The Greener Guide To Seeing Bristol More Sustainably

This forward-thinking West Country city strides ahead with secret-garden-like restaurants, harbourside hotels with sustainability handbooks and zero-waste shops selling local Clifton coffee.

With one foot in the past, thanks to its Georgian architecture, and the other firmly in the future, with its cutting-edge creative scene, bohemian Bristol has always marched to its own beat. What’s more, this West Country city is one of ethics and individuality, having been named European Green Capital in 2015 and awarded Gold Sustainable Food City status in 2021, as communities worked together to create a better food system. Add independent shops, cafe culture, characterful pubs and imaginative galleries, and you might find a weekend is not quite enough.

1. The Ethicurean

Restaurant, British

Sunrise over the walled garden of vegetables at the Ethicurean in Bristol

Bristol’s very own secret-garden restaurant, the Ethicurean sits in a glasshouse surrounded by veggie fields and walled gardens. The building itself feels as organic as the food, with bunches of herbs hanging from white brick walls, crooked beams and a wood-burning stove. Multi-course set menus showcase local produce, such as hand-dived scallops and grass-fed heritage meat.

2. The Bristol Hotel

Hotel, Luxury

A double bed in a room at the Bristol Hotel

Housed in a brutalist building overlooking the harbour, this is a chic option in the centre of town. The Arnolfini gallery is practically next door and it’s just over the water from the Watershed arts centre. In the lobby, you’ll find a handbook detailing everything the hotel is doing to become more sustainable, from installing lifts that run on their own kinetic energy to hosting a Green Festival, with pop-up stalls and games.

4. Poco Tapas Bar

Bar, Cafe, Tapas, British

A person carrries a tray of lit tealights as guests eat at Poco Tapas Bar in Bristol

Fab for a late-night dinner of small plates and cocktails made from foraged ingredients, this happening spot in Stokes Croft pushes the boundaries of the green agenda. All their ingredients are sourced from producers who follow Slow Food values – the vast majority within 50mi (80km) of the restaurant – and the wine list is predominantly organic.

5. Mollie’s Motel & Diner

Motel

A stylish take on an American motel from the Soho House group, Mollie’s is located on Cribbs Causeway, just outside Bristol, and is therefore the ideal pit stop on a West Country road trip. Soho House is implementing an impressive sustainability plan, including screening all its suppliers to check they’re following inclusive, environmentally responsible practices.

6. We The Curious

Museum

The silver Planetarium and Energy Tree outside We The Curious in Bristol

A centre for scientific research and an inspiring morning out for anyone who wants to know more about the world around them, We The Curious has more than 300 exhibits. In the space of a few hours you can be wowed by the UK’s first 3D planetarium, walk through a tornado, meet robots and create your own animations.

7. Zero Green

Shop

Four handmade soap bars tied together by rope

Friends Lidia and Stacey founded Bristol’s first zero-waste shop in 2018 and it continues to be a favourite with the city’s sustainably minded types. From rice to reusable razors, everything is plastic-free and ethically sourced. There are also plenty of products from local producers: look out for brews from Clifton Coffee Roasters and vegan, family-run FabFudge.

8. Farro Bakery

Bakery, Pastries

A tray of pain aux raisins on sale alongside other sweet baked goods

This Scandi-style bakery in trendy St Pauls does a mean line in modern viennoiserie (sweet baked goods) and bread made from stone-ground British flour. They consider the whole system of making bread from field to table, and work closely with millers and farmers to make sure it’s as sustainable as possible. Don’t miss their laminated spice buns, a local institution.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

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We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.