Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: Gloucester Road & Cheltenham Road

Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: Gloucester Road & Cheltenham Road

Posted on: 03 Mar 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.

 

This week, we’re taking a look at Bristol’s longest strip of shops and restaurants. The neighbourhood of Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road is home to an array of independent businesses selling food from all over the world, hand-picked vintage clothing and a whole lot more besides.

 

Read on for our guide to all the nightlife, food, shopping, cultural and historical highlights of Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road…

 

Nightlife:

 

With pubs and bars everywhere you look on Gloucester Road and a strong student population in the surrounding area, it’s a difficult job choosing the road’s nightlife highlights.

 

Our first pick is The Gallimaufry (pictured below): a quirky, vibrant hangout spot, this bar is perfect for hanging out and unwinding in a cosy atmosphere. Right at the heart of Gloucester Road, The Galli serves a wide range of local ales as well as a seasonal menu. Live music events take place each night of the week showcasing Bristol’s finest up-and-coming artists.

Not a few doors down the road is The Blue Lagoon (pictured below), another hub of local music with regular rock, blues and R’n’B shows as well as a weekly open mic night. This is a dog-friendly venue that boasts a spacious outdoor seating area, sports screens and a lengthy food menu.

 

If you’re looking for a classic yet modern bar that serves good food and shows all the top sporting events then Industry may just be the place for you. With the best hot wings in Bristol according to Brendan at 365Bristol (a true connoisseur) and a sizeable walled garden, this is a true hidden gem.

A Cheltenham Road staple, The Cloak and Dagger (pictured below) is a fiercely independent grassroots venue. A CIC since 2021, the venue offers a quirky, eccentric and versatile space and regularly hosts live music, comedy, drag events, magic, yoga and private parties.

 

Closing the nightlife section of this guide is The Cat and Wheel. As well as boasting TV screens, pool tables and a heated smoking area, this popular boozer hosts a weekly karaoke event that sees students and regulars alike singing late into the night.

Food:

 

Gloucester Road is perhaps best known for its array of top-quality restaurants and cafes, a veritable gold mine of stunning cuisines from around the world. 

 

The first example of this is The Coconut Tree (pictured below). Opened by a group of Sri Lankan friends and families who wanted to share their nation’s unique flavours with the world, this award-winning restaurant serves delicious Sri Lankan small plates that go perfectly with the island cocktails.

If you’d prefer a dose of Neopolitan-style pizza then look no further than The Dough Kitchen. Serving Italian street food as well as homemade subs all made from scratch by talented pizza chefs, this is one of the best pizza restaurants in Bristol!

 

A proud staple of the area, The Hobgoblin (pictured below) is a popular proudly independent, family-run and welcoming pub. Unlike most of the pubs on Gloucester Road, however, The Hob is best known for its grub! Fusing English and American flavours, the pub’s delicious homemade burgers and infamous Dirty Dirty Fries are legendary throughout Bristol.

Not far from The Hob is one of Gloucester Road’s oldest businesses. La Ruca is a family-run cafe serving Chilean/Hispanic flavours and a health food shop. The shop serves a wide range of health products, homoeopathic remedies, cooking ingredients and tasty treats. The coffee bar has a wide selection of herbal teas, and organic coffee as well as soups, curries, quiches, chimichangas, enchiladas, tortillas and more.

 

On the opposite side of the road is Jack the Falafel, a tiny vegan cafe serving a small menu of curries, falafel, salads, cakes and fresh juices - head here for your vegan goodies. Foodies can also indulge in a Mediterranean lunchtime feast at Eat a Pitta. With multiple sites throughout Bristol, they serve loaded pittas, stuffed salad boxes, indulgent hummus and a whole lot more.

Culture:

 

While Gloucester Road is not an area that boasts beautiful parks and intriguing museums, there are plenty of interesting nooks and crannies to explore! 

 

Beercosm (pictured below) is the bottle shop at The Brewers Droop, a long-established home-brew shop. The shop’s founder had his own brewery and in 1997 broke the Guinness World Record for the world’s strongest beer. This small shop is packed with equipment for home brewing as well as a stunning selection of beer, wine and cider.

Gloucester Road is also home to some of the city’s best record shops. Plastic Wax is Bristol’s biggest and oldest record seller, serving music lovers since 1978. With a massive secondhand vinyl and CD collection covering all kinds of genres, this is a gold mine of 

 

There is also the classic Gloucester Road landmark, RePsycho (pictured below). With its iconic front and decor, this is a vintage shop as quirky and eccentric as it is stacked with a carefully curated selection of garms. If you want to dress to impress, RePsycho could provide you with a whole new wardrobe.

History:

 

Originally the Medieval coaching route from Bristol to Gloucester, Gloucester Road is a shopping destination steeped in history. Indeed, until a Pret A Manger opened very recently, the road was the longest stretch of independent businesses in Europe.

 

One of the neighbourhood’s most impressive sites is the former Bristol North Baths (pictured below). Grade II listed, the baths opened in 1915 and the building is still striking in its appearance. It has even been featured in TV shows such as Only Fools and Horses and The Young Ones.

So, there it is, 365Bristol’s guide to Gloucester Road. It’s impossible to round up all the nightlife, food, shopping, cultural and historical highlights in 1,000 words but please get in contact with us here and let us know your favourite hangouts or locations.

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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.