Until very recently the centre (being the open plan water fountain area by the Hippodrome) only had…read morea couple of independent newsagents, which was fine. Then in the space of a few months two of the big players popped up - Tesco Metro at College Green and Sainsburys Local in Broad Quay. Each can complete with a much-needed cash point in the area. Previously, people had to either walk halfway up Park Street to the HSBC or halfway down Baldwin Street to the Alliance and Leicester. Sainsburys Local is your bog standard Sainsburys Local but it looks much nicer and newer. It sells the usual from sandwiches to chocolate and soup to milk and eggs. It's also handy for the smokers in the nearby office blocks. I don't know about you but I'd much rather shop at Sainsburys than Tescos and now you can if you live or work around the city centre in Bristol.

Good selection of ready-to-eat sandwiches and meals, even late at night. Besides that, it's not…read moremuch different from any other Sainsbury's. Oh, unless you love Reese's. They also happen to have an epic selection of Reese's peanut butter cups, pieces and even the oft-unseen crunchy candy bar. Heady stuff.

This branch of Tesco Express is right in the city centre in Broadmead, and in my opinion there is…read moreone major drawback to the shop's location - there is a lack of easy nearby parking. Because of this fact, buying a weeks worth of food is not a great option as you would have to lug your bags quite a long way to reach the car! Unless of course you catch the bus in which case just cross over the road and there's a stop right there... I tend to use this shop mainly either if I'm in town and want a refreshment whilst shopping, or if I'm going to the Odeon cinema to buy sweets and popcorn in advance because it is so much cheaper! The shop seems pretty well stocked most of the time, but the one thing I would say is that the checkouts are really slow and you might find yourself stood in a queue for ages which is annoying if you only want a drink!

As much as I try to avoid this Tesco's (because everything is most definitely overpriced) I always…read morefind myself popping in in case of a bargain. To be fair, there are some okish discounts if you time it right, but otherwise do expect to pay a couple of quid extra for booze and others. I also admit I have used this Tesco's as an escape from the rain many a times, and spent a good half hour reading the vast display of magazines (what? It saves me buying them!). The shop is actually pretty large. Most non-regulars won't realise there's another part to the shop to the left of the checkouts which have the tin cans, dog food and spices. Worth a visit for everyday items, but avoid like the plague if you have a big shop coming up - you will be ripped off.

This co-op has been through a range of changes it was Nisa, it was a no-name shop and now its the…read moreCo-Op. It hasn't changed its layout much in all that time. It has a range of magazines, some greeting cards - you usually can find one that is not too atrocious and its a handy place to pick up. Sandwiches here are not particularly cheap though. They also have a hot food section with things like ham and mushroom slices which are more reasonably priced than their sandwiches. For some reason they stopped stocking tabasco here and without tabasco to liven up their overpriced mediocre sandwiches, I stopped buying them here. They also don't stock the lovely pesto pasta salad the Baldwin St store does.

I used to go here all the time when I lived in Redland, as it was the nearest place that wasn't…read moreWaitrose and hence hideously expensive. This place is cheap, as you might expect, but I'm sure they've jacked the prices a wee bit to fleece the richer Cliftonites on its doorstep. To be fair to the small store, they do stock a wide range of food, including a fairly decent fruit and veg section (which is usually the first thing to go when they open a Metro or Express job). Magazines, newspapers and alcohol (essentials that shouldn't be taxed in my book) are all well stocked too. What's more, there's even a tiny post office hidden at the back of this place - if you can't find it, it's closed, by the way, as it is tucked away behind a fake wall when not doing business.

I often find when i walk into these mini one stop shops that i have had to make compromises on what…read morei went in to get. This Tesco Metro however has pretty much everything i need, all the basics. The only area they lack in slightly is fresh fruit and vegetables, that being said they have everything else and it is just as competitively priced as the larger supermarkets. I love the fact that there is a post office at the back, it makes you feel that Tesco is not completely destroying the local community with its supermarkets. It is even more useful because there are so many banks around it making errands that much easier!

There was a incident today in Sainsbury's and just like to say all staff were very professional…read morecaring and understanding

Large supermarket in a great location. one thing that let's it down is the trollies!…read more I know it may sound petty but whenever I go to Tesco all of thier trollies are fine but there is always an issue with the sainsburys trollies.

To people not from these parts some place names are legendary about Bristol: The Tobacco Factory…read moreand the Docks for example. Once you live here there are others: The Bear Pit, Cribbs etc. Another place you don't really know about until you live here is The Best. The (self titled) Best Supermarket is legendary. The shop is open 24/7 every day of the year. Even in the harshest of blizzards I have never seen the door closed. They sell crisps, chocolate bars and various other things you would expect of such a convenience store. It is after hours however when they really become something else. This is the only shop that will sell all types of alcohol at all hours. The staff are hardened as you'd expect; their clientele the late drinkers: poets after another bottle of inspiration, students after more beers and all the rest of it. The Best Supermarket is, well, what it is.

Yes it has all your desied goods!…read more Yes it is 24 hours! And yes you can satisfy pretty much any food or drink craving at any time of the day by getting something from here. But 'the best supermarket'?, i'll give them a little le-way for artistic license but I think they should perhaps pre-fix the name with 'Arguabley' then it will give them some margin for error! But seriousley, this place is pretty good, great to have a place of convieniance and open all hours, reliable and plentiful, not bad...

The shop close to, and on the same side as the McDonalds drive through, but the new shop sign makes…read morethe shop harder to find as the shop looks closed, I think a led 'OPEN' sign is needed. The patrons are always friendly, and helpful. The shop provides groceries of English, Indian, East Euro, Turkish quite a mix, and getting a tin of Chickpea Chana Masala, to eat with rice or some naan...just lush. The store is like stepping into Dr Who's Tardis :-)

Nowadays it's very important to back the smaller stores as opposed to the larger, faceless…read moreorganisations (in my opinion anyway) and with the International Food Centre it couldn't be easier. Like the Sweet Mart in Easton this is a store that is all about the customer. They buy in only the best quality fruit and vegetables, for example, and sell it at reasonable and affordable prices. It's all organic and locally sourced where possible - stocked full of love and good energy. The Asian food section is immense with every type of spice and raw bean imaginable. It's a good place too to find adverts and posters for local and ethical happenings. A great store that comes highly recommended.

This small co-op on St Augustine's Parade deserves a five out of five for convenience. This is the…read moreonly shop in the vicinity where you can buy tea, milk and biscuits 24 hours a day, which makes it the ideal place to swing by after a night on the tiles. When all my male friends are filling their faces with kebabs and chips at the end of a boozy evening, me and the girls can be found deliberating over the big bar of chocolate or the massive bar of chocolate, A surprisingly social place to meet new people at the end of evening. It's also great for nearby students who are desperately trying to finish dissertations and have run out of much needed coffee. It's not cheap by any means, sometimes a pint of milk has set me back over £1, but I can never argue paying their prices at 4am.

The cooperative is basic, pricey and in stiff competition with its neighbours. Situated right by…read morethe canal, I can think of much nicer independent places to pick up a sandwich at lunch time or a drink on the way back from work. However, they do have some decent deals on throughout the year, usually seasonal offers which seem a good idea at the time but when you think logically about it, don't seem such a bargain after all. Cooperative is fine if youre in a rush to get all your essentials in one place, but the area by the harbour boasts so many great sandwich/baguette joints that it would be a shame to spend more money on less quality.