Alternative Student Nights Out in Bristol

If you’re hankering after a simple drink or three, try the White Lion in Clifton, which boasts a colossal heated beer terrace with fantastic views of the Avon gorge and suspension bridge. Prices are high, but it’s definitely worth a visit at night as the bridge looks stunning when illuminated. The Woods on Park Street is a must for its hunting lodge vibe and massive range of drinks, but again it’s a bit of a strain on the wallet. For somewhere equally characterful but a bit cheaper, the Grain Barge on Hotwells Road has a selection of Bristol ales, does good food, and it’s on a boat!  Just across the road, the Mardyke offers Wetherspoons pricing with the “real pub” atmosphere that Spoons tries and fails to imitate. Deserving of a special mention is the Mother’s Ruin in St. Nicholas’ Market, which offers cheap pitchers and an inventive range of shooters such as the Muddy Buttcrack, Ropey Old Hooker, and enticingly-named Blood In Your Piss.

Looking for something slightly more highbrow? The newly-renovated Old Vic theatre offers significant student discounts (tickets start around £6!) and a broad spectrum of productions. This means you can have a distinctly non-standard night out for the cost of a couple of drinks, and come away with an invaluable sense of cultural smugness. Alternatively, the Watershed Media Centre is an independent cinema showing a much wider range of films than you’ll find in any of the chain cinemas. Although it can seem a bit pretentious (about half of the trailers start with “Cannes Palme d’Or nominee…”), you know if it’s in the Watershed it’s probably worth seeing.

All of this is marvellous, of course, but sometimes all you want to do is go to a club and get good and sweaty. Fortunately, Bristol has one of the best club scenes in the country. For a truly great night, try Tube (Unity Street, opposite HSBC). Small but perfectly formed, with a max capacity of 150 it’s never going to have that big rave atmosphere but loads of comfortable seating and a homely ambiance give it a unique charm. Definitely one of the most interesting clubbing venues in Bristol. Basement 45 on Frogmore Street is good if you’re into D’nB, and is big enough for two rooms of sweaty fun. At the other end of the scale, Motion (Avon Street, BS2) is colossal. It’s a skate-park by day and boasts a massive main room, with a couple of smaller bars offering different tunes. It’s got the vibe of a big club like Syndicate, but much grittier and less chintzy. There are no glowing dancefloors here, just music and alcohol, and it’s all the better for it.

Some of the regular nights to watch out for are Itchy Feet (Jazz/Blues/Swing), Shit The Bed (Drum & Bass), both at Lakota, Phuct (Rock/Metal, free shot with every drink!) at Bierkellar on Fridays, and the venue-hopping Tribe Of Frog (Psytrance/Dub/Chillout).

I could go on. But the point is that there are a million great nights out waiting to happen in Bristol, and they’re often easier to find than you’d think. It’s all about getting out there, trying places, meeting people and having a brilliant time doing it.