One day in Bristol

It’s great to start the day with a jaunt around the harbourside, taking in the views. And for breakfast with an amazing vista over the water, there’s nowhere better than Spoke & Stringer: a café, restaurant and shop where you can browse surfboards and activewear for sale while deciding what to eat.

Their breakfast menu offers a jaunt around the globe: everything from shakshuka (baked eggs with spinach and peppers in a smoky tomato sauce, sprinkled with crumbled feta), to the decadent steak and eggs served with moreish parmesan polenta chips. Be sure to check out their cake selection too…

Walk off your breakfast with a stroll up to Stokes Croft, where you’ll find Ceres Coffee: a cosy coffee shop inspired by Melbourne’s best caffeinated beverage purveyors. Not only is their coffee top notch, but their brunch menu – served seven days a week – takes some beating. Ceres smoke their own salmon, churn their own butter, make all their own cakes, breads and syrups…everything is done in-house.

If you fancy something savoury, try the “Square Mile”: a stack of sweetcorn fritters with avocado, grilled halloumi and a softly poached egg. Or if you’re craving something sweet, choose the pancakes, whose varied toppings change depending on what’s available locally…

From Stokes Croft, we’re heading west to Cotham Hill for lunch – and at Pasta Loco, you’ll need to make sure you’ve booked as it’s a perennially popular place. As you’d expect from the name, they specialise in fresh pasta which is made in-house daily – but there are cheeses, cured meats and more for those who fancy something different.

Whether it’s a seared scallop and sundried tomato orzo “risotto”, a rich wild boar pappardelle or a creamy bucatini dish with Gorgonzola, there’s something to suit all tastes…

It’s back to the city centre for dinner, and a trip to beautiful cobbled King Street, home to Bristol’s Old Vic theatre. A total refurb in 2017 included the opening of its 1766 Bar & Kitchen, offering all day drinking and dining in a truly stunning setting.

Choose from the prix fixe dinner menu (the steak with the “beurre 1766” is a decadent treat), or – if you’re still stuffed from the rest of the day’s meals – there’s also a menu of small plates and nibbles, which features dishes as diverse as gooey truffled mac and cheese croquettes, and melt-in-the-mouth pork scratchings with fennel and black pepper.

With such a diverse range of places to eat and drink, Bristol residents and visitors are spoilt for choice. If you were planning a perfect foodie day out in the city, where would YOU choose…?