Bristol, beyond Wetherspoons

Bristol has one of the best independent scenes in the country, and you don’t need a graduate salary to enjoy it. Past the chains on the main drag there are cheap kitchens, proper coffee, late-night spots and study cafés that won’t move you on, most of them locally owned and run by people who live here. This is the student shortcut to that side of the city: where to eat well for not much, where to take the parents when they’re paying, and where to actually get an essay finished. Everything here is verified independent, never a chain. Start with the guides below.