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    Bristol Guild

    4.0 (19 reviews)
    PriceyDepartment Stores
    Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

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    Taken from their website
    Will P.

    Marketing themselves as 'one of the country's greatest independent retailers', Bristol Guild is, I suppose, a department store on Park Street. I'm unsure because it doesn't feel like a department store - more like four or five shops that have been stuck together. There's sections for kitchenware, food, and lighting, amongst numerous others. With all of the stuff they sell they go for quality over price. This means things like corkscrews that look like they had a five man design team and elegant bedside stands made of solid oak. You don't necessarily need deep pockets here, though. It's certainly somewhere you can pick up cheap birthday gifts - a tea towel for my Mum coming from here last year. Bristol Guild has succeeded in humanising the department store experience a bit, I think its just a shame they choose to focus on expensive goods. An alternative to marks and sparks to give your home some sophistication.

    Janine K.

    A design-led department store which makes for a great place to head for presents. Although it says Bristol the products inside are from international brands. Sections include: A corridor of greetings cards which are different from the usual bunch. A fantastic kitchenware section with utensils and bakeware to drool over, including brands such as Alessi. A jewellery and crafts section upstairs which is OK - it is like a little maze upstairs so fun to poke about but I have never found anything I particularly liked. Possibly the best toy selection in Bristol - very cool toys and puzzles for kids and adults alike. A general gifty section with unusual items, cufflinks, space pens and gadgets. Definitely worth a look round!

    Pollita M.

    Bristol Guild has been something of an institution on Park Street for more than a century and it is easy to see why. It is the perfect place to pick up plush cookware and original gifts for friends and family. The building is huge and feels like several shops blended into one. But there are exciting nooks and crannies stuffed to the seams with really cool stock. They also do a wedding list service- something I wish I had known last year! They stock the more on trend cookery items from brands like Joseph Joseph, Alessi and Eva Solo but you will also find innovative gadgets and unique brands. And there's a great kids toys selection and rack upon rack of high-quality greetings cards to browse. Upstairs is a gallery showcasing incredible crafts and there are regular exhibitions in the Guild Gallery.

    Qype User (day_dr…)

    I love this type of independent store - one that sells a variety of really good quality items that are a little different and extra-special. I can't help myself but I always panic when I am buying a gift, I am such a perfectionist so I want the person receiving it to absolutely love it. It is shops like this that keep me sane - they always seem to have an edge on high street chains. The stock items that just scream stylish, elite, cool... You wouldn't guess from the outside how much there actually is to the Guild. There are loads of rooms / sections with everything from furniture, lighting, crafts, perfect cards, ornamental kitchen / dining pieces and great kiddie section to yummy and specialist food stuffs. In each, there is a little bit of contemporary, classic and alternative to suit all tastes. I also discovered they do wedding lists which I think is brilliant. A perfect store for the perfect gift.

    Christmas display at Guild, 2012.

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    Bristol Guild Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Bristol Guild

    This is such a brilliant little place, and fits perfectly with the boutique-style shops all along Park Street.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Debenhams - The top floor Restro

    Debenhams

    (11 reviews)

    ££

    Scene: A damp and dreary November morning. Bristol…read more Mission: Find a bikini for impromptu holiday in the sun. Jenni's reaction: Panic. Sheer panic. Having not actually gone on holiday for the last three years, I'd seem to have misplaced all my bikinis and so I was set the unenviable personal challenge of trying to find swimwear, in England, on the run up to Christmas. House of Fraser laughed and H&M asked, "You want a bikini in November?" Things weren't looking good. And then I remembered Debenhams. Lovely Debenhams. The place I used to consider "quite classy" as a child, and where I used to go with my Nan to try on perfumes. I hadn't been into Debenhams for over a year and it hadn't changed one iota. It was a little bit like stepping back into my childhood; smiling made-up ladies behind the counter, unflattering lighting, mums and their children looking for sensible shoes. I approached the nearest shop assistant and looked pleadingly into her eyes. Swimwear? "Let me show you Madam," said the lovely woman as she led me to the first floor sale section. There, in the furthest corner of the store, four bikinis - 70% off. A bit behind the times, but very reliable!

    To fully appreciate Debenhams take a trip to Primark first. After the barely controlled chaos (well…read morethat's a slight exaggeration) to the latter shop, Debenhams will feel like a paradise of tasteful muzak and neatly folded clothes. The staff are keen, sometimes overly so, to help you out. The quality is always good - the suits in particular are lovely. Excellent ranges up on the upper floors in the home and electricals departments. Unfortunately this all comes with some hefty prices. Although the new Harvey Nichols has probably taken the crown for Bristol's most expensive department store Debenhams comes a strong second. This is probably why it's so empty of customers, and makes the rock-bottom prices of next door Primark all the more attractive. Give everything in there a 30% discount and I would be in there like a shot, at the moment Debenhams offers good stuff in a pleasant setting but is just a bit too pricey.

    Kathmandu

    Kathmandu

    (3 reviews)

    £££

    It was going to be my first Glastonbury Festival. I had my tickets and a bottle of vodka…read more 'Erm, you might need a bit more than that,' one friend chirped. 'Like a tent. And a sleeping bag. And a hat.' Full of purpose I went where I'd seen many active camping people (in the non John Inman sense) lurking: at Kathmandu opposite the Bristol Museum. I was immediately struck by how unprepared I was. Among the regular camping gear, there was thermal underwear, gas cookers and hiking packs. This was probably a bit more hardcore than I needed, but the helpful staff pointed me in the direction of a very functional £30 tent. One VERY handy thing about Kathmandu is that they have one of those 'if your luggage fits in here it's suitable for hand luggage' slots that you get at the airport. I always pay this shop a visit before jetting off to see how much I can squidge into one humble bag!

    The shop with the never ending sale! Not a bad thing at all, but you don't know if it's a marketing…read moretrick or if they are always actually having sales. Either way very, very handy for festival season (probably handy for camping as well, but who the hell does that if they're not at a festival!?). It's the best place to pick up the essentials, like roll mats, chairs and torches. But I don't think they are the best around for the larger items like bags and bigger tents. They are great for small one or two man tents, but we had a walk into town and got a much better deal on a five man behemoth tent that makes me cry every time I have to put it up. But for all the camping gear you didn't even know you needed, they are the best. Try and catch one of their brilliant pre-summer sales, they always have a 3 for 2 offer that does the trick. The staff are always really friendly & helpful and I will be in there soon to pick up some tent pegs for this year's Glasto.

    House Of Fraser - The "American" shelf, displaying the U.S. diet. Gross.

    House Of Fraser

    (12 reviews)

    £££

    Bristol isn't short on department stores, but top of my favourites list is House of Fraser. Since…read moreit changed location it's undergone a swanky makeover making it as bright and shiny as Cabot Circus itself. It may be that I don't cope well with change but I find the layout of the new store a little confusing, often meaning I walk past the same rail of clothes several times before finding a polite shop assistant to point me in the right direction. In-keeping with the ethos of Cabot Circus, this House of Fraser stocks high-end lines such as Vivienne Westwood and Lulu Guinness in amongst Miss Sixty and French Connection which can push it into a "looking not buying" category of department stores. I tend to come for the small but extensive Paperchase and Benefit stands, and a bit of a window shop in the ladies department. Not great for every day wear, but worth a look if you're looking for a "special occasion" outfit.

    When it moved from the Horsefair to shiny new Cabot Circus, House of Fraser had a bit of a…read moremakeover. No longer the frumpy department store most people walked past to get to Debenhams, now this has an emphasis on the higher quality (and higher priced) brands. Over four floors, with cosmetics, accessories and Paperchase on the lower floor, mens on the middle, women's fashion on the third floor and home decor on the top floor, it is a sprawling space with indiscernible boundaries between the brand displays. It doesn't have a great flow for browsing round, but its not bad. I come here mainly for Mango and Ted Baker brands (although there is a Ted Baker shop in Cabot Circus their women's range is better here).

    Harvey Nichols - Fashion_Bristol

    Harvey Nichols

    (3 reviews)

    £££

    Despite being brought up to be confident enough to feel I can fit in anywhere, I still feel a pang…read moreof self doubt whenever I enter a high-end store. I'm all to paranoid that the shop assistants nonchalant stares are really saying "you're not welcome here... don't touch the things, you're making them dirty". All this self consciousness lifted when I walked into Harvey Nichols. As the doorman pulls back the door and welcomes you with a warm smile, you can't help but feel at ease even though you know in your heart of hearts (if you're anything like me) that you can't afford the bags their lovely products come in. All the staff are wonderfully cheerful and laid back; no pushiness to force you to make a purchase - but again, maybe because they know in THEIR heart of hearts you won't be making a purchase. To call it a department store is probably unfair to properly sized ones, with this Harvey Nicks feeling like a taster of what you'd get in one of their larger outlets. But there's still enough for you fashionistas to gawp at and long for including Moschino, Chloé and Vivienne Westwood. Not a realistic shopping venture, but a great place to play "when I win the lottery I will buy..."

    I was really excited about this store coming to Bristol and now I have mixed feelings. What it has…read moredone is bring a whole new set of shoppers into the city, and their money of course, which can only be good for Bristol. It also holds up Cabot Circus with its central spot on the main stretch. However with its bouncers outside it really intimidated me and it took me weeks to go inside after it opened! It has the sparse layout of you-can't-afford-this and even some areas have the we-don't-even-have-price-tags level of you-can't-afford-this. Needless to say with my budget that I haven't been back...

    Uncle Sam's American Vintage Clothing

    Uncle Sam's American Vintage Clothing

    (14 reviews)

    ££

    Uncle Sam's has been here for as long as I can remember, and I do quite like it, but despite saying…read morethat, I haven't actually bought anything from here. It is a fairly small shop, a beacon to vintage lovers on Park Street. They sell records, leather wallets, jackets, 80s dresses, cut off levis.. anything vintage that pops in your head, they do have it here. You do have to dig abit to find things though, which just adds to the fun. This is somewhere I always pop by to have a browse, always expecting to find something awesome, but never really do. Maybe that is because the prices are quite steep; rising with the rise of the love of vintage fashion these days.

    From the outside it looks as though Uncle Sam's is going to be the best offering that Park Street…read morehas. A classic American vintage sign, a window full of Levis and checked flannel shirts, but it's best not to judge a book by its cover. (Or a vintage clothes store by its window!) I love a bit of a rummage through piles of retro clothing, but the interesting finds here are so few are far between that it doesn't make your wait worth-while. On the whole, I find that men do better here than women with some fantastic leather jackets and belts to be had. Just be prepared to pay a hefty price for some of the better pieces. It's worth a look for die-hard vintage clothes fans, but personally I prefer to save my pennies and go rooting around Bristol's fabulous charity shops. Cheaper, with added feel good factor!

    Bristol Guild - deptstores - Updated May 2026

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