Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: Whiteladies Road

Bristol Neighbourhood Guide: Whiteladies Road

Posted on: 12 Apr 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 one of Bristol’s premier shopping areas, Whiteladies Road, with its beautiful Georgian buildings housing a range of independent shops and a multitude of cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants.

 

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

 

Nightlife:

 

We were going to include Whiteladies Road in the Clifton Neighbourhood Guide but the Road is so busy with nightlife, food and cultural highlights that we had to make it a guide of its own. 

 

First up is The Jersey Lily, a pub renowned for offering punters a friendly, warm welcome, a relaxed atmosphere, candlelit tables, a secluded beer garden and top-notch freshly poured pints. The boozer is named after the flamboyant Jersey-born Victorian actress and racehorse breeder Lily Langtry, whose black and white photographs adorn the walls.

Dating back to the late 1700s, The Kings Arms Pub is an impressive building that sits proudly atop Whiteladies Road and boasts three floors with exciting food, drinks, functions, live sports and entertainment offered to welcome everyone. With a sun-drenched beer garden and a wide selection of continental lagers, craft beer, local ciders and a great selection of cocktails, wines and spirits, this is a real favourite for students and locals alike.

Located in the heart of Whiteladies, The Whitmore Tap is the Butcombe Brewery’s Bristol taproom named after its founder, Simon Whitmore. Customers can enjoy delicious food across two floors as well as the pub’s very own beer garden, or enjoy a pint watching one of the regularly screened live sporting events. For those who would like to enjoy a televised match with your mates in your very own private space, The Wrington Room is available to hire for up 20 guests.

If you’re looking for something a bit different to your average boozer, Bar Humbug may just be the place for you. Serving Bristol’s cocktail needs ever since 1997, this much-loved independent features a colourful interior and a heated outdoor terrace as well as cocktail classes and wine tastings.

 

The last bar on our rundown is Nomu, a small yet mighty contemporary Japanese lounge bar. Perfect for a pre-film drink due to its location opposite the Everyman Cinema, the bar has an extensive drink list featuring a wide range of beer, wine and quirky cocktails. Nomu also has a revolving roster of carefully curated pop-up kitchens offering mouth-watering Japanese cuisine.

Food:

 

Kicking off our food rundown is the Whiteladies branch of a real Bristol culinary institution, Urban Tandoor. The Clifton restaurant has a menu brimming with popular Indian dishes whether you’re looking for meat-oriented or vegetarian food. This award-winning restaurant guarantees good vibes, friendly service and an authentic Indian food experience.

Another award-winning Redland favourite is The Spiny Lobster which has garnered a great local following during its 15 years on Whiteladies Road. This restaurant and fishmonger offers a wide-ranging menu designed for lovers of the best seafood and shellfish. The restaurant specialises in cooking over the open fire of a Josper grill, adding a distinct flavour to seafood sourced from the harbours of Brixham and Cornwall. With a constantly changing menu, this is food at its most luxurious. 

Another Japanese venue, Bento Box Bristol is another popular neighbourhood restaurant that boasts a modern, inventive mixture of sushi, pan-Asian cuisine, noodle soups and Japanese street food. Located within Clifton Down Shopping Centre, punters can enjoy sushi freshly made with fresh ingredients within a cosy, friendly atmosphere - you will not be disappointed.

 

If it’s a spot of Southern Persian soul food that you are looking for then Kuch may be the place for you. Widely seen as one of Bristol’s best-kept secrets, foodies can expect fresh, refreshing salads, rich olives, delectable flatbreads and spicy meat as well as some more unusual delicacies, Kuch has found the perfect balance between experimentation and quality, traditional cuisine

A.B.O.E is a restaurant with a difference: bringing together the best of fresh, seasonal and local produce whilst drawing on a global influence to create innovative dishes. With some of the finest local produce from the South West, this new eatery is the brainchild of Michelin-trained chef Seb Merry - a previous star of Masterchef: The Professionals. If you like the sound of eating unique food in a trendy setting, you may have just found your go-to restaurant.

Culture:

 

Located on the corner of Queens Road and Whiteladies Road, The Royal West of England Academy (better known as RWA), was Bristol’s first-ever art gallery, bringing world-class visual art to the city since 1844. Located in a spectacular Grade II* listed building (which was recently renovated), the RWA is the UK's only Royal Academy of Art housed in its own, original, purpose-built gallery.

 

Situated within the right-hand wing of the RWA is the Bristol School of Art. The beautiful building was completed in 1858 and offers an impressive facade to the Victoria Rooms on Queens Road. A school of art has existed here continuously ever since, offering a multi-discipline art education.

Also located on Whiteladies Road are Plimsoll Productions, one of the largest independent TV production companies in the UK, and the largest independent producer of natural history content in the world. Over the years, Plimsoll have been involved in massive factual shows for the likes of the BBC, National Geographic, Channel 5, ITV, Netflix, Apple TV, Disney+ and more.

 

A Whiteladies staple, Everyman Cinema Bristol is a grand boutique movie theatre that is perfect for a more refined cinema experience. Film lovers who want to celebrate a new release in style can do so while digging into the extensive food and drink menu while sitting in comfy, sofa seats, followed by a post-movie drink in the stylish cinema bar.

History:

 

One of the more intriguing aspects of the history of Whiteladies Road is the debate around its name. It has been suggested that the root of the famous road’s name comes from Bristol’s past links to slavery. However, while this is the case with many of Bristol’s historical road and building names, it appears that ‘Whiteladies’ actually dates back to the early 1700s and a field called “White Ladyes”.

 

Whiteladies Road is also the home of BBC Bristol, which opened in 1934, two years after London’s Broadcasting House. The centre included an important space large enough to hold an entire orchestra and was one of the most modern radio centres of its day. In World War Two, the BBC’s entire Entertainment Department was billeted in Bristol. Today, BBC Bristol is best known as the home of the renowned Natural History Unit, producing the Antiques Roadshow, Gardeners' World, Countryfile and much more.

So, there it is, 365Bristol’s guide to Whiteladies 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.

 

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.