I have walked passed Bubalu so many time but for some reason never given it a second thought…read more Health food and non alcoholic drinks weren't really my thing until recently. But last week I read some Yelp reviews and decided to give it a go, and I am so glad I did. Now, I want to give Bubalu five stars, but I haven't used the gym or fitness facilities, so It wouldn't be right. But, based on the food and drinks, I will definitely be going back. And when I'm full of January fat blues and post Christmas over indulgence, I'll definitely be back to check out some classes. I ordered the B-Boost Smoothy which had Coffee, Banana, Honey, cinnamon and ice in it. It was by far the best smoothy I've ever had. The coffee had a real punch and all the other flavours stuck to the pallet. I never wanted it to end. When I first arrived there was nobody else there, but within half an hour it was half full with a really nice buzz and atmosphere. The food being served looked great and I really wanted to some, but I couldn't unfortunately. Gloucester Road is always full of surprises, but this has been one of my recent favorites - event though I've known about it for several years! That's the beauty with yelp, I suppose!

I've known Mike for years and was so pleased to see how the place turned out for him…read more Great coffee, good smoothies!

The best value gym i have ever found. I paid for my membership up front when i first got to…read moreBristol, spending the £300 was one of the best decisions i have ever made, although it may seem expensive you will be saving money, no matter how you look at it. The gym is big. It is spread across three rooms; the main room has all the cardiovascular machines and a few weights machines. The next largest room has a large area for stretching etc. Finally the smallest of the three is a free weights room. The machines are not looked after especially well however this does not matter much as there are so many of them. So many in fact that you can literally feel the floor pulse the the steps of the running machines.

If you're brave enough to enter the different dimension known as the gym, then Pulse will have you…read morefit as a fiddle in no time. Open to student and non-students alike, the annual price is very reasonable. Parking may be difficult for those who live further afield but I guess the walking will do you good as a warm-up! There is a separate weights room for the hunky men who spend hours pouting at themselves in the ceiling-size mirrors and a fitness suite full to the brim with cardio machines. A quieter, more welcoming weight room is round the corner for those not quite ready to join the Hercules wannabes. Trainers are on-hand to assist you and also make good eye-candy whilst you're sweating it out on the treadmill.

One of the only truly mixed team sports in the world, definitely worth a try to keep fit and meet…read morenew people!

This excellent council run state of the art leisure centre boasts one (sorry, two!) of the best…read morepools in the city. The main pool boasts six lanes and is even overseen by a spectator gallery which is used during competitions. There is also a smaller learner pool complete with a flume which snakes down into it (alas I've never worked up the bottle to ask to have a go!). One word of warning, on two occasions I've turned up only to be refused entry due to the timetable being changed without any warning (there was no apology either - they just seemed to think I was a bit weird for reading the timetable online and assuming it was correct!). Elsewhere there's a gym and fitness classes (I've not used either though have heard good things about the circuit training class), and a decent sized hall which you can hire by the hour for badminton and 5-a-side. There's also ample parking outside, much of it CCTV monitored.

Run and funded by the council, Easton Leisure Centre is a good, well-kept and clean space with…read moreplenty of activities on offer. The swimming pool is large and as good as you'll get for a swim. It doesn't cost much either. There's also gym facilities and a range of fitness classes. Make sure you check times (even phoning if necessary - although my one major complaint would revolve around the fact that I have tried to phone and find out about swim times only for my calls to remain unanswered). Regrettably the website isn't very regularly updated so it's a good idea to check. The Easton location isn't exactly wildly accessible for a lot of people. If you're a cardriver there's a large amount of parking outside but for those of us who aren't, the nearest reliable transport service is Lawrence Hill train station although even then you have to snake under the quite circuitous underpass in order to get to the other side. Overall it's a good leisure centre, I just wish it wasn't so heartbreaking to be turned away when I've travelled for miles because the staff don't answer the phone and the website is out of date!

Coombe Dingle is a gem in Bristol's sporting crown. The sports complex is the base for most of…read moreBristol Uni's sports teams. It has 8 pitches, a large AstroTurf pitch, a conditioning and weights room, medical centre, a netball court and indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Open to the public, the Dingle, is a good sporting site to the Bristol public. The pitches are normally in pretty good nick, they do however give priority to the university teams , understandably.

The Mighty Bris are having a pretty good season at the moment. As I write this the first team are…read morecurrently 1st in the table, a game in hand and 3 points clear (granted not much but if they can post an impressive result in the game in hand then they'll be sitting pretty at the top) I have a problem this weekend as Bristol are playing my town of Birth Coventry in the British and Irish cup. I think I should have more alliegences with Coventry... but I dont... Come on Bristol! With a good batch of youth and academy players Bristol are high achievers and can expect a bright future for at least the next few years. Big Vunipola is going to squash Cov on saturday!

When I first moved to Bristol, Horfield was all I knew. I shopped at this end of town, went out…read morehere and relaxed here. When there was relaxing to be done it was done here, on The Ardagh - Horfield Common. Many people come here on the weekend for the little known views that sweep right across the city, whist maintaining some sort of privacy. It's quiet here, with big London Plane trees marking the border to the road and a small pond for wildlife interest and somewhere for the kids. There's also a decent sized play area for the nippers and at the other end of the age spectrum, a bowling green. Mostly though, there's just grass. A big expanse of green. And sometimes, that's all you want.

A little far out of town, the facilities here (a venue which is better known to most as Beggar Bush…read moreLane) are nonetheless a pleasant drive/cycle to get to, being just over the Suspension Bridge, next to Ashton Court. The main focus is football; they have two astroturf pitches, and their USP is their size - being larger than average they run an 8-a-side league in the close season for those who can't bear to take a summer off. There is also a large focus is on hockey, though the most intriguing aspect is 'the bubble'. I've only seen it from the outside but it's an impressive structure which facilitates netball and tennis in a rain free environment.

Known to its affliated school as BB (down to its location on Beggar Bush Lane), it is the sports…read moreground for Clifton College for things other than the tennis courts and rugby on the schools grounds. With 3 large astro pitches, and a massive 'bubble' looking structure that covers the indoor netball courts, it is readily available for hire to independent teams wishing to use the facilities. It may seem a bit of a mission to get to Abbots Leigh, but the cycle ride, or if you're feeling particularly fit, the run across the bridge can be rather scenic on the road out of the city.

Memorex is a crappy type of videotape, so it makes sense that the Mem would be kind of a crappy…read morestadium, but it also has its charm, and it will be missed. It's annoying that BRFC are moving yet again, as they move all the time. First-Hand Experience: More info about my personal experience at this stadium - I've been to both Bristol stadiums and they are both great places to watch football. However this one is run down and badly in need of an upgrade, so it makes sense that they may be moving. I was last here in 2007 for a match, although I've visited since then. It was a good and bad time. The fans are great and loud and vocal. The stadium is run down and decrepit. I've been to most UK & US stadiums, due to lifelong obsessions with travel, sport & especially footy (soccer to Americans). Born & raised in England, I followed Oxford United (hometown team) to stadia all over the country at away games, and later Liverpool (fave team) around. Every stadium review - like all my reviews - are from first-hand personal experience, usually from several visits. In 2011, I was on music tour in the UK, and visited most stadiums for fun in my spare time. As recently as Fall 2014, when I was "stuck" in UK for 3 months, I went to hundreds yet again while travelling. I have pictures of me at most, which I'll post later. Also, when back in UK I'll take more pix, and add more stadia! *** return to regular review *** Soon, Bristol Rovers may not be playing here any more. Known as the Mem, holds 12k, 3k of which are seated, and is rumoured to be closing down as BRFC move to their fancy new stadium, but that hasn't officially happened yet.

The memorial stadium, the smaller of Bristol two stadiums, is home to Bristol Rovers Football Club…read moreand Bristol Rugby Club. With a capacity of 12,100 it's quite a bit smaller than Ashton gate, but still manages to deliver a good atmsophere (in part, I think, because it's easier to fill out) both on days that football's played and rugby is. The DAS stand is the most impressive of the four in my opinion, housing the corporate boxes. It feels a bit like a cricket pavilion, and all four stands are slightly different from each other, making the ground feel like a bit of a hodge-podge. Worth knowing that the away stand isn't covered, so it can be a bit of a miserable experience if the weather's not very nice. Also should mention that the Blackthorn stand isn't seated. This makes for a better atmosphere but is a bit of a killer on the legs if you're not used to it. Being in the West Country there are pasties on offer. These are only £2.20 (very cheap for a football ground) and highly recommended. Drink cider to be really authentic. The memorial ground isn't particularly pretty but is a good ground where you'll can enjoy a game of football or rugby.