Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: St Michael's Hill & Kingsdown

Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: St Michael's Hill & Kingsdown

Posted on: 07 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 the steep neighbourhood of St Michael’s Hill and Kingsdown and the surrounding area. Not only is this community home to the Bristol Royal Infirmary, there is also an abundance of snug pubs and restaurants, historical landmarks, and hidden gems aplenty

 

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

 

Nightlife:

 

Our list of nightlife locations begins with The Open Arms (pictured below). Previously named The Colston Arms, it was renamed to sever links with controversial merchant and slave trader, Edward Colston. This popular post-work hangout, perfectly located on St Michael’s Hill, has been serving alcohol to customers since 1816.

 

The pub screens all Premier League football and other sporting events as well as serving a mean Sunday Roast, however, perhaps the most alluring feature is the lovely little rear garden, hidden behind a stone wall.

Just a short climb up St Michael’s Hill, a short walk from Bristol University and the hospital is Highbury Vaults. Another pub that dates back to the 1800s, its history is reflected in the traditional wood-panelled interior, leather seating and impressive real ale selection. Vaults (as it is known locally) also boasts a large walled garden to its rear and an original snug bar complete with a jug and bottle at its front.

 

Moving away from St Michael’s Hill, Kingsdown is also home to a selection of welcoming pubs. First up is Hillgrove Porter Stores (pictured below), an atmospheric public house selling a wide range of real ales as well as a regularly rotated food menu from different pop-ups. In addition to a green courtyard garden, the view from in front of The Hillgrove - overlooking the High Kingsdown flats and the landscape of Bristol beyond - is one of the best in the city.

A couple of streets away is The Kingsdown Vaults. This is a quirky yet traditional corner pub furnished with maps, musical instruments and even a poster depicting veteran socialist MP, Tony Benn. Despite its small size, the intimate boozer now hosts regular live acoustic gigs, quizzes and open mic nights.

 

Another Kingsdown hangout that is worth a mention is The Green Man (pictured below). Another cosy space, this is an unpretentious, glass-fronted pub serving local micro-brewery ales and stouts that is widely seen as Bristol’s first ‘organic’ hostelry.

Food:

 

Moving back to St Michael’s Hill for our selection of eateries and The Robin Hood (pictured below). A Grade II listed, 1800s pub with original arched windows; for years this spot has had a revolving programme of excellent pop-up kitchens which have now become long-term guest caterers. 

 

Another snug St Michael’s Hill restaurant nestled on top of the sharp ascent is Chris and Jo’s Kitchen. A proudly independent eatery, customers can expect a regularly changing menu of British food using local produce, including some of the city’s most renowned Sunday lunches. 

Probably the historic hill’s most celebrated restaurant, however, is Beerd. Opened back in 2009, Beerd serves handmade pizzas with wide and outlandish toppings to choose from. There’s the ‘Hey Pesto!’ for vegans, cheese-covered ‘Holy Trinity’ for vegetarians and the spicy ‘Berserker’ for meat eaters.

 

Beerd are also dedicated to supporting local breweries and boasts a constantly changing beer lineup, making it the perfect spot to discover your new favourite beer from the likes of Arbor, Lost & Grounded, Good Chemistry and Bristol Beer Factory.

We’re finishing our rundown of the area’s food highlights at the base of St Michael’s Hill. ASADO (meaning barbecue in Spanish) serve some of Bristol’s tastiest burgers using South American, Southern American and British flavours. Burgers are made with a top-secret mix using dry-aged beef from ethical suppliers. The venue also takes cheese very seriously, making the most of Bristol’s proximity to one of the world’s top cheese regions to use high-quality West Country produce.

 

Culture:

 

Hidden just off Jamaican street, below the steep slopes of Kingsdown is one of Bristol’s best-kept secrets. The Cube Cinema (pictured below) is an independent cinema, arts centre and cultural hub based in the centre of Bristol.

 

Formed in 1998 by a group of artists with no real idea of what they were getting themselves into, it is now a fiercely independent cinema run by volunteers with original arts programming. In addition to films and live music, the 105-seat cinema is also used for workshops, discussions and a whole lot more. 

Another space that serves a multitude of functions is The Mount Without on St Michael’s Hill. A breathtaking venue based in an abandoned church (more on that later), the space now features a bar in the crypt and is dedicated to curating events. Whether you’re looking to put on an art exhibition, a concert, a private soiree or plan a wedding, The Mount Without is the place for you!

 

Here’s another hidden gem located above The White Bear Pub (pictured below) at the top of St Michael’s Hill. The Room Above is dedicated to bringing affordable live comedy to the local area, showcasing the best comedy talent from around the UK. Through their comedy club (White Bear Comedy Club), they also run a pay-what-you-can show every Wednesday night.

History:

 

The core feature of the area we’ve explored above is clearly the Bristol Royal Infirmary (the children's hospital is pictured below). Known locally as the BRI, it was first founded in 1735, making it one of the oldest infirmaries in the UK. Fans of soap operas Casualty and Holy City will be intrigued to know that Holby City Hospital (these shows’ fictional setting) is based on the BRI - the shows were originally filmed in Bristol.

 

Kingsdown first gained its name in the Middle Ages as it was used to exercise the King’s horses. When Civil War loomed in the 17th century, a 13-gun fort was set up in what is now Fremantle Square. A traditionally merchant-class neighbourhood, Kingsdown has been described as “Bristol’s vertical suburb”. Indeed, writer Ian Nairn has written a book called this, saying: “Nowhere else (in Britain) is there an 18th-century suburb apparently hanging in mid-air over a big city.”

 

The Mount Without is also an intriguing historical landmark. The first church was built on the site in 1147 and gained its unusual name from being outside the city walls. Eventually closed in 1999, the building was vacant for years until a terrible fire in 2017. The building was then saved by its current inhabitants who created the venue that is there today.

So, there it is, 365Bristol’s guide to St Michael’s Hill and Kingsdown. 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.

 

Images: Patrick Bate

Read more:

 

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.