Best Date Spots in Bristol for Students

---

About the author: Hi! I'm Evie Greville. I am an undergrad student at the University of Bristol, studying English, and I am passionate about expressing and exploring my love for my university city. I adore making art of every kind, especially writing about anything and everything!

If you’re in Bristol and you’re feeling a little lost about where to go on your next date or want to impress someone special, I have a student guide for the best date spots in town. Whether it’s a casual coffee or a romantic, special occasion dinner, this article has you covered for where to go on a date in Bristol!

Where to go on a date in Bristol

Check out fun things to do in Bristol for couples and new dates below.

Best café date spots in Bristol

If you’re after a more low-key date in Bristol, a café is the perfect option to either get to know someone more or catch up with your partner. It’s always fun to try new places, especially ones with a specific charm.

Arnolfini Café Bar in central Bristol, by the harbour, is the perfect spot for any time of day, offering pastries, cakes, toasties and all sorts of coffees and teas, to beers and cocktails in the evening. Here you can enjoy all it has to offer whilst soaking up the harbourside atmosphere. After enjoying a coffee, you can even head next door to enjoy the latest exhibition at Arnolfini Arts. Arnolfini also offers workshops, performances, and screenings if you’re looking for something else to bring some excitement to your date.

My next recommendation is The Nectar House on Gloucester Road, Bishopston. It has a gorgeous beehive-esqe exterior and offers a range of options for coffees and teas, brunches, and even alcohol. Head here for a sweet, cosy feel and a delicious pick-me-up.

...

Best restaurant date spots in Bristol

As I feel almost everyone can get on with Italian food, and it makes for a perfect romantic evening, I have two Italian recommendations for the best intimate date spots in Bristol.

First is Magari Pasta on Whapping Wharf, a great place to enjoy some atmosphere with lots of other shops nearby and an easy walk from Bristol’s city centre. The menu is great and relatively cheap; the meals are around £13, making it excellent for students on a budget. It also has an intimate feel, being small and dimly lit, just right for a date.

Next is Giuseppe’s, a beautiful restaurant right by St Nicks Market. It is the oldest Italian restaurant in Bristol and offers incredible dishes with beautiful chandeliers across the restaurant, along with Venetian paintings and masks decorating the walls. Whilst it feels like a classy restaurant for an occasion, the meals are only around £15.

...

Best bars and pubs for grabbing a drink

Next up are recommendations for the most common student date: ‘grabbing a drink’.

The Apple, located on a boat at the end of King’s Street, is my personal favourite Bristol date spot. On a boat, it’s a little bit different and offers different atmospheres for whatever you’re after. Downstairs is the bar, a cosy, low-lit space. It has sofas, low tables, booths and tables with pre-painted chessboards (you can ask for pieces from the bar!) and board games on offer.

Upstairs is similar but lighter, usually quieter and more spacious. There are also several benches outside beside the boat if you’d prefer to sit outside. The boat specialises in ciders, but there’s all sorts on offer! This is a great spot for a weekend amongst King Street’s liveliness, but also for a rainy quiet evening and a game of chess.

...

The Fringe is another bar I adore for a date. It’s in Clifton, so you can pair it with a visit to the Observatory or the Bridge for a longer evening. It’s an independent bar and live music venue, offering different performances and nights every evening right in Clifton Village’s centre. This is the spot to grab a cocktail and sit in the back room, lit by varying beautiful lamps, and enjoy a performance amongst the bookshelves and instruments.

...

Most romantic date spots in Bristol

If you’re looking for a free date in Bristol that can be done at any time, perhaps with a picnic or even a Tesco meal deal, I’ve got that covered too.

The Harbourside is the perfect place to bring some tinnies from the shop or a picnic and enjoy the sun with your date. On a warm evening, you can expect to find the water’s edge crammed with friend groups and couples, legs dangling over harbour walls.

The Suspension Bridge is another iconic Bristol date spot, and I can’t recommend it enough as a top thing to do in Bristol for couples. I don’t think I’m ever quite so fond of Bristol as when I’m looking out over the bridge or walking across it. A picnic on the grass beneath it or beside the Observatory next door is a setting for an unforgettable date with Bristol's main tourist attraction in sight, and the city spread out before you. I must say, there is no better spot to watch the sunset than from the Bridge.

...

Do date night at home

Once you’ve had enough of exploring the best date spots in Bristol, you might want to strip things back with a simple film night or meal together at home. And remember - having a student house with a spacious living room or modern kitchen can make all the difference, whether you’re living with your partner or not.

Explore Bristol student accommodation at UniHomes to find your next home away from home today!

This post is part of the UniHomes Content Ambassador programme, where current students across the UK share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. Like these guides? Add UniHomes as a preferred source in Google with just one click by checking the box to see more expert content from our student writers!

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.

Whilst you’re out having fun in your new uni city, remember that UniHomes promotes responsible drinking, and any alcohol products featured within this article are for ages 18+.