a picnic, often also hosting festivals and events.

Check out this Bristol self-guided sightseeing audio tour

At one corner of Queens Square you’ll find the Hole in the Wall pub. This sailor’s haunt was mentioned in Treasure Island and was known for having two entrances and a round “Spyglass” window. Through this window someone could keep watch for press gangs who might try take the sailors by force while they were drinking.

Walking back across Queen’s Square, you’ll find yourself back by the the harbour-side where we started our walk around Bristol’s Old City. There’s lots to see in Bristol’s Old City and I hope that my guide has helped you dip into the city’s past as a bustling port and thriving commercial centre, while having a bite to eat and a drink or two along the way.

Where to stay in Bristol Old Town

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Bristol’s Old City Quarter there’s plenty of choice and here are a few that I’d suggest to suit all budgets.

Luxury Hotel in Bristol – The Harbour Hotel

For luxury take a look at The Harbour Hotel on Corn Street, a boutique hotel formed from two old banks. The rooms are colourful and individually designed, with luxurious bathrooms and some with roll-top baths. In the old bank vaults is the hotel’s urban spa and you should definitely have a cocktail in the Gold Bar and dinner in their Jetty restaurant specialising in seafood.

Mid-range Hotel in Bristol – Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

The honey stone hotel on Small Street has gone through a complete refurbishment. Rooms are contemporary but nod to the hotel’s Victorian heritage, as well as a bit of street art thrown in through their collaboration with Upfest.

Check prices and book for Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel | Read my review of the Bristol Grand Hotel

Boutique Guest House in Bristol – Brooks Guest House Bristol

Brooks Guest House is one of my favourite boutique guest houses within St Nicholas Market. There’s a courtyard garden and silver Rocket caravans on the roof that you can also stay in.

For more Bristol hotel options read this article Where to stay in Bristol

More information on visiting Bristol and Bristol Old City

For lots of information on visiting Bristol check out the official tourism website of Visit Bristol.

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This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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