Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: Park Street and The Triangle

Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: Park Street and The Triangle

Posted on: 30 Jan 2023

We’re back with our guide to Bristol’s diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods – with some cherrypicked spots to showcase just how much is going on in each corner of the city.

 

Central Bristol is so packed with brilliant hangout spots and hidden gems that we’ve had to split the area into two. So, this week, we're journeying up the steep slope of Park Street and onto the historic Clifton Triangle.

 

Read on for our guide to all the nightlife, food, shopping, cultural and historical highlights of the bustling Park Street and Clifton Triangle…

 

Nightlife:

 

With plenty of student accommodation in the area, Park Street and Clifton Triangle are heaving with busy bars, clubs and venues all vying for the attention of Bristol’s partiers.

 

First up is Bristol and Bath Rum Distillery on the corner of Park Street and Berkeley Square. The venue is the home of Dead Man's Fingers Rum and boasts a distillery, a rum school, two well-stocked bars, regular pop-up kitchens and a private hire space - the perfect destination for a good night out!

 

Another top local drinking den is The Woods, located just off Park Street on Park Street Avenue. Decked out like a colonial gentlemen’s club, the bar features a high-ceilinged, galleried room stuffed with fabric-covered antique furniture as well as a stunning selection of more than 50 whiskeys from all over the world. This is a refined hang out with a real ambience!

 

This next one's for the night owls. Antix caters for all kinds of late-night antics and their extensive list of tipples includes a wide range of cocktails in addition to your favourite draught beers, ciders, spirits and more - the ideal place to get your night into gear!

 

If it's sophistication you're after then look no further than Gatsby's. Step into the opulent world of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Roaring 20s with this prohibition-era style bar and enjoy upmarket cocktails in an exclusive setting tucked away from the raucous weekend crowds! You can also expect 'Teapot' sharing cocktails, light background jazz music, Darjeeling tea and much more. 

 

If you’re looking for some live music in the area then why not check out what’s coming up at St George’s, Bristol’s acoustically renowned centre of international, jazz and classical music? In recent years Glenn Tilbrook, Al Stewart, Roy Ayers, Armando Iannucci, Jon Hopkins, Yotam Ottolenghi, Gilbert O’Sullivan and The Unthanks have all made appearances.

Food:

 

In addition to the neighbourhood’s abundance of nightlife destinations, Park Street and the surrounding area contain some of Bristol’s prime restaurants and cafes.

 

One such spot is Pizzarova. Pizza lover Alex Corbett founded the restaurant back in 2013, serving the festival service from his converted Land Rover. Now, 10 years later, Pizzarova boasts several locations around Bristol, becoming one of the city’s most adored pizzerias. The Park Street site is the perfect spot to take a break from shopping with a locally sourced sourdough slice.

 

Also located on Park Street is The Florist Bar & Restaurant, serving Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a sizeable cocktail menu and botanical-themed interiors. The Florist is a popular rendezvous for Bristolians, whether you’re a loved-up couple or a group of work friends.

 

Similarly, Clifton Triangle’s The Coconut Tree offers customers an authentic (and affordable) dose of Sri Lankan family hospitality, with a range of vibrant cocktails also available.

 

There’s also plenty to choose from for those who fancy something a little different. Mrs Potts Chocolate House is an independent family-owned business that serves an astonishing assortment of chocolate decadent chocolate-inspired treats.

 

Finishing our rundown of the neighbourhood’s food vendors is Park Street’s Diamond Kebab & Pizza, a city staple with kebabs that have been described by a colleague as “Bristol’s best dirty kebab” - you have been told/warned.

Culture:

 

If you want to take a break from all the eating and the drinking, then why not soak up some culture with a trip to Bristol Museum and Art Gallery? Housed in a beautiful building, the museum's 19 galleries over 3 floors reveal fascinating cultures, ancient civilisations, human invention and creativity, as well as showcase our beautiful and fragile natural world. In previous years the likes of Banksy and Grayson Perry have taken over the space with their work - the museum is free to enter.

 

Another, lesser-known, museum in the area is The Georgian House. Located just off Park Street, this historic building dates back to the 1700s. It has been restored and decorated to its original glory, allowing visitors to take a step back in time to imagine what life in this affluent neighbourhood was like hundreds of years ago. The museum is currently closed for the winter but will reopen in the Spring of 2023.

 

There are also a number of interesting shopping destinations located nearby. Park Street is famed for its many vintage shops, with Loot and Uncle Sam’s particular favourites, as well as The Last Bookshop - a haven where all books are priced at only £4.

 

Those looking to increase their record collection can take a trip to Astro Vinyl to browse their impressive selection while comic and graphic novel fans can head to the Forbidden Planet superstore and take a look at all the best merchandise from Marvel, Star Wars, DC and way more besides.

History:

 

One of the city’s most historical neighbourhoods, there are almost too many specific sites to list. The most popular tourist attraction is surely anonymous artist Banksy’s ‘Well Hung Lover’ which is located on Frogmore Street but can be viewed from the bridge at the bottom of Park Street.

 

The stencilled street art is on the side of a sexual health clinic and depicts a man hanging from a windowsill while the suited husband of his married lover looks for him out the window. Other significant local landmarks include the Will’s Memorial Building - known as one of the country’s last great Gothic buildings despite construction being finished in 1925 - and College Green.

 

Surrounded by a number of important buildings (from City Hall to Bristol Cathedral), College Green is the site of the majority of the city’s most significant protests and was also the hang-out spot for the likes of Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult and Daniel Kaluuya in Bristol-based teen drama, Skins.

So, there it is, 365Bristol’s guide to Park Street and The Triangle. It’s impossible to round up all the nightlife, food, shopping, cultural and historical highlights in less than 1,000 words. Please get in contact with us here and let us know your favourite hangouts or locations.

 

Images: Patrick Bate

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.