My guide to Bristol: healthy cafés and lunch spots

After four years studying in the capital of the South West (well, three years and a year swanning round the Continent), Bristol has become one of my top three cities ever ever ever.  I love it so so much, and can’t imagine a better place to be a student.

One of my favourite things about Bristol, perhaps unsurprisingly, is its abundance of wonderful eateries, especially independent ones. So, I thought I’d share my faves with you, should you ever find yourself in Banksy’s hometown.

First up, and in no particular order, here are my fave cafés and lunch-spots:


Chickpea

Aww man, how I love Chickpea. Their halloumi and roasted veg wrap (above) is what dreams are made of, and they also do the most wonderful salads. It’s fab for affordable, healthy lunches and they also do incredible cakes, including gluten-free and vegan options.


Friska

Attached to a vintage/record shop that also hosts gigs, Friska is so Bristol. They do wonderful wraps, salads, noodle pots and cakes, but what I love most is their hot-boxes. My fave is the halloumi hotbox (you may be noticing a trend here) – YOU GET SO MUCH GLORIOUS HALLOUMI, with rice, roasted veggies and a bunch of other good stuff! The pic above does not do it justice, trust me. Also, you can customise your box to make it vegan (ie. slaw without dressing) or gluten-free (ie. without tortilla chips) if you please.


Eat a Pitta

Situated in buzzy St Nicks Market (which I love) is Eat a Pitta, where you can get the most incredible falafel boxes and pittas literally STUFFED with houmous, fresh veggies, couscous and the tastiest warm falafel. It is so so good, and the portion-sizes are ludicrous, which I obviously love. They also have a kiosk down in the town centre which is useful when you need to refuel mid-shopping.

Falafel King

I genuinely can't decide whether I think Falafel King or Eat a Pitta does the best falafel in Bristol, so you'll have to try both and let me know what you think. Falafel King also does divine pittas full of falafel, houmous and veggies, and you can choose to have a wholemeal pitta too, which I like.

Sandwich Sandwich

It may not surprise you to hear that Sandwich Sandwich do a good sandwich *gasp*. I know, who'da thought it? They also do great wraps (see the houmous and veg one above) and cakes. I think the peanut butter chocolate cake above speaks for itself, don't you?

Boston Tea Party

BTP is a Bristol institution which is so popular and successful it has now expanded to further afield. With several branches across the city, they do amazing brunches, lunches, coffees and cakes, and the atmosphere is wonderful too. Everyone loves BTP!

Cafe Kino

100% vegan, Cafe Kino is, in my opinion, pretty amazing. The veggie burger and sweet potato fries pictured above were incredibly incredibly (I said that twice on purpose) tasty, and they have lots of interesting offerings on the menu.

Primrose Cafe

Located up in beautiful Clifton, Primrose Cafe is a real gem of a place and a great option for lunch if you're a poor student and generous parents are visiting. The superfood salad you see before you is sensational, but then again those chunky chips! *insert emoji with hearts for eyes*. 

Mocha Mocha

Just round the corner from the uni library, Mocha Mocha is, unsurprisingly, très popular with students. They do lovely cakes, interesting hot drinks and delish jacket potatoes. Just ask, oh, any Bristol Uni student. They'll tell ya. 

Cox and Baloney

Without a doubt one of the cutest cafés I've ever been to, Cox and Baloney is girly and vintage and I love it. Top-notch toasties and an insanely amazing selection of teas are yours for the enjoying. Oh, and they're also a vintage boutique, because why not, eh?

Deco Lounge

Deco Lounge is one of those places that's great for, well, everything. Whether you're after brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or drinks, Deco Lounge is a strong choice. It's particularly popular for brunch, so make sure you get there early on a Sunday to get a table. The menu has SO much I want to eat on it, and there is also a lot of halloumi, so unsurprisingly I am a big fan.

Flavalanche

The pick-me-up of choice for my coursemates (well, former coursemates *sob*) and me post-exams, the froyo at Flavalanche is our fave. Self-serve, six different froyo flavours (including refined sugar-free and lactose-free versions!), ALL the toppings and friendly staff, you can't go wrong with a catch-up over a Flavalanche feast. I promise there is actually froyo under all those toppings in the above pic, honestly! They also do a student discount, so yay to that.

Aaaand now I really miss Bristol. Ahh, the problems of being a graduate. There are still lots of other places I somehow never managed to visit, such as the Spotless Leopard and Health Hub, so I guess I'm just going to have to go back!

Keep your eyes peeled for blogs on my fave Bristol bars and restaurants!

Do you know Bristol? What are your fave cafés?